Anatomy of 55 More Songs

Description

From the publisher: Following his 2016 smash hit Anatomy of a Song, acclaimed music journalist Marc Myers collects fifty-five new oral histories of iconic songs from his popular Wall Street Journal column 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 55 More Songs, based on his column for the Wall Street Journal, music journalist and historian Marc Myers tells the story behind fifty-five rock, pop, R&B, country, and soul-gospel hits through intimate interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them. Part oral history, part musical analysis, Anatomy of 55 More Songs ranges from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” to Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By,” The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” and Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.” Bernie Taupin recalls how he wrote the lyrics to Elton John’s “Rocket Man;” Joan Jett remembers channeling her rage against how she had been unfairly labeled and treated as a female rocker into “Bad Reputation;” and Ozzy Osbourne, Elvis Costello, Bob Weir, Sheryl Crow, Alice Cooper, Roberta Flack, John Mellencamp, Keith Richards, Carly Simon, and many others reveal the emotions and technique behind their major works. Through an absorbing chronological, song-by-song analysis of the most memorable post-war hits, Anatomy of 55 More Songs provides a sweeping look at the evolution of pop music between 1964 and today. This book will change how you listen to music and evaluate the artists who create it. Introduction 1 1 Walk On By Dionne Warwick 7 Interviews: Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Artie Butler Released: April 1964 2 Dancing in the Street Martha and the Vandellas 13 Interviews: Ivy Jo Hunter, Paul Riser, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Martha Reeves Released: July 1964 3 Sunshine Superman Donovan 21 Interviews: Donovan, John Cameron, Linda Lawrence Released: July 1966 4 Good Vibrations The Beach Boys 27 Interviews: Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Hal Blaine, Don Randi, Al Jardine, Tony Asher, Tommy Morgan Released: October 1966 5 Up, Up and Away The 5th Dimension 35 Interviews: Jimmy Webb, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr. Released: May 1967 6 Get Together The Youngbloods 41 Interviews: Jesse Colin Young, Lowell "Banana" Levinger Released: July 1967/Reissued: June 1969 7 The Weight The Band 49 Interview: Robbie Robertson Released: August 1968 8 Fire The Crazy World of Arthur Brown 55 Interview: Arthur Brown Released: September 1968 9 Bad Moon Rising Creedence Clearwater Revival 63 Interview: John Fogerty Released: April 1969 10 Crystal Blue Persuasion Tommy James and the Shondells 69 Interview: Tommy James Released: June 1969 11 Ain't No Mountain High Enough Diana Ross 75 Interviews: Valerie Simpson, Paul Riser, Mary Wilson, Eddie Willis Released: July 1970 12 Paranoid Black Sabbath 81 Interviews: Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Allom Released: August 1970 13 Truckin' Grateful Dead 87 Interview: Bob Weir Released: November 1970 14 I'm Eighteen Alice Cooper 93 Interviews: Alice Cooper, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, Shep Gordon, Bob Ezrin Released: November 1970 15 Bang a Gong (Get It On) T. Rex 101 Interviews: Tony Visconti, Bill Legend Released: July 1971 16 Roundabout Yes 107 Interviews: Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman Released: January 1972 17 Doctor My Eyes Jackson Browne 113 Interview: Jackson Browne Released: March 1972 18 Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress The Hollies 119 Interviews: Roger Cook, Allan Clarke, Bobby Elliott Released: April 1972 19 Rocket Man Elton John 125 Interview: Bernie Taupin Released: April 1972 20 I'll Be Around The Spinners 131 Interviews: Thorn Bell, Phil Hurtt, Earl Young Released: July 1972 21 Papa Was a Rollin' Stone The Temptations 137 Interviews: Barrett Strong, Paul Riser, Otis Williams Released: September 1972 22 Killing Me Softly with His Song Roberta Flack 143 Interviews: Charles Fox, Lori Lieberman, Roberta Flack Released: January 1973 23 Smoke on the Water Deep Purple 151 Interviews: Ian Paice, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ritchie Blackmore Released: May 1973 24 Hello It's Me Todd Rundgren 159 Interview: Todd Rundgren Released: September 1973 25 She's Gone Hall & Oates 165 Interviews: John Oates, Daryl Hall Released: November 1973/Reissued: July 1976 26 Come and Get Your Love Redbone 173 Interview: Pat Vegas Released: January 1974 27 Sundown Gordon Lightfoot 179 Interviews: Gordon Lightfoot, Lenny Waronker, Cathy Smith Released: March 1974 28 I'm Not In Love 10cc 185 Interviews: Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, Lol Creme, Cathy Redfern Released: May 1975 29 Love Is the Drug Roxy Music 193 Interviews: Andy Mackay, Bryan Ferry Released: October 1975 30 The Boys Are Back in Town Thin Lizzy 199 Interviews: Scott Gorham, Chris O'Donnell, John Alcock, Will Reid Dick Released: April 1976 31 Fly Like an Eagle Steve Miller Band 207 Interview: Steve Miller Released: August 1976 32 Year of the Cat Al Stewart 213 Interview: Al Stewart Released: October 1976 33 Barracuda Heart 219 Interviews: Michael Fisher, Roger Fisher, Michael Derosier, Nancy Wilson, Ann Wilson Released: May 1977 34 Nobody Does It Better Carly Simon 227 Interviews: Carole Bayer Sager, Carly Simon, Michael Omartian, Richard Hewson Released: July 1977 35 Peg Steely Dan 233 Interviews: Donald Fagen, Tom Scott, Jay Graydon, Michael McDonald Released: November 1977 36 My Best Friend's Girl The Cars 239 Interviews: Ric Ocasek, Maxanne Sartori, David Robinson, Elliot Easton Released: October 1978 37 The Gambler Kenny Rogers 247 Interviews: Don Schlitz, Kenny Rogers Released: November 1978 38 September Earth, Wind & Fire 253 Interviews: Allee Willis, Verdine White, Marilyn White Released: November 1978 39 WHat A Fool Believes The Doobie Brothers 259 Interviews: Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins Released: January 1979 40 Accidents Will Happen Elvis Costello 265 Interview: Elvis Costello Released: May 1979 41 The Devil Went Down to Georgia The Charlie Daniels Band 271 Interview: Charlie Daniels Released: May 1979 42 Good Times Chic 277 Interview: Nile Rodgers Released: June 1979 43 Highway to Hell AC/DC 283 Interviews: Angus Young, Cliff Williams, Phil Rudd Released: July 1979 44 Cars Gary Numan 289 Interviews: Gary Numan, Chris Payne Released: August 1979 45 On the Radio Donna Summer 295 Interviews: Giorgio Moroder, Bruce Sudano, Stephen Bishop, Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey, Gary Herbig Released: November 1979 46 Bad Reputation Joan Jett 301 Interviews: Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna Released: May 1980 47 Rapture Blondie 307 Interviews: Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Mike Chapman, Clem Burke, Tom Scott, Frank Infante Released: January 1981 48 Don't Stop Believin' Journey 315 Interviews: Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon Released: October 1981 49 Steppin' Out Joe Jackson 321 Interviews: Joe Jackson, David Kershenbaum Released: August 1982 50 Burning Down the House Talking Heads 327 Interviews: David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison Released: July 1983 51 The Power of Love Huey Lewis and the News 335 Interviews: Huey Lewis, Chris Hayes, Johnny Colla Released: June 1985 52 Small Town John Mellencamp 341 Interview: John Mellencamp Released: November 1985 53 Take It So Hard Keith Richards 347 Interviews: Keith Richards, Steve Jordan Released: October 1988 54 Being Boring Pet Shop Boys 355 Interviews: Neil Tennant, Harold Faltermeyer Released: November 1990 55 If It Makes You Happy Sheryl Crow 361 Interviews: Sheryl Crow, Jeff Trott Released: September 1996 Acknowledgments 367