The popularity of the American musical form is illustrated in an account of its origins and development that emphasizes its relation to the lives and culture of black performers
To tell the story of Morris Day is to tell the story of Prince. Not because they were inseparable or because their paths never diverged, but because, even when their paths did diverge, they always intersected again. Each artist lifted the other up,…
In this remarkable book, Douglas Wolk recreates the evening of October 24th 1962, at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, an evening at the epicentre of Cold War tensions. An evening when James Brown took the stage to be faced by 1500 screaming fans - fans who…
Motown: The Sound of Young America is the definitive, authorised visual history of the Detroit-based independent record company which became a style unto itself, a prolific and hugely successful production line of suave, sassy and sophisticated musi…
The music of `Motown' needs no introduction. Berry Gordy's record label became a style unto itself, producing hit after suave, sassy and sophisticated hit, and shaped the careers of so many of the greatest musicians of all time. The label produced m…
Blues is the cornerstone of American popular music, the bedrock of rock and roll. In this extraordinary musical and social history, Robert Palmer traces the odyssey of the blues from its rural beginnings, to the steamy bars of Chicago's South Side,…
Blues is a language,one which has evolved its own rules and which is the sole property of a culture always forced to the periphery of white society. As such it is a political language. Whether it is passed as a legacy from African village to Mississ…
The story of Stax Records unfolds like a Greek tragedy. A white brother and sister build a monument to racial harmony in blighted south Memphis during the civil rights movement. Their success soon pits the siblings against each other, and the brothe…
Marrying sumptuous fashion with insightful biography, Supreme Glamour charts the glittering story of Motown's most successful act and original pop fashionistasSupreme Glamour builds a complete picture of the charm and sophistication of The Supremes.…
When all else fails, when our compass is broken, there is one thing some of us have come to rely on: music really can give us a sense of something like home. With IT GETS ME HOME, THIS CURVING TRACK, legendary music critic Ian Penman reaches for a v…
(Guitar Book). Bassist James Jamerson was the embodiment of the Motown spirit and groove the invisible entity whose playing inspired thousands. His tumultuous life and musical brilliance are explored in depth through hundreds of interviews, 49 trans…
As the creative force behind Berry Gordy Jr.'s Motown Records in the mid-Sixties, a writing credit from Holland-Dozier-Holland was virtually a guarantee of chart success. From `Stop! In The Name Of Love' to `How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You', they…
The essential account of R. Kelly's actions and their consequences, a reckoning two decades in the making.In November 2000, after receiving an anonymous fax that alleged R. Kelly had a problem with "young girls," journalist Jim DeRogatis broke a sho…
The essential account of R. Kelly's actions and their consequences, a reckoning two decades in the makingIn November 2000, Chicago journalist and music critic Jim DeRogatis received an anonymous fax that alleged R. Kelly had a problem with "young gi…
With songs like "Love and Happiness," "I'm Still in Love with You," and "Tired of Being Alone," Al Green is considered by many to be the greatest soul singer of all time. He has sold more than 20 million records, been sampled by countless hip-hop ar…
Universally recognized as one of the greatest blues artists, Memphis Minnie (1897--1973) wrote and recorded hundreds of songs. Blues people as diverse as Muddy Waters, Johnny Shines, Big Mama Thornton, and Chuck Berry have acknowledged her as a majo…
This beautifully illustrated unofficial retrospective celebrates the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and reflects on her life, music, and legacy. Aretha Franklin's voice was legendary, unforgettable: deeply rooted in gospel, yet versatile enough to…
Following the success of Jazz Covers, this epic volume of groove assembles over 500 legendary covers from a golden era in African American music. Psychedelia meets Black Power, sexual liberation meets social conscience, and street portraiture meets…
"A biography that will send readers back to the music of Mavis and the Staple Singers with deepened appreciation and a renewed spirit of discovery" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)--from the acclaimed music journalist and author featured prominently…
The Northern Soul scene is a dance-based music culture that originated in the English North and Midlands in the early 1970s, it still thrives today with a mix of fifty-year olds and new converts, and its celebration of 1960s Soul has an internationa…
"For ten glorious years, I had the best seat in the house."-Bruce W. TalamonTalamon saw it all during the golden age of soul, R&B, and funk. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, this young African American photographer from Los Angeles found himsel…
The Guitar Collection: Rhythm & Blues contains 65 key R&B songs from past greats such as Sam Cooke, Al Green, and James Brown, all the way up to instant classics by contemporary artists like Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars, and Alicia Keys. Every book in T…
(Guitar Recorded Versions). A divine collection of 35 R&B classics: Brick House * Dancing in the Street * Fire * I Got You (I Feel Good) * I Heard It Through the Grapevine * Love Rollercoaster * Mustang Sally * My Girl * Papa's Got a Brand New Bag *…
An exploration of musical harmony from its ancient fundamentals toits most complex modern progressions, addressing how and why it resonatesemotionally and spiritually in the individual.W. A. Mathieu, an accomplished author and recording artist, pres…
The long-awaited memoir from one of the greatest bandleaders, hit makers, and most influential pop artists of our time--known for over forty R&B hit singles--George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic. George Clinton began his musical career in New Jer…
(Bass Recorded Versions). Exact transcriptions with tab for 21 bass-heavy Motown faves: Ain't No Mountain High Enough * Baby Love * Dancing in the Street * Get Ready * I Just Want to Celebrate * My Girl * My Guy * Stop in the Name of Love * Where Di…
The definitive biography of Ahmet Ertegun--founder of Atlantic Records, the man behind stars from Ray Charles to the Rolling Stones--"mesmerizing, entertaining, informative."* Brilliant, cultured, brash, and irreverent, Ahmet Ertegun was a legend in…
This spectacular celebration of the ephemera and performance costumes worn by The Supremes, one of the most successful groups of the sixties, traces their career from the early days when they were known as The Primettes to the glamorous height of th…
This is work of creative art and satire (17 U.S. Code 107) BTS also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Entertainment. They debuted on June 12, 2013 with the song "No More Dream" from their first albu…
Sounding Like a No-No traces a rebellious spirit in post-civil rights black music by focusing on a range of offbeat, eccentric, queer, or slippery performances by leading musicians influenced by the cultural changes brought about by the civil rights…
People Get Ready!: A New History of Gospel Music is a passionate, celebratory, and carefully researched chronology of one of America's greatest treasures. From Africa through the spirituals, from minstrel music through jubilee, and from traditional…
The story behind the making of the album that signaled the descent of Sylvester Sly Stone Stewart into a haze of drug addiction and delirium is captivating enough for the cinema. In the spacious attic of a Beverly Hills mansion belonging to John and…
For a generation of professionals in the musical community, Tonal Harmony has provided a comprehensive, yet accessible and highly practical, set of tools for understanding music. With this new edition, twenty-first century technology meets a time-ho…
This book is a definitive biography of James Brown, an extraordinary and controversial superstar, that encompasses his entire life until his death on Christmas Day 2006. For decades, James Brown dominated the changing face of post-war popular black…
Mezz Mezzrow was a boy from Chicago who learned to play the sax in reform school and pursued a life in music and a life of crime. He moved from Chicago to New Orleans to New York, working in brothels and bars, bootlegging, dealing drugs, getting hoo…
(Fake Book). This awesome R&B fake book features melody lines, lyrics and chords for 375 classics, including 125 songs added to the 2nd edition: After the Love Has Gone * Ain't No Mountain High Enough * Baby Love * Best of My Love * Dancing in the S…
Berklee GuideThis book by Berklee bass prof Anthony Vitti will help you make your bass lines more creative, unique and memorable. Tap into the groove and evolve your bass lines by using fills. This book brings you beyond the basics and helps you inc…
Nothing will ever compare to the amphetamine rush of my young life and the night I was nearly buggered by my girlfriend's uncle in the Potteries...The opening line of Stuart Cosgrove's Young Soul Rebel sets up a compelling and intimate story of nort…
Nothing will ever compare to the amphetamine rush of my young life and the night I was nearly buggered by my girlfriend's uncle in the Potteries...The opening line of Stuart Cosgrove's Young Soul Rebels sets up a compelling and intimate story of nor…
Originating his very own funk-pop musical genre that produced over 100 million albums sold world-wide; six Grammy Awards among tens of dozens of award nominations over the past 30 years; induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and a worl…
A turbulent story of soul music, street crime and social rebellion from critically acclaimed writer and broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove
Phonographies explores the numerous links and relays between twentieth-century black cultural production and sound technologies from the phonograph to the Walkman. Highlighting how black authors, filmmakers, and musicians have actively engaged with…
Memphis Boys chronicles the story of the rhythm section at Chips Moman's American Studios from 1964, when the group began working together, until 1972, when Moman shut down the studio and moved the entire operation to Atlanta. Utilizing extensive in…
This decidedly not-for-kids illustrated A-Z, celebrates the many faces and facets of the legend that was Prince. From "Alphabet Street" (the first single off his iconic Lovesexy album) to Jay Z (Tidal being the only place to stream his music on his…
Fascinated by the collision of country and soul music in the Southern states, Hoskyns and photographer Muir MacKean set out on a journey through the American South to explore the phenomenon of primarily black singers and primarily white musicians jo…
In the 1950s and 1960s, Memphis, Tennessee, was the launch pad of musical pioneers such as Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Al Green and Isaac Hayes, and by 1968 was a city synonymous with soul music. It was a deeply segregated city, ill…
A survey of gospel singing, with attention to the relationship between gospel and other black musical forms such as jazz and rhythm and blues.
Who runs the world? Beyonce runs the world. With more than 100 million solo records sold worldwide, Beyonce is one of the top selling music artists in history. She has 22 Grammy Awards, 24 MTV Video Music Awards and has been named the most powerful…
