Gang Of Four or Grateful Dead? Brian Wilson or Buddy Holly? The Yardbirds, Queen or Oasis? The Grand Ole Opry or Little Richard? Kate Bush or Taylor Swift? Sid and Nancy or the Mafia? If options are what you seek, the book gods are happy to provide. Read all about ’em:
Little Richard: Send Me Some Lovin’
By Spencer Leigh
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born Richard Wayne Penniman, Little Richard said he invented rock ’n’ roll. Spencer Leigh claims he didn’t, but the world would have been very different without Tutti Frutti, two minutes of wild exhibitionism, recorded in 1955. It transformed American music and world culture. There still would have been The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Prince without Little Richard, but their careers would have been different. Little Richard: Send Me Some Lovin’ is a fun-packed biography about an influential and charismatic man who lived his life as though he were continually on stage.”
From Wham! to Woo: A Life On The Mic
By Janey Lee Grace
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Janey Lee Grace cut her teeth on the mic in the nightclubs of Manchester and Birmingham and her first big singing break was with Mari Wilson and the Wilsations. After she was fired from the band for refusing to dye her hair canary yellow, she was picked up by WHAM! Janey sang backing vocals with George Michael and Andrew Ridgely for all their tours including the infamous China tour. Janey went on to tour and/or record with Boy George, Sinita, Kim Wilde and Natalie Cole, and had her own U.K. top 10 hit with Cola Boy and 7 Ways to Love — a dance-floor sensation in the summer of love 1991. Janey moved from singing to presenting TV, followed by her own show on BBC Radio 2. After bumping into Steve Wright, she became a co-presenter on Steve Wright in the Afternoon and regular stand-in for Sunday Love Songs. She describes hustling her way into the world of radio presenting, both local and national — the pitfalls, the fun stuff, with lots of behind-the-scenes stories.”
100 Years of Grand Ole Opry: A Celebration of the Artists, the Fans, and the Home of Country Music
By Grand Ole Opry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Packed with spectacular photos and tributes from country music’s biggest names, 100 Years of Grand Ole Opry is a glorious, one-of-a-kind celebration, and a must-have for any country music fan. Since 1925, the Grand Ole Opry has left an undeniable mark on American culture. What began as an impromptu performance of old-time fiddle tunes has transformed into the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history, as well as a live performance for millions of country music fans each year. Widely regarded as the show that made country music famous, the Opry has played an important role in the careers of country music’s biggest stars — including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs and countless others — popularizing and preserving some of the most beloved forms of American music. As country music has broadened and its audience continues to grow, the Grand Ole Opry has evolved alongside the genre itself. This centennial celebration showcases the venerable institution’s history through lively never-before-seen photography and ephemera from years past, as well as behind-the-scenes stories from those who have paced backstage before career-defining performances, and those who have come to know the Opry as a second home.”
Labelled With Love: A History Of The World In Your Record Collection
By Andy Bollen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chess Records tested their acquisitions out on people waiting at a nearby bus stop: if the crowd were bopping, they had a hit. Sub Pop rejection letters start with the harsh, yet funny, ‘Dear Loser.’ Atlantic Records signed Led Zeppelin on Dusty Springfield’s recommendation. Labelled With Love is an odyssey through your record collection and the world beyond it, from the Jazz Age to punk, the civil rights movement to Thatcherism, The Beatles to Britpop, and Ella Fitzgerald to The Ramones. Long-time music obsessive Andy Bollen tracks popular music through the influential labels that have shaped the last eighty years, chronicling each company with the passion of a fan but the eye of a satirist. This is an informative and revealing look at the leading labels, bands and music that rocked our worlds and shaped our lives.”
Room 100: Sid, Nancy, And The Night Punk Rock Died
By Jesse P. Pollack
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Room 100 chronicles the tragic story of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, punk rock’s very own Romeo and Juliet. Through a wealth of archival material, plus new and exclusive interviews from rock luminaries such as Television guitarist Richard Lloyd, iconic photographer Robert Bayley, and Punk magazine co-creator John Holmstrom, critically acclaimed true-crime writer Jesse P. Pollack’s book is the first to be solely devoted to one of punk music’s darkest hours — the murder of Nancy Spungen. Did Sid kill the love of his life in a drug-induced stupor, or had Nancybe en the victim of a robbery gone wrong? Was there a death pact? Did the police ignore crucial evidence? This comprehensive journalistic account will be the definitive book on one of rock ‘n roll’s most intriguing and enduring mysteries.”
Backbeat Gangsters: The Rise And Decline Of The Mob In Rock Music
By Jeffrey Sussman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “During the early days of rock ’n’ roll, the mob used every tactic they could, from creating their own record labels, bribing radio DJs and stacking jukeboxes with their own artists, to exploiting and intimidating performers, and creating their own black market of bootlegged records, to make millions. In the 1950s, when rock ’n’ roll music burst upon the scene, the major established record companies thought that the new music was a passing teenage trend, but mobsters were there and pounced on the new business opportunity. They opened small independent record companies, signed ambitious young singers and musicians, and produced truckloads of 45 rpm records. To make sure that their records would be successful, the mob bribed disc jockeys in major cities to play the records and made sure jukeboxes, which were already mob-controlled, were filled to capacity with the new music. Whatever it took to gain airtime and repeated plays of their songs, the mob made sure it happened. Backbeat Gangsters includes the stories of the most sinister people who took control of the record business during the early days of rock ’n’ roll, as well as those of the numerous, young performers who were exploited and received threats and beatings instead of the compensation they were promised. The Mafia used intimidation and violence to achieve their ends and made millions from denying royalties, maintaining copyrights and trademarks, bribing DJs, and numerous scams like flooding the market with counterfeit records which didn’t have the burden of paying royalties. In yet another well-researched and thorough account, Jeffrey Sussman details how the mob was able to infiltrate and control another aspect of American culture with devastating results.”
Cranking Up Taylor Swift: Her Musical Journey In 11 Songs
By Phoebe E. Hughes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since the release of her first album in 2006, Taylor Swift has taken the world by storm, breaking countless records and changing the shape of music and songwriting worldwide. Her career has widened the scope of potential for musicians and generated a body of work vast enough to cross multiple genres. From Tim McGraw to The Eras Tour, Cranking Up Taylor Swift provides a whirlwind tour of 11 essential Taylor Swift tracks. It covers every era of her output — early hits, genre experiments, and her latest career highlights — exploring the irresistible alchemy that makes Swift’s music impossible for the world to shake off.”
