Book excerpt: I'll Be Gone is not just the story of an accidental masterpiece, a song written by Mike Rudd and recorded by his seminal Australian band 'Spectrum' in 1969. It is also the story of a time of unprecedented political and cultural upheaval and promise both in Australia and the Western world. Most of all, I'll Be Gone is the story of a unique artist and his unerring artistic vision, often in the face of immense personal hardship and sorrow.