Popular music Books

Book SynopsisEvelyn Dove embraced the worlds of jazz, musical theatre and, most importantly, cabaret, in a career spanning five decades from the 1920s through to the 1960s. A black British diva with movie star looks, she captivated audiences and admirers around the world, enjoying the same appeal as the 'Forces Sweetheart' Vera Lynn throughout the Second World War.Refusing to be constrained by her race or middle-class West African and English backgrounds, she would perform for infamous Russian leader, Joseph Stalin; become a regular vocalist for the BBC and a celebrated performer across continental Europe, India and the US.At the height of her fame in the 1930s, she worked with the pioneers of black British theatre, replacing Josephine Baker as the star attraction in a revue at the Casino de Paris and scandalizing her family by appearing on stage semi-nude.This is a celebration of an extraordinary career punctuated with vertiginous highs and profound lows, and places Dove in historical context with artists of her time, such as Adelaide Hall, Dame Cleo Laine and Dame Shirley Bassey.

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Book SynopsisThe untold story behind one of the most controversial album releases in modern music history, for fans of the Wu-Tang Clan, hip-hop music, and all those interested in the music industry. Take a kid with a dream. A legendary hip hop group. 6 years of secret recordings. A casing worthy of a king. A single artifact. Hallowed establishment institutions. An iconoclastic auction house. The world's foremost museum of modern art. A bidding war. Endless crises of conscience. An angry mob. A furious beef. A sale. A villain of Lex Luthor-like proportions. Bill Murray. The FBI. The internet gone wild. In 2007, the innovative Wu-Tang producer, Cilvaringz, feeling that digitisation increasingly supported the perception of music as disposable, took an incendiary idea to his mentor, hip hop legend, RZA: create a unique physical copy of a secret Wu-Tang album, to be encased in silver and sold through auction as a work of contemporary art. The plan raised a number of complex questions: Would selling one album for millions be the ultimate betrayal of music? How would fans react to an album that's sold on condition it could not be commercialised? And could anyone justify the ultimate sale of the album to the infamous pharmaceutical mogul Martin Shkreli? "An epic battle between colorful, creative maniacal heroes and one of the blandest beta-villains of our time. Couldn't put it down."Patton Oswalt, comedian and bestselling author of Silver Screen FiendTrade Review“An epic battle between colorful, creative maniacal heroes and one of the blandest beta-villains of our time. Couldn’t put it down.”Patton Oswalt, comedian and bestselling author of Silver Screen Fiend"[An] utterly candid work...Bozorgmehr's stirring account gives readers the insider's view of musical outlaws who possessed the best intentions of elevating hip-hop from its street moorings to more stylish, chic surroundings, and whose efforts exploded in a crisis of bad media coverage and soulless pharmaceutical drug merchants."Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisIn the mid-1960s, a new generation of young Turkish musicians combined Western pop music with traditional Anatolian folk to forge the home-grown phenomenon of Anadolu Pop. But that was just the beginning. Through the second half of that turbulent decade, Turkish rock warped and transformed, striking out into wilder and stranger territory - fuelled by the psychedelic revolution and played out over a backdrop of cultural, social and political turmoil. The Turkish Psychedelic Music Explosion tells the story of a musical movement that was brought to an end by a right-wing coup in 1980, largely forgotten and only recently being rediscovered by Western crate-diggers. It's a tale of larger-than-life musical pioneers with raging political passions and visionary ideas ripe for rediscovery.

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Book SynopsisIn 2015 Chris O'Leary published the first folume of his two-volume exporation, Rebel Rebel, of every song David Jones / David Bowie ever wrote, in chronological order. This is the second volume. Ashes to Ashes covers every single Bowie song, whether it was sung, written, or produced by him, from 1976, when he first recorded with Iggy Pop on "The Idiot," to his last masterpiece "Blackstar," released just days before his death in 2016. Each song is annotated in depth and explored in essays that touch upon the song's creation, production, influences and impact. It hits everything from "Heroes" to the Labyrinth soundtrack, from his 1985 camp duet with Mick Jagger on "Dancing In the Street" to "Where Are We Now," his comeback single in 2013. Along the way we encounter a vast cast of characters, weaving in and out of Bowie's life and his music: Brian Eno, John Cale, Nile Rodgers, Lou Reed, Freddie Mercury, Scott Walker, Marc Bolan, Arcade Fire, John Lennon, Mickey Rourke, Gary Oldman, Iman, Hanif Kureishi, Julien Temple, Giorgio Moroder, Neil Young and many others. And we range across the globe from Bowie's years in divided Berlin to his "exile" years in Switzerland through his final years as a New Yorker, recording within walking distance of his home.

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Book Synopsis“The Beatles will be remembered, and rightly so, as the sociological phenomenon of the Sixties…but if you’re talking about music, it has to be Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. That’s who they’ll be studying.” (anonymous fan) The Beach Boys are one of the most celebrated bands in the history of pop music. In a career that began before the Beatles and lasted long after their demise, they were responsible for almost single-handedly spearheading a new music genre, and along the way creating what is still referred to as one of the greatest albums of all time, and another cited as one the greatest albums that never was. Over the subsequent years, the band has been the subject of countless books and essays by some of the most esteemed writers in the business, with both words and music scrutinised in the most finest of detail. But what of the stories behind the songs? This is a book that tells you all you need to know about what I consider to be their finest recordings - their inspiration; the writing and recording; the squabbles and controversies, and their ultimate success or failure. But most of all, it takes you inside the mind of one man, the band’s legendary leader, Brian Wilson, and a journey that began a little over half a century ago and now, and forevermore, is rightly acknowledged as a genius of his chosen art, and a man who truly “just wasn’t made for these times.”

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Book SynopsisIron Maiden first appeared at the Reading Rock Festival in 1980 when Paul Di'Anno was fronting the band and Dennis Stratton was on guitar. They appeared second on the bill to UFO on the second night. Undoubtedly for Maiden's Steve Harris there was nothing but respect for the headliners with UFO's Pete Way being one of Harris's biggest bass guitar influences. Also on the bill that day were two future Iron Maiden members - Bruce Dickinson, then the lead singer with Samson, and guitarist Janick Gers of White Spirit, who were brought in as a replacement band. By 1982 when Maiden returned to Reading it was naturally as the headlining act on the Saturday evening. The band had gone through significant changes to the line-up, most notably with Bruce Dickinson now fronting them, which coincided with their rise in popularity. Incredibly it would be another twenty-three years before Maiden returned to Reading, by which time they were in their third decade and had become the undisputed giants of metal. Their longevity also stood out as most of the other major acts that performed over the three days had only appeared on the scene over the previous few years and none could boast a back catalogue quite like Maiden's. With a large collection of photos by Alan Perry and memorabilia from the gigs plus narrative from Iron Maiden biographer Neil Daniels, this book is a wonderful celebration of Maiden's unforgettable appearances at this British institution.

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Book SynopsisRock City, Narita, Fire Down Under, Restless Breed, Born in America... These are the pioneering, superlative heavy metal records that represent the classic first decade of Brooklyn’s Riot’s, before the band would break up, eventually storming back with Thundersteel and The Privilege of Power, existing to this day as Riot V after the shocking death from Crohn’s disease of guitarist and leader Mark Reale. Riot’s is a tale of opportunities missed, of a band ahead of the curve, and of a band from which both its classic era lead singers — Guy Speranza and Rhett Forrester — are now dead, as is, of course, Mark Reale, a quiet man who, fatefully, wanted to leave the business to others and just play his heavy metal. But this book is not just about the ’75 to ’85 period of the band that spawned one of the finest metal records of all time, 1981’s Fire Down Under. Even if the classics framed by those ten years get the full, dedicated chapter, track-by-track Popoff treatment, the subsequent rich and substantial catalogue of the band is discussed as well, right up to the present day where Riot shines on. But still, the focus is on songs like `Warrior’, `49er’, `Road Racin’’, `Outlaw’, `Don’t Hold Back’, `Altar of the King’, `Violent Crimes’, `Vigilante Killer’ and of course the insanely anthemic `Swords and Tequila’, as we celebrate a New York institution that is perhaps the shining example of the term, “honorary New Wave of British Heavy Metal” band.

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Book SynopsisPublished to tie in with the 50th anniversary of these festivals, Brian Ireland revisits the events, taking stock of their historical importance, and to note their influence not just on popular culture and society, but as part of a new musical culture that developed in the late 1960s and which saw young, similarly-minded people engage about multiple rights issues such as military draft, free speech, civil rights, gender equality, drug use, spirituality, capitalism - even revolution. It explores the festivals' organisation, promotion, and unfolding, as well as their immediate and enduring impact. The book is also about the 1960s, particularly the political, social, and cultural changes that provided the context for these festivals. A catalyst for these changes was the `baby boom' that provided the `foot soldiers' for both the Vietnam War and the counterculture that opposed it. It also provided the audiences for music festivals such as the annually recurring Newport Folk Festival, and for one-off events like 1967's Monterey and of course 1969's Woodstock, and Altamont. The activism of this young generation, the `New Left', looked to American values of freedom and democracy, but found them undermined by rampant consumerism, political assassinations, and by the horrors of the Vietnam War. All of this is explored behind the backdrop of the music festivals to form a broad social agenda for change that, by the time of Woodstock, transformed how Americans viewed themselves and their society. The Altamont Speedway Free Festival occurred just a few months later. Meant to be a `Woodstock West' it is nevertheless remembered as the antithesis of Woodstock, mainly because of the violence that unfolded and especially the tragic death of Meredith Hunter - killed by Hells Angels who were employed to provide security at the festival. Country Joe McDonald, a notable performer at Woodstock, sums up the popular memory of both festivals: "Woodstock and Altamont seem like bookends to the great social experiment of the late sixties.' The former seems proof that hippie idealism about peace and love was possible; Altamont, however, seems to reflect the dark side of the hippie dream - the flip side of the coin which has Charles Manson's face upon it.

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Book SynopsisThe year 1972 saw the release of Jethro Tull's iconic album, Thick As A Brick. A song spanning two whole sides of the LP with no gaps in between, Thick As A Brick was unusual even by so-called progressive rock standards at the time. Ironically, even though band leader Ian Anderson joked that the album was intended as "a bit of a spoof", it has gone on to be remembered as a masterpiece of the genre nearly fifty years later. In this book, music author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in depth perspective on Thick As A Brick from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Jethro Tull's legacy today. As the author explains: "Basically, the book covers how the album was made, what was going on with the music in terms of the artist's intentions, how it did musically and commercially and what happened next." The narrative is essentially driven by contemporary interviews with the artists with small bits of music theory where relevant... in some cases they delve into the structure / key signatures / time signatures, based on the original sheet music without straying away from being an engaging read for non-musicians.

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Book SynopsisFrom humble beginnings in Teignmouth, Devon on England’s South West Coast, since the band’s inception around twenty-five years ago Muse has grown into one of the biggest bands in the world. Since the release of debut album Showbiz in 1999, Muse has gone on to mega status, selling out stadiums around the globe. From a band that was helped in the nineties with a £150 grant from the Prince’s Trust, they have escalated into leading torch bearers for twenty-first century rock music. Never shy to acknowledge influences from the past, Muse has also created its own unique style from blending numerous music genres into their own defining image. Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard have remained together through thick and thin; time and time again producing huge selling albums and sold out concert tours. This Visual Biography is a wonderful keep-sake souvenir portraying the band’s rise to superstardom, right up to 2019’s Simulation Theory tour. The largely, previously unpublished photos are complimented with a 15,000 word band history by music author Laura Shenton.

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Book SynopsisFor Kate Bush, and indeed many in her strong fanbase, The Kick Inside is the album that started it all. Her 1978 debut was certainly attention grabbing; it propelled her to fame and got the ball rolling for a phenomenal career as a much appreciated musician and admired female talent. With the iconic 'Wuthering Heights', the young Kate had captured people's imagination with her original songwriting style and of course, her unique voice. In this book, music author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in depth perspective on The Kick Inside from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Kate Bush's legacy today. As the author explains: "Basically, the book covers how the album was made, what was going on with the music in terms of the artist's intentions, how it did musically and commercially and what happened next." The narrative is essentially driven by contemporary interviews with the artists with small bits of music theory where relevant... in some cases they delve into the structure / key signatures / time signatures, based on the original sheet music without straying away from being an engaging read for non-musicians.

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Book SynopsisA quietly spoken, true English eccentric with something of a rebellious streak, Tony Stratton Smith initially charmed and blustered his way into the music business as a manager during the early 1960s and a few years later, when the record labels stopped playing by what he believed to be the rules, he simply went and formed his own -The Famous Charisma Label - and set about spinning the record business on its head. An independent label like no other, it is fair to say that without Strat's total belief and unwavering long-term support there would be no Genesis - Phil Collins has said as much - and a long line of artists owe Tony a similar debt of gratitude, from Monty Python to Malcolm McLaren, Lindisfarne to Sir John Betjeman, Vivian Stanshall to Julian Lennon. A former sports journalist and close friend to Jimmy Greaves and Sir Matt Busby (Strat narrowly missed a seat in the Munich Air crash) he later became a popular figure in the horse racing world. But making money was never very high on Tony's agenda, simply a means to an end that enabled him to fund the music and mayhem that brought him so much enjoyment. Strat was never happier than when the artists that he had so carefully nurtured were fulfilling their creative potential, delighting in working with the talents of Peter Gabriel, Alan Hull, Clifford T. Ward, Howard Werth and Peter Hammill. Ultimately, what he really cared about were the people, the creativity, about imagination, inspiration and risk, and the sheer joy to be had in bringing all those elements together, lighting the Charisma-pink touch paper and standing back, glass in hand, to watch what might happen when the sparks began to fly.

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Book SynopsisIn 1974, Stormbringer was a pivotal album for Deep Purple. The second one made by the Mk3 lineup of Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale, it was ultimately the album that would see Blackmore call it a day with Deep Purple until the Mk2 line-up reformed in 1984. Blending a range of styles across heavy rock, funk and soul, Stormbringer is a very unique Deep Purple album and there is a lot to be said about the story behind it. In this book, music author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in depth perspective on Stormbringer from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Deep Purple's legacy today. As the author explains: "Basically, the book covers how the album was made, what was going on with the music in terms of the artist's intentions, how it did musically and commercially and what happened next." The narrative is essentially driven by contemporary interviews with the artists with small bits of music theory where relevant... in some cases they delve into the structure / key signatures / time signatures, based on the original sheet music without straying away from being an engaging read for non-musicians.

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Book SynopsisReleased in 1978, This Year’s Model was Elvis Costello’s second album and his first with The Attractions. Abundant in clever songwriting that often-made bold observational statements (even about the music industry itself!), This Year’s Model grabbed the attention of both UK and US audiences. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on This Year’s Model from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Elvis Costello’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisWhen Kate Bush shot to fame in 1978, her public image was that of a sweet young woman who sang about Cathy out on the windy moors, full of melancholy and yearning for Heathcliff. It was charming, inoffensive and, although eccentric, subtle enough to come across as endearing or at least, not challenging. When Kate’s fourth studio album, The Dreaming, was released in 1982, all of that changed. It is an album that some critics loved to hate — and that’s why it matters. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on The Dreaming from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time, and what it means in terms of Kate Bush’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisOn 26th March 1971 at Newcastle City Hall, Keith Emerson, Greg Lake & Carl Palmer performed their version of Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition. An iconic classical piece given an innovative spin by the talented trio, it was released as an album following the success of their second studio album, Tarkus. In many ways, Pictures At An Exhibition is the underdog of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s longstanding discography — so much so that there was uncertainty surrounding whether or not it was going to be released at all! And yet, despite the band’s uncertainties surrounding the LP at the time, it is now vital — both in terms of ELP’s history and in the wider sense of how it bridged a gap between rock and classical music. It certainly wasn’t the first album to do this but it is nevertheless a relevant and important part of such discourse. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on ELP’s Pictures At An Exhibition from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time, how it compares to Mussorgsky’s original piece and what it means in terms of ELP’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisThis biographical work spans Duran Duran's career from their beginning in 1978 until the present day. Having sold over 100 million albums, Duran Duran's story is one of both success and durability. Despite a few line-up changes throughout the years, the band has kept faithful to its ideals and continues to sell records and fill large concert arenas wherever they tour. From the classic years of the early eighties with hits such as "Planet Earth", "Girls on Film", "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Save a Prayer" and "Rio", through the late eighties and the nineties with guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and back again with the classic "Fab Five" line-up, right through to the present day and the most recent album release, Paper Gods, Reach Up For The Sunrise chronicles all the highs and lows of this hard-working and still hugely popular band.

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Book SynopsisIn 1994, Korn’s self-titled debut album marked their arrival. It was dark and brash and it demanded attention, as did their second album in 1996, Life Is Peachy. Good going for a new band, but in 1998, Follow The Leader saw Korn’s success and notoriety accelerate exponentially. With constant demand for the singles, ‘Got The Life’ and ‘Freak On A Leash’ on MTV, Korn exceeded their own expectations. For both the band and their fans, this was the start of something exciting, albeit turbulent. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Follow The Leader from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Korn’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisIn the follow-up to his Judas Priest: Decade of Domination book, which looked at the band's career from inception through the Defenders of the Faith album of 1984, Martin Popoff now tackles the band's incendiary "hair metal" years through to the triumphant return to form of 2018's Firepower. In between, Popoff tackles the live albums, Glenn Tipton's solo excursion, Fight, Two and Halford... all that good stuff that resulted from the Metal God's split with the band before his celebrated return to the throne. Turbo, Ram It Down, Painkiller, Jugulator, Demolition, Angel of Retribution, Nostradamus, Redeemer of Souls, Firepower... this is the story of nine records all quite different from each other, and all the details and tales in between. What results is the story of more than thirty years of Priest history, including the making of 1990's Painkiller, a record considered by a younger generation of Priest fans to be the greatest slammin' collection of metal anthems the band ever concocted and rocked. Judas Priest: Turbo 'til Now includes extensive colour commentary from Popoff's many chats over the decades with those who were there, including Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing, Ian Hill, Scott Travis, Ripper Owens and Richie Faulkner, along with producers Tom Allom, Chris Tsangarides and Roy Z. The result is the most in-depth examination of Judas Priest's late '80s to present-day output ever attempted.

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Book SynopsisDenim and Leather is 260 pages of biker metal hail after hail, with two four-page photo sections, loads of fresh interview content, all the facts and dates and even some of the hot disputes. As the back cover crows... Stand Up and Be Counted! Now that there's no more Motorhead, it's up to Iron Maiden and Saxon to uphold the fine tradition of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, something both bands have been doing for over 40 years now. Indeed, 2020 marked the 40th anniversary of Saxon's landmark Wheels of Steel album, a record we celebrate in this book with much reverence and many pints of ale clinked between headbangers clad in both denim and leather. Of course there's more than that but not everything! Indeed, Denim and Leather: Saxon's First Ten Years focuses on the band's golden era, Saxon's prodigious first decade of output. Saxon, Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law, Denim and Leather, Power & the Glory, Crusader, Innocence Is No Excuse, Rock the Nations and Destiny each are dedicated stand-alone chapters, inside of which Popoff deconstructs every song across both sides of the original vinyl, while not forgetting bonus tracks and B-sides, as well as the live material along the way, including the beloved The Eagle Has Landed album. It's a glory-bound Saxon-fest that is long overdue, and it is the hope of the author that at the end of this sometimes critical examination that the reader returns to these records with new reflections on the NWOBHM and some of the detrimental things that came after for many bands, the heroes of our story included.

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Book SynopsisFor Jethro Tull, 1975 would prove to be a fascinating year. With Aqualung and Thick As A Brick behind them, and with A Passion Play and War Child having been met with a mixed critical reception, their next album, Minstrel In The Gallery is the product of a band who kept on going and who weren't afraid to explore. Minstrel In The Gallery is abundant in innovative musical ideas and insightful lyrics. Recorded in sunny Monte Carlo and described by Sounds as "a pleasant surprise", the album is a fascinating combination of acoustic and heavy rock teamed with a strings section, and of course, flute. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Minstrel In The Gallery from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Jethro Tull's legacy today.

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Book SynopsisTime marches on: by 2022 it will have been fifty years since the release of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. and the epic, infamous American tour the band undertook to promote that album. 2022 also marks the 60th anniversary year of the formation of the band. The Rolling Stones In America is published in time to mark both of these anniversaries. Why were the Stones so successful in the States when so many other English bands failed to make their mark? Why was the band so drawn towards American blues music? What was their relationship with the burgeoning American counter-culture? What really happened at Altamont, and why? It could be argued that a marker for the end of the Sixties era might be the Stones' infamous 1972 American tour. So much had changed in the three years since their last American tour that the 1972 tour might deserve deeper attention than it had previously been given; perhaps it might even be as significant as other events that cultural historians traditionally identify to mark the end of the long 1960s - such as Richard Nixon's re-election for a second Presidential term in November 1971, the Watergate scandal and impeachment of 1973 that ended Nixon's presidency, or the American military withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973, with the war ending in defeat in 1975. This hugely detailed tome addresses those questions, making this a unique addition to the Rolling Stones' bibliography.

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Book SynopsisWhen Peter Gabriel left rock royalty Genesis in 1975 for personal reasons, his musical future was full of uncertainty. But within 18 months he returned in style with his debut solo album and a hit single ‘Solsbury Hill’. It set him on a path that has allowed his talent to blossom through the decades. Never one to stand still, Gabriel has constantly reinvented himself, never afraid to experiment and explore new musical avenues. His willingness to collaborate with all manner of people has also resulted in film scores and joint projects with a diverse range of artists from Kate Bush to Martin Scorcese, as well as Sinead O’Connor, King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. His passion for World Music has seen his long-standing commitment to the WOMAD Festival and outside of music political activism and humanitarian issues have played a big part in his life. With Gabriel now in his seventh decade A Life In Vision is a chronological, visual biography of his extraordinary and colourful career. From the early days of Genesis through to the present day it is crammed full of glorious photography, much of which is previously unpublished, along with a timeline narrative by Genesis aficionado Alan Hewitt.

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Book SynopsisPreviously unpublished photos of The Stranglers from 1977 to the present day with Baz Warne and Jim Macaulay. This full colour 128-page A4 book includes photos from several locations including the Locarno Ballroom, Coventry; the notorious Battersea Park concert; Wembley Stadium as support to The Who; Reading Festival; Leamington and Birmingham.

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Book SynopsisBy 1979, the Ronnie James Dio era of Rainbow was no more. The accessible sound of the band’s Down To Earth album signified Ritchie Blackmore’s explicit intention to go in a more commercial direction. By 1982, with a more secure and cohesive line-up, Rainbow were not only in a good position commercially, but at a strong peak musically. And that’s where Straight Between The Eyes comes in. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Rainbow’s sixth studio album from a range of angles including how it came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Rainbow’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisThe album that made a huge star out of David Bowie in 1972 and introduced his Ziggy Stardust persona, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is iconic for many reasons. Featuring the much-loved ‘Starman’, ‘Moonage Daydream’ and ‘Five Years’, the story of Bowie’s fifth studio album is one that needs to be told in detail. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Bowie’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisBy 1978, the landscape of pop music had changed considerably since Jethro Tull’s earlier hit albums Aqualung (1971) and Thick As A Brick (1972). Punk, disco and new wave were in and progressive rock’s heyday was over. Despite all of this, during the year of the band’s tenth anniversary, a cohesive line-up of Jethro Tull worked happily together to release the successful studio album, Heavy Horses. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Heavy Horses from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Jethro Tull’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisPacked with rare photographs and stunning on-the-page facsimile memorabilia, this book provides an insight into the unique journey of one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century - Elvis Presley. Follow the incredible story of the man they call the ?King of Rock and Roll." Elvis Presley?s life and career are shown, from his carefree beginnings at Sun Records in the 1950s to global superstardom. In addition, the book features rare interviews with the legendary Elvis guitarist Scotty Moore, Drummer DJ Fontana, and Elvis?s loyal backing singers the Jordanaires. To bring you even closer to the King the book features a wide variety of superb on-the-page rare memorabilia and documents from the archives, including tour posters, personal letters, publicity material, and fascinating items and tickets from his greatest gigs and best albums.

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Book SynopsisThey began as a little blues band in London, England, in 1967, named, rather bizarrely, after their tight rhythm section: Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass. Fleetwood Mac. Fifty years later,they remain one of the biggest bands of all time – a position they have held since 1977 when, with the help of John’s wife, Christine McVie, and two virtually unknown American musicians called Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, they released an LP titled Rumours that went on to become the world’s best-selling album. That, in itself, is a remarkable story. Now consider the highs and lows, the successes and failures, the personal turmoil, tragedy and heartbreak through which this band has journeyed over the last 50 years ... and the story of Fleetwood Mac becomes one of pure drama. The greatest ever rock ‘n’ roll soap opera. In this independent, lavishly illustrated publication, music writer and journalist Pete Chrisp reveals the true story of how, over the last 50 years, despite all of those confrontations, pinnacles and all-time lows ... the chain of Fleetwood Mac remains unbroken. Now fully updated to include features on Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and all the musicans and members that have made the band one of the ebst selling of all time.

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Book SynopsisAn updated biography of the Korean superstars BTS. After debuting in 2013 with their single album 2 Cool 4 Skool, BTS released their first Korean-language studio album, Dark & Wild, and Japanese-language studio album, Wake Up, in 2014. The group?s second Korean studio album, Wings (2016), was their first to sell one million copies in South Korea. K-Pop sensations BTS are the biggest boy band in the world and the first Korean act to achieve number one albums and singles in the US and UK with their special brand of turbo-charged hip hop and rap. The talented group of rappers, vocalists, and dancers who make up BTS are RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. Their fresh sound has made them the most exciting act to dominate the music charts for years and the highest grossing boy band of all time. In total they have sold more than 40 million albums and made number 1 on iTunes in more than 65 countries. They show no sign of stopping. While they are still creating innovative music, shattering records, and winning awards around the world, their history is still in the making. This is the story so far.

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Book SynopsisThis second volume begins 60 years ago when Elvis Presley returns from the army, wondering if he still has a career and massive fan base after being away for two years.He needn’t have worried himself, the fans lapped up his new and more ambitious recordings. Songs like It’s Now or Never, Return to Sender and many more sold in their millions proving the King was back! Although many of Elvis’ countless solid gold hits feature in the book, the author is also keen to explore the lesser-known album tracks including the hugely underrated album “Elvis is Back” which came out 60 years ago this year (2020).It is hoped that the reader will look at each song in a different light – maybe they will go and play the lesser heard songs and appreciate them in a whole different way after reading the story behind that particular track. If it further builds on the fans’ knowledge about Elvis and brings around a bigger appreciation of Presley’s music then the book will have achieved its purpose.

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Book SynopsisCrash, Bang, Wallop! charts the development of drums and their effect on the UK rock and pop music scene, during the second half of the twentieth century. A central thread running through the book is Ivor Arbiter’s influence on the British drumming scene. The book describes the various marques that he imported, marketed and, in three notable cases, created. Descriptions and potted histories of some of the other key brands available over the period are provided, even where they were bitter competitors with Ivor’s businesses. Bob’s dual qualifications of having been a pro drummer since rock was born, plus having sold the things, has given him a unique insight into the development of the modern drum set. Crash, Bang, Wallop! shares his knowledge and experiences in a highly readable package that even non-drummers will appreciate. Enjoy the ride, seen through the eyes of a professional drummer with over 50 years on the stool, who has also retailed them, developed them and written about them.

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Book Synopsis'A really emotional read... it's wonderful' - Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2'It's such a lovely book!' - Holly Willoughby, This Morning 'A lovely read... it's got everything - emotion and lots of laughs' - Alex Jones, The One Show'A gorgeous book!' - Lorraine'From Wham! to Spandau Ballet, from success to chaos in the blink of an eye - Martin and I are two ordinary people who have been on an extraordinary adventure together. Through it all, our commitment to each other and to our family is what has always mattered the most.' Shirlie KempWith a heartwarming foreword by Noel Fitzpatrick,IT'S A LOVE STORY tells the incredible story of Martin and Shirlie Kemp – from the moment they set eyes on each other, through their stellar careers, to raising a family together.For the first time, fans and readers will have an insight into their journey together, the lessons they have learned in the spotlight and behind the scenes, and their secrets to success, happiness and raising a loving family. The book will uncover the personal highs and lows of Britain's favourite couple, and the unbreakable bond that has kept them strong, no matter how hard the fight gets.'40 years together has been filled with incredible highs, when every teenage dream and every wish literally came true, to the most horrifying of lows that belonged in our nightmares. Shirlie and I are always asked, "What's the secret to a long marriage?" - well, hopefully within the pages of this book we all might find the answer to that question!' Martin Kemp

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Book SynopsisPRE:FAB! is the captivating memoir of Colin Hanton, telling of his early years as a musician and his career with John Lennon's Quarry Men. Colin drummed with the band for three years between 1956-1959, during which time both Paul McCartney and George Harrison joined the group. In 1958, Colin played on the very first single that John, Paul and George ever recorded-their versions of Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day" and a Paul and George composition: "In Spite Of All The Danger". Co-written over a two-year period by Colin Hanton and Colin Hall, custodian for Mendips (John Lennon's childhood home), PRE:FAB! tells the story of these history-in-the-making days . Colin Hanton's memories serve as an insight not only into his early musical adventures with John, but also into the social history of war-time and post-war Liverpool. PRE:FAB! has also been made into a feature-length, documentary film that is COMING SOON!Trade Review"PRE:FAB! is a brilliant social commentary as well as being a thoughtful and insightful look behind the scenes of the formation of the biggest band ever - The Beatles!" Bob Harris

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Book SynopsisWith riots, prison sentences and equipment stolen, 1980 and the earlier part of 1981 was an incredibly turbulent time for The Stranglers. Their misfortune provided the press with excellent stories but rarely was their music written about. Understandably, with its paranoid exploration of extraterrestrial themes, The Gospel According To The Meninblack hadn’t really caught on. With everything to play for when it came to making the next album, La Folie – and indeed the hit single, ‘Golden Brown’ – it would see The Stranglers back at the top of their game. In this book, Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on La Folie from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of The Stranglers’ legacy today.

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Book SynopsisSince joining Deep Purple in 1973, David Coverdale has enjoyed a hugely successful career. Having been plucked from semi-professional obscurity by Deep Purple, within months he was cavorting around the globe with one of the biggest rock bands in the world and fronting Purple on its 1974 US tour which included performing in front of one of the biggest audiences ever for a one day concert at the California Jam in front of hundreds of thousands. After three albums the band finally succumbed to the internal frictions and called it a day in 1976. After initially launching himself with two solo albums, Coverdale set about rebuilding his career with his own band Whitesnake. By the early eighties sell out UK tours and hit singles proved that Coverdale was capable of achieving success with his own band and later that decade Whitesnake hit the heights in America, that he had experienced with Deep Purple, with its multi-million selling, eponymous 1987 album. By the early nineties Coverdale put the band on hold whilst enjoying a brief dalliance with Jimmy Page, as well as later finding time for further albums under his own name, but Whitesnake has continued to be at the forefront of Coverdale's career from the mid nineties and onwards and remain relevant in the new millennium. 2019 saw the release of the band's first new album in four years and now with Coverdale in his seventies, retirement is supposdely imminent. As such there is no better time to appraise his career. Beautifully designed and packaged, A Life In Vision documents key moments of David Coverdale's long and illustrious career as one of rock's finest singers with photos from Deep Purple through to the present day Whitesnake, along with stories that chart his career.

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Book SynopsisOver and Done is a celebration of the classic Quo line-up of Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster and Coghlan and is built around a huge selection of mainly, unpublished on and off stage photos from the seventies, alongside those from the 2013/14 reunion. Words come from long-standing, devoted Quo fan Alan Stutz who has seen the band in excess of one hundred times since 1976, including every London show the classic line-up played in the seventies plus the very last show performed in Dublin. This unique book encapsulates the excitement of the ultimate Quo line-up in all its glory and is topped off with a foreword by John Coghlan. With the sad passing of Rick Parfitt in 2016 and Alan Lancaster in 2021, the 2013/14 reunion proved to be the last chance to witness the legendary four on stage. This book will help bring back some of the excitement and memories that every Quo fan who witnessed the classic band will have. This is a beautiful memento of moments in Quo history that sadly are now truly over and done.

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Book SynopsisReleased in 1980, bold and original, Remain In Light features a fascinating blend of African-inspired music and innovative use of recording technology. Hosting the hit single ‘Once In A Lifetime’, it was an album that commanded attention. As Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison put it, “Remain In Light was the beginning of a new vision. It was a very creative period and really amazing.” In this book, Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Remain In Light from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Talking Heads’ legacy today.

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Book SynopsisPete Brown is a lot of things. A major songwriting talent who was responsible for Cream's classic musical moments, important collaborations with Jack Bruce and such notable experiments in jazz and rock as The Battered Ornaments, Graham Bond and countless progressive music groups. A talented poet who helped pioneer the emerging UK Beat scene in the sixties, making history with his earliest performances and going poetic toe to toe with the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Gregory Corso. He was also a child of war and the memories of The Blitz are still with him to this day. He is an anarchist at heart who believes in the mantra of telling it like it is and has done as much through the decades of a songwriter, musician, producer and poet. Within certain circles Pete Brown is a legend, a creative force of nature who is constantly on the move to the next big thing. To much of the world, Pete Brown is an unknown quantity, known for his Cream fame and not much else. With this book, Pete Brown: The Poet Who Rocks, the creative whirlwind will be on full display. This is Pete Brown. Now his story can be told.

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