Only Wanna Be with You

The Inside Story of Hootie & the Blowfish

De: Tim Sommer

Narrado por: Michael Butler Murray

In 1985, Mark Bryan heard Darius Rucker singing in a dorm shower at the University of South Carolina and asked him to form a band. For the next eight years, Hootie & the Blowfish-completed by bassist Dean Felber and drummer Soni Sonefeld-played every frat house, roadhouse, and rock club in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, becoming one of the biggest independent acts in the region.

In Only Wanna Be with You, Tim Sommer, the ultimate insider who signed Hootie to Atlantic Records, pulls back the curtain on a band that defied record-industry odds to break into the mainstream by playing hacky sack music in the age of grunge. He chronicles the band's indie days; the chart-topping success-and near-cancelation-of their major-label debut, cracked rear view; the year of Hootie (1995) when the album reached no. 1, the "Only Wanna Be with You" music video collaboration with ESPN's SportsCenter became a sensation, and the band inspired a plotline on the TV show Friends; the lean years from the late 1990s through the early 2000s; Darius Rucker's history-making rise in country music; and one of the most remarkable comeback stories of the century. Featuring extensive new interviews with the band members, some of their most famous fans, and stories from the recording studio, tour bus, and golf course, this book is a must-listen for Hootie lovers and music buffs.

©2022 Tim Sommer (P)2022 Tantor

Well done

Loved it. So many stories that I hadn’t heard before. The author does a great job of covering the entire Hootie story from the very beginning, thru their heights in the mid-90s, the early 2000s when their ride was winding down, to their hugely successful reunion tour in 2019

Soundtrack of Our Lives

Great behind the scenes and history of the rise from bar band to the biggest band in the mid 1990’s. Excellent!

Narration No Bueno.

I could not finish the book. The story was good. The narrator was unbearable.

Great story

Enjoyed the story from beginning to end. Would loved to have heard the band members do their own quotes to break up the narration that was a little tough to listen to for long stretches.

Fun to go back!

Engaging story that brought back lots of great memories. It was fun to play tracks from many Hootie albums while listening to the book. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the process and final outcomes. If you’re into the stories behind the music, you’ll enjoy this story of a band that defined a significant moment in Gen Xers lives, right before appreciable internet, MP3s and ultimately streaming services that changed everything.

Great inside baseball about one of the best bands in history

The story of Hootie & The Blowfish is incredible. This is a must read or listen for any Hootie fan. Unfortunately, I found the narration by Michael Butler Murray to be dull, grating and almost painful at times.

Great telling of a unique band's story

I'll admit it; I love Hootie & The Blowfish. I have since I bought Cracked Review View in the 90s. When I re-upped my subscription to Audible, this is one of the first titles I purchased. When compared to some of the other rock and roll titles I've listened to previously, I found this one to be much more enjoyable. Less of a focus on the sex, drugs, and rock n roll, and more about the circumstances that led from the band's early days to their climb to the top of the pop charts. It is a tale of good people and good music, and I learned quite a bit.

Since others have commented on the narrator, I would agree that his tone is different and he is an acquired taste. With that said, he has been the narrator for the books focusing on Rush's music throughout the decades. I think he's fine, but he's not for everyone.

Overall, if you like Hootie and the Blowfish, and are interested in their meteoric rise from mid South obscurity to worldwide stardom, this one is absolutely worth a listen.