Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop
- ISBN-10
- 0802189652
- ISBN-13
- 9780802189653
- Category
- Music
- Pages
- 336
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2016-11-01
- Publisher
- Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
- Author
- Marc Myers
Description
“A winning look at the stories behind 45 pop, punk, folk, soul and country classics” in the words of Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper and more (The Washington Post). Every great song has a fascinating backstory. And here, writer and music historian Marc Myers brings to life five decades of music through oral histories of forty-five era-defining hits woven from interviews with the artists who created them, including such legendary tunes as the Isley Brothers’ Shout, Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, Janis Joplin’s Mercedes Benz, and R.E.M’s Losing My Religion. After receiving his discharge from the army in 1968, John Fogerty did a handstand—and reworked Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony to come up with Proud Mary. Joni Mitchell remembers living in a cave on Crete with the mean old daddy who inspired her 1971 hit Carey. Elvis Costello talks about writing (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes in ten minutes on the train to Liverpool. And Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart, the Clash, Jimmy Cliff, Roger Waters, Stevie Wonder, Keith Richards, Cyndi Lauper, and many other leading artists reveal the emotions, inspirations, and techniques behind their influential works. Anatomy of a Song is a love letter to the songs that have defined generations of listeners and “a rich history of both the music industry and the baby boomer era” (Los Angeles Times Book Review).
Get the book
Similar books
-
Anatomy of a Song
By Marc MyersIn Anatomy of a Song, writer and music historian Marc Myers tells the stories behind fifty rock, pop, R & B, country and reggae hits through intimate interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them.
-
Song: Anatomy, Imagery, and Styles
By Donald IveySong: Anatomy, Imagery, and Styles
-
The Anatomy of Melody: Exploring the Single Line of Song
By Alice ParkerDrawn from the world's most beloved songs, the more than 70 examples in this book explore the history and crucial elements of melody, which is the very basis of song.
-
Why Jazz Happened
By Marc Myers“Band of the Year: Dizzy Gillespie,” Metronome, January 1948, 17. 44. “Disc Jockey of the Year,” Metronome, January 1948, 29. 45. ... Ken Vail, Dizzy Gillespie: The Bebop Years, 1937–1952 (Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2003), 36. 4.
-
Anatomy of 55 More Songs: The Oral History of 55 Hits That Changed Rock, R&B, and Soul
By Marc MyersThis book will change how you listen to music and evaluate the artists who create it.
-
Cover Me: The Stories Behind the Greatest Cover Songs of All Time
By Ray PadgettThis is the first book to explore the most iconic covers ever, from Elvis’s “Hound Dog” and Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help from My Friends” to the Talking Heads’ “Take Me to the River” and Adele’s “Make You Feel My ...
-
More Songwriters on Songwriting
By Paul ZolloA new collection of interviews with over forty groundbreaking songwriters, published on the 25th anniversary of the original landmark volume
-
Life of a Song: The fascinating stories behind 50 of the worlds best-loved songs
By Jan DalleyThese and countless other fascinating back stories of some of our best-known and best-loved songs fill this book, a collection of the highly successful weekly The Life of a Song columns that appear in the FT Weekend every Saturday.
-
Rock Concert: An Oral History as Told by the Artists, Backstage Insiders, and Fans Who Were There
By Marc MyersByther Smith—Chicago singer and electric blues guitarist. Ronnie Spector—Cofounder and lead singer of the Ronettes. Chris Stein—Songwriter, guitarist, and cofounder of Blondie. Seymour Stein—Cofounder of Sire Records who is credited ...
-
Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why It Matters
By Nate Sloan, Charlie HardingSwitched on Pop is the book based on the eponymous podcast that has been hailed by NPR, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and Entertainment Weekly for its witty and accessible analysis of Top 40 hits.