Music industry Books

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Book SynopsisFrom Mark Ronson, one of the most distinguished musical influencers of our time, comes a memoir that captures the music, characters, escapades, and energy of his DJ days in ''90s New York. At the dawn of the ''90s, Mark Ronson was a New York city prep school kid playing guitar in a mediocre band, harbouring far-fetched dreams of rock n'' roll stardom. His stepdad, Mick Jones from Foreigner, was an actual rock star, and his mum, Ann Dexter-Jones, lived like a rock star. But Ronson was the least talented musician in his own teenage band. Then, one Friday night in December 1992, he went to an all-ages rave in a warehouse downtown, and his entire life changed. He would devote himself to deejaying.Today, Ronson is one of the most influential DJ-songwriter-record producer-record executives of our time. A seven-time Grammy winner, Ronson has worked with legendary performers like Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Paul McCartney, Quincy Jones, Bruno Mars, and countless others. In Night People, Ronson looks back at his early days as an upstart teenage DJ in the ''90s, conjuring the undeniable magic of the city''s nightlife--a time when clubs were diverse, glamorous, and a little lawless, and each night brought a heady mix of music, ambition, danger, delight, and possibility.Organised around the venues and nights that defined his experience of the downtown scene, Night People evokes the specific rush of that decade and those spaces--where fashion folks and rappers on the rise danced alongside club kids and 9-to-5''ers--and invites us into the tribe of creatives and partiers who came alive when the sun went down. A heartfelt coming-of-age tale--Night People is the definitive account of ''90s New York nightlife, and the making of a musical genius.

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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 SynopsisFeaturing a foreword from Annie MacIn Welcome to the club, Manchester legend DJ Paulette shares the highs, lows and lessons of a thirty-year music career, with help from some famous friends.One of the Haçienda’s first female DJs, Paulette has scaled the heights of the music industry, playing to crowds of thousands all around the world, and descended to the lows of being unceremoniously benched by COVID-19, with no chance of furlough and little support from the government. Here she tells her story, offering a remarkable view of the music industry from a Black woman’s perspective. Behind the core values of peace, love, unity and respect, dance music is a world of exclusion, misogyny, racism and classism. But, as Paulette reveals, it is also a space bursting at the seams with powerful women.Part personal account, part call to arms, Welcome to the club exposes the exclusivity of the music industry while seeking to do justice to the often invisible women who keep the beat going.Trade Review‘Imagine the DJ is taking notes while everyone in the club is dancing. Welcome to the club is exactly that, notes of a DJ – the irrepressible sunlight of DJ Paulette. A fascinating insight into the music business by a northern Black woman.’Lemn Sissay, author of My Name Is Why'Icon. Trailblazer. Activist. Warrior. DJ Paulette has led the way for Black women and women everywhere in a global music industry riddled with racism and misogyny. She has blown apart the myths. This is a magnificent book. A manifesto for our times and a rallying call for the future.'Maxine Peake, actress and activist'Paulette continues to light the way for others, building in relevance and significance, wowing crowds, annihilating dancefloors. I would recommend Welcome to the club as an essential read for anyone and everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed it.'Craig Charles, actor, comedian, DJ, television and radio presenter ‘Paulette is someone I’ve always respected, admired and been inspired by. This book is beautifully written, incisive, dry, witty and real – true Mancunian honesty. What an adventure and a truly fascinating life.’Rowetta, member of the Happy Mondays'Paulette is a pioneer, a ground-breaker, a trailblazer and never afraid to hold a mirror up to the world to show that there is still so much more to do. A self-assured shimmy of a book that instantly transports you to the dancefloor and beyond. I love it!'Arielle Free, BBC Radio 1 presenter‘DJ Paulette's Welcome to the club is a testament to her ability to witness the dancefloor while blending memorable anecdotes that bring new life to the UK underground music scene. More than her fabulous landing in Paris, where she built a new world of listeners around her name and sound, it's the fact that Paulette turns notable moments in her thirty-year career into a close listening experience. There's a musical quality to this book that sounds like what Black women DJs have tried to tell the world – our unique experiences turn any party into a lively classroom. Paulette leaves curious students waiting for the next chapter so they can hear it like a song.’Lynnée Denise, DJ, writer and interdisciplinary artist‘When I first met Paulette, back in that pivotal space of early 1990s Manchester, I don’t think any of us really understood what we were getting out of nightlife beyond raw enjoyment. Now we've had a chance to re-evaluate those codes, to understand how much they meant in forming us as people. This book explains why nightlife matters, beamed in directly from a vanguard position behind the DJ booth. Paulette understands the philosophy of the nightclub because she was there when it was at its very best.’Paul Flynn, author of Good As You: 30 Years of Gay Britain ‘I arrived in 1990s Manchester, found a place to live and a job then got dragged up, went clubbing and there was DJ Paulette on the decks. She made being an outsider look hot, and I wanted in. Her energy and music were the soundtrack to my queer gender-bending dance floor years. Decades on I still want to be in her club. If music and clubbing played an important part in your life, then so will this book.’Kate O'Donnell, Artistic Director of Trans Creative'I now realise the weight of the obstacles and challenges Paulette overcame, her fortitude to compete in male-dominated arenas, the racism she undoubtedly encountered. Her mettle and contribution have clearly opened doors for the diversity and equality we strive for today.'Simon Dunmore, DJ and Founder of Defected Records & Glitterbox'With fierce resilience and passion, DJ Paulette’s travels through clubland reveal her personal triumphs over life’s adversities. A book filled with music and love, positivity and enthusiasm. 'Princess Julia, DJ, model and music writer‘Any list of the pioneers of the Manchester club scene, and the international scene it so heavily influenced, is not complete without the name of DJ Paulette. Ours is a city that celebrates those who challenge elites, break down barriers and open doors for others to walk through. Paulette has done all of those things and more and that is why we are so proud of her.’Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester‘A thrilling ride around the world through the lens of a Black female DJ. Covering the good, the bad and the ugly, DJ Paulette tells it like it is. There are few visible Black female role models in the music industry and DJ Paulette is a passionate advocate for racial, gender and LGBTQ+ equality, but most of all she’s a legendary DJ. If you want a fresh, original voice on electronic dance music, culture, politics and more, this is the book for you!’John Shortell, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, The Musicians’ Union‘A refreshingly honest and positive queer voice. DJ Paulette’s memoirs are everything that club culture needs at the moment: Written with warmth and passion, this book continues the trend of female professionals telling their stories – the good and the bad ones – so that we learn how clubs can once again become the places of Peace, Love, Unity and Respect.’Dr Beate Peter, The Lapsed Clubber Project'A true original of the UK club scene, Paulette has experienced the highs and lows of dance music culture, and this heartfelt and insightful book tells the story of what she saw and learned with her distinctive style, warmth and wicked wit.'Matthew Collin, author of Rave On and Altered State'DJ Paulette has written a story that needed to be told, and as only she could tell it. Rich with experience and careful research, Welcome to the club is a must-read for anyone interested in house music, DJing and the power of life narrative.'Audrey Golden, author of I Thought I Heard You Speak'Welcome to the club is joyful, funny and furious. DJ Paulette’s essential read doubles up as an alternative history of dance music, told from the middle of the dancefloor. It’s a sparkling and generous ride through international high times and low moments, documenting music industry racism, sexism and homophobia with fabulous clarity. This pioneering DJ and musical instigator has written a full-bodied celebration of the myriad ways music can save your life – and can also make your life. 'Emma Warren, author of Dance Your Way Home'This book made me dizzy in a good way! Paulette is a great story teller who brings her musical journey to life in a way which entertains and inspires, much like her DJ sets and radio shows.'Mr. Scruff, record producer and DJ'This is one of those books whose absence from the canon of musical history goes largely unnoticed until it is written.'Louis Cammell, The Skinny‘This book is a timely reminder that history or herstory is not written yet and never over. It gives a valuable and personal account of the development of DJing as a professional music career and its beginnings in the LGBTQ community in Manchester at the start of the 1990s. At moments it is a disturbing and hard read, but read it one must. This is a much needed and powerful account for anybody interested in the music business and the development of dance music internationally.’Sally Anne Gross, music industry practitioner and academic'Paulette’s rollicking memoir takes you through unmarked doors vibrating with bass to celebrate a life lived to the full in dance music.'Frank Broughton, DJ History -- .Table of ContentsForeword by Annie MacIntroduction: welcome to the club (Belleville or bust)1 Finders keepers: in the beginning2 London to Paris: Eurostar3 Bad behaviour: shit shags and crap hotels4 FAQs (female asked questions)5 How to kill a DJ6 Sane as it ever was7 Lifetime VIP: a manifestoIndex

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Book SynopsisTo this day, they were, their fans believe, the best band in the world. Critics and sales figures told a similar story. Yet for all their brilliance and adoration their famously energetic live shows routinely interrupted by stage invasions The Smiths were continually plagued by their reticence to play the game, and by the time of 1987's Strangeways Here We Come, they had split. Tony Fletcher's A Light That Never Goes Out part celebration, part paean moves from Manchester in the nineteenth-century to the present day to tell the complete story of The Smiths. The product of extensive research and unprecedented access, it will serve to confirm The Smiths as one of the most important and influential rock groups of all time.Trade Review[A] meticulous biography…This exhaustive, well-researched account brings fresh detail and thought to the party. * The Sunday Times *A finely judged re-telling of a remarkable tale with valuable first-hand accounts of the band’s American adventures, their rapid development into a wonderful live act, plus insights into the spiralling pressures and frictions that faced the individual band members. * Sabotage Times *An exhaustive labour of love that was three years in the writing but which will be lapped up by fans of the band...written with a real sense of love and affection for the group who, though they were only together for a mere five years, tilted the world on its axis to a degree not seen since the heyday of the Beatles and the Stones…Fletcher is excellent when it comes to widening the view to include the cultural and historical factors behind the band's emergence and the city from which they came. * Irish Independent *The story of the Smiths told on the basis of interviews with just about every surviving participant in the Smiths' story. As the story winds on, a chain of no-shows, fits of pique and self-sabotage ... reaches its denouement with an episode from April 1987, just prior to the band's formal break-up. Fletcher is the first writer to have got the full story. Such material highlights the extent to which Fletcher has done his research. * Guardian *Tony Fletcher’s account is a highly enjoyable way of revisiting [the] story. Crucially, he avoids areas well-served by other Smiths tomes and brings sufficient new material to reward even well-read fans…It’s a tale that’s been told before, but in his biography of the Manchester four-piece Tony Fletcher reveals new details and brings new depths to the story of Morrissey, Marr, Rourke, Joyce and the birth of the band. * Mojo *

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Book SynopsisHacienda resident and Manchester legend DJ Paulette celebrates the highs, lows and lessons of a 30-year career at the forefront of UK dance music as a ground-breaking Black female DJ. -- .

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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 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 SynopsisA Leap Into The Void is the ballad of The Creeping Bent Organisation, a label established in Glasgow in 1994 specialising in music, art, design and performance. Creeping Bent founder and conceptualist Douglas MacIntyre tells the story from his perspective, highlighting the trials and tribulations of successfully operating an independent business over a 30 year period. Featuring apperances from Fire Engines, Vic Godard, Jazzateers and The Secret Goldfish to name a few, this book chronologically details the creativity and vibrancy of Scotland's underground cultural pioneers.

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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 SynopsisTony Christie has topped the charts in countries all around the world with `Is This The Way To Amarillo', `I Did What I Did For Maria', `Avenues & Alleyways' and has achieved critical acclaim for his more recent works with Richard Hawley and Jarvis Cocker. Tony's albums have achieved several Gold and Platinum discs and he was the only singer in 2005 to have a single release and album simultaneously at Number 1. Now for the first time Tony tells of his illustrious, colourful career that started in the small South Yorkshire town of Conisbrough and today sees him as a singing legend with fans throughout the globe. It is a story packed with emotional and financial highs and lows, fantastic characters and Tony's deep-rooted love of family. If you thought you knew Tony Christie you will now as he opens up about his loves, his sorrows and his amazing life! TONY CHRISTIE The Song Interpreter is the official autobiography of an icon in popular music whose voice sounds as good today as when he first hit the charts in 1971.

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Book SynopsisOnce conduits to new music, frequently bypassing the corporate music industry in ways now done more easily via the Internet, record stores championed the most local of economic enterprises, allowing social mobility to well up from them in unexpected ways. Record stores speak volumes about our relationship to shopping, capitalism, and art. This book takes a comprehensive look at what individual record stores meant to individual people, but also what they meant to communities, to musical genres, and to society in general. What was their role in shaping social practices, aesthetic tastes, and even, loosely put, ideologies? From women-owned and independent record stores, to Reggae record shops in London, to Rough Trade in Paris, this book takes on a global and interdisciplinary approach to evaluating record stores. It collects stories and memories, and facts about a variety of local stores that not only re-centers the record store as a marketplace of ideas, but also explore and celebrate aTrade ReviewA great, authoritative deep dive into the global social history of establishments which its editors ... describe as “subcultural space... clubhouses for music fanatics... [and] genre-specific sanctuaries for ‘outsider communities'”. ... You can almost smell the racks as you read. * Record Collector *Record stores have been my support group, downfall, family room, grad school, sociological experiment, clubhouse, bank, ashram, ashtray and alibi for over fifty years—apart from playing music, it’s all I know. This book is right up my alley and likely yours as well. * Peter Holsapple, Continental Drifters/The dB’s *The next best thing to going to a record store is reading about them. This is a fascinating study and I particularly enjoyed its international aspect from Christchurch to Teheran. We are all united by this unique subculture. * Geoff Travis, Founder of Rough Trade Records, UK *Mixing memoir, history, and sociology, The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Record Store is an unparalleled paean to the record store as a vital community resource that links local listeners to global flows of music, culture, and capital. Required reading for discophiles of all stripes. * Steve Waksman, Author of Live Music in America: A History from Jenny Lind to Beyoncé, Elsie Irwin Sweeney Professor of Music, Smith College, USA *This fascinating anthology proves that record stores have long been so much more than places to buy records. Essays document their important role as cultural actors who call communities and genres into being, play important roles in politics and national musical cultures, promote tourism, spread music around the globe, and continue through dark times. Viva la Record Store! * Norma Coates, Associate Professor, Western University, Canada, and President, US Branch, International Association for the Study of Popular Music *Table of ContentsIntroduction Prologue: The Record Store That Saved My Life Mark Trehus, Independent Scholar/Record Store Owner, USA Part 1: Record Stores as Community 1 “We ‘Bout it ‘Bout it”: The Independent Record Store in Post-Katrina New Orleans Jay Jolles, College of William and Mary, USA 2 Firecorner: The Importance of Reggae Record Shops in Black London and the Cultural Confluence of West Indian Music Kenny Monrose, Cambridge University, UK 3 Journey of a Girl in a Plaid Skirt and Knee Socks Holly Gleason, Independent Scholar, USA 4 The Cult of the Record Bar Stephen Shearon, Middle Tennessee State University, USA 5 Magic in Here: Brisbane’s Alternative Record Stores From the 1970s to the Digital Age Ben Green, Griffith University, Australia 6 High Fidelity Across Twenty-Five Years: Record Shops, Taste, and Streaming Jon Stratton, University of South Australia, Australia 7 Reflections from the Girls Behind the Counter: Women and Independent Record Stores Lee Ann Fullington, Brooklyn College CUNY, USA Part 2: Cultural Geography of Record Stores 8 “Ways of living”: Touristification and Gentrification in Spanish and Portuguese Record Shops Fernán Del Val, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain 9 Living Popular Music in “high fidelity:” Portugal’s Independent Record Stores 1998–2020 Paula Guerra, University of Porto, Portugal 10 Music on the Turntables When the Tables are Turning: A History of Record Stores in Romania from Late Socialism to the Present Claudiu Oancea, New Europe College, Romania 11 Jazzhole: How a Record Store Became the Lone Priest of Nigerian Oldies’ Pop Culture Eromo Egbejule, Malmö University, Sweden 12 The Influence of Imported Records and their Stores on the History of Popular Music in Japan Ken Kato, Osaka University, Japan 13 Recording the Irish Experience: The Record Shop and Fair as Archive Paul Tarpey, Limerick School of Art and Design, Ireland 14 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, It Will Be Taped: Popular Music Acquisition in Pre- and Post-Revolution Tehran Lily Moayeri, Independent Scholar, USA Part 3: Sites for Fandom and Performance of Subcultural Capital 15 Making Indie Noises in the Corporate Outlet: Beating Capitalism at Its Own Game Roy Montgomery, Lincoln University, New Zealand 16 Rip Off Records (Hamburg) and the Microhistory of Capitalism Karl Siebengartner, Independent Scholar, Germany 17 Soul Bowl: Rare Soul Uncovered Christopher Spinks, University of East Anglia, UK 18 Lucky Records – Music Makes the People Come Together Mariana Lins, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil 19 Rough Trade Paris (1992-1999): The History of a Scene Jean Foubert, LARCA Université Paris-Cité, France 20 Musicians in the Record Store: Celebrity Encounters Through Amoeba Music’s What’s in My Bag? Christine Feldman-Barrett, Griffith University, Australia 21 “Contents Expected to Speak for Themselves:” A Preliminary Understanding of North American Self Service Record Retail Tim J. Anderson, Old Dominion University, USA 22 Lost in the Booth: British Record Store Listening Booths as Atmospheric Sites of Intimacy Peter Jachimiak, University of South Wales, UK Contributors Index

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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 DAILY TELEGRAPH and IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARThe must-read music book of the year, now with a brand new chapter covering the death of Taylor Hawkins and his massive Wembley memorial concert.In Bodies, author Ian Winwood explores the music industry's many failures, from addiction and mental health issues to its ongoing exploitation of artists. Much more than a touchline reporter, Winwood also tells the story of his own mental health collapse, following the shocking death of his father, in which extinction-level behaviour was given perfect cover by a reckless industry. This is such a shrewd, funny, psychologically perceptive, frank, well-written, jawdropping book Absolutely buy and read the hell out of this.' DAVID STUBBSWinwood makes a compelling argument and overturns some long-held notions about rock and roll excess by deftly tying together a vast amount of information . . . and liberally lacingTrade Review'Winwood is a witty writer as well as a wise one and his book, which skilfully weaves in his own story of mental health issues, should be required reading for music fans and music makers.' - Irish Times'This is the ugly truth. And It's an essential read.' - Classic Rock

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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 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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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 Synopsis'Hilarious, heart-wrenching and packed with British music history.' - COLDPLAY A Virgin Radio Book of the Year It's a life-and-near-death story. But whose life? And whose near-death?As a one-time NME journalist, former Xfm radio presenter, toilet-circuit promoter and the founder of enduring homespun British record label Fierce Panda, Simon Williams has been at the cutting, cutting, cutting edge of all things 'indie' for over thirty years. During his tenure as managing director of Fierce Panda (a role he holds to this day), Simon was responsible for tripping over bands such as Coldplay, Keane, Placebo and countless other acts of independent hue - some of whom have gone on to achieve earth-shattering musical superstardom, while others have merely baffled the crowd at the Bull & Gate in north London on a wet Wednesday evening.Unfiltered and unflinching, Pandamonium! is the story of Simon's time at the indie coalface, filled with insider anecdotes to entertain music enthusiasts everywhere - from the origins of a bootlegged Oasis release to Chris Martin's delight at reaching number ninety-two in the charts. But it is also the story of how Simon tried to bring a premature end to proceedings, documenting in blunt, matter-of-fact detail his longstanding mental-health struggles.Yet, despite his raw and often poignant honesty, Simon writes with the warmth, wit, self-deprecation and wide-eyed good fortune of someone who has stared into the abyss and survived, bounding down a few indie rabbit holes along the way.Trade Review'Coldplay wouldn't exist without Simon Williams. He was the first journalist to write about our band and released our first single on his legendary label, Fierce Panda. His memoir is hilarious, heart-wrenching and packed with British music history.' -- Coldplay'Remarkable tales from both the frontline of rock journalism and behind the scenes at one of our greatest underplayed British indie labels; open, entertaining and extraordinarily poignant.' -- Steve Lamacq'Williams is a towering colossus of indie. Pandamonium! is filled with autobiographical honesty, engaging humour and some really awful puns.' -- David Quantick'A brilliant memoir: funny, thrilling, but also as moving as any book about music I've ever read. It's full of the same stuff as the best records and gigs - entertainment, but also a sense of life at its most profound.' -- John Harris'Jaw dropping ... really moving. Highly recommend it.' -- Ted Kessler'A truly shocking episode from the recent past helps turn an entertaining romp into something much more moving. 8/10' -- Classic Rock'A dryly self-deprecating and desperately poignant picture of heartfelt endeavour and harsh reality. 4/5' -- Record Collector'Hilariously funny and deeply moving.' * Variety *'A sweet natured romp.' * 4/5 Mojo *'A fascinating book for any lover of indie music and those wanting an insight into the machinations of the unforgiving, cut-throat music industry. It is also a salutary reminder of the fragility of the human condition. Most of all, it is a most entertaining and, ironically, life-affirming read written with Williams' trademark wit, gentle humour and, let's be honest, silliness.' * Louder Than War *'Incredible... beautifully written.' -- Huw Stephens'What a book; Simon perfectly captures the joy, excitement and sheer buzz of so many sides of the music industry. It's written with warmth, love and with just the right amount of humour that keeps you going during the darkest passages of his story.' -- Rick McMurray, Ash'A thoroughly entertaining, emotional and frank look into one of the most underestimated indie labels and the most overly modest man behind it. Simon and Fierce Panda were a huge part of the band's history and we are eternally grateful.' -- Rod Jones, Idlewild'Simon Williams was there from the very start. Like a lot of bands we wouldn't be where we are today without his initial enthusiasm. One of the true music aficionados.' -- Danny McNamara, Embrace

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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 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 SynopsisAfrobeats is a fast-growing genre, one that has carved out a distinct and powerful Black identity rooted within the African continent.The first book of its kind, A Quick Ting On: Afrobeats chronicles the social and cultural development of the eponymous music genre, tracing its rich history from the African continent all the way to the musical centre of the Western world.This exciting new book takes a unique look at the music of the African diaspora and their children, delving into how Afrobeats and its sub-genres have provided new articulations of Black identity and pride. It remembers the Afrobeats pioneers and memorable cultural moments, as well as investigating the impact of African migration, travel and modernisation on the genre.A Quick Ting On: Afrobeats provides an insightful look at how Afrobeats became the explosive music genre it is today.Table of Contents 1: My Personal Relationships with Afrobeats 2: Fela and Afrobeat–The Man And The Music 3: Hiplife–Fusion and Cutlure 4: Wxmen in Afrobeats 5: The Skanking Era–UK Funky House 6: Is It Really Everyday Dance? 7: The Sonic Creators: Music Producers 8: Afrobeats (Yes, With An S) 9: Diasporic sounds, Afro-suffixes and everything in between 10: Homecoming And The Future

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Book SynopsisAs the creative force behind Berry Gordy Jr.'s Motown Records in the mid-Sixties, a writing credit from Holland Dozier Holland was virtually a guarantee of chart success. From Stop! In The Name Of Love to How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You, they were the songwriting and production dream team responsible for some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century. In this compelling autobiography, brothers Eddie and Brian Holland share their story for the first time, starting with growing up in Detroit raised by a single mother and their grandmother, before shining a light on their early musical careers. A gifted lyricist, Eddie started out as a solo singer with Berry Gordy as his manager before partnering up with his brother Brian and Lamont Dozier, both talented arrangers and producers. When Holland Dozier Holland came together, they helped transform Motown Records from a local soul label into a worldwide hit factory, home to international superstars such as Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, The Four Tops and The Isley Brothers. After an awe-inspiring tenure they left Motown in 1968, continuing their successes at new labels and with new collaborators for years to come. Featuring honest and open first-hand accounts, Come and Get These Memories is more than just a behind-the-scenes look at Motown Records at its peak: Eddie and Brian set the record straight on both their personal and professional lives and offer a revealing slice of pop-music history.

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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 SynopsisWhen a musician dies, it is rarely the end of their story. While death can propel megastars to even further success, artists overlooked in their lifetime might also find a new type of fame. But a badly timed move or the wrong deal can see the artist die all over again. Colonel Tom Parker, the former carnival huckster, understood this high-wire act implicitly and the posthumous career of Elvis Presley has provided a template for everyone else. Estates have two jobs: keeping the artist's name alive and ensuring they continue to make money. These can sometimes be compatible goals, but often they spark a tension that is unique in the music business. Drawing on interviews with those running music estates as well as music lawyers, record company executives and archivists, Leaving the Building reveals how the music industry is constantly striving to perfect the business of death.

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Book SynopsisAnn Harrison runs her own successful legal consultancy. Former head of the music group at a leading media and entertainment law firm, she specialises in copyright and contract law for artists, producers, managers and publishers. annharrison.co.ukTrade ReviewThe most comprehensive and accessible guide to the workings of the British music industry. * Daily Mirror *An invaluable guide to the legal minefield. * Guitar Magazine *An indispensable companion for any up-and-coming musician. * Future Music *Harrison has cut a magnificent swathe through the legal jungle. Essential. * Record Collector *An indispensable companion for any up-and-coming musician * Future Music *

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Book SynopsisMick Wall penetrates the closed world of Aussie rock legends AC/DC. 'We're a rock group - we're noisy, rowdy, sensational and weird' Angus Young

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Book Synopsis'An adventurer, an entrepreneur, a buccaneer, a visionary' - BONOAs the founder of Island Records, fabled music producer Chris Blackwell has discovered and worked with some of the most important musicians of the second half of the twentieth century - from Steve Winwood to Cat Stevens, Bob Marley to Grace Jones, U2 to Roxy Music, plus countless others. He is also widely credited with having brought reggae music to the world stage.Now, as reflects on his life, Blackwell takes us back to the island where it all began: Jamaica - the place where his family once partied with the likes of Noël Coward, Ian Fleming and Errol Flynn and where, as Jamaican local music began to adopt contemporary American trends, Blackwell's burgeoning musical instincts flourished. It was also the birthplace of the now-legendary Island Records, founded by Blackwell in 1959.Five years later, while living in London selling Jamaican records to Caribbean immigrants, Blackwell came across the vocal talents of teenager Millie Small, who he paired with the song 'My Boy Lollipop'. The producer added a ska beat and released what would be a worldwide hit.But this was just the beginning of a truly remarkable career. In this fascinating memoir, including up to fifty photos supplied by Blackwell's team, the music icon will discuss the many artists he's worked with over the years, as well as unpicking the initiatives, decisions and risks that ultimately brought such success to both Blackwell and his esteemed musical collaborators.Trade Review'As you're about to find out through the pages in this book, Chris Blackwell - who looms large in U2's life and was in fact our lifeline into the music world - is an adventurer, an entrepreneur, a buccaneer, a visionary and a gentleman. I'm proud to know him.' -- BONO'C.B. had this way of throwing me in the deep end knowing that I would thrive on being challenged. As you'll read in The Islander, he knows how to get the very best out of people - he's a mover and a shaker and a mischief-maker.' -- GRACE JONES'I read Chris Blackwell's autobiography in one sitting, unable to tear myself away. From "My Boy Lollipop" and Bob Marley, via Swinging London and punk, all the way to Talking Heads and U2, I felt like I was reading the inside story of the music of my life.' -- SALMAN RUSHDIE'A thoroughly quotable autobiography, a book that's hard to put down. ****' * MOJO *'Fascinating. 8/10' * UNCUT *'A rip-roaring yarn, the ultimate behind-the-scenes insider look at the coolest label ever on the planet.' * THE QUIETUS *'Fascinating autobiography of the Island Records founder. The Islander is a treasure.' * PROG *'Highly recommended.' * KIRKUS *'There are amazing insights. If you want to know how it was...read The Islander.' -- BOB LEFSETZ'Highly readable' * The Guardian *'Highly entertaining, rapid fire, hard to put down memoir' * Air Mail *'If you're even a minor fan of music books....buy this autobiography. Fascinating' * Variety *'A compelling autobiography' * The Observer *'A compelling juicy book' * The Irish Times *'An absorbing read' * Echoes *'An extraordinary story and a wonderful book. It couldn't be more enthusiastically recommended' -- Mark Ellen * Word in Your Ear *

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Book SynopsisRiverdance exploded across the stage at Dublin’s Point Theatre one spring evening in 1994 during a seven-minute interval of the Eurovision Song Contest hosted by Ireland. It was a watershed moment in the cultural history of a country embracing the future, a confident leap into world music grounded in the footfall of the choreographed kick-line. It was a moment forty-five years in the making for its composer. In this tenderly unfurled memoir Bill Whelan rehearses a lifetime of unconscious preparation as step by step he revisits his past, from with his Barrington Street home in 1950s Limerick, to the forcing ground of University College Dublin and the Law Library during the 1960s, to his attic studio in Ranelagh. Along the way the reader is introduced to people and places in the immersive world of fellow musicians, artists and producers, friends and collaborators, embracing the spectrum of Irish music as it broke boundaries, entering the global slipstream of the 1980s and 1990s. As art and commerce fused, dramas and contending personalities come to view behind the arras of stage, screen and recording desk. Whelan pays tribute to a parade of those who formed his world. He describes the warmth and sustenance of his Limerick childhood, his parents and Denise Quinn, won through assiduous courtship; the McCourts and Jesuit fathers of his early days, the breakthrough with a tempestuous Richard Harris who summoned him to London; Danny Doyle, Shay Healy, Dickie Rock, Planxty, The Dubliners and Stockton’s Wing, Noel Pearson, Seán Ó Riada; working with Jimmy Webb, Leon Uris, The Corrs, Paul McGuinness, Moya Doherty, John McColgan, Jean Butler and Michael Flatley. Written with wry, inimitable Irish humour and insight, Bill Whelan’s self deprecation allows us to to see the players in all their glory, vulnerability and idiosyncracy. This fascinating work reveals the nuts, bolts, sheer effort and serendipities that formed the road to Riverdance in his reinvention of the Irish tradition for a modern age. As the show went on to perform to millions worldwide, Whelan was honoured with a 1997 Grammy Award when Riverdance was named the ‘Best Musical Show Album.’ Richly detailed and illustrated, The Road to Riverdance forms an enduring repository of memory for all concerned with the performing arts.Trade ReviewHOT PRESS BOOK OF THE YEARIRISH TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2023‘Bill Whelan’s memoir is an entertaining account of the seismic changes in Irish society during the second half of the 20th century and a colourful testament to an extraordinary life that helped shape and soundtrack it.’ Éamon Sweeney, Irish Times‘Tells the story of a life in music and the path that led to one of Ireland’s most significant cultural exports.’ Irish Independent‘Makes for marvellous, revealing and very powerful reading. A brilliant edition to the canon, it offers a remarkable picture of a musical life lived to the full. Hats off to its maker’ Niall Stokes, Hot Press‘What an incredible talent he is’ Marty Whelan‘Filled with Limerick humour’ Limerick Leader‘Bill Whelan dances down memory lane with new memoir’ Galway Advertiser‘Paints an unforgettable picture of how one man navigated the rapids of music in Ireland – and came up trumps in the long run … an essential read for anyone who loves Irish music.’ Hot Press‘From [Whelan's] central position involved in taking traditional Irish dance into a modern orbit of choreographed bliss, the book charts the artistic and business marriage that built the Riverdance machine - the nuts, bolts and good fortune that together conspired to fashion an extravaganza that would go on play to millions around the globe … After twenty-seven years of live performances to over 22 million people, it remains an Irish export up there with the best.’ Irish ExaminerIRISH EXAMINER BEST BOOK‘[Whelan's] humour is dry, winking, and pivots between sharp and deadpan, developed in the early days of “pre-ghettoisation” Limerick, somewhere between Frank McCourt and the Rolling Stones … As one might expect, Whelan’s writing is rhythmic and punchy, never shying away from difficult topics … His anecdotes are rich and giving.’ Sunday Business Post

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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 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 SynopsisAn unorthodox autobiography detailing a 50 year career in the music, entertainment and film industry.Trade ReviewA few years ago I was at a North East Film Festival of which I'm the patron. We discussed a post-screening interview with a visiting guest."Who will moderate?" I asked, and was told - Chris Phipps. ;I then asked who Chris Phipps was and was told - "Oh, he's very good." They were right, Chris is not just a very good moderator, he is exceptional, as was proved again this year when he chaired a discussion with myself, my partner Dick Clement and director David Batty following a showing of our latest film My Generation. ;He's exceptional, not just because he does his homework, which is easier these days if you plunder Wikipedia, but because he cares so much about his subject, especially if it involves film or music. ;Those twin passions are certainly the glue that fortifies our friendship. We usually end up after a couple of drinks in intense discussions, especially involving music trivia. I won't try to compete with Chris on this, he's just too clued in. ;Yes, I could name the first Kinks' single but Chris could name every track on their debut album. Yes, I know the Proclaimers were the Scottish Everly Brothers but he probably knows where their births are registered. After all he was a producer of the seminal, coolest of cool rock shows The Tube. Apart from that show he has always had a great respect and affection for North Eastern culture and heritage.; A true Northern soul - it always surprises me that he has a Brummie accent. ;Chris's book is suffused with his customary wit, wisdom and humour. ;And if Chris Phipps is dropping names, these are names really worth dropping. ;Ian La Frenais

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Book SynopsisLive music events are synonymous with fun but seldom associated with international trade. This book serves to transform this mindset, through describing the economic value of live music and analysing the factors affecting international trade in Caribbean live music services.Race and ethnicity, unachieved regionalism within the Caribbean, and perceived biases in international trade agreements are assessed in relation to their impact on this trade. Several topics presented in this book are based on empirical findings from a previous microeconomic study, dedicated entirely to international trade in live music. Moreover, this book is unique because it compares the Caribbean and South Korea to assess the effectiveness of strategies aimed at developing international trade in live music services. This comparison should inspire robust policy initiatives for advancing international trade in Caribbean live music, given that South Korea is presently a heavyweight in the export of its en

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Book SynopsisUnique in showcasing both the front stage and back stage realities of the K-pop world, this book presents the K-pop phenomenon from many perspectives: as music industry, dance practices, talent management system, as a new media phenomenon, and as transnational community building efforts.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Korea's moment in the limelight Suk-Young Kim; Part I. Genealogies: 1. Sticking it to the man: early neoliberalism in Korean pop music Roald Maliangkay; 2. Itaewon class, Gangnam style and Yeouido star: the industrial revolution of Korean pop in the 1990s Hyunjoon Shin; Part II. Sounding out K-pop: 3. Finding the K in K-pop musically: a stylistic history Jung-Min Mina Lee; 4. Recording the soundscape of K-pop Hyewon Kim; Part III. Dancing to K-pop: 5. K-pop dance music video choreography Chuyun Oh; 6. Embodying K-pop hits through cover dance practices CedarBough T. Saeji; Part IV. The making of idols: 7. K-pop idols: media commodities, affective laborers and cultural capitalists Stephanie Choi; 8. From K-pop to Z-pop: the pan-Asian production, consumption and circulation of idols So-Rim Lee; Part V. The band that surprised the world: 9. BTS, transmedia and hip hop Kyung Hyun Kim; 10. The BTS phenomenon Suk-Young Kim and Youngdae Kim; 11. Transcultural fandom: BTS and ARMY Candace Epps-Robertson; Part VI. Circuits of K-pop flow: 12. K-pop and the participatory condition: vicarity, serial affect and 'real-life contents' Michelle Cho; 13. Idol shipping culture: exploring queer sexuality among fans of K-pop Thomas Baudinette; 14. Following the footsteps of BTS: the global rise of K-pop tourism Youjeong Oh.

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Book Synopsis''The book is f***ing BRILLIANT! Just arrived NYC and wanked myself laughing. Literally tears. Irritated looks all around. What a great writer you are. It''s a classic. You absolutely got the whole shite early 70s thing down precisely as it was. Names, smells, sounds, looks, the food, drink, girls, boys! Mega! Well done.'' - Bob GeldofIn a sodden tent at a ''70s festival, the teenage Mark Ellen had a dream. He dreamt that music was a rich meadow of possibility, a liberating leap to a sparkling future, an industry of human happiness - and he wanted to be part of it. Thus began his 50-year love affair with rock and roll. From his time at the NME, Radio One, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Live aid, he has been at the molten core of pop''s evolution, and watched its key figures from a unique perspective. This funny and touching personal memoir maps out his eventful journey in rock and roll.It tells stories and settles scores. It charts the peaks and disappointments. It flTrade ReviewFull of engaging asides and deft, sometimes unsparing pen-portraits, this autobiographical souffle ends with three passages of unexpectedly disturbing power, in which Ellen glimpses the fate of a form of entertainment that has lost the sense of purpose and proportion it possessed during the years when his own tastes were being formed...It is a tribute to Ellen's resilience that not even this sensory assault can erode the powers of humour and observation that make his book so enjoyable. * The Guardian *There's a misty-eyed reverence for the past in Ellen's entertaining memoir of five decades surrounded by music. * The Observer *Thumbs Aloft! For men of several generations, the most eagerly anticipated memoir of the year is Mark Ellen's Rock Stars Stole My Life! and it doesn't disappoint. Subtitled 'A Big Bad Love Affair With Music', Ellen's book describes in beautifully crafted gambols his time working for the music press, from the NME in the Seventies right through to The Word in the noughties, via Smash Hits, Q, Mojo, Select and all places in between. Ellen has been at the coalface of rock hackdom for 40 years, yet unlike many of his contemporaries, he has always viewed his relationship with the music industry - and the preposterous entertainers it throws up - as a ridiculous pleasure rather than a burden. Ellen is not only one of the nicest men in the industry, he's also one of its funniest writers, and this books picks away at the hand that has fed him for all these years with such humour, and such delicacy, that it becomes impossible to put down. Here is a man who presented Live Aid, who presided over the most popular music magazine in the world, and who unwittingly became one of the last people to interview Michael Jackson in print. And it is never less than hilarious. This book will make you laugh, make you cry with joy, and send you scuttling over to what is left of your record collection to look for an Elvis Costello album you probably have not played since it was released. -- Dylan Jones * GQ *So Ellen's book is a riotous, wildly enthusiastic look back over a constantly changing industry and the larger-than-life characters who have dominated it. As the image of today's stars becomes ever more tightly controlled, Ellen's experiences make him one of the few who can pull back the curtain to expose the smoke and mirrors of this most glamorous, exciting and tawdry of industries. * Express *Hilariously indiscreet * The Times *The must read book * Red *Hang on to the shirt-tails of this book and it leads you right the way through --breathlessly. It's terrific! -- Danny BakerRiotous, entrancing and wildly enthusiastic. Exposes the smoke and mirrors of this most glamorous and tawdry of industries. * Sunday Express *Hectic, quietly perceptive and in a writing style best described as Acid Wodehouse. * New Statesman *The unteachable in pursuit of the unquotable. Knowingly ridiculous and very funny. * Independent on Sunday *Immensely readable. A series of golden ages witnessed first-hand. * The Observer *A cultural history of music fandom in a period of fascinating flux. * MOJO *Mark Ellen: the man with the best job ever! * Elle *A fantastic read -- Simon Mayo * BBC Radio 2 *Ellen not only has a tremendous eye for the glorious absurdity of the music industry, but a treasure chest of funny and occasionally touching anecdotes . . . he balances a fan's enthusiasm with sparkling reverence . . . Rock Stars Stole My Life! Is an upbeat and immensely readable account of a joyous addiction. * Mail on Sunday *The collection of people who cross Ellen's path - Blair, old housemate Anton Corbijn, Ellen's girlfriend Anji Hunter, Neil Tennant (who worked on Smash Hits), John Peel, Geldof - is enough to keep you turning the page. Having such a funny, charming guide doesn't hurt either. * The Independent *(a) wry, funny book * The Sun *Mark Ellen had us laughing all the way through. * Stylist *Your book is a joy. -- Jeremy Vine * BBC Radio 2 Arts Show *The book is f***ing BRILLIANT! Just arrived NYC and wanked myself laughing. Literally tears. Irritated looks all around. What a great writer you are. It's a classic. You absolutely got the whole shite early 70s thing down precisely as it was. Names, smells, sounds, looks, the food, drink, girls, boys! Mega! Well done. -- Bob GeldofMade me laugh out loud. -- Adam Boulton * New Statesman *Rock Stars Stole My Life reminds us that [pop music] can also be joyously ridiculous...Ellen relates a blessed life...with playful wit and indefatigable good humour. * Guardian *This year's most breezily entertaining pop memoir.... Ellen sails through pop history with an infectious joie de vivre that sends laughter tumbling from every page. * Daily Mail *entertaining... describes his past encounters with comic candour. * The Times *There's a misty-eyed reverence for the past in Ellen's entertaining memoir of five decades surrounded by music. -- Ben East * The Observer *

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Book SynopsisThat rare thing, an academic study of music that seeks to tie together the strands of the musical text, the industry that produces it, and the audience that gives it meaning... A vital read for anyone interested in the changing nature of popular music production and consumption - Dr Nathan Wiseman-Trowse, The University of Northampton Popular music entertains, inspires and even empowers, but where did it come from, how is it made, what does it mean, and how does it eventually reach our ears? Tim Wall guides students through the many ways we can analyse music and the music industries, highlighting crucial skills and useful research tips. Taking into account recent changes and developments in the industry, this book outlines the key concepts, offers fresh perspectives and encourages readers to reflect on their own work. Written with clarity, flair and enthusiasm, it covers: Histories of popular muTrade ReviewTim Wall′s Studying Popular Music Culture is that rare thing, an academic study of music that seeks to tie together the strands of the musical text, the industry that produces it, and the audience that gives it meaning. Wall acts as a wary guide to an industry that is currently in total flux, showing the reader how conventional histories of popular music are shaped by social, industrial and technical factors that ultimately leak over into the ways in which we listen to and interpret music. The new edition provides a timely account of the history of the recorded music industry as it responds to new technologies and industrial approaches, with an ever-keen eye on how industrial practice relates to the ways in which audiences consume and use popular music in a variety of ways. Wall′s lucid style provides a coherent summary of a cultural form that is never easy to grapple with at the best of times. Studying Popular Music Culture is a vital read for anyone interested in the changing nature of popular music production and consumption, whether as student, an industry insider or just a fan of popular music.Dr Nathan Wiseman-TrowseThe University of Northampton Table of ContentsIntroduction: Definitions and Approaches PART ONE: HISTORIES Constructing Histories of Popular Music Musical and Cultural Repertoires Social, Economic and Technical Factors Writing Popular Music History PART TWO: INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS An Overview of Popular Music Production Taking Issue with the Record Industry Popular Music and the Media PART THREE: FORM, MEANING AND REPRESENTATION Form Meaning Representation PART FOUR: AUDIENCES AND CONSUMPTION The Sociology of the Music Consumer Listening, and Looking Dancing Acquiring, Organising and Sharing music

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Book Synopsis''The thought behind this book is not just me wanting to tell my story in the standard autobiographical fashion but to create a kind of self-help book that includes my story. There are many things people don''t know about me and maybe when they read about those things they will have an understanding of the journey I have been on, why I''ve made the mistakes I have and hopefully help other people overcome their adversities.''Life has presented its fair share of setbacks for James Arthur, from his disrupted childhood - during which he felt like a stray and a misfit, entering the care system in his teens - to a very public fall from favour just at the point when all his dreams should have been coming true. With an extraordinary comeback in 2016, starting with No. 1 single ''Say You Won''t Let Go'' and his Platinum album Back From The Edge, Back To The Boy shows the British singer and songwriter reflecting not only on his past but also on his retu

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Book SynopsisIrish Independent Music Book of the YearGuardian Book of the WeekAfter discovering a derelict record plant on the edge of a northern English city, and hearing that it was once visited by David Bowie, Karl Whitney embarks upon a journey to explore the industrial cities of British pop music.Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol: at various points in the past these cities have all had distinctive and highly identifiable sounds. But how did this happen? What circumstances enabled those sounds to emerge? How did each particular city - its history, its physical form, its accent - influence its music? How were these cities and their music different from each other? And what did they have in common?Hit Factories tells the story of British pop through the cities that shaped it, tracking down the places where music was performed, recorded and sold, and the peoTrade ReviewThe book's a joy. I wanted to move to Hull while reading that chapter and - almost - wanted to listen to Black Sabbath for the first time since 1974 . . . I love the way Whitney makes such creative use of a good walk and I admire the way he makes the people who created the music we love seem like such nice, bright men and womenBook of the Week * Guardian *An extremely important addition to modern music writing * The Irish Times *A fine document of a golden era for music in the UK's regions * Financial Times *An interesting, sharp, swift overview of the UK's pop music history * Times Literary Supplement *Insightful and provocative * What Hi-Fi? Magazine *There are sounds here for everyone * MOJO *[Whitney's] curious compass leads this book on numerous worthwhile diversions. A trip * Q *

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Book SynopsisAndrew Lauder is one of British record business''s most significant and highly influential figures but outside the music industry few people will probably know his name. He''s always retained a fan''s perspective which, combined with an exceptional knowledge of music, meant he was at ease around musicians and never happier than spending time with them. During the later ''60s and throughout the ''70s in particular (working at the legendary United Artists), he had a knack of being one step ahead of the next trend. In hindsight it''s easy to identify the changing eras in music but underground music, pub rock and punk in Britain, for example, evolved quite seamlessly and it was visionaries like Andrew who, instinctively, saw what was coming and helped bring about those transitions. He was ahead of the game in other ways too; pioneering a more creative way of marketing and promoting records and revolutionising the way catalogue was organised and presented. This is his story.Trade ReviewMany people who love music - or think they do - aspire to the A&R role. Some are chosen. Very few succeed. Hardly any succeed as significantly and consistently as Andrew Lauder. For 40 years, Andrew was an A&R man on whom those rivals kept the closest of eyes (I know that for certain because for a while I was one of them, and saw how good he was). Without making a fuss, without bothering - unlike so many -- about raising his own public profile, he applied his knowledge and enthusiasm to the business of identifying interesting musicians and helping them to reach an audience. * Richard Williams *Oh, so that's what happened...a crisp and more-ish read. Among the many qualities admired by us musicians who worked with Andrew was his modesty and self-effacement. It's remarkable how, in a book which documents his many successes and accomplishments, that lovely voice and manner is still unmistakable. * Nick Lowe *Lauder was co-founder of the labels Radar, F-Beat, Demon and Silvertone; this came after a decade in United Artists corporate trenches backing such unlikely nags as Can, Hawkwind, Dr Feelgood, and The Stranglers, as well as fading memories like the Groundhogs and Man. Characteristically discreet, his fascinating inside track on what went wrong with the Stones Roses exemplifies the collision of enthusiasm, licenced creativity, sharp practice and turf wars that made the music biz much more than just another office job. * Mojo *Warm and detailed, this is a great lid-lifter from a reliable, affable narrator...his enthusiasm and passion for pop is overwhelming. * Record Collector *Happy Trails is full of such quirks of good fortune that it's tempting to describe Andrew Lauder's career in A&R terms of luck, rather than his ability to detect and nourish talent. His good humour only cracks when discussing the contractual wrangles between his label, Silvertone, and the Stone Roses (not his fault - the dodgy contract pre-dated his involvement.) * Uncut *Happy Trails gives the reader a window into a charmed life that most of us can only dream of. * Shindig *A must read for fans of the seventies British underground. It was Lauder who created the environment within which Hawkwind could rise from the dishevelled jam band he signed in 1969, to become one of the most inventive acts of the early seventies. Lauder's far-sighted recruitment of Amon Düül II and Can lit the fuse for the 'krautrock' explosion of the early 1970s (a term, incidentally, that he loathed); and Lauder effectively god-parented the pub rock boom a couple of years later. * Goldmine *This welcome account (is) a joy to read * Caught By The River *Happy Trails is a book for music historians and crate diggers, particularly lovers of the blues from the '60s through to the '00s.Andrew Lauder's tale is a classic one: young and naïve country boy who came to the big city, fell into a random, entry-level but opportune position at the publishing company Southern Music, and went on to make his mark in the industry for half a century. During his tenure at various music companies in the UK Lauder released key albums from Elvis Costello, the Stranglers, Buzzcocks, Hawkwind, Can, Neu! and the Stone Roses. * Spin Magazine *Lauder is a solid writer, and presents his story with an authentically humble tone that really makes you want to sit down with him for a beer and chat. Can there be a better recommendation than that? * The Wire *Happy Trails is one of the most absorbing and relatable behind-the-scenes music business memoirs you'll ever read * Ugly Things *

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Book Synopsis'Hilarious, heart-wrenching and packed with British music history.' - COLDPLAY A Virgin Radio Book of the Year It's a life-and-near-death story. But whose life? And whose near-death?As a one-time NME journalist, former Xfm radio presenter, toilet-circuit promoter and the founder of enduring homespun British record label Fierce Panda, Simon Williams has been at the cutting, cutting, cutting edge of all things 'indie' for over thirty years. During his tenure as managing director of Fierce Panda (a role he holds to this day), Simon was responsible for tripping over bands such as Coldplay, Keane, Placebo and countless other acts of independent hue - some of whom have gone on to achieve earth-shattering musical superstardom, while others have merely baffled the crowd at the Bull & Gate in north London on a wet Wednesday evening.Unfiltered and unflinching, Pandamonium! is the story of Simon's time at the indie coalface, filled with insider anecdotes to entertain music enthusiasts everywhere - from the origins of a bootlegged Oasis release to Chris Martin's delight at reaching number ninety-two in the charts. But it is also the story of how Simon tried to bring a premature end to proceedings, documenting in blunt, matter-of-fact detail his longstanding mental-health struggles.Yet, despite his raw and often poignant honesty, Simon writes with the warmth, wit, self-deprecation and wide-eyed good fortune of someone who has stared into the abyss and survived, bounding down a few indie rabbit holes along the way.Trade Review'Coldplay wouldn't exist without Simon Williams. He was the first journalist to write about our band and released our first single on his legendary label, Fierce Panda. His memoir is hilarious, heart-wrenching and packed with British music history.' -- Coldplay'Remarkable tales from both the frontline of rock journalism and behind the scenes at one of our greatest underplayed British indie labels; open, entertaining and extraordinarily poignant.' -- Steve Lamacq'Williams is a towering colossus of indie. Pandamonium! is filled with autobiographical honesty, engaging humour and some really awful puns.' -- David Quantick'A brilliant memoir: funny, thrilling, but also as moving as any book about music I've ever read. It's full of the same stuff as the best records and gigs - entertainment, but also a sense of life at its most profound.' -- John Harris'Jaw dropping ... really moving. Highly recommend it.' -- Ted Kessler'A truly shocking episode from the recent past helps turn an entertaining romp into something much more moving. 8/10' -- Classic Rock'A dryly self-deprecating and desperately poignant picture of heartfelt endeavour and harsh reality. 4/5' -- Record Collector'Hilariously funny and deeply moving.' * Variety *'A sweet natured romp.' * 4/5 Mojo *'A fascinating book for any lover of indie music and those wanting an insight into the machinations of the unforgiving, cut-throat music industry. It is also a salutary reminder of the fragility of the human condition. Most of all, it is a most entertaining and, ironically, life-affirming read written with Williams' trademark wit, gentle humour and, let's be honest, silliness.' * Louder Than War *'Incredible... beautifully written.' -- Huw Stephens

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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 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 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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