Author And Music Historian Marc Myers To Release New Book, "Anatomy Of A Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B And Pop" In November

Songs that sell the most copies become hits, but some of those hits become something more—iconic recordings that not only inspire a generation but also change the direction of music. In ANATOMY OF A SONG: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop (Grove Press; November 2016; $26 hardcover; ISBN-13: 978-0-8021-2559-0), writer and music historian Marc Myers tells the stories behind five decades of rock, pop and R&B hits through intimate oral history interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them. Based on the ongoing column for The Wall Street Journal, new chapter introductions detail the drama that caused R&B and rock to evolve over 50 years, while many chapters feature new material either from fresh reporting or from Myers’ original interview tapes.

The songs in ANATOMY OF A SONG range from Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” one of rock ’n’ roll’s first hits, to Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz,” Loretta Lynn’s “Fist City,” and R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion.” Mick Jagger demystifies the eclectic ballad “Moonlight Mile,” a song he says wasn’t about drugs but about loneliness on a grueling European tour. Joni Mitchell remembers arriving brokenhearted in the village of Matala on the Greek island of Crete and living in a cave with the “mean old daddy” who went on to inspire her 1971 hit “Carey.” And Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart, Elvis Costello, the Clash, Jimmy Cliff, Roger Waters, Stevie Wonder, John Fogerty, Keith Richards, Cyndi Lauper, and many others reveal for the first time the emotions and technique behind their influential works.

ANATOMY OF A SONG can be read like a literary jukebox, allowing readers to jump in anywhere to learn the story behind their favorite songs. Or it can be read linearly as a history of popular music in the second half of the twentieth century. The songs are presented in chronological order, and each is framed by an introduction that brings that moment in music history to life: the cultural context, evolving technology, and larger trends in music. An absorbing song-by-song analysis of the most memorable hits spanning forty years from the beginning of the 1950s relayed through the artists’ own words, ANATOMY OF A SONG provides a sweeping look at the evolution of pop music. This book will change how readers listen to rock and R&B hits, and the artists who created them.

Iconic STRAWBS Revisit the USA

Strawbs have sold more records in the USA and Canada than anywhere.  In the USA the band had seven consecutive albums in the Billboard Top 200.  Their album, Hero & Heroine, was listed last year by Rolling Stone magazine as “one of the 50 greatest prog rock albums of all time". 

And, founding member Dave Cousins has been described by All Music Guide as: “the most talented Dylan influenced songwriter to come out of England”. He previously released, in December of 2014,  his long awaited, and critically acclaimed, autobiography  Exorcising Ghosts: Strawbs and Other Lives (out via Omnibus Pr & Schirmer Trade Books).   It was listed by influential critic Richie Unterberger in his “Top 10 of 2014 rock books”.

Strawbs are often mentioned in the same breath as progressive rock bands like Yes, King Crimson, and The Moody Blues. It is well known that keyboardist Rick Wakeman left Strawbs for Yes. Rick was followed by Blue Weaver; who left Strawbs to join the Bee Gees, John Hawken; from the original
Renaissance, Don Airey; now with Deep Purple, Adam Wakeman, and Oliver Wakeman, who, like their dad, left Strawbs to join Yes!

The Strawbs emerged out of the British Folk Movement of the mid-1960s, starting their musical life as the Strawberry Hill Boys, playing bluegrass. They moved into the mainstream in 1967 by making the first Strawbs album, All

Grateful Dead's BILL KREUTZMANN Announces Memoir Release

The Grateful Dead's Bill Kreutzmann has announced release plans for a new memoir, DEAL, from

St. Martin’s Press.  It arrives on May 5, 2015 and honors the 50th anniversary of the band that we all love. Bill's adventure-filled life as the Grateful Dead’s drummer, includes great stories of music and mayhem, Jerry Garcia and the band, and fellow musicians and friends Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Ken Kesey, John Belushi and many others. Rare photos and beautiful cover art by famous psychedelic artist Stanley Mouse are also part of this fantastic new book.

Available in hardcover and ebook editions from B&T.  Don't forget to stock up on Grateful Dead Music CDs and DVDs/Blu-ray.

Founding Genesis Member Mike Rutherford's "The Living Years" Memoir Releasing in the USA

The story of Genesis is a rock legend of how a humble schoolboy band grew into a group of global rock superstars.  And founding member, guitarist Mike Rutherford tells his story in "The Living Years. At its center stood Mike Rutherford, driving the music from pioneering progressive rock to chart-topping hits. Now for the first time, he tells the remarkable inside story of Genesis and his own band Mike + The Mechanics.

Against the rhythm of drink, drugs, and lineup changes, Mike’s father, a World War II naval officer, always stood in the background. He would watch Genesis grow, supporting them from the very beginning when they toured Britain in the back of a bread van. Through extreme highs and lows, loyal Captain Rutherford was always there, earplugs at the ready.

But when his father suddenly died, Mike was forced to reexamine their relationship and only then began to understand how much their lives had overlapped. The Living Years (out February 2015 via Thomas Dunne Presss) is a revealing memoir of the relationship between father and son and the story of how music, families, and friendship combine.  Rutherford was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010. He lives with his family in West Sussex, England.  And, Mike + The Mechanics are about to embark on a USA concert tour to promote the release of the deluxe edition of the classic Living Years album. Scheduled for release on February 10, to coincide with Mike + The Mechanics 2015 tour dates, the 25^th Anniversary 2xCD set includes the original studio album, along with a bonus disc of live recordings from 1989 Living Years UK tour and including the song The Living Years 2014 which has been re-recorded with the South African Isango Choir and Andrew Roachford on lead vocals.