A tell-all from a surviving member of ’60s girl group The Dixie Cups, a paperback version of Nick Cave’s lyrics and every song ever written — and performed — by Brit-funksters Level 42 make the reading list this week. OK, it’s a little slow. But hey, it’s spring; you should be outside enjoying yourself, not sitting around the house reading. Though I’ll make an exception for these offerings:
Chapel of Love: The Story of New Orleans Girl Group The Dixie Cups
By Rosa Hawkins and Steve Bergsman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In 1963, sisters Barbara Ann and Rosa Hawkins and their cousin Joan Marie Johnson left New Orleans to find fame and fortune in New York City under the auspices of their manager, former pop singer Joe Jones (You Talk Too Much). With their winning harmonies, they were an immediate success, scoring hits like Chapel of Love and Iko Iko. The Dixie Cups seemed to have the world on a string, but the youngest member of the trio, Rosa Hawkins, recalls that behind the scenes, life was was marred by cruel exploitation at the hands of Jones, who died in 2005. She was barely out of high school when the Jones moved the teens to New York. At the peak of their success, Rosa was a naïve songstress entrapped in a world of abuse and manipulation.
Nick Cave The Complete Lyrics 1978-2013
By Nick Cave
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Spanning Bad Seeds frontman Nick Cave’s career up to 2013 album Push the Sky Away, this updated edition of 2013’s The Complete Lyrics is a must for fans of the goth pioneer, covering everything from his writing for The Birthday Party through acclaimed albums like Murder Ballads, Henry’s Dream and Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! The paperback features a new cover by New York tattoo artist Duke Riley and a foreword from Will Self.”
Level 42: Every Album, Every Song
By Matt Phillips
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One of the most iconic and successful British bands of the 1980s, Level 42 streamlined their energetic early jazz/funk/rock sound into slick, effortlessly-soulful pop music. Encompassing 11 studio albums, their catalogue reflects their musical virtuosity and eclecticism, peppering tracks with influences from Herbie Hancock, Return To Forever and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Emerging from the so-called Britfunk scene, Level 42 delivered the effervescent, ubiquitous hits The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up), Something About You and Lessons In Love. Level 42: Every Album, Every Song is the first in-depth study of the band’s catalogue, track by track, album by album, with recording information, musical analysis, studio gossip, full musician credits and contributions from founding member Mark King and second-lineup drummer Gary Husband. The book also covers the solo projects of the band’s many members, making this a must for fans and those interested in the wider musical landscape of the 1980s and 1990s.”
