Reviews & Testimonials
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P u r c h a s e T h e B o o k
Reviews Posted on Amazon, Barnes & Noble & elsewhere:
By Amazon Customer on May 6, 2017
Format: Paperback
if you love Rock N’ Roll you will love this book. It’s real.
Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With The Wind. One novel in her life. Nothing more. That’s all it takes. Jim Paris’s Them Changes is one such heartfelt unfiltered ‘real’ book. Jim is a personal friend and many of these stories were told to me over a poker game. I never believed them. You wouldn’t either. But they are all true. We listen to Rock N’ Roll. Jim lived it. And in doing so, he rode the see-saw of rags and riches, and partied with almost every Rock N’ Roll hall-of-famer. Once again, if you love Rock N’ Roll you will love this book. It’s real. It’s a slap in the face of New York Times best selling riff-raff. Every music fan needs to own one.
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Amazon – March 19, 2016
From Dan’13
Having met and spent some time with this author, I had heard just a few of the “good ol days” stories, but NOTHING like what’s on the pages of this tell all book! If reading really does take you places as they say, then get ready to be right there alongside Paris during some of the most emotional, intimate, and epic times one can experience.
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Barnes and Noble Review – March 8, 2016
From Roberto Clark
A while back a friend suggested this book and I had forgotten all about it and by luck
I happen to see it at my local B&N and picked it up.I’m sure glad I did, this guy’s story is a trip through the surreal and magical 60s
and 70s. Paris tripped the light fantastic wherever he went.If you want to trip through craziness of the Sunset Strip or Haight Ashbury during
the classic age of Rock and Roll, then read this and enjoy.
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Entertaining and great insight!
By Amazon Customer
on August 30, 2016
Format: PaperbackA wild and fantastic ride through an era I grew up in and listened to Buddy Miles growing up in the SF area. Jim’s experiences from growing up and finding his way to Hollywood and into the rock n roll scene, took me on the journey with him. Sex, drugs, rock n roll and partying, what a life!
Really a great read from start to finish! Great insight to the ups and downs of the music biz.
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Barnes and Noble Review – July 31, 2016
From Lucky Melinda
“I just finished reading “Them Changes” by Jim Paris and was left wondering how he managed to survive through it all. His young life living in Mexico then back to California where he was born was just short of absolute insanity.
Then after serving 3 years in the army in the early 60s he returned home and his life got even crazier. Living in Hollywood during the days of “Drugs, Sex and Rock n Roll” eventually got him involved in the music industry and he produced several acts that led him to working with Buddy Miles, and once again his life came close to insanity.
I recommend this book. It will guide you through his journey and the world of rock n roll during the iconic 60’s 70s and into the 80s.”
Lucky Melinda
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I’ve now read “Them Changes” twice and I still can’t…
Barnes and Noble Review – July 30, 2016
Anonymous
“I’ve now read “Them Changes” twice and I still can’t believe the incredible things that the author had to put up with and go through in his young years, let alone during his crazy rock and roll lifestyle. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever wondered what it would have been to live through the sixties and seventies in California. Jim Paris illustrates the life style of a hippie rock and roll entrepreneur at its core.
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Matt on July 6, 2016
Format: Amazon PaperbackVerified Purchase
“For myself, being 27 and born by only 6 months in the 80s, the 1970s and that culture had always confused me and enthralled me at the same time.
What Mr. Paris did was retell his experience in great, exquisite detail so the reader is able to see through his eyes. Have the “wild” experiences that were a dime a dozen in those days, and touch on historic events that simultaneously occurred.
Not only the above, but a story of himself as a young boy, teen, and adult with a story and life that you almost would think, “is he making this up?!” But the sincerity and authenticity in his writing proves otherwise.
A great read and one I would suggest anyone should have on their bookshelf!”
Matt
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By Patti D. Now
Format: Amazon PaperbackVerified Purchase
“I was born and raised in Hollywood and like Mr. Paris, I experienced all that the Sunset Strip, Laurel Canyon, and the rest of Hollywood during the 60s and 70s had to offer. I, too, went to all the local clubs and parties that he speaks of and I can attest to the wildness of the psychedelic, private back stage and general crazed Hollywood Rock n Roll parties that he was part of. I probably partied with him in some dark corner somewhere.
This is a book that brought back some amazing memories and whether you were there or not Mr. Paris will put you in the middle of all that was happening in the L.A. and San Francisco Rock n Roll scene during a time when we were all wild and free.”
Patti D. Now
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“I enjoyed “Them Changes” because it was easy to read and it had a nice pace and writing style. I grew up in Hollywood, in the same era and it was fun to re-live those days. I was truly mesmerized by this book and amazed by all the things he did, especially because I knew Jim as a kid (he even wrote about me, my family and our friendship which really touched me deeply).
Reading about Hollywood and the music scene is very close to me because not only did I grow up in Hollywood during the same period of time, but also because music has always been a part of my life. I played in small bars in Los Angeles and San Francisco and even hung out in many of the same clubs that Jim mentions in the book. Although I never made it into the big time I did get to hang out with some of the same musicians and rock stars that he knew. Now I get to live out a lot of my dreams through the pages of his book.
I enjoyed every page and recommend Jim’s book to anyone who is interested in the Hollywood scene in the 60s and 70s, and to anyone who loves rock and roll history.”
Robert Lovato
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“A great read! Jim nailed the wild ride through the tumultuous years of the Rock & Roll scene in the 60’s and 70’s as a promoter of artists and producer of musicians in California.”
Donald & Marianne Dunham
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“A factual telling of a time we all wish we lived through… Them Changes is a wild ride from start to finish that puts the reader in the passenger seat of a ’65 Bently Rolls-Royce and cruises up and down the Hollywood strip looking for action. An inspiring tale with lots to discover about a time when people thought music really could change the world.”
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“WOW !! What a wild ride through the Rock & Roll and club life during 60s, 70s and into the 80s. Music, Sex and Drugs, So many incredible stories from rock and roll legend which shaped the music industry. Well written, Makes you feel like your reliving and era.”
Ronald Brunski “Webshark”
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“This book is easy to read and hard to put down. I’ve read lots of biographies about the “age of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll” and this one is on par with the best of them. I enjoyed this book especially because I’m a fan of the late, great Buddy Miles. The author, who had an interesting life on his own merit, obviously took meticulous notes of his time with Buddy and his stories do not disappoint. I recommend this book to anyone who loves rock and roll, or just wants to take a wild ride into the debauchery of a seminal time in music history.”
Michael M – Musician
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“What a book, what a life! In “Them Changes”, Jim Paris deals with his life and times with honesty and is certainly worth the read.
The chapters dealing with the 60s and 70s life was vivid and lived excitedly, as if we were all on the edge – on the verge of creating something important, new and extremely exciting. In this book Jim Paris conveys those vivid feelings. and brings me back to much I’ve experienced although his was more vivid than mine!
I lived in Los Angeles in that time period and experienced much it! I was in the music business then and can verify nearly everything he writes – Jim Paris may embellish a little but not by much! Although I didn’t know him we share a lot; we knew some of the same people, some of the same scenes; we had some of the same experiences, though mine were a little more pharmaceutically ‘innocent’. The casual sex was real and happened as reported – it’s part of the collective history of the 60s, 70s. And beyond.
I recommend it!
It’s good Jim Paris lived past those days; this is the way it was and we can learn from his experience!
P. Neugass
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By Big Jack W.
439 days ago – Barnes and Noble
“Having grown up in Atlanta I missed all the action that was going on in the west coast during the 60s and 70s.
Jim Paris sure tells it like it must have been and by everything I ever read or heard about the rock and roll scene there, he obviously was right there in the center of it all. This book tells it all and makes me relive those days through him. Well done Mr. Paris. I recommend this book to anyone who ever loved the 60s and drugs, sex, and rock and roll.”
Big Jack W.
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“Honest, direct and believable memoir; I loved it!
I’ve always enjoyed reading about the 60s and 70s, so I was immediately attracted to this book. It seemed like such an amazing era, nothing like anything we can imagine now with political correctness and everyone so uptight all the time. The author, Jim Paris, seems to personify everything I’d ever heard about it; it WAS all about sex, drugs, rock and roll and freedom, at least for some people. I enjoyed his behind-the-scenes look at the music business and how incredibly different it was back then. And I really enjoyed his honesty; he wrote about what he did, the good and the bad, and the things that happened to him along the way, seemingly without exaggeration or hype, but just in a very direct and highly believable manner. He wrote about free love and sexual freedom and psychedelic drug-taking and huge names in rock and roll like it was all just part of life – no sensationalizing or glamorizing any of it. It was a fascinating look into a real person’s life, especially because he didn’t die or overdose or become rich and famous. He seems like a guy I’d enjoy getting to know, and if you read Them Changes you’ll probably want to get to know him, too.”
Cyndi
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Great book
Barnes and Noble – 349 days ago
This book is proof that Rock and Roll just, as some song says, “It Ain’t Easy.” What this guy went through before getting involved in the world of music was more than most. Then he gets into the biz of rock and roll and for the next 20 years he gets into the depths of the crazed “Sex, Drugs, and Rock&Roll” ride of the sixties, seventies and even into the eighties. What a trip…. a must read for all who were there and for all who missed it all.
Watt Now
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Five Stars
Barnes and Nobel
Excellent tale of that era. Raw look at what it must have been to be in and around the music industry during the 60s, 70s and 80s. I would definitely recommend this.
Little Federico
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Five Stars
Barnes and Nobel
Wow…. Loved this trip back in time when Rock and Roll was changing the world. Interesting look into the 60s, and 70s and the creation of so many rock legends. Jim Paris tells it like it was without glamorizing anyone or anything, least of all himself. If you get the chance and are interested in what was happening in the scene of Los Angeles and San Francisco during that period of time, then this is a must read for you. I highly recommend it.
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Testimonials
I want to thank you for all the fond memories. I know the bond that there was between you and Buddy … he credited you for being the steering wheel behind “Sneak Attack” and the Buddy Miles Regiment. Buddy and I would often speak of the passion, dedication, love and most of all the patience you had with him … you always cleared the path so that he could continue to create magic in his music. You and Buddy spent hours putting together the band and deciding which songs would go on the album. Your knowledge of producing, your keen judgment, and your “elephant ear” brought it all together perfectly. As us Italians say … “you were cooking the sauce”
When Buddy and I wrote “Can You Hold Me,” it was lacking structure in the lyrics and changes, that’s when you helped us bring it all together and we then knew that it would be strong enough for a break-out single … thanks to you.I am proud of our song that you, Buddy and I created.
I know that besides your love for his music, that you loved Buddy… even though at times Buddy didn’t love Buddy … You loved him enough to keep the faith in him.
There are so many things you did for all of us but the thing that stands out for me; besides your business and producing abilities, was that at the end of the day you made sure that we were all comfortable, that we all ate and had everything we needed, and you made us all feel secure.
Dolly Durante – Vocals
Ike Turner, SpyroGyra, Melanie, Buddy Miles
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“The connection between Jim Paris, Richard “Kush” Griffith, and me has always been about exploring music, art, science, and words together. The three of us collaborated on several projects including “Vernal Equinox,” a rock and roll musical based on Igor Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps” (The Rite of Spring) with Jim, Kush and me writing the lyrics. Jim wrote the lyrics and worked with Kush on an NBC special, “Escape Velocity,” featuring Jerry
Manfredi (Bass), Richard Page (Vocal), Tim Downs (Drums), Joel “Razorsharp” Johnson (Keyboardist) Joey Trujillo (Guitar.)
Other projects that Jim put together were the Fidelity Recording Studios sessions where we all worked very hard on these early solo project mixes: Kush’s “What About The Music,“ and “How Do You Like Me Now,” Hal Gardner’s “Unfreeze Sandy,” Rick Gardner’s “Vision”, produced by Ralph and Jeanie Nielsen.
The bottom line, Jim and I are old friends! I had some great adventures in the Hollywood social and music scene with him.”
Rick Gardner – Lead Trumpet: Bernie Worrell, Bobby Byrd & the J B Allstars, Bootsy Collins, Chase, Fred Wesley, Gary “Mudbone” Cooper, George Clinton, Maceo Parker, Marvin Gaye, Parliament/Funkadelic, Ray “Doors” Manzareck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, Buddy Miles.
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” I had the good fortune to work with Jim on a couple of projects. He brought me in on Buddy’s album, Sneak Attack and later a remix of Billy Joel’s first album, Cold Spring Harbor. Truth be told, Jim was the glue that held us together (The Regiment) during the time we worked with Buddy. Through Jim, I met some great musicians and made some lifelong friends. A man can count himself lucky if he has good friends. That being said, Jim Paris is one of the best of friends.”
L.D. Dixon – Keyboards:
Buddy Miles, Billy Joel
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“I first met Jim Paris when I went to audition for him and Buddy Miles. They were looking for a second drummer to double with Buddy. After the audition was finished Jim came to me and told me to get ready to go on tour, handed me some money and changed my life forever. Jim hired me as the back-up drummer for the “Buddy Miles Roadrunners” and took me on tour through Canada, Mexico and the U.S. I learned more about how to be a drummer, and a professional touring musician from Jim and Buddy than anyone ever. I am glad that Jim decided to write this book and if you ever get a chance to meet him you will be in for a rocking good time with the coolest guy I ever knew.”
Steve Lagana
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“When it comes down to rock and roll, Jim Paris has done it all, or witnessed it all, because he was there! “Them Changes” is more than a book; it is an illustrated tour that will take you inside the lives and music of some of the most important individuals from rock’s golden age. If you are in the market for a book about rock and roll music that is filled with truth and not hype, then you needn’t look any further than this one.”
Jimi Calhoun – Bass Guitar – Author, Recording artist and producer, Spiritual Leader
Dr. John, Rare Earth, Sly Stone, Parliament-Funkadelic
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“I first met Jim Paris in Los Angeles when he lived on Camrose St, right next to the Hollywood Bowl. I had just met Buddy Miles and began playing with him sometime in early 1981 and Jim was handling all of his affairs. Buddy and I went to Jim’s house and we had a meeting discussing Buddy’s upcoming album project and subsequent American Tour. Buddy was a very demanding artist and he needed someone like Jim, with his gentle, but firm demeanor to keep everything from exploding into chaos.
My experience with that whole scene was very exciting as well as educational as I watched Jim pull everything together under extreme pressure and great odds, that only those in the inner circle were aware of. He was a total professional in not only producing the double album, but also acted as a trouble shooter for every aspect of the production and tour. I have tremendous respect for him and his expertise and I don’t believe that anyone else could have done what he did not only for Buddy but for the whole organization.”
Gary McLaughlin – Percussion: Jose Feliciano, Temptations, Supremes, Brothers Johnson, and videographer for Michael Jackson
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“Jim was (and still is) a great friend. He has always had a positive attitude and has always been willing to help friends on their path in life. He is also an extraordinary painter. At our first meeting I was impressed by a beautiful small canvas of a forest fire as well as larger canvases of night views of the San Fernando Valley, the city lights depicted with rhinestones with remarkable effect. Thanks for all your support and efforts on my behalf Jim!”
Marijke Kroger – Recording Artist, Fashion Designer, Painter Murals for The Beatles- The Apple Boutique, “the Fool”
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“Jim Paris and Buddy Miles gave me my first real break in Hollywood. I had worked with Gary Kellgren at The Record Plant and when Buddy’s bass player, Ron Johnson got sick, Buddy asked if I was willing to tour with him. When I said yes he told me to go talk to Jim. Jim hired me on the spot and told me that our first gig would be in Dallas, Texas, and that if I did well he would make all the arrangements to take me on tour with The Roadrunners. I learned the songs on the flight to Dallas. My first concert with Buddy Miles and The Roadrunners was in the same area where I grew up! We played The Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas that first night and my life changed.
Though professionally trained as a classical recording and performing artist by the age of 16, I believe my life and career experience working with Jim Paris, Buddy Miles and Robert Fitzpatrick shaped me to be the Independent Artist that I am today, much the same as Jim Paris, a self-made man who I’m proud to call a friend.”
Willie Basse – Bass – Texas Boys Choir, Classically trained vocalist, Igor Stravinsky, Canned Heat, Stephen Stills, Mike Finnigan, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson, Vinnie and Carmine Appice, Buddy Miles.
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I was introduced to Buddy Miles in 1969 by Bill Nickerson, a young (like me) agent at William Morris. Buddy was crashing in Hollywood with noted rock ‘n’ roll photographer Herbie Worthington. I had recently joined Capitol Records as Business Affairs liaison to its A ‘n’ R department. Buddy looked like a sultan lounging on large pillows in a room draped with colorful, billowing scarves. I was interested in Buddy due to his involvement with Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsies album that Capitol was entitled to release as part of a legal dispute of some sort involving Hendrix’ manager Michael Jeffries. Since it was a one off deal for Capitol, nobody else there seemed particularly interested in its progress or promotion. I was, and subsequently shared a number of adventures on the road with Buddy as he toured, including being with him at a gig in San Francisco at the Fillmore West when it was reported that Jimi had died. That was a very emotional evening, to be sure.
Jim Paris, along with Robert Fitzpatrick, later managed Buddy and celebrated his receipt of a Platinum Record for the album.
I remember meeting Jim Paris at a gig he had arranged in Malibu, CA for an act I was interested in called Fortune. Richard Fortune and the Gemini Twins, Colleen and Maureen, were the principals of Fortune and were often included as part of Buddy’s touring ensemble. I subsequently managed Fortune through a couple of albums.
A most memorable jaunt with Jim Paris, Buddy, and Fortune was when I flew down and joined them in the midst of their tour in Mexico. Of course, Buddy had a big hit there with “ThemChanges.” You see the word CAMBIOS largely displayed in every airport and bank. I arrived backstage in the middle of their show in Mexico City and continued on through Acapulco. Jimmy and I were both detained by local authorities at the gig in Acapulco to determine if we had proper work papers. I convinced them I was just along for the ride and Jimmy used his charm and finesse to wangle his way out. No harm, no foul.
Throughout, Jimmy has always been an ardent and loyal supporter of all things Buddy Miles which I know Buddy appreciated throughout his ‘storied’ career.
Allen Mostow – Entrepreneur –
Capitol Records, A’n’R Department – Personal Manager
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