Description
Book SynopsisCrooners sing close to the mic in a soft, intimate style. In this book Alex Coles explores the crooner in popular music from the 1950s to the present. Each chapter focuses on one song and one singer – Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, Barry White, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Tom Waits, Grace Jones, Ian McCulloch, Nick Cave and Nas – and examines in detail how each contributes to the crooner image. The book describes how crooners traverse era, gender, geography and genre – where Barry White developed out of disco, Nick Cave sprung from alternative rock; where Grace Jones was born from reggae and funk, Nas originated from hip-hop. Ultimately, Coles shows how the crooner continues to be a figure that enables listeners to reflect on and communicate their emotions.
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Frank Sinatra: ‘What’s New?’ (1968) 2 Scott Walker: ‘It’s Raining Today’ (1969) 3 Barry White: ‘Bring Back My Yesterday’ (1973) 4 David Bowie: ‘Word on a Wing’ (1976) 5 Bryan Ferry: ‘When She Walks (in the Room)’ (1978) 6 Tom Waits: ‘Ruby’s Arms’ (1980) 7 Grace Jones: ‘Unlimited Capacity for Love’ (1982) 8 Ian McCulloch: ‘Ocean Rain’ (1984) 9 Nick Cave: ‘Far from Me’ (1997) 10 Nas: ‘Bye Baby’ (2012) Conclusion References Select Bibliography Select Discography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index
