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Books : Entertainment : Music : Musical Genres : Soul
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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 transcribed musical scores, two hours of recorded all-star performances, and more than 50 rarely seen photos in this stellar tribute to behind-the-scenes Motown. Features a 120-minute CD! Allan Slutsky's 2002 documentary of the same name is the winner of the New York Film Critics "Best Documentary of the Year" award!
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A dazzling celebration of one of the most successful musical groups of the sixties, The Story of the Supremes presents the incredible wardrobe that created the group’s unmistakable style and the billboards, posters, and photographs that made it timeless.
From their beginnings as The Primettes to the height of their glamour and fame in the seventies, The Supremes’ career has been nothing short of remarkable. Here, acclaimed music journalist Daryl Easlea traces the history of a group that was second only to the Beatles in number-one hits and whose success story helped change racial perceptions during the civil rights movement. A joyful tribute to the queens of Motown, The Story of The Supremes is a magnificent collection of dresses worn by Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and of course, Diana Ross, in concert, on television, and on the iconic album covers that defined an era of music.
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Learn how to sight-read any rhythm instantly! Wouldn't you like to look at a complicated rhythmic figure and instantly know how it sounds? If so, then this book is for you. You'll discover: how to memorize the sound of each commonly occurring, one-beat note combination * the difference between duple and triple time, simple and compound time, and 6/4 time and 3/2 time * the true meaning of "cut" time * how to instantly play odd groupings (triplets, quintuplets, etc.) * and much more.
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A comprehensive source for learning rhythm guitar in a variety of musical styles. It covers: open chords, barre chords, and other movable shapes; strumming, fingerstyle, flatpicking and arpeggiation; common progressions and basic chord theory; triads, sixth, seventh, ninth, and many other chords; and much more.
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In this intimate biography of the Prince of Soul, David Ritz provides a candid look at a star and a friend. Ritz had been working on Gaye’s story for several years before the singer’s tragic death, and had conducted a series of extraordinary interviews in which Gaye discussed his deepest secrets. Drawing from these interviews, Gaye’s life is recounted in his own words and the words of those who knew him best: his family, friends, and colleagues. What emerges is a full-scale portrait of a charming but tortured artist, a brilliant singer with a divided soul. Here is Marvin’s story, from his early years as an abused child in the slums of Washington, D.C., through his rise to the top of the Motown industry, his fall from grace, and his comeback, to his death at the hands of his own father. But it is also the story of his music, and the music of Black America over the past four decades—from gospel to doo-wop to soul to funk. The result is an epic tale whose cast of characters includes Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder, among others.The definitive biography of an enormously gifted and sensitive man, Divided Soul takes us deep into the life and music of one of America’s most soulful—and most troubled—singers.
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“A fun read that’ll have you replaying the songs in your mind and on your stereo.” —Chicago Tribune Have you ever listened to a new song and felt as if you’d heard it before? It’s not your imagination. Melodies are “borrowed,” consciously or subconsciously, more than you might think. For instance, do you know:- That U2’s “Beautiful Day” shares part of its tune with an a-ha hit from the eighties?
- Why Huey Lewis was so upset when he first heard Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters”?
- How John Lennon’s classic “Imagine” bears an uncanny resemblance to a novelty record cut by his dad?
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In this exciting tie-in to a three-part PBS-TV series, Atlantic music critic Francis Davis presents a remarkable history of the blues that challenges many standard assumptions. Davis presents a fascinating synthesis of cultural commentary, first-rate musical analysis, copious research, and marvelous visuals.
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In this unique rhythm section workbook, 23 James Brown classics have been transcribed, broken down into individual lessons, and meticulously recreated on two one-hour CDs.
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That's the Joint brings together the best-known and most influential writings on rap and hip-hop from its beginnings to today. Spanning nearly 25 years of scholarship, criticism, and journalism, this unprecedented anthology showcases the evolution and continuing influence of one of the most creative and contested elements of global popular culture since its advent in the late 1970s. Think of it as "Hip-Hop 101."
Assembled with great care by Mark Anthony Neal, hailed as "one of the most brilliant cultural critics of his generation" (Chicago Sun Times)] and fellow hip-hop scholar Murray Forman, That's the Joint is the first to attempt to present the most important hip-hop scholarship in one comprehensive volume.
The articles presented here display a diverse array of concerns, illuminating hip-hop in its broadest conception as both a musical and cultural practice. You will find critiques of groundbreaking recordings like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message" and Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back," some of the earliest commentary on B-Boys break dancing and DJs sampling, and serious responses to key moments and controversies from the 2 Live Crew obscenity trial to gangsta rap to the movement of hip-hop into commercial and academic spheres.
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A singer often compared to Billie Holliday tells how racism forced her to relinquish her dream of becoming the first black concert pianist and describes her singing career, which has come full circle after a trying period in her life. 15,000 first printing.
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The Supremes were the most successful female vocal group in history. Of the three original members--Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard—two told their life stories in bestselling books. Only Florence Ballard, the spunky teenager who founded the group, remained silent. But, in the months before her 1976 death, Flo actually did tell her own side of the Supremes story—and the story of her entire life—to Peter Benjaminson, who recorded her words on tape.
In this book, for the first time, is Flo Ballard’s entire heartbreaking tale, revealing:
the suprising identity of the man who raped her before she entered the music business; the details of her love-hate relationship with Motown Records czar Berry Gordy—and an account of their first and only date; her serious drinking problem and ignored pleas for treatment; her never-ending desire to sing lead and how she was prevented from doing so; her attempts to get her life back on track after being brutally expelled from the Supremes; and much more.
Flo Ballard traveled around the world in luxury, chatting with royalty and heads of state, applauded by millions. But when she died at the age of 32, she was a lonely mother of three just barely recovered from years of poverty and despair. Though we may mourn the extended silence of such a profound talent, at least now we can begin to understand how and why it happened.
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Ray Charles is one of the most gifted and influential musicians of our century. By combining gospel, jazz, blues, and country, he helped invent what would become known as soul. An "unsparingly personal document that bears a striking resemblance to Ray Charles sitting around with close friends rapping" (L.A. Times), Brother Ray is as engaging, frank, and soulful as Charles' music.
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This comprehensive guide is a must-have for the legions of fans of the beloved and perennially popular music known as soul and rhythm and blues. The latest in the definitive All Music Guide series, the All Music Guide to Soul offers nearly 8,500 entertaining and informative reviews that lead readers to the best recordings by more than 1,500 artists and help them find new music to explore. Informative biographies, essays and "music maps" trace RandB's growth from its roots in blues and gospel through its flowering in Memphis and Motown, to its many branches today. Complete discographies note bootlegs, important out-of-print albums, and import-only releases. "Extremely valuable and exhaustive." - The Christian Science Monitor
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One of the most influential singers and songwriters of all time, Sam Cooke was among the first to blend gospel music and secular themes-the early foundation of soul music. He was the opposite of Elvis: a black performer who appealed to white audiences, who wrote his own songs, who controlled his own business destiny. No biography has previously been written that fully captures Sam Cooke+s accomplishments, the importance of his contribution to American music, the drama that accompanied his rise in the early days of the civil rights movement, and the mystery that surrounds his death. Bestselling author Peter Guralnick tells this moving and significant story, from Cooke+s childhood as a choirboy to an adulthood when he was anything but. With appearances by Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, James Brown, Harry Belafonte, Aretha Franklin, Fidel Castro, The Beatles, Sonny and Cher, Bob Dylan, and other central figures of this explosive era, DREAM BOOGIE is a compelling depiction of one man striving to achieve his vision despite all obstacles-and an epic portrait of America during the turbulent and hopeful 1950s and 1960s. The triumph of the book is the vividness with which Peter Guralnick conveys the astonishing richness of the black America of this era-the drama, force, and feeling of the story.
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A comprehensive collection of over 250 rhythm and blues classics including: ABC ? After the Love Has Gone ? Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing ? Baby Love ? Ball of Confusion ? Ben ? Boogie Fever ? The Boy from New York City ? Come See About Me ? Cool Jerk ? Cruisin' ? Dancing in the Street ? Dedicated to the One I Love ? Do You Know Where You're Going To? ? Easy ? Fire ? For Once In My Life ? Heatwave ? Hero ? I Heard it Through the Grapevine ? I Say a Little Prayer ? I Will Survive ? I'll Be There ? Kansas City ? Man in the Mirror ? Mercy, Mercy (The Ecology) ? Midnight Train to Georgia ? My Guy ? On Broadway ? Papa's Got a Brand New Bag ? Reunited ? Save the Best for Last ? Stand By Me ? Still ? Stop! In the Name of Love ? The Tracks of My Tears ? The Twist ? War ? What's Going On ? You Keep Me Hangin' On ? You Sexy Thing ? and more. H240107
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Superbly researched and vividly written, The Devil's Music is one of the only books to trace the rise and development of the blues both in relation to other forms of black music and in the context of American social history as experienced by African Americans. From its roots in the turn-of-the-century honky-tonks of New Orleans and the barrelhouses and plantations of the Mississippi Delta to modern legends such as John Lee Hooker and B. B. King, the blues comes alive here through accounts by the blues musicians themselves and those who knew them. Throughout this wide-ranging and fascinating book, Giles Oakley describes the texture of the life that made the blues possible, and the changing attitudes toward the music. The Devil's Music is a wholehearted and loving examination of one of America's most powerful traditions.