Showing titles in Composers & Musicians

Take a tour behind the scenes at the NBC television special that relaunched Elvis Presley’s career as a stage musician. Author Steve Binder—who directed the TV special—provides exclusive “backstage” access that gives fans even more insight into the performance that many see as a high point in the King of Rock’s reign of American music. Learn how Binder gave us in this Comeback Special, the first MTV Unplugged with Elvis performing in an intimate acoustic musical setting.

A fascinating new book charting the life and career of Sex Pistols legend Glen Matlock through the lens of thirty of his most formative songs - from the ones that influenced him as a child to the ones he wrote and played on as a star. Sharing insider tales of the Sex Pistols' earliest gigs and stormiest reunions, as well as their most idiosyncratic inter-band dynamics, Triggers offers a vivid insight into the ultimate icons of punk.

In December 2019, Gary Miracle’s life was forever changed by an infection that caused him to lose his arms and legs. One year later, the Christian band MercyMe shared his story with the world in their song “Say I Won’t,” which has garnered more than 5.7 million views on YouTube alone. Knowing that God works through all circumstances, Gary is committed to living life to the fullest and helping others do the same in spite of setbacks. In the light of eternity in Christ, there are no more bad days. Each day can be a new beginning.

Growing up around music, young George was inspired to piece together a makeshift drum set and teach himself to play as he practiced in the dark, dank basement of his rundown New Jersey townhouse. He soon joined forces with his friends to form a group called the Jazziacs, which then evolved into Kool & The Gang, a band that began charting hits while its members were still teenagers. In Too Hot, drummer, keyboardist, and primary songwriter George Brown describes life in and out of the band, including a raucous life on the road as the band's popularity grew.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA BIOGRAPHY BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2024 This is the powerful, untold story of two of the three members of Silverchair, Australia's most awarded musical act. From their beginnings in Ben Gillies' garage, this trio of high school kids from Newcastle, New South Wales, became...

Few songs have captured the contradictions and ambiguities of the 1960s as memorably as "California Dreamin'," the iconic folk music single that catapulted the Mamas & the Papas into rock and roll history. In All the Leaves Are Brown, author Scott Shea details how John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Michelle Phillips, and "Mama Cass" Elliot became standard-bearers for California counterculture, following their transformation from folk music wannabes to rock sensations and chronicling the tumultuous events that followed their unexpected success.

"Music Docs" ist eine neue Dokumentationsserie mit Deep Dives in spannende Geschichten zu den Menschen hinter deiner Lieblingsmusik - die dabei selbst zu Wort kommen. In Folge 1 geht es um den deutschen Erfolgsproduzenten Markus Ganter und darum wie er zu einem der gefragtesten deutschen Produzenten wurde.

"Music Docs" ist eine neue Dokumentationsserie mit Deep Dives in spannende Geschichten zu den Menschen hinter deiner Lieblingsmusik - die dabei selbst zu Wort kommen. In Folge 2 geht es um Produzentenlegende Olaf Opal und um seinen Balanceakt zwischen Superhits und Indieperlen denen er gleichermaßen Leben eingehaucht hat. Olaf hat Musikgeschichte geschrieben mit Produktionen für Die Sterne, Juli, Madsen, Sportfreunde Stiller, Polarkreis 18, Fotos, Klee und The Notwist. Und noch ganz viel mehr.

"Leute fragen mich immer wieder, wo der Blues denn eigentlich begann, und alles, was ich sagen kann, ist, dass, als ich ein Junge war, wir immer auf den Feldern gesungen haben. Es war kein richtiges Singen, na ja, eher so Schreien, aber wir machten unsere Songs über Sachen, die uns damals tatsächlich passierten, und ich denke, das war die Zeit, als der Blues begann." (Son House 1965) Es ist heute unumstritten, dass der Blues einen gewaltigen Einfluss auf die Entwicklung der modernen Rock- und Popmusik genommen hat.

William Henry "Chick" Webb (1905-39) was one of the first virtuoso drummers in jazz and an innovative bandleader dubbed the "Savoy King," who reigned at Harlem's world-famous Savoy Ballroom. Along with the likes of Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Cab Calloway, Webb helped create the popular dance and music culture, known as Swing, that swept the United States during and after the Great Depression and left an indelible impact on American culture.

In this groundbreaking book spanning decades of artistic risk-taking, the inventor of “industrial music”, founder of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, and world-renowned fine artist with COUM Transmissions, Genesis P-Orridge (1950-2020) takes us on a journey searching for identity and their true self. It is the story of a life of creation and destruction, where Genesis P-Orridge reveals their unwillingness to be stuck—stuck in one place, in one genre, or in one gender.

Un livre et une chanson, ce n'est pas la même chose. Et pourtant, tout au long de l'écriture de son livre Chemins de liberté , Yves Duteil a vu s'imposer le parallèle comme une évidence. À chaque chapitre, une chanson émergeait du récit. Yves Duteil nous offre ici un double voyage d'écriture et de musique en ponctuant la lecture du livre par des chansons. On savait Yves Duteil homme de plume et de notes. Mais l'homme d'action et d'engagements était resté dans l'ombre de sa carrière d'artiste.

Lost in Music is about growing up with pop music - about hearing it, buying it, loving it, and attempting to play it in public for money. A brilliant combination of the confessional and the unapologetic, this is a book for anyone who has ever treasured vinyl, or sung into a roll-on deodorant in front of the bedroom mirror and dreamed of playing Wembley.

On a sunny Saturday morning in May 1956, a fifteen-year-old, then called Harry Webb, was mooching down Waltham Cross High Street, with two mates. They heard some music blaring out of a parked car. It stopped them in their tracks. The song was 'Heartbreak Hotel' by Elvis Presley. It sounded like nothing they had ever heard before. In that instant, the schoolboy who was destined to take the hit parade by storm as Cliff Richard fell in love with rock and roll. It gave him the thrill, the purpose and the mission that has shaped his life ever since.

Moby, the biggest selling electronica artist in history, ponders the question: why did so many people hate my guts? His surreal new documentary Moby Doc documents his brutal childhood, his rise and fall from pop stardom, and the drugs and booze that nearly did him in. Andrew Goldman interviews “Master of Chaos” music manager Allen Kovac, who shares all the grisly details of managing Mötley Crüe, Meatloaf, Duran Duran … and Richard Marx.

While most successful sidemen are lucky to spend a decade in the music business, multi-instrumentalist Mark Rivera is working on his fifth. Rivera has shared the stage with some of Rock 'n' Roll's greatest performers, including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Simon & Garfunkel, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Tony Bennett, Sheila E., Joe Walsh, Hall & Oates, and Peter Gabriel. How does he do it while avoiding the typical pitfalls—falling out of favor with the band, burnout, depression?

UTE LEMPER – Sängerin, Schauspielerin, Tänzerin, Künstlerin – Zu ihrem 60sten Geburtstag erlaubt die Grande Dame des Chansons einen überraschenden persönlichen Einblick in ihr Leben vor und hinter dem Vorhang. Ute Lemper erzählt lebendig von den Anfängen ihres Berufes, ihren großen und kleinen Erfolgen, ihren vielen aufregenden Projekten ihrer langen Karriere im ständigen Konflikt mit ihrer wichtigsten Rolle als Mutter von vier Kindern.

Beethoven, génie de la musique à l'esprit insoumis, se lie d'une amitié touchante avec Eduard, le fils de son mécène et ami le Prince Alois von Lichnowsky. Ce dernier lui impose de jouer à un dîner donné en l'honneur d'officiers français, dont les troupes conquérantes occupent l'Autriche. Pour Beethoven, c'est hors de question.

Bringing his characteristic sense of cheeky humour to the page, in this heartfelt book Alfie describes for the first time the highs and lows of over a decade singing and performing across the world. From personal dinners with Queen Elizabeth II and following in the steps of King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis in Vegas to mischievous antics with Michael Ball, Alfie's book takes us backstage to witness his brilliant career memories.

120 million records sold. The world’s biggest selling album of the twenty-first century. Countless awards and accolades. Adele has captured the hearts of millions and this intimate biography tells the astonishing journey of the Queen of Pop. The trademark authenticity of Adele’s songs has been hard-earned: she was raised by a single mother and has been tested by bereavements and a string of break-ups. Just when she seemed to have left the pain behind, a harrowing divorce and a career-threatening throat injury brought new darkness and doubt to her doorstep.