Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Nick Battle holds the distinction of being a member of two of my favourite Christian bands ever. Firstly he was in the mid '70s line up of After The Fire when they were a prog band and then he moved on to join the short lived art rock band Writz. After that I was never really sure what he did apart from occasionally popping up as a songwriter for Cliff and also recording his own attempt at a solo hit song which provides the title for this book. (By the way search on Youtube for the video, it's hilarious!). The book is Nick's life story and what a life! From struggling on the poverty line to enjoying the riches of music business success, Nick has seen it all. The book gives a really good insight into the ups and downs of the industry as Nick moves from being a performer and songwriter to music publisher, record plugger and A&R man. There are some celebrity stories to add a bit of entertainment and humour but it doesn't get irritatingly gossipy. It's actually Nick's candour which holds the book together describing the spiritual immaturity of his youth. His journey with God hasn't always been straightforward and he's had enough struggles to contend with but what comes through is a guy trying to make sense of it all, holding on to Jesus in the good and bad times. The most moving passages are where he describes the tragic death of his wife from cancer and the way that he and his daughters survived in the aftermath. (There's a happy ending but I won't spoil that for you!) You can enjoy this as an insight into the music biz or as a description of a spiritual journey. He writes with wit and insight and honesty so what more would you like from an autobiography?

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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The true story of Nick Battle, former bass guitarist with 80's Christian rock band After the Fire, who became a music industry mogul who was involved in introducing the Spice Girls to their music publisher.

Personal tragedy and triumph are never far from Nick's life as he journeys through life trying to balance his faith with the self-obsessed industry in which he works.

Following great success working with such famous names as the Spice Girls, Cliff Richard, Talking Heads, Clannad and Take That, Nick's life suddenly changes dramatically when a family crisis changes everything.

Discover how Nick has to give up a six figure salary but in the process experiences God's love in a new and living way and learn lessons of how to trust God completely when everything else seems to be going wrong.