Music industry Books

Book SynopsisDubbed “the industry bible” by the Los Angeles Times, All You Need to Know About the Music Business by veteran music lawyer Donald Passman is the go-to guide for everyone in the music business through ten editions, over thirty years, and over a half a million copies sold. Now with updates explaining why musicians have more power today than ever in history; discussion of the mega-million-dollar sales of artists’ songs and record catalogs; how artist access to streaming media, and particularly TikTok, has completely reshaped the music business; the latest on music created by AI; and a full update of the latest numbers and trends.For more than thirty years, All You Need to Know About the Music Business has been universally regarded as the definitive guide to the music industry. Now in its eleventh edition, Passman leads novices and experts alike through what has been the most profound change in the music business since the days of wax cylinders and piano rolls: streaming. For the first time in history, music is no longer monetized by selling something—it’s monetized by how many times a listener streams a song. And also, for the first time, artists can get their music to listeners without a record company gatekeeper, creating a new democracy for music. The “industry bible” (Los Angeles Times), now updated, is essential for anyone in the music business—musicians, songwriters, lawyers, agents, promoters, publishers, executives, and managers—and the definitive guide for anyone who wants to be in the business. So, whether you are—or aspire to be—in the music industry, veteran music lawyer Passman’s comprehensive guide is an indispensable tool. He offers timely information about the latest trends, including the reasons why artists have more clout than ever in history, the massive influence of TikTok, the mega million dollar sales of artists’ songs and record catalogs, music in Web3 and the Metaverse, music created by AI, and a full update of the latest numbers and practices.

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Book Synopsis''I see my story as a suite of songs that have a magical connection. I never understood that connection until I sat down to write. It was then that the magic started to flow.''Let Love Rule is a work of deep reflection. Lenny Kravitz looks back at his life with candor, self-scrutiny, and humour. ''My life is all about opposites,'' he writes. ''Black and white. Jewish and Christian. The Jackson 5 and Led Zeppelin. I accepted my Gemini soul. I owned it. I adored it. Yins and yangs mingled in various parts of my heart and mind, giving me balance and fueling my curiosity and comfort.''Let Love Rule covers a vast canvas stretching from Manhattan''s Upper East Side, Brooklyn''s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Los Angeles''s Baldwin Hills, Beverly Hills, and finally to France, England and Germany. It''s the story of a wildly creative kid who, despite tough struggles at school and extreme tension at home, finds salvation in music. We see him grow as a musici

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Book SynopsisA beautiful coffee table art book chronicling the extraordinary collaboration between Debbie Harry and H.R. Giger for Harry's 1981 solo album KooKoo. When the visual artist H.R. Giger, best known for his biomechanical creature and set design for seminal 1979 sci-fi-horror film Alien, encountered Debbie Harry, the punk icon and lead singer of globally successful New Wave band Blondie, the results were sublime. The artwork for Harry's 1981 debut solo KooKoo album cover was deemed so frightening it was originally banned on the London Underground. The fantastical videos for two of the tracks on the album, 'Backfired' and 'Now I Know you Know,' featured Giger himself piercing an Egyptian sarcophagus and a newly brunette Harry reimagined as a xenomorphic Giger creature. With photographs and words by Chris Stein, Harry's long-term collaborator, artefacts and sketches from the Giger archive, and an introduction by Debbie Harry, this is an essential behind-the-scenes insight into the processes of an incredible creative partnership.

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Book SynopsisThe once-in-a-generation memoir of a rock legend - the No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller.''Electrifying'' New York Times''A masterpiece'' The Word''Funny, poignant, brutally honest'' Sunday Telegraph''Densely packed with incident... immensely readable'' Sunday Times''Once you begin this, wild, wild horses couldn''t drag you away''Independent''Life is pretty faultless as the quintessential depiction of the man in full and his extraordinary life and times to date'' The Times''I was hooked from the start''Harper''s BazaarAs a member of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the riffs, the lyrics and the songs that roused the world, and over four decades he lived the original rock and roll life: taking the chances he wanted, speakiTrade ReviewA masterpiece, the most sustained, colourful and rambunctious rampage through his [Keith's] 67 years imaginable * THE WORD MAGAZINE *Funny, poignant, brutally honest, engagingly colloquial, Life is pure Keith Richards, as good a rock memoir as you are likely to read. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Densely packed with incident ... immensely readable * SUNDAY TIMES *This is a good, gossipy read. But the best stuff is Keith on music. Check out his wonderful passage on Charlie Watt's drumming * EVENING STANDARD *Dark, honest and gleefully indiscreet from the first page to the last, it puts some of today's painfully dull musicians to shame * SHORTLIST *Once you begin this, wild, wild horses couldn't drag you away * INDEPENDENT *A hilarious, ribald and often shocking tale told elegantly and with much candidness * CATHOLIC HERALD *I was hooked from the start * HARPER'S BAZAAR *LIFE may be the best rock star autobiography ever * CLASSIC ROCK *A memoir so full of incident it feels like the author's lived three lives, not one * SUNDAY TIMES *The fact that Keith is still alive to tell the story is incredible * SUNDAY EXPRESS S MAGAZINE *LIFE is pretty faultless as the quintessential depiction of the man in full and his extraordinary life and times to date * THE TIMES *Electrifying... the intimate and moving story of one man's long strange trip over the decades, told in dead-on, visceral prose without any of the pretence, caution or self-consciousness that usually attend great artists sitting for their self-portraits * NEW YORK TIMES *Keith comes across as a thoroughly decent man, with just a hint of the devil. His relationship with Jagger is complex and fascinating * EVENING STANDARD *a masterpiece, the most sustained, colourful and rambunctious rampage through his [Keith's] 67 years imaginable -- Mark Ellen * THE WORD *densely packed with incident ... immensely readable -- Lynn Barber * SUNDAY TIMES *Funny, poignant, brutally honest, engagingly colloquial, Life is pure Keith Richards, as good a rock memoir as you are likely to read. -- Sally Cousins * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *This is a good, gossipy read. But the best stuff is Keith on music. Check out his wonderful passage on Charlie Watt's drumming. -- William Leith * LONDON EVENING STANDARD *Dark, honest and gleefully indiscreet from the first page to the last, it puts some of today's painfully dull musicians to shame. * SHORTLIST *Once you begin this, wild, wild horses couldn't drag you away. -- Boyd Tonkin * INDEPENDENT *A hilarious, ribald and often shocking tale told elegantly and with much candidness. * CATHOLIC HERALD *I was hooked from the start -- Giles Deacon * HARPER'S BAZAAR *Life may be the best rock star autobiography ever. * CLASSIC ROCK *A memoir so full of incident it feels like the author's lived three lives, not one. * SUNDAY TIMES *The fact that Keith is still alive to tell the story is incredible. -- Chris Tarrant * THE SUNDAY EXPRESS S MAGAZINE *

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive manual will help musicians and those working in live music to identify and cope with the various physical and psychological difficulties that can occur during, or as a result of, touring. It covers topics including mental health, peak performance and performance anxiety, addiction, group dynamics, relationship problems, dealing with the media, physical health, diversity and inclusion, crisis management and post-tour recovery. Written by health and performance professionals, this timely and essential book provides robust clinical advice, cutting edge research, practical strategies, resources and detailed illustrations. Each chapter is underpinned with personal recollections from musicians and prominent touring personnel, including Nile Rodgers, Justin Hawkins, Philip Selway, Charles Thompson, Katie Melua , Kieran Hebden, Jake Berry, Tina Farris, Taylor Hanson, Trevor Williams, Lauren Mayberry, Pharoahe Monch, Jim Digby, Will Young, Angie Warner, Dale 'Opie' Skjerseth and many more. Touring and Mental Health is designed to be picked up, put down, read at length and passed around the tour bus.

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Book Synopsis''A hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history'' (The New York Times Book Review), this one-of-a-kind narrative masterfully recreates the rivalry between the two men who innovated the electric guitar''s amplified sound''Leo Fender and Les Paul''and their intense competition to convince rock stars like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to play the instruments they built.In the years after World War II, music was evolving from big-band jazz into rock ''n'' roll''and these louder styles demanded revolutionary instruments. When Leo Fender''s tiny firm marketed the first solid-body electric guitar, the Esquire, musicians immediately saw its appeal. Not to be out-maneuvered, Gibson, the largest guitar manufacturer, raced to build a competitive product. The company designed an ''axe'' that would make Fender''s Esquire look cheap and convinced Les Paul''whose endorsement Leo Fender had sought''to put his name on it. Thus was born the guitar world''s most heated rivalry: Gibson versus Fender, Les versus Leo. While Fender was a quiet, half-blind, self-taught radio repairman, Paul was a brilliant but headstrong pop star and guitarist who spent years toying with new musical technologies. Their contest turned into an arms race as the most inventive musicians of the 1950s and 1960s''including bluesman Muddy Waters, rocker Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton''adopted one maker''s guitar or another. By 1969 it was clear that these new electric instruments had launched music into a radical new age, empowering artists with a vibrancy and volume never before attainable. In ''an excellent dual portrait'' (The Wall Street Journal), Ian S. Port tells the full story in The Birth of Loud, offering ''spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars'' (The Atlantic). ''the story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar era: loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new'' (The Washington Post).Trade ReviewNew York Times Book Review Editors' Choice “In The Birth of Loud, Ian S. Port has sorted out the facts of the electric guitar’s much-mythologized genesis and cultural conquest. He turns them into a hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history. With appropriately flashy prose, he dismantles some misconceptions and credits some nearly forgotten but key figures. He also summons, exuberantly and perceptively, the look, sound, and sometimes smell of pivotal scenes and songs. The Birth of Loud rightfully celebrates an earlier time, when wood, steel, copper wire, microphones and loudspeakers could redefine reality. Tracing material choices that echoed through generations, the book captures the quirks of human inventiveness and the power of sound.” —Jon Pareles, New York Times Book Review“Fascinating . . . one of Port’s true strengths [is] his ability to marry an agreeably anecdotal writing style to a musician’s ear. The way a Telecaster snaps and sizzles, the way a Les Paul purrs with liquid, violin-like tones; he just gets it. . . The story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar era: loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new.” —Washington Post“[An] excellent dual portrait . . . In the second half of the book, Mr. Port, a veteran music journalist, touches on the work of every major guitar player of rock’s golden age, from Muddy Waters to Buddy Holly—whose appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” electrified (the pun is unavoidable) Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney and John Lennon—and continuing through Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and, of course, Bob Dylan, whose notorious switch from acoustic to electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival scandalized his fans. Not everyone played a Fender or a Les Paul—the Beatles were Rickenbacker fans, and Gretsch guitars had a significant market share—but, as Mr. Port says, the wildfire popularity of those two guitars fueled a world-changing demand for electric guitars of every type.” —Wall Street Journal“Rich in description . . . full of imagist sound-summonings, spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars . . . Port can write lovingly, such as when he describes an early, solid-wood model that belonged to the country twanger Merle Travis. . . And he can write with technical lyricism . . . He even made me like Eric Clapton for a minute. And from the fumbled genesis of the electric guitar to its expressive climax, he draws us a beautiful, educational arc.” —The Atlantic“Ian S. Port’s The Birth of Loud reframes the standard history of rock ’n’ roll around the dual creators of the modern electric guitar. . . . Instead of a parade of frontmen and songwriters dueling it out in the charts, Port presents a ground-up account of an at-times begrudging friendship between two Angelenos who created the sound of what we instinctively understand as ‘rock.’ . . . Port’s research is thorough and his prose is lucid. If the evanescence of the internet and the machine-like qualities of synthpop make you want to put words to that vague cultural hunger for something more tactile, more connected to physical reality, this is your book. . . . The Birth of Loud is a compelling addition to the misremembered history of the time.” —SF Weekly“[Tells] the story of the development of the electric guitar through the lives of its two most famous names….Port deftly toggles between their parallel paths, as if swiveling from one effects pedal to another.” —James Sullivan, San Francisco Chronicle“Ian S. Port knows a thing or two about guitar heroes. . . . [With] lyrical, evocative prose, The Birth of Loud includes vivid scenes of Muddy Waters inventing Chicago blues, the Rolling Stones' sex-drenched appearance on The T.A.M.I. Show, Buddy Holly's TV debut with Ed Sullivan, Bob Dylan going electric at Newport and more. Along the way, Fender and Paul hone their inventions to perfection, vie for endorsements from the hottest players, and engage in that age-old driver of American innovation: cutthroat competition.” —KQED “Arts”“A rip-roaring journey through the early days of rock 'n' roll, told through the lives of the men whose innovative guitars helped usher it into existence . . . A lively, difficult-to-put-down portrait of an important era of American art that enhances readers' appreciation for the music it depicts.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)“A page-turning look at two central players [Leo Fender and Les Paul] in the sonic evolution of popular music. Port explores their trials and tribulations with an expert hand. This is a long-overdue cultural biography of music innovation. VERDICT: Thoroughly entertaining and deeply informative, this love letter to American creativity and rock and roll belongs in every library and should be read by all rock fans.” —Library Journal (Starred Review)“This smartly written and genuinely exciting book walks us through the bitter rivalry between Fender and Gibson and, since there is no way to tell this story without telling the story of rock ’n’ roll itself, also provides a jaunty if necessarily abbreviated history of rock. For music buffs, this one is special." —Booklist“[The] definitive history of the electric guitar and its two foundational personalities [Leo Fender and Les Paul]. Theirs is a fascinating and compelling story, especially in the hands of a writer as committed to lively narrative . . . Port can spin out evocative, succinct rock ’n’ roll writing with the best of them.” —The New York Journal of Books“Lushly descriptive and detailed…[the book] is richly illustrative in bringing these rock giants and the tools of their trade to life in a squall of beautiful feedback.” —Publishers Weekly“More than an essential, colorful, and gripping history of the electric guitar, The Birth of Loud introduces Ian Port, the best new non-fiction writer of the past twenty years.” —Daniel J. Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain on Music“Ian Port’s found a way to tell the story of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll—for some of us, among the postwar American stories, those that help define who we feel ourselves to be—in beautifully-evoked dual portraits of the men who made the instruments. In doing so, he re-situates this story in its context so neatly it is as if it had never been told before at all.” —Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude"Ian Port has created a perfect blend of popular history, social commentary, and enough guitar details to satisfy the most rabid six-string geek. This is a fascinating book." —Jonathan Kellerman, bestselling novelist and author of With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars"Guitar players are partly born, partly made, and every one has a story. So, too, are guitars, including the electric guitars that changed the world more than half a century ago. This is their story, and the story of their makers, well-told." —Gary Marcus, author of Guitar Zero“Long before Les Paul and Leo Fender were brand names who revolutionized music and changed culture, they were two guys—obsessively tinkering to recreate sounds in their heads. In The Birth of Loud Ian S. Port vividly captures the compulsion and competition that drove these fascinating oddballs to rock the world.” —Alan Light, former editor-in-chief of Vibe and Spin and author of The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah” “It’s hard for me to think of an invention more crucial to my interior life than the electric guitar, so in a way The Birth of Loud, Ian Port’s moving, riveting account of the instrument’s development and rise to ubiquity, feels like a sacred text—the story of how I came to be. It’s also a rich and fascinating tale of obsession, ingenuity, and American abandon. Thank heavens for Les Paul, thank heavens for Leo Fender, and thank heavens for Ian Port.” —Amanda Petrusich, author Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records“The Birth of Loud is more than history, journalism or criticism—it’s a killer rock ’n’ roll story, complete with money, egos, star power and, yes, electric guitars.” —Steve Knopper, author of MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson and Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age“The Birth of Loud channels trickles of intriguing new information into a confluence of big ideas about the history of the electric guitar. This book is essential reading for guitar history maniacs!” —Deke Dickerson, guitar historian, bandleader, and author of The Strat in the Attic

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Book SynopsisThe Beatles. The Beach Boys. Blur, Bowie, Kylie Minogue, Kate Bush and Coldplay. EMI was one of the big four record companies, with some of the biggest names in the history of recorded music on its roster. Dominating the music industry for over 100 years, by 2010 EMI Group had reported massive pre-tax losses. The group was divided up and sold in 2011. How could one of the greatest recording companies of the 20th century have ended like this? With interviews from insiders and music industry experts, Eamonn Forde pieces together the tragic end to a financial juggernaut and a cultural institution in forensic detail. The Final Days of EMI: Selling the Pig is the story of the British recording industry, laid bare in all its hubris and glory.

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times, Irish Times, Mojo and Uncut Book of the YearI doubt I'll ever read a better account of the history and sociology of popular music than this one.'' Brian Eno''Boyd's book is the Proust of music history à la recherche of much music lost, here regained and affirmed in our present.'' ObserverLegendary producer and record label boss Joe Boyd has spent a lifetime travelling the globe and immersing himself in music. He has witnessed first-hand the growing popularity of music from Africa, India, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe since the 1960s and was one of the protagonists of the world music' movement of the 1980s. In this sweeping history, Boyd sets out to explore the fascinating backstories to these sounds and documents a decade of encounters with the most extraordinary musicians and producers who have altered the course of music for us all. And the Roots of Rhythm Remain shows how personalities, events and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston and Rio are as colourful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues and rock n' roll would never have happened if it weren't for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon.

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Book SynopsisThe first official account of the iconic record label.An NME Book of the Year 2013 A Rough Trade Book of the Year 2013 A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year 2013This Mortal Coil, Birthday Party, Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Throwing Muses, Breeders, Dead Can Dance, Lisa Germano, Kristin Hersh, Belly, Red House Painters.Just a handful of the bands and artists who started out recording for 4AD, a record label founded by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1979, a label which went on to be one of the most influential of the modern era.Combining the unique tastes of Watts-Russell and the striking design aesthetic of Vaughan Oliver, 4AD records were recognisable by their look as much their sound. In this comprehensive account concentrating on the label's first two decades (up to the point that Watts-Russell left), music journalist Martin Aston explores the fascinating story with unique access to all the key players and pretty much every artist who released a record on 4AD duringTrade Review‘4AD get the lavish label history they deserve’ – MOJO ‘Aston has impressive access to some of rock’s most reclusive figures’ – Q ‘The book is an exquisite reflection of 4AD itself—extravagant, atmospheric, and rich in texture and timbre.’ – PITCHFORK ‘Facing The Other Way represents one of the greatest stories to emerge from rock and roll's modern history’ – DROWNED IN SOUND ‘The conviction of Aston's storytelling blows dust off the needle so that those records and their often magical beauties are dragged out to be admired once again… Compelling stuff’ – MOUTH MAGAZINE 'Martin Aston's 600-page chronicle is a suitable extravagant enterprise' – GUARDIAN “A fanatically scholarly account of the definitive art-pop label of the 1980s.” – THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

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Book SynopsisThe highly acclaimed dual biography of father and son Tim and Jeff Buckley, two of the most enduring musical icons of the late 20th-century When Jeff Buckley drowned in 1997, the music world was shaken to its foundations, not least because of the echoes of his father Tim’s demise. He too had been a brilliant and innovative musician with an extraordinary five-octave voice; and he too had died young, twenty-eight in fact, after an accidental drugs overdose. But there the similarities end. Jeff hardly knew Tim, spending little more than a few weeks with him as a boy. Their careers were very different, Tim releasing eight albums in his lifetime, including the beautiful HappySad and the extraordinary and still out-there Starsailor, while Jeff released just one – the brilliant Grace, generally acknowledged as one of the great albums of the 1990s. More than just a biography of two musicians, Dream Brother is the story of what happens when The Business hooks up with The Artist, ultimately to neither’s benefit.Trade Review‘Are the Buckleys the Kennedys of rock ‘n’ roll – talented but cursed?…A highly accomplished, dual biography by the well-respected writer David Browne has dug deep into both men's lives and the entire Buckley family history to throw some light on this enigmatic tale. Extensively researched and featuring previously unpublished letters and diaries, Dream Brother does a great service to the legacy of these two talented musicians.’ Irish Times ‘David Browne is a sensitive and committed writer eminently qualified to write the book his subjects so richly deserve…There is a wealth of detail and a series of memorable vignettes which will fascinate those who have embraced “Starsailor” and “Blue Afternoon” or “Grace and Live At Sin-E” as part of their lives.’ Uncut ‘A rich and moving portrait of two damaged, gifted people.’ Esquire

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Book SynopsisThe first photographic celebration of the most famous recording studio in the world with a foreword by Sir George Martin.Trade ReviewLucid and lavishly illustrated—a fine gift for pop and music history buffs. Appropriately ambitious biography of the recording studio that gave the world the Beatles’ eponymous swan song—but also, lest it be forgotten, the works of Helen Shapiro and Vanessa-Mae. Helen and Vanessa who? It helps to be a music geek, if not of a certain age, to appreciate the depths of BBC music critic Lawrence’s history of Abbey Road studios, which has been online for nearly nine decades now. For those who are not such geeks, then the basic bits of essential knowledge, all to be found in his pages, are these: The studio was built in the heart of St. John’s Wood, “London’s first garden suburb,” in a refitted Georgian mansion, and in those august surroundings was inaugurated under the baton of none other than Edward Elgar, he of “Pomp and Circumstance” fame. It was also a sonic laboratory, a place to test not only gear to help King George VI work through his stutter (the stuff of the hit movie The King’s Speech) but also the stereophonic, aurally deceptive goodies that would be put to use in the psychedelic era under the tutelage of good Sir George Martin. Before all that, though, Abbey Road had to make the transition from stuffy classical facility to pop wonderland. If you knew that the first pop hit to emerge from Abbey Road was “Cowpuncher’s Cantata” in 1952, then you will not need or profit from Lawrence’s considerable labors, but if you did not—or did not know that Pink Floyd, Radiohead and even Mel Gibson recorded here—then this book is certainly worthy of time and exploration. One might quibble with some of his assessments (Was Jeff Beck’s Truth really a forerunner of metal? Were the Hollies really just another cover band?), but Lawrence makes up for it with plenty of fine factual writing, especially on the technological side. Lucid and lavishly illustrated—a fine gift for pop and music history buffs. * Kirkus *The book is as captivating as the story it tells [...] The book is pure quality from start to finish – from the production, to the design, to the layout and content [...] For fans of music, for musicians, and for cultural historians, this book is definitely a must-have! -- Donna Jackson * British Beatles Fan Club *Abbey Road: The Best Studio in the World is an incredible documentation of cultural history for anyone who values music and how it's made. -- Anita Awbi * PRS for Music *This is the kind of book you dip into for a few minutes and emerge from two hours later – the text always informative, the photographs fresh as yesterday... -- Steven Carroll * The Sydney Morning Herald *Abbey Road is a big book worth lifting. * Rick Librarian *

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking collection of inspiring and instructive conversations about the beauty, brutality, discipline, and technique of being a successful singer.“This is a captivating look at both the nitty-gritty preparation and emotional energy that ‘it takes [for artists] to stand up to that mic... reach down into their guts, and give everything they’ve got for the sake of the song.’ Its star power and up-close, revelatory detail will keep readers riveted from start to finish.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “For all of the conversations we have about music, there is precious little talk about the art of communicating emotion and meaning via the human voice. The Singer's Talk remedies this by reaching out to a wide range of different singers, who speak insightfully about both the skill and the magic required to change minds and break hearts.” —Steven Hyden, author of Twilight of the Gods and other books These revelatory, frequently funny, and deeply engrossing in-depth interviews provide fans and aspiring singers a backstage pass to the challenges every vocalist faces onstage and in the studio. Packed with never-before-heard stories, The Singers Talk reveals a truly intimate side to these iconic personalities while offering a master class on how the best in their field keep their vocal cords in shape and protect themselves on the road—along with countless other tricks, techniques, strategies, and philosophies to help vocalists at every level perfect the craft of singing. “This is the most geeked out I’ve ever talked about my voice!” —Thom Yorke This historic roster of artists includes: Bryan Adams, Tony Bennett, Nick Cave, Chuck D, Roger Daltrey, Joe Elliott, Emmylou Harris, Brittany Howard, Chrissie Hynde, Norah Jones, Simon Le Bon, Geddy Lee, Willie Nelson, Stevie Nicks, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Perry, Lionel Richie, LeAnn Rimes, Smokey Robinson, Robert Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, Rod Stewart, Paul Stanley, Michael Stipe, Jeff Tweedy, Roger Waters, Dionne Warwick, Ann Wilson, Thom Yorke, and many more. Additionally, the book features conversations about legendary voices no longer with us, such as Butch Vig on Kurt Cobain, Clive Davis on Whitney Houston, Nile Rodgers on David Bowie, and Jimmy Iovine on Tom Petty. “Singing is so much more than hitting the right note. It’s about connecting with the audience, connecting with something divine to a certain degree. It’s connecting to your most primitive and deepest intuition, and to your nature as a human on this planet.” —Karen O. More than just an indispensable guide for singers of any level, The Singers Talk is an unforgettable read for music fans everywhere. All royalties from The Singers Talk will benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through their Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign.Trade Review“This is a captivating look at both the nitty-gritty preparation and emotional energy that ‘it takes [for artists] to stand up to that mic... reach down into their guts, and give everything they’ve got for the sake of the song.’ Its star power and up-close, revelatory detail will keep readers riveted from start to finish.” -- Publishers Weekly, starred review“...a fascinating and often revelatory look at the art of singing…. By turns eloquent, funny, reflective, and technical, all these conversations enlighten and illuminate the art of being a vocalist.” -- Library Journal

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Book SynopsisFirst as a journalist and then a publicist at Warner Brothers Records for nearly twenty years, Barbara Charone has experienced, first-hand, the changes in the cultural landscape. Access All Areas is a personal, insightful and humorous memoir packed with stories of being on the cultural frontline, from first writing press releases on a typewriter driven by Tip Ex, then as a press officer for heavy metal bands taking the bus up to Donnington Festival with coffee, croissants and the much more popular sulfate. To taking on Madonna, an unknown girl from Detroit, and telling Smash Hits 'you don't have to run the piece if the single doesn't chart', and becoming a true pioneer in music, Charone continues to work with the biggest names in music, including Depeche Mode, Robert Plant, Foo Fighters and Mark Ronson at her agency MBCPR. The story of how a music-loving, budding journalist from a Chicago suburb became the defining music publicist of Trade ReviewBarbara is the quintessential force of nature. In this great memoir her insatiable thirst for beauty and adventure is fabulously quenched, be it by great music, interesting people or ultimately a fine rosé, all for the reader to sit back and enjoy. Of course, having been in the right place at the right time also helps, and every day I thank my lucky stars we crossed paths years ago and I was permitted to join her on such a fabulous adventure. -- Rufus WainwrightFrom Keith Richards to Madonna to Mark Ronson, the inimitable BC is a music industry legend and Access All Areas is the story of a life like no other -- Alexis PetridisBarbara Charone had a massive role in shaping my career over the past 15 years and she's one of the most adored figures in the music industry for good reason. Access All Areas is a warm, funny, boozy take on the last 40 years of the British music industry from the perspective of someone who helped shape it but is also obviously still a massive fan at heart. Her teenager-like enthusiasm for every project and artist she's ever worked beams from very page and as a music trivia junky, I lived for all the 80's Smash Hits-era insider information . . . This book rules -- Mark RonsonI loved this book! Smart, sharp and hilarious -- Suggs

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Book Synopsis'A memoir of great power and emotional honesty. To read this book is to be in awe of Spraggan's strength in writing it' ELIZABETH DAY** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW UPDATED WITH NEW CONTENT **By the age of twenty, Lucy Spraggan had already experienced more extraordinary things than many do across a lifetime. Growing up in a creative household, surrounded by artists, alcohol and raucous parties, by her late teens she had played pubs, clubs and festivals, fallen in love with an older woman on a US road trip, experimented with drink and drugs, and been in and out of police custody. When her X Factor audition went viral in 2012, Lucy became the bookies' favourite to win the show. She was the first contestant ever to write and perform her own original songs, refusing to be pigeonholed by stylists and producers. Viewers fell for her unmanufactured, anti-pop princess stance, and the tabloids loved her. Then, suddenly

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Book SynopsisThe Island Book of Records brings the early years of this iconic record label to life.A fifteen-year labour of love, the volumes will fully document the analogue era of Island. Offering a comprehensive archive of album cover design and photography, together with the voices of the musicians, designers, photographers, producers, studio engineers and record company personnel that worked on each project, the volumes show in unique depth the workings of the label, covering every LP.Featuring material from recent interviews and from media interviews of the time, and each including a comprehensive discography of 45s, the books are lavishly illustrated with gig adverts (very many at venues which no longer exist), concert tickets, flyers, international LP variants, labels, LP and 45 adverts and other ephemera.These LP-sized editions are a collector’s dream, offering a truly unparalleled resource for those interested in music history and a perfect gift for any music lover.Trade ReviewOne of The Telegraph's best music books of 2023'It’s like entering the record shop of your dreams.'David Hepworth, author, podcaster and Radio Times columnist'Eyewitness accounts underpin a vault-load of memorabilia across 390 elegant pages where the footnotes are as fascinating as major events in what is an exemplary piece of musical archaeology.'Phil Alexander, MOJO'I had the pleasure of running Island Records for a decent stretch, but in my time there I never saw such a staggering overview of the early years compiled like this new book! The images, the details, the stories, everything! Rather amazing!'Ted Cockle, former head of EMI Records'LP-sized and weighing in at 390 pages, it’s both an elegant coffee table book and a proper history, with a sizeable amount of written information to complement the fascinating photographs of record covers, artists and other ephemera, including gig adverts, concert tickets and flyers.'Peter Mason, Morning Star 'The details are exhaustive, the images beautiful and wonderfully laid out in an unfussy clear manner that never overpowers the original sleeves.'Cally Calloman, Caught by the River 'This is the anecdote rich inside story of the eventful first decade in the life of the maverick label which carved a distinctive niche within the UK's booming record biz of the 60s' as told by a cast of label employees, photographers, musicians, producers, and the man who started it all, Chris Blackwell.'Grahame Bent, Shindig!One of Shindig! magazine's Books of the Year 2023 -- .Table of ContentsPreface – Genesis & Revelations Escaping Torquemada & Harrow on the Hill – tracing Island founder Chris Blackwell’s roots Boogie in my Bones via Half Moon Bay – Chris Blackwell’s first productions and the first Jamaica–only LPsUnderneath the Mango Tree – Chris Blackwell and Jamaican music’s role in the first James Bond movie, Dr. NoLondon Calling, from Rutland Gate Mews to Cambridge Road – the early growth of the label Did you ever wonder why all those early 45s were faded at 2’50”? Graeme Goodall on engineering early recordings Too Much, Too Young – the Spencer Davis Group’s split and the formation of TrafficMiles From Nowhere – Traffic’s famed Berkshire CottageHow’s yer arse since the pig bit ya? – Albert Heaton, Island’s first super–roadie by Spooky Tooth’s drummerGoing Up, Second Floor – 155 Oxford Street and the creative hub which ushers in the pink (label) revolutionThere are only two Phil Spectors and I’m one of them – Guy Stevens, from the Scene Club to the Sue label and beyondNorth London to the world – the move to the scout hut on Neasden Lane Season of the Witch – the formation of Joe Boyd’s production company Withering Tree – Traffic grinds to a haltPrefix and suffix – the most comprehensive listing of all Island and sub–label 45s and EPs from this era.El Pea – every Island album issued between 1959/1968 as well as those known and/or scheduled but not released including subsidiary labels (Surprise, Big Shot, Studio One etc)

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Book SynopsisFor almost 30 years as label boss, producer, and talent conductor at XL Recordings, Richard Russell has discovered, shaped and nurtured the artists who have rewritten the musical dictionary of the 21st century, artists like The Prodigy, The White Stripes, Adele, M.I.A, Dizzee Rascal and Giggs. LIBERATION THROUGH HEARING tells the remarkable story of XL Recordings'' three decades on the frontline of innovation in music, and Russell''s own story; his highs and lows steering the fortunes of an independent label in a rapidly changing industry. This is the portrait of a man who believes in the spiritual power of music to change reality, and of a label that refused to be categorised by genre.''Taking us from the rap 80s to the rave 90s into the grimy 21st century, Richard Russell is a Firestarter in his own right and his story is a riveting adventure'' Simon Reynolds''Russell reveals his forensic love of music and its strategies. A fascinating read'' DamoTrade ReviewI love XL. I use them as an example of how a brand is built. On great taste -- Jay ZRussell reveals his forensic love of music and its strategies. A fascinating read -- Damon AlbarnRichard Russell's vision as a producer and guru to countless artists has always been progressive. This memoir is required reading for anyone who cares about the recent history of British music -- Gilles PetersonIf sound is the fifth element, then Richard has nurtured and enhanced some of the most important soundwaves of our time -- M.I.ATaking us from the rap 80s to the rave 90s into the grimy 21st century, Richard Russell isa Firestarter in his own right and his story is a riveting adventure -- Simon ReynoldsRich is the fucking boss. Man has no shoes on -- GiggsThe music business is full of kneejerk hyperbole, but XL Recordings, the independent London label run by Richard Russell, remains the most extraordinary enterprise ... a refreshing account of how a tremendously successful record aficionado gradually worked his way round to a kind of Zen humility -- Kitty Empire * Observer *The book is a hugely enjoyable personal trip through Russell's life as a producer, artist and label boss. * Electric Sound *

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Book Synopsis'One of the most rewarding pieces of hip-hop criticism ever written' Jeff Chang 'Brilliant' Giles Peterson 'Will Ashon's dazzling study gets to the heart of hip hop, pop culture and the history of contemporary America. Essential' Matt Thorne 'Each of these chambers contains wonders of history, destiny and mythology' Margo Jefferson Will Ashon tells, in 36 interlinked 'chambers', the story of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and how it changed the world. As unexpected and complex as the album itself, Chamber Music ranges from provocative essays to semi-comic skits, from deep scholarly analysis to satirical celebration, seeking to contextualise, reveal and honour this singularly composite work of art. From the FBI's war on drugs to the porn theatres of 42nd street, from the history of jazz to the future of politics, Chamber Music is an explosive and revelatory new way of writing about music and culture.

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Book SynopsisGeorge is the story of two extraordinary lives the private man and the public legend.Georgios Panayiotou was just eighteen when he decided to adopt the stage name of George Michael. Sometimes his two worlds would collide with shattering consequences.Bestselling biographer Sean Smith has gone back to the neighbourhoods of North London to trace the astonishing journey of a sensitive but determined boy who grew up to be one of the biggest British pop stars of all time.Along the way, he talks to those close to George, revealing the real man funny, articulate, intelligent and generous spirited who hid behind the powerful image he created.He reveals the complex relationship with his high-achieving Greek-Cypriot father; the unconditional love of his mother; his teenage relationships with girls; and his first tragic love affair with another man.George's career began falteringly with a schoolboy band, exploded with Wham! before he became a solo phenomenon. But at the height of his fame, the Trade ReviewPraise for George: ‘A celebration of his life, as well as his music. Brill.’ Closer ‘Incredibly moving insight into a man who is without doubt part of the soundtrack to my childhood’ – Shelley Fallows at Lovereading Praise for Adele: ‘Fans will be engrossed’ OK Magazine Praise for Kim: “A kind but astute biography. Four stars.” Mail on Sunday “An honest account offering a unique insight on the Krazy world of the Kardashians." The Sun Praise for Tom Jones: “Jaunty and well-researched … the most complete and entertaining portrait of the Welsh superstar to date” – The Mail on Sunday (Event Magazine) “A lavishly appointed, no-holds-barred biography.” – MailOnline

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Book Synopsis'You never knew what you were going to be confronted with when you went on Later' Nick CaveLater is a voyage of discovery for us as well as the viewers' Dave GrohlDave Grohl and Alicia Keys loved it, Björk treasured it, Ed Sheeran's life was changed by it, Kano felt at home while Nick Cave was horrified but inspired, and they all kept coming back.This first-hand account of the BBC's Later with Jools Holland takes you behind the scenes of one of the world's great musical meeting places. Legends including Sir Paul McCartney, Mary J. Blige and David Bowie found a regular welcome, alongside the next generation of superstars including Adele, Ed Sheeran and Amy Winehouse. Part of what has made the show so special is the format all those bands, singers, stars and newbies brought together to listen as well as to perform in Jools' circle of dreams. But there's always been plenty of mayhem alongside the magic of convening a room full of musicians hosted by one of their own.Written by the show's co-creator and 26-year showrunner, music journalist Mark Cooper, this is the story of how Later grew into a musical and TV institution. It was Mark who had to explain to Jay-Z why he couldn't just do his numbers and split, who told Seasick Steve why he had to play Dog House Boogie' on the Hootenanny and persuaded Johnny Cash that he simply had to come in, even when The Man in Black wasn't feeling well.From Stormzy to Björk, from Smokey Robinson to Norah Jones, from Britpop to trip hop, here is the word on how Later began, evolved and has endured, accompanied by exclusive interviews with some of the show's regular stars as well as the unique pictorial record of Andre Csillag who photographed the show for over 20 years. A must-read for music fans everywhere, Later with Jools Hollandpulls back the curtain on classic performances to reveal that the show is just as magical, if even more chaotic, than you imagined.Trade Review‘Excellent’ Jools Holland

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Book SynopsisFULLY UPDATED AND REVISED, INCLUDING TWO NEW CHAPTERS TO BRING THE STORY UP TO DATESomeone called and said Kurt died. I just f*****g lost it.'He has sold over 50 million albums. He's been in bands that have changed popular music forever. He saw his best friend commit suicide. He starts supergroups. He's the nicest guy in rock.From Nirvana to Foo Fighters, from brotherhood to bitter rivalry, from breathless highs to lifeless lows, Paul Brannigan gives an unparalleled, intimate and extraordinary account of the life and times of Dave Grohl.In 1990, little-known punk-metal upstarts Nirvana added a new drummer to the band. They were soon to become a global phenomenon but as we all know, things went wrong. Dave''s friend Kurt, frontman of Nirvana, took his own life, plunging the band and their future into chaos. His friends' grief was mirrored by worldwide sorrow to an unprecedented degree.Defying expectations, a knack that was soon to become his trademark, Grohl refused to see it as the enTrade Review‘Grohl and his groups dissected with gumption.’ **** Mojo ‘Brannigan draws on his own interviews with Grohl, among others, to plot a compelling journey… ending with Foo Fighters headlining stadia. A big-hearted, fascinating read.’ Q ‘A rich history of recent pop music as it moves from punk and hard-core to grunge to indie bands’ New York Times ‘Impeccably-researched, thoroughly entertaining, and packed with rich new insights, This is a Call will enjoy a place among the absolute best music biographies of the past twenty years.’ LitReactor.com ‘A fascinating read… doesn’t skimp on entertaining anecdotes, juicy gossip or evidence of Grohl’s immense songwriting talent.’ Alternative Press ‘Brannigan not only offers a penetrating portrait of Grohl the man but also presents an indelible portrait of the American underground-rock scene.’ Booklist ‘Brannigan salutes a musician who’s surfaced, prosperous and sane, from the perils of an extended punk-rock adolescence that not all of his friends survived. Reverent and informative.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Dave Grohl’s tale covers so many bases after 30 or so years in the business that it takes a biographer of consummate skill to get it all down on paper without missing anything out. Fortunately, ex-Kerrang! editor Paul Brannigan has what it takes…What lingers most is the expert way in which so many disparate slices of history are interlaced. After reading This Is a Call, you’ll know much more than you did before about the way that US hardcore merged into Seattle grunge, and how rock shed its skin in the 90s…It’s info such as that which makes this book essential.’ Record Collector

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Book SynopsisInventing the Recording focuses on the decades in which recorded sound went from a technological possibility to a commercial and cultural artefact, through the analysis of a specific and unique national context: Spain.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Imagining the phonograph, 1877-1888 Chapter 2: Travelling phonographs, 1888-1900 Chapter 3: Inventing the recording: gabinetes fonográficos and early commercial phonography in Madrid, 1896-1905 Chapter 4: Science, urban space and early phonography in Barcelona, 1898-1914 Chapter 5: Gabinetes fonográficos in Valencia, 1899-1901 Chapter 6: (Dis)embodied voices: recording singers, 1896-1914 Chapter 7: Consuming and collecting records in Spain, 1896-1905 Conclusion Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Bibliography

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Book SynopsisVoices for Change in the Classical Music Profession lays the groundwork for empirically-founded, theoretically-informed, and practice-based approaches to tackling inequalities in the classical music profession.Trade ReviewVoices for Change in the Classical Music Profession: New Ideas for Tackling Inequalities and Exclusions, implies that rather than wholly a new approach, diversity has long been an implicit theme of the lyric stage. * Opera Now Magazine *The classical music industry is finally beginning to grapple the issues of diversity, equality, and justice. But what are the real issues, barriers, and stakes? With a combination of empirical data, incisive analysis, and first-person voices on the ground, this immensely important volume pushes the debate far beyond benevolent inclusion and token diversity to reckon with the societal, economic, and institutional underpinnings of 'classical music. * Mari Yoshihara, Professor of American Studies, University of Hawai'i *Finally, a volume that tackles the issue of inequality in classical music. Compelling and beautifully curated, this is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of music and those who work within it. * Professor Dawn Bennett, Assistant Provost, Bond University and Founder of the Employ-ability Initiative *A closed world of elite artforms, whether for performers or for audiences, is not a sustainable future for the cultural sector. How to open up the arts is a crucial question. Voices for Change in the Classical Music Profession is essential reading for anyone hoping that classical music, and indeed many other parts of the cultural world, can be open to all. * Dave O'Brien, Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries, University of Sheffield *Table of ContentsIntroduction Anna Bull and Christina Scharff PART I THE MAKING OF CLASSICAL MUSICIANS 1. Class and Gender Inequalities in the Recruitment of Classical Musicians: Reflections on the Case of Italian Music Conservatoires Clementina Casula 2. The Role of Music Conservatoires in the Making of Classical Music Careers Rainer Prokop and Rosa Reitsamer 3. Social Inclusion in Contemporary British Conservatoires: Alumni Perspectives Jennie Joy Porton 4. Inside Looking In: Strategies to Counteract Misconduct in Artistic Teaching within Higher Music Education David-Emil Wickström PART II PROBLEMATIZING INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE 5. (Un)settling Institutional Hegemony: Challenges of Diversity Strategies in the "Western" Classical Music Sector Kristina Kolbe 6. "To Share Music with Children": The LA Phil and Neoliberal Philanthropy in Inglewood Mina Yang 7. A Critical Perspective on Diversity and Inclusion in US Classical Music Discourse Marianna Ritchey 8. Staging a Loose Canon: Scripture, Tradition, and Embedded Exclusion in Opera Production Caitlin Vincent 9. Disability Representation in Opera Charlotte Armstrong PART III MARGINALIZED VOICES 10. Gender and Class: An Account of a Female Percussionist in the Classical Music Industry Beth Higham-Edwards 11. Making Space for Disability and Music to Interact: An Interview with Composer Oliver Vibrans Oliver Vibrans 12. Black on the Podium: An Interview with Conductor Brandon Keith Brown Brandon Keith Brown 13. Creolization, Mixing, and Plurality: An Interview with Composer Hannah Kendall Hannah Kendall PART IV RACIAL INEQUALITIES 14. The New "Yellow Peril" in "Western" European Symphony Orchestras Maiko Kawabata 15. Irreconcilable Senses of Belonging: Transnational Japanese Artists in the Quest for Authenticity in the World of Classical Music Beata M. Kowalczyk 16. [Re- ]training Classical Musicians Toward Polymusicality and Hybridization: An Interview with Jon Silpayamanant Jon Silpayamanant 17. Inclusion and Diversity in the Early Music Scene in the US: A Conversation with Patricia Ann Neely Patricia Ann Neely 18. On Leaving Classical Music: An Interview with Anthony Gray Anthony Gray PART V ACTIVISM STARTING WITH THE SELF 19. (Dis)orient Yourself!: Disrupting White Ontologies in Classical Music Eleanor Ryan 20. Everyday Bridges: A View from the Field Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey 21. Illuminating Women's Music: Exploring the Canonic Ethos behind the Illuminate Women's Music Concert Series Angela Elizabeth Slater 22. Changing Classical Music from the Inside: An Interview with Chi- chi Nwanoku Chi-chi Nwanoku PART VI ACTIVISM: BUILDING NETWORKS FOR CHANGE 23. (Un)Silencing Blacktivism in Opera: An Interview with Quodesia Johnson about the Letter to the Opera Field from Black Administrators Antonio C. Cuyler 24. Reflecting on the Work of Gender Relations in New Music: Institutional Critique and Activist Strategies Brandon Farnsworth and Rosanna Lovell 25. Addressing Inequalities in the Music Industry before, during, and after COVID- 19: The Campaigning Work of the UK's Independent Society of Musicians Deborah Annetts, Vick Bain, Chris Collins, Vinota Karunasaagarar, and Dr. Kathryn Williams 26. "A Community of 30,000 Musicians behind You": An Interview with John Shortell from the UK Musicians' Union John Shortell Afterword Gillian Moore Discussion Questions for Teachers, Students, Reading Groups, and Industry Leaders References Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In what is simultaneously a coming-of-age story; an elegy for a bygone, grittier Chicago; and a case study on the many ways the color barrier was crossed musically in the mid-twentieth century, Iglauer and Roberts contextualize the blues' story as America's."--Booklist "Apart from the musicians themselves, few Chicagoans have done more for the genre--or witnessed more of its history from the inside--than Iglauer."--Howard Reich "Chicago Tribune " "Iglauer and coauthor Patrick A. Roberts provide an enlightening view of the music-making process--from scouting talent to obscure clubs to the quest for originality in the studio to marketing and distribution."--DownBeat "This book is long overdue. Alligator Records has been a cornerstone of the blues world for over four decades. The stories about the artists and sessions that have paved the way for so many others are a pleasure to read. As an Alligator artist I am truly grateful for what Bruce and Alligator Records have done for me and this genre."--Shemekia Copeland "Bruce and his history with Alligator Records encompass so much of the richest and most exciting eras of urban blues. All the fascinating stories and behind-the-scenes intrigues are here, and the indelible legacy of his commitment to this music and the artists he cares so passionately about makes this a terrific, important read."--Bonnie Raitt "Bruce Iglauer stepped through the door of Florence's Lounge on Chicago's South Side and into a timeless love affair with the blues. Iglauer's story is about finding talent, nurturing it, and sharing it with others. It's also about staying independent in a world where conglomerates glom and Big Tech assumes more power. His Alligator Records is a soundtrack to modern blues, from Hound Dog Taylor in 1970 on through Son Seals and Albert Collins and to today's JJ Grey & Mofro. There are great stories here."--Robert Gordon, author of Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion "A fascinating look at one of the great independent record labels, and producers, of our time. For blues fans, this one has teeth."--Library Journal "Blues and gospel have always been first cousins, and Bruce was as supportive and gracious to me as you could imagine, always willing to offer his insight and expertise. He's been a true friend of the blues and independent music."--Mavis Staples "This is a book packed with a yearning nostalgia for a time and place which we British bluesers could only dream about. If you want to get to grips with the electrifying history of Chicago blues, you need this book--it's a houserockin' gem."--Blues Matters "The book is a wealth of blues history that draws both from Iglauer's encyclopedic knowledge of blues along with his vivid, personal experiences with legendary artists."--Chicago Blues Guide "When I was about twenty years old, Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers were my imaginary best friends. They were with me everywhere I went because I always had my portable CD player with me. I know for a fact I wouldn't be in this business if Bruce hadn't released those first two Hound Dog records. The fire Bruce captured on those records is the magic place I'm reaching for every time I'm in my studio."--Dan Auerbach, The Black Keys "You have to admire Bruce Iglauer's dedication and persistence over the years. He acknowledges he's a workaholic but he has also been meticulous in his control of every aspect of his business. He's been tireless and inspired in building up his artist roster, moving away from his early obsession with Chicago artists and branching out, both following and helping to create new blues forms."--Blues & Rhythm "Iglauer's storytelling, his illuminating views of the artists he's worked with, his straightforward recounting of the business--from recording to running the label, and deciding who to sign or drop--kept me going strong, finishing the highly readable book, coauthored by Patrick A Roberts, in just a couple sittings."--Lincoln Journal Star "Bruce Iglauer's autobiographical history of Alligator Records is, in many ways, a story about technological change as much as it is about music. Yet, even more than a book about music or technology, at its heart, Bitten by the Blues is a business tale--the story of how a young college student started his own label to record his favorite musician, and ended up building a successful operation that not only provided for his family, but facilitated dozens of musicians being able to earn a living from their music. . . . Iglauer and his co-writer, Patrick A. Roberts, have written a history that is warmly conversational in tone, the equivalent of sharing stories with a good friend."--All About Jazz "Iglauer imbues Bitten By The Blues with the same wit, humor, and charm that he evinces in person, and his larger-than-life personality shines through every page. . . . Most importantly, perhaps, Bitten By The Blues reveals some of Bruce's vision for the future of the label, a future that's not carved in stone by any means, but is strengthened by the label's discovery and development of young talents like Shemekia Copeland and Selwyn Birchwood as well as the addition of road-tested blues veterans like Tommy Castro, Nick Moss, and Tinsley Ellis to the label's ever-evolving roster. Bitten By The Blues is an insightful and entertaining read for any blues music fanatic or anybody interested in the business of music. The only (admittedly minor) quibble I have with the book is that I'd loved to have seen more photos, but extra credit to Bruce for including a complete Alligator Records discography that we rabid collectors can use as a convenient shopping list. Grade: A+"--That Devil Music "In addition to being an enjoyable read for blues and Chicago enthusiasts, Bitten by the Blues reminds us that one's passion can become one's profession. Genuine Houserockin' Music indeed."--Birmingham Stages "In many ways the story of Alligator Records is the story of the blues over the last fifty years. Bitten by the Blues is the saga of Alligator Records through the eyes of the one person who knows it best--label founder and owner Bruce Iglauer. With his tough business mind, coupled with an often self-effacing sense of humor, Iglauer tells the tale of the Gator with candor and clarity. From the first Hound Dog Taylor record that launched the label, to the meteoric success of artists like Luther Allison and Shemekia Copeland, Alligator Records has, in many ways, defined success in the blues world. Bitten by the Blues is an eye-opening look at one of the most popular independent blues labels in history."--Brett J. Bonner, editor, Living Blues magazine "No book written today has told a more complete story of contemporary Chicago blues and its multitude of musicians as thoroughly as Bitten by the Blues. This is essential reading for any lover and collector of blues."--Blues Music Magazine

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Book SynopsisAn innovative investigation of the inner workings of Spotify that traces the transformation of audio files into streamed experience.Spotify provides a streaming service that has been welcomed as disrupting the world of music. Yet such disruption always comes at a price. Spotify Teardown contests the tired claim that digital culture thrives on disruption. Borrowing the notion of “teardown” from reverse-engineering processes, in this book a team of five researchers have playfully disassembled Spotify's product and the way it is commonly understood.Spotify has been hailed as the solution to illicit downloading, but it began as a partly illicit enterprise that grew out of the Swedish file-sharing community. Spotify was originally praised as an innovative digital platform but increasingly resembles a media company in need of regulation, raising questions about the ways in which such cultural content as songs, books, and films are now typically made availa

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Book SynopsisThe engrossing, insightful, and personal musical odyssey of Peter Shapiro, perhaps the most notable independent concert promoter since Bill GrahamPeter Shapiro is the best known and most influential concert promoter of his generation. He owned the legendary Wetlands in Tribeca and has gone on to much bigger things, including Brooklyn Bowl (NYC, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and Nashville), the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, producing U2 3D, and promoting the Grateful Dead''s fiftieth-anniversary tour (Fare Thee Well) featuring the Core Four and Trey Anastasio . . . and so much more.In The Music Never Stops, Shapiro shares the inside story of how he became a power-house in the music industry-an island in an increasingly consolidated landscape of venues, ticketing, and touring-through the lens of fifty iconic concerts. Along the way, readers gain insight into what it was like to work with some of the most celebrated bands in modern music, including no

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Book SynopsisCaring for the Whole Musician brings together insights from two expert musicians and educators to consider the relationship between mental and physical health and artistic practice for musicians. Offering a holistic perspective that encompasses the whole being â body, mind, and heart â this book provides emerging musicians with tools, practices, and mindsets to address key challenges throughout their journey.The first part, Awareness, addresses wellness and embodiment in music, exploring how our bodies are constructed and how the use of our bodies as instruments affects function. Using approaches including Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique, this part helps readers discover adverse habits that interfere with natural movement, and nurture awareness of the body. The second part, Mindfulness, explores how meditative practice can be incorporated into every stage of concert preparation and embedded within the daily life of the musician. Offering mindfuTable of ContentsPART ONE: AWARENESS 1. The Well of Awareness2. Know Thyself3. Alexander Technique Principles4. The Well Never Runs DryRecommended MaterialsPART TWO: MINDFULNESS 5. The Musician and the Monk6. Pre-Game Strategies7. Mid-Game Strategies8. Post-Game Strategies and Final Thoughts

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Book SynopsisThe Routledge Companion to Applied Musicology brings together academics, artist-researchers, and practitioners to provide readers with an extensive and authoritative overview of applied musicology.Once a field that addressed music's socio-political or performative contexts, applied musicology today encompasses study and practice in areas as diverse as psychology, ecomusicology, organology, forensic musicology, music therapy, health and well-being, and other public-oriented musicologies. These rapid advances have created a fast-changing field whose scholarship and activities tend to take place in isolation from each other. This volume addresses that shortcoming, bringing together a wide-ranging survey of current approaches.Featuring 39 authors, The Routledge Companion to Applied Musicology falls into five partsDefining and Theorising Applied Musicology; Public Engagement; New Approaches and Research Methods; Representation and Inclusion; and Musicology in/Table of ContentsList of FiguresList of ContributorsIntroduction Chris DromeyPart I. Defining and Theorising Applied Musicology1. From Spitta to Seeger: Early Theories of Applied Musicology Malik Sharif 2. Musicology’s Applied Foundations (or, How Music was Musealised) Miloš Zapletal and Chris Dromey3. The Late Nineteenth-Century Concert as Applied Musicology Natasha Loges4. “Applied” before Musicology? George Grove, Programme Notes, and the Dictionary Bruno Bower5. Phenomenology, Practice-led Research, and Applied Musicology Nancy November6. The Locations of Musical Meaning and Subjectivity Alastair WilliamsPart II. Public Engagement7. Shaping the Narrative: Musicology for a Public Leah Broad8. Exhibiting Ethnomusicology: Curation Across Cultures and Disciplines Frances Wilkins, Barbara Alge and the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute9. Club Inégales, Curation, and Processes of Public Musicology Helen Julia Minors10. Cultural and Artistic Citizenship in Classical Music Constanze Wimmer and Chris Dromey11. Musicology and/as Knowledge Exchange Toby Young12. ‘So wide is the field’: Edward Taylor’s Public Music Lectures Rachel JohnsonPart III. New Approaches and Research Methods13. The Sound Commons and Applied Ecomusicologies Aaron S. Allen, Taylor Leapaldt, Mark Pedelty and Jeff Todd Titon14. Perceptions of Melodic Symmetry: A Priming Study Michael Thorpe15. Opera Virgins at the Movies: Audience Research and the Ontology of Opera Cinema Joe Attard16. Towards an Applied Health Musicology: Aesthetic Music Therapy and Beyond Colin Andrew Lee and Chris Dromey17. “Parental Advisory”: Making Explicit the Value and Authenticity of a Music Degree Paul FleetPart IV. Representation and Inclusion18. Rethinking Representation in Music Education: Strategies to Integrate Pan-African Music Karen Cyrus19. Whose ‘Better World’? Reflections on Applied Music Interventions in the Andes Xabier Etxeberria Adrien and Henry Stobart20. Rethinking (Self-)Care in Musicology Klisala Harrison21. The Legality and Morality of Rap at Court Lily E. Hirsch22. Strategies for Using Music Theory to Inform Music Education, Psychology, and Therapy Research Adam OckelfordPart V. Musicology in/for Performance23. “Mahler am Tisch”: Experimenting with Imagined and Emergent Audiences Ties van de Werff, Veerle Spronck and Imogen Eve24. On Organology: Taxonomy and Transdisciplinarity Rachael Durkin and Darryl Martin25. Dialogues with Recordings: Digital Memory and the Archive Neil Heyde26. Intersections Between Northern Irish Choral Practices and Community Music Principles Sarah-Jane Gibson and Lee Higgins27. Music for Buildings, Building for Music Neil Thomas Smith and Peter PetersReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book explores how independent film and music artists and labels use crowdfunding and where this use places crowdfunding in the contemporary system of cultural production. It complements an analysis of independence in film and music with the topic of crowdfunding as a firmly established form of financing cultural activity.In the second half of the 20th century, the concept of artistic independence was vital to classifying and distinguishing artists, their works, and labels or publishers who released them. However, during the last three decades, this term has become increasingly blurred, and some commentators argue that independence is in crisis. Can crowdfunding be the answer to this crisis? Some believe that it is, whereas others argue otherwise, seeing crowdfunding instead as just the next manifestation of this crisis. This dilemma is a starting point for the analyses of the relationships between crowdfunding and artistic independence conducted in this book, and will beTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Crowdfunding as a New Form of Financing Creative Activity; 3. Crowdfunding Independent Cinema; 4. Crowdfunding and Independence in Music; 5. Conclusions; References

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Book SynopsisPepsi turned pop music in commercials from novelty to normwith profound effects on both American culture and commerce

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Book SynopsisFocusing on case studies of five key technologies, this book explores how music listeners gradually came to understand computers and digital files as suitable replacements for their stereos and CD.Table of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction: The Digital Music Commodity 1. Music as a Digital File 2. Making Technology Behave 3. This Business of Napster 4. Click to Buy: Music in Digital Stores 5. Music in the Cloud Conclusion: Exceptional Objects Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisOffers tools to encourage creative and adaptive entrepreneurship in the music business. Written for the classroom and the workplace, this book introduces readers to core principles and processes and shows how to apply them adaptively to new contexts, facilitating a deeper understanding of how and why things work in the music business.Trade Review"This book will satisfy the need for a textbook on the music industry that emphasizes its entrepreneurial facets ... Summing up: Recommended" CHOICETable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Musical Experience as Transaction 2. Transience to Permanence 3. The Rise of Commercial Markets 4. Media Revolutions 5. Convergence and Crossover 6. Massification 7. Scaling and Selling Live Performance 8. Visual Media 9. Artists, Audiences, and Brands 10. Digitization 11. State of the Art Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis''The greatest book ever written on British independent music'' Guardian''One of the best British music books of the last ten years'' MojoFounded by Alan McGee in 1983, Creation Records achieved notoriety as the home of Primal Scream, the Jesus and Mary Chain and other anti-Establishment acts. During the Britpop boom of the mid-90s, the astonishing success of Oasis brought Creation fame on the world stage. In 1999, however, McGee announced his shock departure as his label''s influence over a generation of British music came to a confusing and disappointing end. Containing interviews with Creation musicians, employees, supporters and detractors, this is the inside story of Creation Records - and of British music since the 1980s.

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Book SynopsisThese sounds have become vessels for the marginalised, carrying Black and working-class stories into the light. Vividly depicted and compassionately told, Where We Come From weaves together intimate stories of resilience, courage and loss, as well as a shared music culture that gave refuge and purpose to those in search of belonging.

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