Rhythm & Blues

Decades after his passing, Elvis Presley remains one of popular music's greatest icons. He was among the most successful, influential, socially significant, and controversial performers of the twentieth century, with a celebrity so indelible that every recent American president has negotiated its orbit. While much of the coverage of Elvis' life concerns his personal history and musical ability, Rethinking Elvis pushes beyond the familiar to address Elvis' branding, historical and geographic reception, heritage, and fan phenomenon. Using Elvis' iconography as a point of departure, popular music scholars and historians contend with issues related to the performer's whiteness, Southern identity, and gender, among others, in turn offering myriad opportunities to pursue new approaches in the emergent field of Elvis studies.

Dive into Michael Jackson's groundbreaking career and discover how he reshaped music, entertainment, and culture over five decades. In fifty years, forty-five of which were spent on stage, Michael Jackson redefined the rules of the music and entertainment industries. The inventor of the music video and an all-time record-seller, he also broke down racial barriers, notably by becoming the first black artist to be broadcast on MTV in the early 1980s. Discover the King of Pop's global impact and enduring legacy in Michael Jackson: Legend, with a detailed chronology and a full analysis of his work. This book also explores the myths and legends that marked the musician's life, not forgetting an unprecedented tribute to his humanitarian efforts. Michael Jackson: Legend is published to coinicide with the release of Michael, a 2026 biographical musical drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Er IST 'Modern Soul'! Die Fans trampten landauf, landab der Band hinterher, wer wollte denn ein Modern-Soul-Konzert verpassen!? Aus der DDR heraus schrieb die Band internationale Musikgeschichte. Vor Kurzem feierte Modern Soul sein 55-jähriges Bestehen. Mitstreiter, Fans und Freunde haben Hugo Laartz, Bandleader und 'Arbeitstier am Keyboard', überredet, seinen ganz persönlichen Kommentar zu dieser Erfolgsstory zu Papier zu bringen. Und er tat es - 'bevor es zu spät ist' - und legt hier die Chronik seines Lebens für die Soulmusik vor. Uneitel erzählt, wie ihn die Kolleginnen und Kollegen aus der Musikszene kennen - Uschi Brüning, Regine Dobberschütz, Klaus Lenz, um nur einige zu nennen. Im Herzen ist er der Berliner Bengel der Nachkriegszeit geblieben - geradlinig und bodenständig. Das weckt beim Leser eine ungeahnte Sympathie für verschwundene Lebenswelten, in denen der Sound von Blues, Rock und Soul auch hinter Mauern die Hoffnung auf Menschlichkeit, Liebe und Respekt in die Herzen der Menschen wehte.

In early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker (the manager of the number-one country music star of the day) heard that an unknown teenager from Memphis had just drawn a crowd of more than 800 people to a Texas schoolhouse and headed south to investigate. Within a matter of days, Parker was sending out telegrams and letters to promoters and booking agents: 'We have a new boy that is absolutely going to be one of the biggest things in the business in a very short time. His name is ELVIS PRESLEY.' <BR><BR>The close personal bond between Elvis and the Colonel is something that has never been fully portrayed before. It was a relationship founded on mutual admiration and support. From the outset, the Colonel defended Elvis fiercely and indefatigably against RCA executives, Elvis' own booking agents and movie moguls. But in their final years together, the story grew darker, as the Colonel found himself unable to protect Elvis from himself - or to control growing problems of his own. <BR><BR>Featuring troves of previously unpublished correspondence from the Colonel's own archives, revelatory for both their insights and their emotional depth, The Colonel and the King provides a groundbreaking dual portrait of the relationship between the iconic artist and his legendary manager and a unique perspective on not one but two American originals. A tale of the birth of the modern-day superstar (an invention almost entirely of Parker's making) by the most acclaimed music writer of his generation, it presents these two misunderstood icons as they've never been seen before: with all of their brilliance, humour and flaws on full display.

One of the "Most Exciting Rock Books Released in 2025" at Ultimate Classic Rock - "Stanfield makes one want to step back in time into one of those packed clubs, so hot that, as one writer of the day put it, 'you could have boiled an egg.'"--Wesley Stace, The Wall Street Journal The story of an iconic group, the advent of pop, and the birth of rock music in 1960s Britain. The Yardbirds were trailblazers in the rapid development of pop music in Britain between 1963 and 1968. With members including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, they helped to set the basic template of what has been known ever since as rock music and gave rise to one of the most commercially successful bands of all time: Led Zeppelin. Peter Stanfield situates the band in the rise of British R&B and the tumult of the psychedelic era. Obsessively detailed about both the band and 1960s pop culture, this is the book fans of the Yardbirds have always needed.

* INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *A sweeping and evocative music memoir from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Grammy Award-winning, platinum selling singer-songwriter Michael McDonald, written with his friend, Emmy Award-nominated actor, comedian, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Paul Reiser.Doobie Brothers. Steely Dan. Chart topping soloist. Across a half-century of American music, Michael McDonald's unmistakably smooth baritone voice defined an era of classic rock and R&B with hit records like "What A Fool Believes," "Takin' It to the Streets," "I Keep Forgettin'," "Peg," "It Keeps You Running," "You Belong to Me," and "Yah Mo B There."In his candid, freewheeling memoir, written with his friend, the Emmy Award-nominated actor and comedian Paul Reiser, Michael tells the story of his life and music. A high school dropout from Ferguson, Missouri, Michael chased his dreams in 1970's California, a heady moment of rock opportunity and excess. As a rising session musician and backing vocalist, a series of encounters would send him on a wild ride around the world and to the heights of rock stardom-from joining Steely Dan and becoming a defining member of The Doobie Brothers to forging a path as a breakout solo R&B artist.Interwoven with the unforgettable tales of the music, Michael tells a deeply affecting celebrity memoir of losing and finding himself as a man. He reckons with the unshakeable insecurities that drove him, the drug and alcohol addictions that plagued him, and the highs and lows of popularity. Along the way he relays the lessons he's learned, and that if he's learned anything at all it's that there's often little correlation between what you get and what you deserve.Filled with unbelievable stories and a matchless cast of music greats including James Taylor, Ray Charles, Carly Simon, and Quincy Jones, What a Fool Believes is a moving and entertaining rock and roll biography that is sure to be a classic. This unforgettable music memoir goes behind the hits to tell the story of a singular voice in rock history:- The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan: Go inside the studio and on the road with two of the most influential bands of the decade, and learn the stories behind era-defining hits like "What A Fool Believes" and "Takin' It to the Streets."- Fame and Insecurity: A high school dropout from Ferguson, Missouri, grapples with the unshakeable insecurities, drug and alcohol addictions, and the dizzying highs and lows of fame.- 70s Rock Scene: Step into the heady world of 1970s California, a moment of excess and opportunity, filled with a matchless cast of music greats including James Taylor, Ray Charles, and Quincy Jones.- A Singer-Songwriter's Journey: Follow the path from rising session musician and backing vocalist to a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and breakout solo R&B artist who defined a generation.

Grammy Award–nominated artist Kem shares his life in this “breathtaking” (Michael Eric Dyson, New York Times bestselling author) and revealing memoir tracing his transformative journey from homelessness to gold-selling artist.<BR><BR>Known for his smooth, affecting crooning and dapper style, Kem’s journey to the stage is nothing short of inspiring. In Share My Life, Kem goes back to the very beginning before his time to introduce his grandmother, who worked as a sharecropper in the South and had thirteen children. As Kem’s family rises from the sharecropping and ultimately lands in Detroit, there is an unspoken mantra of “hard things are better left unsaid,” which has devastating consequences down the line. And so, Kem grows up in the midst of an impenetrable silence. His mother is never without a beer in her hand, and his relationship with his father is oddly tense. Emotionally starved, Kem internalizes harmful feelings, eventually spiraling to drug use in his search for relief.<BR> <BR>At nineteen, Kem is homeless, roaming the cold Detroit streets. In the overly bright AA halls, Kem comes across men like himself verbalizing their feelings. The meetings helped him discover his own voice, using music as an outlet that has since touched millions.<BR> <BR>In Share My Life, Kem chronicles his “revelatory, moving, and inspirational” (Lisa Cortés, Academy Award–nominated and Emmy Award–winning producer and director) journey of self-discovery. The young boy who struggled with feelings of worthlessness becomes a man willing to put everything on the line for his dream.

Das Urheberrecht an bibliographischen und produktbeschreibenden Daten und an den bereitgestellten Bildern liegt bei Informazioni Editoriali, I.E. S.r.l., oder beim Herausgeber oder demjenigen, der die Genehmigung erteilt hat. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Endlich: So verstehen Sie die wahre Bedeutung der Blues-Texte! Wir haben es ja schon immer geahnt: Die Texte der Bluesmusiker stecken voller seltsamer Redewendungen und versteckter Botschaften. Wie oft haben wir die grandiosen Stücke von Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Big Bill Broonzy, T-Bone Walker u.v.a. gehört, wie oft haben weiße Musiker und Bands wie Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, die Rolling Stones den Blues nachgespielt und wir haben alles begeistert aufgesogen. Und die Texte? Leider wenig bis gar nichts verstanden. Die Andeutungen und Wortspielereien kommen mal raffiniert, mal drastisch daher, sind oft sexueller Natur. Beispiele gefällig? Schlagen Sie das Mammutwerk (fast 900 Seiten!) von Bob Cremer auf und tauchen Sie ein in die wahre Bedeutung der Blues-Texte. Den Blues entdecken: ¿ Zwölf informative Kapitel helfen allen Musikfreunden den Blues in Rekordzeit zu verstehen. ¿ Kurz und knackig werden die von den Musikern verwendeten grammatikalischen Sonderformen und umgangssprachlichen Ausdrücke erklärt. ¿ Verdoppeln Sie Ihr Hörvergnügen, indem Sie die wahre Bedeutung und die Seele des Blues endlich durch und durch verstehen und fühlen! "Robert Cremer, ein moderner Alan Lomax (war ein bekannter US-amerikanischer Musikforscher), hat die gesprochene Sprache des Blues durch jahrzehntelange persönliche Interviews zusammengetragen. "Die Geheimsprache des Blues" übersetzt die Feinheiten, Anspielungen und Besonderheiten der Sprache der Afroamerikaner, wie sie im Blues verwendet wird, und ermöglich allen Blues-Fans ein tiefes Verständnis der Songtexte." - Sydney Ellis, eine der führenden Stimmen der heutigen Blues-Szene.

'Der Blues wird immer präsent sein, zu manchen Zeiten populärer als zu anderen Zeiten, aber er wird immer hier sein!' - JOHN LEE HOOKER Liebeskummer, Armut, harte Arbeit, Verfolgung und Erschöpfung, Ironie, Einsamkeit und Verrat, Sünde und Seelenheil, Trunkenheit, Verzweiflung, sexuelle Lust und pure Freude: über diese Zustände und einige mehr erzählen die Blues-Musiker mit grosser Leidenschaft.Im Ursprung besticht die Blues-Musik durch geniale Einfachheit und ist über die Jahre erstaunlich reich an Varianten und Komplexität gewachsen. Keine andere populäre Musik spricht so viele Hörer an wie der Blues, es braucht aber ein gewisses Know-How, um die Feinheiten zu verstehen. Aufgegliedert in elf Kapitel, speziell für dieses Werk erarbeitet, geht NOTHING BUT THE BLUES den afrikanisch-amerikanischen Ursprüngen auf den Grund, erkundet seine frühe Entwicklung als publikumswirksame Unterhaltung, die ersten Tonaufnahmen, seine regionalen Unterschiede (Mid-South, Tidewater-Piedmont, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles), seine stilistischen Eigenheiten und gegenwärtige Situation. CountryBlues, Urban Blues, die Entwicklung des Rhythm and Blues, der Rock 'n' Roll, und das erstaunliche Blues Revival in den 60ern werden ausgiebig erläutert.Aber das geschriebene Wort bietet nur einen Teil der Geschichte. Blues-Fans verehren Ihre Musiker und schätzen die Fotos sehr. Darum präsentiert NOTHING BUT THE BLUES zahlreiche, zum Teil nie gesehene rare Archiv-Fotos und Abbildungen von Dokumenten, z.B. Leadbelly's NYPD Strafregisterblatt oder Verträge der Plattenfirmen mit den Musikern. Hinzu kommt ein Vorwort der Blues-Legende B.B. King und eine handverlesene Diskographie, eine Auswahl für Sammler mit Best of the Best-Empfehlungen, die man hören sollte. Der Blues ist besonders heute in Europa wieder so populär wienur in den 60ern. Konzerte mit Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush oder John Mayall aber auch jüngeren Künstlern wie Lilly Martin, Christoph "Kingfish" Ingram und Shemekia Copeland sind stets ausverkauft.

The story of a subterranean club situated in the backstreets of Leeds, that changed the lives of all who went there. Top of The Stairs tracks the origin of the Central Dance Club and its transition, from the early mods, through the Northern Soul era to Jazz Funk, and ultimately back again. It captures the unique and personal stories of the DJs and the dancers alike, along with some of the incidents and events that have persisted in Soul folklore for decades, including stories from Tony Banks, Twink, Ian Dewhirst, Richard Searling, Paul Rowan, Pat Brady, Paul Schofield and many more.

Catch up with the latest news Pump itup magazine No matter where you are this summer, you'll need a good magazine to keep you company and help you relax! Entertainment, Lifestyle, and Humanitarian Awareness!This issue pays tribute to the magic of soul music! First let us pay our respects to Civil Right Leader John Lewis who passed away last month. He was truly and inspiration to many! On the cover of this months issue we have the beautiful H'Atina, a powerhouse of a singer who's voice hits to the depth of ones soul. A true soul singer with a voice that will surely get your attention.We have a wonderful article on The Magic of Soul Music by Coco Reyes , one of our talented contributors. Other articles of interest for indie artists is a section on ' Live Streaming". A good read considering many concerts are cancelled due to the pandemic. And of course please tune in to Pump It Up Magazine Radio and hear the best of today's indie artists and major artists. So get your issue today and as we say in the words of the late Don Cornelius we wish you, " Love, Peace, and Soul! Anissa Boudjaoui

The Rap Year Book takes readers on a journey that begins in 1979, widely regarded as the moment rap became recognized as part of the cultural and musical landscape, and comes right up to the present. Shea Serrano deftly pays homage to the most important song of each year. Serrano also examines the most important moments that surround the history and culture of rap musicùfrom artistsÆ backgrounds to issues of race, the rise of hip-hop, and the struggles among its major playersùboth personal and professional. Covering East Coast and West Coast, famous rapper feuds, chart toppers, and show stoppers, The Rap Year Book is an in-depth look at the most influential genre of music to come out of the last generation. Complete with infographics, lyric maps, hilarious and informative footnotes, portraits of the artists, and short essays by other prominent music writers, The Rap Year Book is both a narrative and illustrated guide to the most iconic and influential rap songs ever created.

In Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, Peter Hook, bassist for the legendary, groundbreaking band Joy Division, takes readers backstage with the group that helped define the sound of a generation and influenced artists such as U2, Radiohead, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.Unlike other books about Joy Division, Factory Records, or lead singer Ian Curtis—who took his own life just before the band's first U.S. Tour—Unknown Pleasures tells Joy Division's story from the unique perspective of one of the three surviving band members.Told with surprising humor and vivid detail, Unknown Pleasures is the book Joy Division fans have been waiting for.

When Sam Cooke was shot dead in a cheap motel in Hollywood he was one of America's most successful pop stars. He left a world in which he had been born poor and had become very rich from the success of such records as "You Send Me" and "A Wonderful World" yet his body lay unrecognised in a morgue for two days. This biography follows Cooke's life in a racist America where his voice was one of the first to reach beyond the segregated audiences and command a white following Cooke himself becoming a player in the fledgling civil rights movement. This award-winning biography is a full and sometimes shocking story of a man whose songbook is revered by great performers such as Otis Redding Rod Stewart and Aretha Franklin.

Schon 1955, im zarten Alter von 6 Jahren, stand Robin Gibb erstmals auf der Bühne und sang gemeinsam mit seinen Brüdern. 1963 nannten sich Robin, Maurice und Barry Gibb die Bee Gees und wurden zu Weltstars, die mit Hits wie Massachusetts oder dem Disco-Megahit Saturday Night Fever Popgeschichte schrieben. Gemeinsam mit den Beatles sind sie die einzige Gruppe, die gleichzeitig fünf Songs in den amerikanischen Top-Ten hatte. Robin Gibb war immer wieder auch solo aktiv: Schon 1969 hatte er mit Saved By The Bell einen weltweiten Hit. Der größte Erfolg war 1983 Juliet von dem Album How Old Are You?. Er landete in den deutschen Charts auf Platz 1. Bis heute ist Robin Gibb ständiger Gast auf den Konzertbühnen, um mit seiner Band die größten Hits der Bee Gees und seine Solowerke zu spielen. André Boße hatte zuletzt 2009 die Gelegenheit, sich ausführlich mit Robin Gibb zu unterhalten und dabei viele neue, teils auch sehr private Details erfahren. Das Ergebnis ist ein spannendes Buch über einen der ganz großen stilprägenden Stars unserer Zeit.

The noted blues scholar Paul Oliver here examines the many different skeins of the blues form, relating them to other black traditions - musical and religious - and tracing the origin of the blues through the dense, many-colored warp and weft of influences and inspiration. He describes "the dozens," Christmas rituals, and the coded (as well as blatant) sexual imagery that has always been a vital element of every popular song tradition. With extensive source notes, photographs, a discography, and two indexes of song titles and singers, this book serves as a sound, serious, and entertaining guide to the blues heritage that has vitalized so much of the world's musical culture.