- Paperback: 584 pages
- Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation; paperback / softcover edition (30 April 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0352335335
- ISBN-13: 978-0352335333
- ASIN: 0634099787
- Product Dimensions: 23 x 18 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 469,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Synopsis
This work was first published in 1992 by Billboard Books as The Billboard Book of American Singing Groups; the updated edition contains a new chapter on the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, which lists groups active in the early 21st century, and a chapter of updates and revisions. Profiling well-known as well as obscure American singing groups from the 1
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I present vintage pop and rock shows on a radio station here in South Africa, and to have a book of this quality and detail to hand is a joy. It deserves five stars, even though - and I am not being too picky, I think - some of the omissions do perplex me. The Andrews Sisters are there but not The Boswell Sisters. The Jordannaires, but not The Picks. The Velvets, The Contours, The Jarmels, amongst others, are noticably absent but deserve their place more than a few of the other groups that have been included. Hopefully there will be another edition in the future which will redress this. But for now it's still a "Must Have" for any popular music buff.
Format:Paperback
Brilliant book!
Brief introduction as to the evolution of the US singing group in each decade, followed by an entry for dozens of groups. Each time, the narrative takes your sequentially through the group's history, listing nearly every personnel change they ever had(try that for the Drifters, with 58 alone!)and their chart positions in Top 100,R & B,Jukebox, DJ charts as applicable.
God knows how long it took Jay Warner to compile it or to check the facts!
And after the narrative, the chronological list of all their singles, A & B side titles,label & serial number thereon.
Quite fantastic. You don't even have to love the music to be hooked by this.
I personally would quibble with not giving the Weavers an entry, because they sent a black song in Goodnight Irene to number 1 in 1951, and proved you could sell bucketloads out of left field.
Would have to add I disagree that Gee by the Crows was the first Rock n roll hit by a group;yep, as Mr Warner asserts, it did precede Sh-Boom(Chords & Crewcuts) by nearly a year, but neither are more than vestigial rock, they are both too scat-jazz based, though they are part of an evoluntionary trail.
The obvious candidate for me-Sept 1953,the Drifter's first single,Money Honey. Still smokes all the way as much as it has done from the day it was first played.
Minor things, however-love the book. Gives you a feel for the era & covers groups that NEVER even made a record at the time & how influential they were on radio then before oldies labels gave them a deserved footnote in history-all this at the same level of information as the big boys.
At this price,what ARE you waiting for, my friend?
Brief introduction as to the evolution of the US singing group in each decade, followed by an entry for dozens of groups. Each time, the narrative takes your sequentially through the group's history, listing nearly every personnel change they ever had(try that for the Drifters, with 58 alone!)and their chart positions in Top 100,R & B,Jukebox, DJ charts as applicable.
God knows how long it took Jay Warner to compile it or to check the facts!
And after the narrative, the chronological list of all their singles, A & B side titles,label & serial number thereon.
Quite fantastic. You don't even have to love the music to be hooked by this.
I personally would quibble with not giving the Weavers an entry, because they sent a black song in Goodnight Irene to number 1 in 1951, and proved you could sell bucketloads out of left field.
Would have to add I disagree that Gee by the Crows was the first Rock n roll hit by a group;yep, as Mr Warner asserts, it did precede Sh-Boom(Chords & Crewcuts) by nearly a year, but neither are more than vestigial rock, they are both too scat-jazz based, though they are part of an evoluntionary trail.
The obvious candidate for me-Sept 1953,the Drifter's first single,Money Honey. Still smokes all the way as much as it has done from the day it was first played.
Minor things, however-love the book. Gives you a feel for the era & covers groups that NEVER even made a record at the time & how influential they were on radio then before oldies labels gave them a deserved footnote in history-all this at the same level of information as the big boys.
At this price,what ARE you waiting for, my friend?
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5 reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
ever wonder?.....
26 April 2006
Format:Paperback
Ever wonder what tracks were on the A side of 'The Clovers' records in 1961? Well now you can find out! Jay Warner has amassed biographical and musical information for hundreds of singing groups from the 1940s to today. Some pretty detailed histories. These are pop/harmonizing groups, hence fewer entries for later decades. Warner has them categorized by decade for easy reference. There are pictures at the start of each chapter, and a listing of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame inductees. And remember - these are AMERICAN singing groups. Just when I was freaking out that ABBA wasn't included, I remembered. So enjoy!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
This Book Is Excellent
17 Sep 2009
Format:Paperback
As previous reviews have stated, "This book is excellent!" For the price you cannot beat it. Bear in mind that all the groups are American and consist of 3 or more in a group so you won't find English, or other countries, or individual singers such as Ricky Nelson, etc., but it's fantastic for the groups defined. It's almost like reading a history book on those years and the groups/individuals involved. I would have never believed how much some singers migrated from one group to another or how many times they changed their names and other amusing historical facts. If you're like me, I never knew that the "Four Lovers" became the "Four Seasons." You'll laugh and smile when with some of the stories, such as "The Prisonaires." This group was harmonizing in prison and the warden encouraged them to make a record. He permitted, under guard, to go out and cut a record that became popular. Then they even then played at different night clubs (under guard supervision) some evenings. Does it have every American group that cut a record? Probably not, but this book has more than I ever heard of. This is a must book and I'm amazed the price of this book is so reasonable. You cannot go wrong. If you want to have some fun, select a few songs listed in the book you've never heard of and check them out on YouTube. The odds are you'll find some of them . . . I even found one by the Prisonaires . . . Just Walking In The Rain - 1953.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Where Did All This Information Come From?
23 Jun 2006
Format:Paperback
Do you remember Sonny Til and the Orioles? They were the founding fathers of rhythm and blues.
Well, what about the El Dorados (named after Cadillac's hottest car)?
The Soul Stirrers? They were largely responsible for the development of modern soul music.
To summarize the above questions, you can't imagine how many groups are profiled. The book is organized into decades: 40's, 50's, 60's, etc. Obviously the book can't contain all the groups there ever were, far too many groups form, do little except some local gigs and fade away. But it certainly does include a bunch. So many, with so much information about each one, that you have to wonder how all this information was collected. Certainly Mr. Warner couldn't have known all these people. Or could he?
Note that this book is on American Singing Groups. You won't find the Beatles here.
Well, what about the El Dorados (named after Cadillac's hottest car)?
The Soul Stirrers? They were largely responsible for the development of modern soul music.
To summarize the above questions, you can't imagine how many groups are profiled. The book is organized into decades: 40's, 50's, 60's, etc. Obviously the book can't contain all the groups there ever were, far too many groups form, do little except some local gigs and fade away. But it certainly does include a bunch. So many, with so much information about each one, that you have to wonder how all this information was collected. Certainly Mr. Warner couldn't have known all these people. Or could he?
Note that this book is on American Singing Groups. You won't find the Beatles here.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Music > Reference
- Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Music > Styles > Rock & Pop > Styles
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
