When I was a teen I had played the Na Na Record on my stereo quite often. I think that the vinyl wore out at some point. Who would ever know that I would have the privilege to write Gary's Biography. As I entered Gary's studio I immediately felt the energy surrounding the room. Keyboard, guitar, lyrics to a new song, memorabilia and awards lined the walls. Gary immediately welcomed me into his world of music. Sharing with me thoughts of upcoming projects and his appearances that are coming soon. His passion, creativity, and knowledge beaming through. I felt his passion for his work and after spending time with him I knew what my writing ability would help achieve. The story behind Na Na, all his songs, his accomplishments, and his Life!
SOUND OF THE CROWD: A DISCOGRAPHY OF THE '80s is the ultimate record collector's guide to the 1980s. In the era of multi-formatting, picture discs, coloured vinyl, multiple remixes, funny shaped records and tiny CDs you could lose down the back of the sofa, this book lists every format of every single, EP and album released in the UK in the 1980s by over 140 of the decade's biggest acts, from ABBA to Paul Young. This fourth edition has been fully revised and expanded to include even more acts than ever before, with additional sections to cover Band Aid-style charity congregations and compilation albums from the early '80s K-Tel efforts through to the Now That's What I Call Music series and its competitors. Compiled by Steve Binnie, editor of the '80s music website Sound of the Crowd and writer, producer and co-host of the unconventional '80s chart show Off The Chart, broadcast weekly on Mad Wasp Radio.
(Lyric Library). An unprecedented collection of popular lyrics that will appeal to all music fans! Includes songs from yesterday and today, from Broadway to Rock 'n' Roll. Highlights include: American Pie * Bennie and the Jets * Blueberry Hill * Brown Eyed Girl * Come What May * Don't Cry for Me Argentina * Dream Weaver * Fame * Free Bird * Fun, Fun, Fun * The Girl from Ipanema * Goodnight, Irene * Green River * Hakuna Matata * Have I Told You Lately * Heart of Glass * I Can't Stop Loving You * I Love Paris * I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For * Jessie's Girl * Jump * Kansas City * Killer Queen * Last Kiss * Livin' La Vida Loca * MacArthur Park * A Matter of Trust * My Cherie Amour * Now You Has Jazz * Oh Sherrie * Popular * Photograph * Proud Mary * The Rain in Spain * Rocket Man * Runaway * Sixteen Candles * Smells Like Teen Spirit * Somebody to Love * Tears in Heaven * That's Life * These Dreams * Under the Sea * Venus * Walk on the Wild Side * We Are Family * You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' * Your Mama Don't Dance * Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.
“Everybody has to start somewhere. Businessmen start on the ground floor and try to work their way up the corporate ladder. Baseball players bide their time in the minor leagues wishing for an opportunity to move up and play in the majors. Musical compositions aren’t very different—some songs just don’t climb the charts the first time they’re recorded. However, with perseverance, the ideal singer, the right chemistry, impeccable timing, vigorous promotion, and a little luck, these songs can become very famous.” So writes Bob Leszczak in the opening pages of Who Did It First? Great Pop Cover Songs and Their Original Artists. In this second volume in the Who Did It First?series, Leszczak explores the hidden history of the most famous, indeed legendary, pop songs and standards. As he points out, the version you purchased, swayed to, sang to, and grew up with is often not the first version recorded. Like wine and cheese, some tunes do get better with age, and behind each there is a story. Included are little-known facts and amusing anecdotes, often gathered through Leszczak’s vast archive of personal interviews with the singers and songwriters, record producers and label owners, who wrote, sang, recorded, and distributed either the original first cut or one of its classic covers. The second in a series of titles devoted to the story of great songs and their revival as great covers, Who Did It First?Great Pop Cover Songs and Their Original Artists is the perfect playlist builder. So whether quizzing friends at a party, answering a radio station contest, or just satisfying an insatiable curiosity to know who really did do it first, this work is a must-have.
The Classic Rock and Roll Reader: Rock Music from Its Beginnings to the Mid-1970s is chock full of entertaining essays to inform and delight you about an era that shaped our culture and future musical trends. This unique book will surprise and enchant even the most zealous music buff with facts and information on the songs that reflected America’s spirit and captured a nation’s attention. The Classic Rock and Roll Reader is offbeat, somewhat irreverent, ironic, and ancedotal as it discusses hundreds of rock and non-rock compositions included in rock history era. The songs offer you information on: Rock’s Not So Dull Predecessors (for example, “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” and “The Cry of the Wild Goose”) The Pioneering Rock Songs (such as “Rock Around the Clock” and “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” ) Older Style Songs Amidst the Rocks (for example, “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “Rocky Mountain High” ) The Megastars and Megagroups (such as “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Respect,” and “Surfin’USA” ) The Best Songs that Never Made No. 1 (for example,“ I Feel Good” and “ Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” ) The Classic Rock and Roll Reader: Rock Music from Its Beginnings to the Mid-1970s also examines the music which preceded early rock, the music which followed early rock, and the numerous non-rock songs which flourished during the classic rock period. A wide spectrum of music is discussed in well over 100 essays on various songs. Musicians, librarians, and the general audience will be taken back to the birth of rock and roll and the various contributing influences. Analyzing each song’s place in rock history and giving some background about the artists, The Classic Rock and Roll Reader offers even the most avid music enthusiast new and unique information in this thorough and interesting guide.
Connecticut is home to a number of landmark music venues that have featured local and national performers. While some of the locations have closed, they have certainly not been forgotten. The New Haven Coliseum, the Arena and the Bushnell Memorial were once the places to be for music lovers, while elsewhere places like the Cheri Shack and the Shaboo hosted local bands and national headliners. Other venues such as Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, The Meadows and Toad's Place have now taken center stage and continue to attract large crowds. With in-depth interviews with performers and many timeless photos, author Tony Renzoni takes you on a nostalgic and fun tour of the Nutmeg State's most beloved music sites.
Hitting the charts only once isn't just unfortunate...it's a crime. Over the decades, tons of musical artists and groups have had a hit song that has lived on long after the tune topped the charts and is often looked upon fondly for decades to come. For some musicians, this may be the only the song they're ever known for and they fade into obscurity soon thereafter. These are affectionately known as "one-hit wonders," and are much celebrated by fans and music publications, particularly on September 25th each year on One-Hit Wonder Day. 12 of today's best short story authors have taken their favorite one-hit wonders and reimagined them as the influence for some pretty heinous crimes. (I Just) Died in Your Arms features a decades-spanning collection of immediately recognizable hit songs turned into stories from the amazing talents of Vinnie Hansen, Jeanne DuBois, Josh Pachter, J.M. Taylor, Christine Verstraete, Sandra Murphy, Joseph S. Walker, Wendy Harrison, Bev Vincent, Leone Ciporin, Adam Gorgoni and Barb Goffman.
Recording Artists don't always enjoy success with their first release. A hit record relies on any number of factors: the right song, a memorable performance, a healthy promotional budget, great management, a spot of luck, and even some intangibles. Take choice of a name. For a single artist, duo, vocal group or band, the name can carry a lot of weight. Some recording artists changed their name to appeal to an entirely different demographic, like when country superstar Garth Brooks recorded as Chris Gaines to score on the pop charts. The Beefeaters became the Byrds—and they spelled the band name with a "y" in the wake of the meteoric success of the Beatles, whose letter "A" turned the image of a nasty bug into something intriguing. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel amassed a litany of aliases—Simon went by True Taylor, Jerry Landis, and Paul Kane; Art Garfunkel as Artie Garr; together they were Tom & Jerry before finally using their very ethnic-sounding given names. Bob Leszczak has amassed several hundred examples of musical pseudonyms in The Encyclopedia of Pop Music Aliases, 1950-2000, describing the history of these artists from their obscure origins under another name to their rise to prominence as a major musical act. Music trivia buffs, rock historians, and popular music fans will uncover nugget after nugget of eye-opening information about their favorite acts and perhaps learn a thing or two about a number of other acts. Leszczak goes the extra yard of gathering critical data directly from many of these famous recording artists through in-person interviews and archival research. Whether skipping around randomly or reading from cover-to-cover, readers will find The Encyclopedia of Pop Music Aliases, 1950-2000 a must-have for that music library.
A tongue-in-cheek guide to popstrology, a method of determining a personality profile through matching birth year, birth recording star, and birth song of the week.
