From the acclaimed biographer who brought you the rock biography of Bruce Springsteen comes the life of musician Paul McCartney--from his groundbreaking years with the Beatles to Wings to his work as a solo artist and activist.
More than a rock star, more than a celebrity, Paul McCartney is a cultural touchstone who helped transform popular music as one half of the legendary Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo. In this definitive biography, Peter Ames Carlin examines McCartney's entire life, casting new light not just on the Beatles era but also on his years with Wings and his thirty-year relationship with his first wife, Linda McCartney. He takes us on a journey through a tumultuous couple of decades in which Paul struck out on his own as a solo artist, reached the top of the charts with a new band, and once again drew hundreds of thousands of screaming fans to his concerts. Carlin presents McCartney as a musical visionary but also as a layered and conflicted figure as haunted by his own legacy--and particularly his relationship with John Lennon--as he was inspired by it. Built on years of research and fresh, revealing interviews with friends, bandmates, and collaborators spanning McCartney's entire life, Carlin's lively biography captures the many faces of the living legend.

A classically trained countertenor who sang with his high school choir, Dee remembers the day he decided he was "not gonna take it" and stopped caring what people thought about him. Following in the footsteps of his idols Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath, Dee jumped from band to band until he met Jay Jay French and Twisted Sister. But it wasn't until he met his costume-designing soul-mate Suzette that they developed his unique style. Dee's hard work finally paid off with an impressive resume that includes: a monster hit record; smash MTV videos; a long-running radio show, "The House of Hair"; appearances in film (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Howard Stern's Private Parts, StrangeLand) and television (Growing Up Twisted, Celebrity Apprentice); and a starring role in Broadway's Rock of Ages. He even authored a teenage survival guide that was required reading in Russia! Filled with entertaining anecdotes and candid confessions, Shut Up and Give Me the Miketakes you through the good times and bad with a heavy metal star who worked as hard as he played, and who did it all for his wife, four kids, and millions of "SMF " (Sick Mother F******) fans.

Pro Mundo - Pro Domo: The Writings of Alban Berg contains new English translations of the complete writings of the Viennese composer Alban Berg (1885-1935) and extensive commentaries tracing the history of each essay and its connection to musical culture of the early twentieth century. Berg is now recognized as a classic composer of the modern period, best known for his operas Wozzeck and Lulu. Berg, Anton Webern, and their teacher Arnold Schoenberg constitute the "Second Viennese School" which played a major role in the transformation of serious music as it entered the modern period. Berg was an avid and skillful writer. His essays include analytic studies of compositions by Schoenberg, polemics on music and musicians of his day, and lectures and miscellaneous writings on a variety of topics. Throughout his considerable and diverse corpus of writings, Berg alternates between two perspectives: Pro Mundo - Pro Domo, meaning roughly "speaking for all - speaking for myself" commenting at one moment on the general state of culture and the world, and the next moment on his own works. In his early years he also tried his hand at fictional writing, using works by Ibsen and Strindberg as models. This new English edition contains 47 essays, many of which are little known and have not been previously available in English.

It was, and it remains, the greatest rock band the world has ever seen, a giant from the moment of its inception until long after its demise. Even today, more than 30 years after its final flight, Led Zeppelin offers the final word in rock innovation - the one band that so many try to emulate and so few come even close to catching. "If You Like Led Zeppelin"...is the unique story of how Led Zeppelin came together not as players, but as influences and ideas. It unearths the music that the musicians themselves were listening to, to open up an entire new world of experience and excitement for both casual and committed fans. It then travels beyond Led Zeppelin, to the bands and artists who in turn took their own lead from the Zep. Packed with exclusive comments from friends, contemporaries, and peers, "If You Like Led Zeppelin"...is a unique window into the world from which Led Zeppelin was born, and the one it created in its wake. From blues and beat bands to California, Morocco, Mali, and beyond, this is the ultimate guidebook for anyone who likes Led Zeppelin.

Bob Dylan once declared "I have no respect for factual knowledge. I don't care what anybody knows." And he has often attempted to confuse and mislead with a stream of misinformation and even downright lies. Yet Dylan's persistent evasions have only served to enhance his myth and fuel our curiosity. This book sifts the facts, rumor and misinformation to deliver a concise and informative biography of the man and a unique guide to his music, together with insightful reviews of all his albums, details of his movies, bootleg albums, books and more. What's more this new Fifth edition is bang up to date and includes reviews of his latest album Rough and Rowdy Ways as well as details of his Nobel Award for literature speech.

Liverpool in the 1980s. With prospects for the city's youth bleak, a scheme for unemployed musicians commenced, inadvertently shaping the future for members of Cast, Space, the Lightning Seeds and giving fresh impetus to the idea of song as a saviour for the city. Foremost of the bands to emerge from this ill-fated scheme was The La's. Inspired by a chance meeting with Captain Beefheart, Mike Badger formed the band with the enigmatic Lee Mavers. First they conquered the city, and then on the brink of hitting the big time, and eventually inspiring what would become Britpop, Badger quit to form Americana pioneers The Onset, find international recognition as a sculptor, produce album art and videos for some of the country's biggest bands, before finally co-founding Liverpool's Viper record label (which has recently released its 100th album). Featuring everyone from Arthur Lee to Frank Sidebottom, Jonathan Richman to Half Man Half Biscuit, and above all with new insights into the early years of the great lost Liverpool band The La's, The Rhythm and the Tide is both the personal story of a restlessly creative individual, and a reflection on the ebb and flow of the music scene in the city that he loves.

Show Tunes fully chronicles the shows, songs, and careers of the major composers of the American musical theatre, from Jerome Kern's earliest interpolations to the latest hits on Broadway. Legendary composers like Gershwin, Rodgers, Porter, Berlin, Bernstein, and Sondheim have been joined by more recent songwriters like Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Flaherty, Michael John LaChiusa, and Adam Guettel. This majestic reference book covers their work, their innovations, their successes, and their failures. Show Tunes is simply the most comprehensive volume of its kind ever produced, and this newly revised and updated edition discusses almost 1,000 shows and 9,000 show tunes. The book has been called "a concise skeleton key to the Broadway musical" (Variety) and "a ground-breaking reference work with a difference" (Show Music)-or, as the Washington Post observed, "It makes you sing and dance all over your memory."
The eagerly anticipated Fourth Edition, updated through May, 2009, features the entire theatrical output of forty of Broadway's leading composers, in addition to a wide selection of work by other songwriters. The listings include essential production data and statistics, the most extensive information available on published and recorded songs, and lively commentary on the shows, songs, and diverse careers. Based on meticulous research, the book also uncovers dozens of lost musicals-including shows that either closed out of town or were never headed for Broadway-and catalogs hundreds of previously unknown songs, including a number of musical gems that have been misplaced, cut, or forgotten. Informative, insightful, and provocative, Show Tunes is an essential guide for anyone interested in the American musical.

An essential companion to Michael Jackson's music, films, and books, this work offers 21 original, academic essays on all things Jackson-from film, music, and dance to fashion, culture, and literature. Michael Jackson is regarded as one of the most important musicians of our time. Going well beyond the average celebrity biography, this comprehensive book looks at why that is true, offering insights into every facet of Jackson's art, life, and artistic afterlife. It looks at the methods by which his work was created, presented, received, and appropriated; discusses Jackson's varied personas along with his public and private appearances, albums, conceptual art, short films, and dance; and considers his use of costume, makeup, and reinvention. To help readers understand the phenomenon that was-and is-Michael Jackson, the book focuses on Jackson's historical context through an analysis of his films, songs, and books, examining him as an artist and shedding light on the political and ideological debates that surrounded him. Not shying away from the controversial aspects of Jackson's life and legacy, it also tackles questions of sexuality and racism, gender, and class, comparing Jackson to artists ranging from J. S. Bach to Andy Warhol. Through its examination of Jackson's entire catalog, the work connects all the aspects of his art and life to exemplify-and explain-the performer's unparalleled influence in the 20th and 21st centuries. Takes a sophisticated, academic approach to understanding Jackson's art and life, providing insights into his entire body of work from a perspective never before available outside of music/culture journals Concentrates on aspects of Jackson's art that have not previously been researched, such as his use of costumes and clothing, his poetry, and his function as an auteur Includes a section focused on Jackson's posthumous work and representation Connects with the study of literature, especially early modern English writings and, perhaps surprisingly, the works of William Shakespeare

For the last 50 years, Clive James has been writing remarkable songs - witty, moving, sometimes satirical, often thrillingly poetic - with his musical partner, Pete Atkin. They've written more than 200 together, releasing the first album of their work in 1970 and the last in 2015. John Peel loved them. So did Kenny Everett. Stephen Fry is a huge fan. And Clive himself believes these songs are the best things he's ever done. Loose Canon explores the sparkling lyrics and brilliantly memorable tunes that have won Clive and Pete a fanatical cult following but still managed to remain the British music industry's best-kept secret. Stephen Fry has written an incredibly generous and enthusiastic foreword.

Founded in 1915 by the musicologist William Gillies Whittaker, the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Bach Choir is one of the oldest Bach choirs in the United Kingdom. This book celebrates the centenary of the choir with a multi-author account of the choir's contributions to musical life and the many personalities who made that possible. It contains almost 200 illustrations, many of them not previously seen.

Winner of the 2010 Non-Fiction National Book Award Patti Smith's definitive memoir: an evocative, honest and moving coming-of-age story of her extraordinary relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe 'Sharp, elegiac and finely crafted' Sunday Times 'Terrifically evocative ... The most spellbinding and diverting portrait of funky-but-chic New York in the late '60s and '70s that any alumnus has committed to print' New York Times 'Render, harrowing, often hilarious' Vogue In 1967, a chance meeting between two young people led to a romance and a lifelong friendship that would carry each to international success never dreamed of. The backdrop is Brooklyn, Chelsea Hotel, Max's Kansas City, Scribner's Bookstore, Coney Island, Warhol's Factory and the whole city resplendent. Among their friends, literary lights, musicians and artists such as Harry Smith, Bobby Neuwirth, Allen Ginsberg, Sandy Daley, Sam Shepherd, William Burroughs, etc. It was a heightened time politically and culturally; the art and music worlds exploding and colliding. In the midst of all this two kids made a pact to always care for one another. Scrappy, romantic, committed to making art, they prodded and provided each other with faith and confidence during the hungry years--the days of cous-cous and lettuce soup. Just Kids begins as a love story and ends as an elegy. Beautifully written, this is a profound portrait of two young artists, often hungry, sated only by art and experience. And an unforgettable portrait of New York, her rich and poor, hustlers and hellions, those who made it and those whose memory lingers near.

Chapel Royal meets country choir in this collection of eleven strophic psalm-settings, one anthem and two Christmas hymns, for four-part choir without organ. These elaborate settings with fugal passages are suitable for a reasonably competent choir and could provide useful material for evensongs and concerts. The introduction attempts to explain how this London composer, who was trained in the Chapel Royal, came to write music for a country church in Hertfordshire.

Jonathan G. Laniyan is privileged to study music up to Higher National Diploma level (H.N.D.) at the Polytechnic Ibadan Nigeria. He also holds Royal Schools of Music Grade 5 in Jazz Piano, Theory and Grades 7 and 8 in Practical Musicianship. He is a composer and arranger of works in Western and African Idiom, hoping to go for further studies to complete a Master's Degree (in music) in the near future.

This is the only English translation of this important book by the world's most distinguished Bach scholar. This work is widely regarded as the most authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the Bach cantatas. It begins with a historical survey of the seventeenth-century background to the cantatas, and performance practice issues. The core of the book is a work-by-work study in which each cantata in turn is represented by its libretto, a synopsis of its movements, and a detailed analytical commentary. This format makes it extremely useful as a reference work for anyone listening to, performing in, or studying any of the Bach cantatas. In this edition all the cantata librettos are given in German-English parallel text. The most recent (sixth) German edition appeared in 1995. For the English edition the text has been carefully revised to bring it up to date, taking account of Bach scholarship since that date.

Dana Gillespie, the award-winning first lady of the Blues has enjoyed an incredible life and career. Now, she has chronicled her exploits, and as anyone who knows Dana would expect, it is intelligent, insightful, outrageous, and funny. Detailing high points, low points and everything in-between, the book covers, amongst many other things, liaisons with David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Keith Moon, and the cream of 1960's rock royalty; Recording with Jimmy Page and Elton John; Performing as Mary Magdalene in the original London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and as the Acid Queen in Tommy; Acting in films directed by Nicholas Roeg, Ken Russell and Mai Zetterling; Performing Shakespeare with Sir John Gielgud and Arthur Lowe; Topping the pop charts across Europe; Performing to an audience of one million people in India; And... oh yes... Being British junior waterski champion for 4 years!

In The Eyeline of Furtherance, charts John Howard's rise from 70's pop idol to a career in A & R and marketing. The '90s opened up new vistas, ever bigger and better opportunities, working with Elkie Brooks, Madness, Barry Manilow and rock 'n' roll heroes Lonnie Donegan and The Crickets. As John puts it, "I was propelled onwards and upwards, not this time by my own ambition, but by the plans of others who had clearly decided that I was going places in a direction I would never have imagined twenty years earlier." John Howard's first book, Incidents Crowded With Life, followed the ambitions of a young gay singer-songwriter in London in the '70s which were realised after being signed by CBS Records and recording his debut LP at Abbey Road studios. En route, he wrote the theme song for a Peter Fonda movie and was heralded as The Next Big Thing. And all the while navigating a series of disastrous personal events, not least when he broke his back in 1976.

Rick Bucklers autobiography is the first from a member of The Jam, who some considered were the ultimate Mod band. Rick tells The Jam story from growing up in Woking and meeting fellow members Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton at school, through their formation in 1972 and tells of the band's early years before signing to Polydor records. He provides a year by year account of The Jam's progress whilst describing what it was like being a part of the music industry during the 70's and 80's and some of the characters who he met along the way including the Ramones, John Enwistle, Sid Vicious, Blondie, Boy George and Paul McCartney. Rick shares his own experiences and thoughts about what it was like to be in one of the UK's most successful bands who spent a great deal of time recording, performing and touring. Following The Jam's split in 1982, Rick gives a candid account of how he coped and his subsequent relationship with Paul and Bruce. All three members of The Jam stayed within the music industry and Rick takes the reader through his years in Time UK and various other bands up until forming From the Jam. A must read for any Jam fan.

In this ruthlessly honest bestseller, the bass player for the greatest improvisational band in American history tells the full, true story of his life, Jerry Garcia, and the Grateful Dead. of photos.

Midge Ure is one of the most successful musicians of his generation, selling more than 20 million albums over the last five decades. During the 1970s he played in various rock and pop bands around Scotland before moving to London to join ex-Sex Pistol Glen Matlock's Rich Kids, later playing guitar for Thin Lizzy, forming Visage and joining Ultravox. In the 1980s he had phenomenal worldwide success with Ultravox and as a solo artist. He also co-wrote one of the best-selling singles of all time, Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas'. He co-founded the Band Aid charity and is still involved with it today. This book is a stunning collection of photographs taken by Midge on his travels between 1980 and 1985. Travelling with a Canon A-1 camera, he documented his work in the recording studio, on tour with Ultravox, behind the scenes whilst directing promotional videos (for Ultravox and other artists such as Phil Lynott, Fun Boy Three, Bananarama) and holidays in far-flung places and road trips. This is a fascinating travelogue of a working musician. All photographs have been carefully scanned and retouched from the original negative to show the images in their glorious best, and every element of this book has been produced to the highest specification. Midge is still active today writing and recording music, touring around the world as well as presenting TV and Radio programs.

Musical director to some of the biggest names in showbusiness, Johnny Harris is also a distinguished composer and arranger in his own right. Flamboyant and energetic as a conductor, he has earned countless accolades for his dynamic stage performances with Sir Tom Jones, Dame Shirley Bassey, Englebert Humperdinck, Lulu, Liza Minelli and Lynda Carter to name but a few. This biography, written by his daughter Julie Pearce-Martin, takes you on a journey from his student days at London's Guildhall and the Swinging Sixties to the present day and the star-studded Palm Springs Follies in the USA.