"When 'Never Gonna Give You Up' propelled Rick Astley into the pop stratosphere, it irrevocably altered his life's trajectory. Nothing could have prepared the young, unassuming Lancashire lad for what was in store for him. What followed was a whirlwind of TV...
"Kasey Chambers' Just Don't Be a D**khead and Other Profound Things I've Learnt is a whirlwind of great stories, rock-solid life lessons and Kasey Chambers at her most heartfelt and honest. From her childhood in the Australian outback to the heights of her...
"From indie musician Orenda Fink, a memoir of a tumultuous childhood growing up with a mother who may have borderline personality disorder. Orenda Fink was raised by a darkly charismatic mother who insisted that they were both MAGIC. In The Witch's Daughter,...
"Dazzling. Incomparable. Unforgettable. The definitive book of Taylor Swift's fashion evolution. For Taylor Swift, fashion and music go hand-in-hand - each playing a powerful role in shaping the narrative of this generation's most prolific storyteller. Red...
"An electric, searing memoir by the original rebel girl and legendary front woman of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. Hey girlfriend I got a proposition, goes something like this: Dare ya to do what you want. Kathleen Hanna's rallying cry to feminists echoed far and...
"In this lavish celebration authored by the icon himself, Elton John shares his fondest memories, most unforgettable moments, and previously untold stories of his record-breaking final tour. Readers will get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into every aspect of...
"A passionate memoir exploring classical music, its restorative qualities and wider cultural influence by the celebrated Music Director of the Royal Opera House. Sir Antonio Pappano is one of the best known and most celebrated conductors alive today. His...
"Whether as part of the iconic S Club 7 or as a successful solo artist, Rachel Stevens was in the eye of the 00s pop storm. Catapulted to fame at 18, her life took a whole new direction, and the whirlwind began. Constantly stereotyped and controlled within the...
"In all theatre, the spotlight follows the leads, making it easy for the audience to overlook the role of the singers, dancers and actors who bring a production to life. Katherine Wiles is used to being dismissed as 'singing wallpaper' by those who incorrectly...
"How can you tell when a new star is born? When does it become clear that the present moment has the power to change the future for ever? When Tim Bergling held his arm in the air in an iconic pose, he did more than get the crowd to dance ? he also totally...
"By the early 1960s nearly everybody paying attention to country music agreed that George Jones was the greatest country singer of all time. After taking honky-tonk rockers like "White Lightning" all the way up the country charts, he revealed himself to be an...
"Since signing her first recording contract at just sixteen, Taylor Swift has gone from a well-regarded country singer to a global pop phenomenon. Dubbed the 'world's biggest pop star,' she is the first woman to have four albums in the Billboard chart's top...
"Covering eleven albums, more than 250 songs, hidden gems, cover versions, vault tracks and more besides, this is the definitive guide to Taylor Swift's incredible songbook and a celebration of one of music's greatest ever talents - from her self-titled debut...
"During lockdown, Lyell Cresswell wrote this far from conventional autobiography. Each chapter begins with an increasingly fanciful – and very colourful – account of an exciting life. Under the cover of this playful narrative, he smuggles in deeply considered...
"Back in their '90s heyday, the Spice Girls were unstoppable. Their individual style choices and Britpop-tastic attitude aimed a defiant kick at the cultural status quo, defining a new era of British creativity and challenging the male-dominated music industry...
"There is a new critical foreword by Walter Frisch, H. Harold Gumm/Harry and Albert von Tilzer Professor of Music at Columbia University, that expands this centennial edition. Frisch puts Schoenberg's masterpiece into historical and ideological context,...
"Chart topping soloist. Across a half-century of American music, Michael McDonald's unmistakably smooth baritone voice defined an era of rock and RB with hit records like "What A Fool Believes," "Takin' It to the Streets," "I Keep Forgettin'," "Peg," "It Keeps...
"Take a deep dive into Dolly Parton's almost 60 year career with this complete guide featuring more than 400 photographs, little-known stories behind each album, and behind-the-scenes details about the recording of each track, the musicians involved, and the...
"The first ever oral-history of Krautrock, the sound that changed modern music. West Germany, 1968. Like everywhere else in the Western world, the young generation is pushing for radical change, still suffering the after-effects of the Second World War. Many...
"A monumental history of the LGBTQ influence on popular culture, from award-winning, Sunday Times-bestselling author. An electrifying look at key moments in music and entertainment history between 1955 and 1979, which helped move gay culture from the margins...
"The intimate and uplifting memoir from one of Britain's most loved singers - this is Alfie, off stage. Bringing his characteristic sense of cheeky humour to the page, in this heartfelt book Alfie describes for the first time the highs and lows of over a...
"This is the memoir of a teenage mod from the East End of London. A journey of discovery for a school boy dabbling with punk, funk, record shops, discos and clothes, and then... WHAAAM! An unstoppable wave of like-minded kids fall headlong in love with '60s...
"Taking inspiration from Bowie's most memorable looks and personas, sprinkle a little stardust on your wardrobe and learn how to bring the show-stopping style of this global icon into your outfits every day. With ten simple principles, you can embody the...
"When Paul McCartney flies to Lagos on 30 August 1973 to record Band on the Run, two members of his band Wings have just decided to leave. McCartney still isn't aware that Africa will be a unique experience. With him are his wife Linda, the loyal Denny Laine...
"Leon Russell is an icon, but somehow is still an underappreciated artist. He is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also for the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of music history, often...
"Something is happening in Britain, trembling the tracks as it unfolds. Recent years have borne witness to underground genres leaking out from the inner cities, going on to become some of the most popular music in the nation. In this groundbreaking social...
"Luke Haines - the outsider artist par excellence - turns his caustic eye to the rise and fall of alternative rock 'n' roll heroes. Rishi Sunak - this book is not for you. Keir Starmer - this book is not for you. The salt of the earth - this book is not for...
"We are only just beginning to appreciate the healing power of music. In recent years, a wave of scientific research has upended everything we once knew about its effects on our brains- not only in reducing stress, but also in enhancing cognitive function,...
"Curated by a critic who knew him across five decades, PRINE ON PRINE distills the essence of an iconic American writer : unguarded, unfiltered, and real. In his own words, in his own time--on the road, in the kitchen, the Library of Congress, radio shows,...
"In the first biography of Billie Holiday in more than two decades, Paul Alexander—author of heralded lives of Sylvia Plath and J. D. Salinger - gives us an unconventional portrait of arguably America's most eminent jazz singer. He shrewdly focuses on the last...
"Here is the history of humankind's relationship with music in fifty detective stories. Sound Tracks is a transporting and extraordinary voyage of discovery, each chapter a time-machine focusing on musical finds uncovered in archaeological digs around the...
"A long-awaited, myth-busting, and deeply affecting memoir by the daughter of legendary rock star "Mama Cass" Elliot. Mama Cass, a member of the Mama & the Papas, was an independently minded, outspoken woman with a keen intellect and sharp wit who reached the...
"From a hard-rocking life fueled by substance abuse to a hope-filled life of freedom and joy--this is music star Zach Williams's bold and vulnerable story of faith and redemption.Before two-time GRAMMY Award winner Zach Williams penned heartfelt, faith-filled...
"Drawing on a range of sources and fields, the rich life story of this polymathic composer. This groundbreaking biography offers fresh perspectives on the life, ideas, and music of French twentieth-century composer, organist, and ornithologist Olivier...
"The first in-depth biography of Nipsey Hussle, the hip hop mogul, artist, and activist whose transformative legacy inspired a generation with his motivational lyrics and visionary business savvy--before he was tragically shot down in the very neighborhood he...
"This is a book about records considered 'in themselves'. It is not about musicians, or music, or design, or music history - though all those things are considered at various points. This book tries to cast light on the unique role played by records in...
"A love letter to the woman who created the soundtrack to so many of our lives, What's Your Era? is a deep dive into each album and what they mean in the wider scope of her career. If you're looking to incorporate more of Taylor's energy and style into your...
"This memoir from Abdul 'Duke' Fakir shares his recollections of his life and musical career, including the experiences he, Levi Stubbs, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton had from 1953 to 1997 as the legendary Motown group, The Four Tops"--Publisher's...
"Create the next big pop hit, bang out a catchy jingle, or write an iconic film score, with music composition skills. Today's composers create music for television, film, commercials, and even video games. Music Composition For Dummies brings you up to speed...
"The National Band of New Zealand has played at Royal garden parties at Buckingham Palace (1953 and 1962), in Queen Elizabeth II's coronation parades (1953), scored the highest points in the brass sections of many prestigious concerts including the British...
"A lively, subversive history of the new UK jazz wave, encapsulating its revolutionary spirit and tracing its foundations to birth of the genre itself. For many in the nineties, jazz was viewed as an obsolete, uncool music, a genre loved by out of touch white...
"An expansive and illuminating account of the development of electronic music in the UK, told with passionate enthusiasm by Matthew Collin, the critically-acclaimed author of Altered State and Rave On. Dream Machines tracks the music's evolution from early...
"In Music Films, Neil Fox considers a broad range of music documentaries, delving into their cinematic style, political undertones, racial dynamics, and gender representations, in order to assess their role in the cultivation of myth. Combining historical and...
"Colonel Tom Parker, often reviled in his time, led the strategy from the earliest days of Elvis's career. Together, they built the most legendary partnership in show business. For the first time, Colonel Parker's story is told by an insider, Greg McDonald,...
"From prehistory to now, the fascinating story of why music is vital to the human experience. From award-winning broadcaster and composer Andrew Ford, The Shortest History of Music is a lively, authoritative tour through several thousand years of music. Packed...
"The music of Arthur Russell defies classification. Across a twenty-year career he created a body of work which ranged from his pioneering compositions as part of the New York avant-garde alongside artists including Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg, to his...
"The tragic and inspiring story of the leaders of Outlaw country and their influence on today's Alt-County and Americana superstars, tracing a path from Waylon Jennings' survival on the Day the Music Died through to the Highwaymen and on to the current...
"Explore the story of Radiohead - perhaps the finest band of a generation - through the lens of legendary Melody Maker chief photographer Tom Sheehan. Through more than 200 photographs and Sheehan's first-hand memories and stories, journey into the eye of a...
"This is the first comprehensive history of goth music and culture. John Robb explores the origins and legacy of this enduring scene, which has its roots in the post-punk era. Drawing on his own experience as a musician and journalist, Robb covers the style,...
"In 1972, when Robert Elms was thirteen years old, he saw the Jackson 5 play live at the Empire Pool. At some point during the performance, he found himself in a state of otherworldly perfect synchronicity with everything happening around him. This single...
"A revelatory look at the tumultuous life of a jazz legend and American cultural icon. Bitter Crop is an unconventional portrait of arguably America's most eminent jazz singer. Acclaimed biographer Paul Alexander shrewdly focuses on the last year of her life -...
"Between 1983 and 2004 the legendary British experimental band Coil established themselves as shape-shifting doyens of esoteric music whose influence has grown spectacularly in the years since their untimely end. With music that could be dark, queer, and...
"Aussie Rock Anthems names the top 40 classic Australian songs and tells the stories behind them, many unknown. From Hunters & Collectors Throw Your Arms Around Me to INXSs Dont Change and Redgums I Was Only 19, author Glen Humphries unearths hidden gems and...
""Since its inception in the mid-twentieth century, American music theory has been framed and taught almost exclusively by white men. As a result, whiteness and maleness are woven into the fabric of the field, and BIPOC music theorists face enormous hurdles...
"Billy in the Wars is the illustrated memoir of ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, recalling his experiences as a young boy growing up in wartime Britain. Bill brings history to life through the personal lens of his childhood memories, where grim anecdotes of war...
"A powerful personal journey with multi-platinum country star John Denver, featuring intimate stories and never-before-seen photographs. This memoir from Lowell Norman, a close friend and videographer of the late star, offers a rare and fascinating look inside...
"Earl Slick was barely out of his teens when David Bowie hired him to play guitar on the ground-breaking 1974 Diamond Dogs tour. It marked the beginning of a relationship that would endure through thick and thin for the next forty years. Gracing classic albums...
"Alan Edwards, the godfather of British music PR, has worked with some of the most legendary artists of our time, from David Bowie to the Spice Girls via the Rolling Stones, the Stranglers, Blondie, Prince and Amy Winehouse. In I Was There, he describes...
"Can women have it all? What does it mean to be a woman and a mother in the modern age? In this passionate, funny and fierce polemic, Paloma Faith delves deep into the issues that face women today, from puberty and sexual awakenings, to battling through the...
"Bestselling music historian Elijah Wald follows Jelly Roll Morton on a journey through the hidden worlds and forbidden songs of early blues and jazz In Jelly Roll Blues: Censored Songs and Hidden Histories, Elijah Wald takes readers on a journey into the...
"One of the most celebrated artists of her generation, Joni Mitchell has inspired countless musicians and writers, while never stopping still herself. In Travelling, celebrated music critic Ann Powers seeks to understand the paradox of Mitchell – at once both...
"With a range that spans the lyrical, heartfelt songs “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” and “Paradise” to the classic country music parody “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” John Prine is a songwriter's songwriter. Across five decades, Prine has...
"June 2024 will mark the 60th anniversary of the Beatles historic - and hysterical - visit to Australasia. The importance of the tour remains deeply significant, not only in the memories of baby boomers who lived through it, but also to today's millennials who...
"A comprehensive fifty-year history of the hip-hop genre, from renowned artist and author of MUSIC IS HISTORY, Questlove"--Publisher's description.
"In 1993, Michael Azerrad published Come as you are: the story of Nirvana, which stands as the definitive biography of Nirvana, the legendary band that upended the pop cultural landscape with Nevermind, the landmark album that became the soundtrack of...
"For the first time in history, almost every song ever recorded is available instantly. Everywhere. Having analysed the streams of 500 million people, McDonald explores what the data tells us about music and about ourselves, from the secrets of russelater in...
"The story of Van Halen is a wild ride through '80s excess, infamous infighting, and a seemingly hellbent desire to self-sabotage. Somehow the group made it through it all, rising above the drama to become one of the bands etched into the very foundation of...
"Beyoncé is a force of nature. Her iconic songs, viral dance moves and daring acts of defiance are always delivered in sensational style. In the words of fashion legend Thierry Mugler, she represents 'the duality between being a woman and a warrior'. Strutting...
"Felix White, for reasons often beyond him, has always been deeply in love with cricket. His passion for the game is at the fore on the BBC 's number one cricket podcast and 5Live show, Tailenders, which he co-presents with Greg James and Jimmy Anderson. It's...
"1959 saw Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the other members of Miles's sextet come together to record the seminal jazz album of all time Kind of Blue. 3 Shades of Blue is a magnificent, blended biography on the meandering paths which led Miles,...
"Unofficial illustrated, comprehensive overview of Taylor Swift's music, including hidden references for Swifties to discover in beautiful package. Fearlessly jump and fall into the world of Taylor Swift with this illustrated appreciation of music by Swiftian...
"From the stylist behind David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust look, an electrifying peek behind the curtains during a legendary chapter of pop culture history. Having crafted his iconic Ziggy Stardust hairstyle, Suzi becomes the only working woman in David's touring...
"In 1968 Nick Drake had everything to live for. The product of a loving, creative family and a privileged background, he was not only a handsome and popular Cambridge undergraduate, but also a new signing to the UK's hippest record label, Island. Three years...
"Tuned In is an inspiring story of one man's relentless pursuit of a dream, and a revealing testimony to the power of music in all our lives"--Publisher's description.
"When hip-hop first emerged in the 1970s, it wasn't expected to become the cultural force it is today. But for a young Black kid growing up in a musical family in Philadelphia, it was everything. He stayed up late to hear the newest songs on the radio. He...
"Previously published in hardback as Hey Jo, this is a moving and candid memoir from the woman who married the most controversial member of the Rolling Stones, and had the strength and courage to bounce back from heartbreak. When young model and mother Jo met...
"Industry veteran Bobby Borg provides a step-by-step guide to producing a fully customized, low-budget plan of attack for marketing one's music"--Publisher's description.
"Growing up around music, young George was inspired to piece together a makeshift drum set and teach himself to play as he practiced in the dark, dank basement of his run-down New Jersey row house. He soon joined forces with his friends to form a group called...
"A thought-provoking exploration of Bruce Springsteen's iconic album, Born in the U.S.A.--a record that both chronicled and foreshadowed the changing tides of modern America. On June 4, 1984, Columbia Records issued what would become one of the best-selling...
""A Downtown Memory" by Romy Ashby Debbie Harry defined iconic band Blondie's look. Chris Stein--her performing partner, lover, and lifelong friend--was its architect and defined its sound. "Parallel Lines", their third album, catapulted to #1, sold 20 million...
"As a seven year old growing up in Cuba, Phil Manzanera found himself cowering on the bathroom floor, caught in the crossfire of Castro's revolutionaries. He made no similar effort to evade the captivating Latin-American rhythms which filled his head in the...
"What links the popular songs "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Send in the Clowns", "Memory" and "I Am What I Am"? They all originated in Broadway musicals. Song of the Season is for those who believe that the score is at the heart of a musical and is the essential...
"This is Taylor Swift's life story, in albums so far, in a beautifully illustrated hardback edition. Her record sales top 200 million worldwide and she is the most streamed female artist on Spotify. Her 2022 album Midnights added to her many billions of...
"This meticulously researched biography delves deep into Dylan's six-decade career, providing a comprehensive exploration of his evolution as an artist. From his early years in St. Louis County, Minnesota, to his pivotal role as a voice for change in the 1960s...
" Imagine you've made it. You and your friends have hit the big time in music and you're going to be a star. But then, quite suddenly, it's over. Your best friends don't want you anymore, and you're on the outside. Perhaps they're tired of your bad habits,...
"So, the Eagles warn us about the outrageous and ruthless lifestyle of the ambitious rock 'n' roller. In fact, Don Henley could barely listen to "Life in the Fast Lane" when they were recording it. He was so high that it made him sick. The band that embodied...
"An insider history of the Blind Boys of Alabama, the longest running group in American music, and the untold story of their world, written with band members and key musical colleagues, drawing from the group's private archive The Blind Boys of Alabama are the...
"Whether introduced via cassette, CD's or digital download, for most of us 90's R&B provided the soundtrack to our lives, from childhood and young adult life, good times and hard times, falling in love, heartbreak, weddings, vacations, losing loved ones, and...
"From the illicit reggae blues dances and acid-rock free festivals of the 1970s, through the ecstasy-fuelled Second Summer of Love in 1988 to the increasingly corporate dance music culture of the post-Covid era, Party Lines is a groundbreaking new history of...
"In 1974, as Apple was winding down, George Harrison and Ringo Starr both wanted to help new artists, so rather than trying to salvage Apple Records, each ex-Beatle created their own label. Ringo Starr established Ring'o Records, while George Harrison created...
"In 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...
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