Interesting podcasts and books on the music industry
Discussion
I find the whole process behind the creation, recording and promotion of music fascinating and have recently started reading a few books around the topic.
On the podcast front I really enjoyed the BBC's A-Z of Punk, the series that Nick Mason did on the history of recorded music and one I listened to on the history of the Hammond organ.
I now listen weekly to Word in Your Ear by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth which I find crammed full of interesting details about all sorts of aspects of the music business.
On the book front I recently really enjoyed Chris Blackwell's story of Island Records (The Islander) and Trevor Horn's Autobiography (Adventures in Modern Recording).
I'm now partway through Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Popstar by Nick Duredin and have just started on DaviD Hepworth's story of Abbey Road - it's brilliant.
Any other recommendations?
On the podcast front I really enjoyed the BBC's A-Z of Punk, the series that Nick Mason did on the history of recorded music and one I listened to on the history of the Hammond organ.
I now listen weekly to Word in Your Ear by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth which I find crammed full of interesting details about all sorts of aspects of the music business.
On the book front I recently really enjoyed Chris Blackwell's story of Island Records (The Islander) and Trevor Horn's Autobiography (Adventures in Modern Recording).
I'm now partway through Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Popstar by Nick Duredin and have just started on DaviD Hepworth's story of Abbey Road - it's brilliant.
Any other recommendations?
DoctorX said:
Rockonteurs podcast often have some interesting people as guests, not sure if this fits your brief.
Thanks DrX that looks right down my street.Had a quick look and can immediately see 19 that I'll download - Thomas Dolby, Sheryl Crow, William Orbit (get in!), Youth (YOUTH!), Bill Brufford, Nick Mason, Graham Coxon, Alan McGee, JJ BURNELL!!!, Adam Clayton, Sharleen Spiteri, Glen Matlock, Tim Burgess, Johnny Marr, Nile Rodgers, Dave Stewart, Trevor Horn, Chris Difford(!) and Phil Manzera.
Great recommendation, I can't wait.
DoctorX said:
I enjoyed the recent Richard Hawley one.
I've got to get through Abbey Road first which is fascinating. Part social history, part biography of the various musical and technical figures who came together to first make recording possible at all and then to start seriously bending sounds. There's a section in the book which goes The Hollies/early Beatles => St Pepper => Floyd. Seismic shifts.
Last night I started watching the Phil Spector documentary. There was some interesting footage of his studio where he had four pianists playing simultaneously and fuor guitarists to create the wall of sound thing. Lots of that going on in Sgt Pepper, albeit with overdubs on tape rather then parallel playing.
This one is Manchester focused but looks at the impact of setting up professional studios in Stockport and Manchester (Strawberry and Pluto) allowing the music industry in Manchester to not be as reliant on London as other cities and promote local groups.
Not so much the technical aspects of recording but the wider influence.
Leave The Capital by Paul Hanley
Not so much the technical aspects of recording but the wider influence.
Leave The Capital by Paul Hanley
bigpriest said:
This one is Manchester focused but looks at the impact of setting up professional studios in Stockport and Manchester (Strawberry and Pluto) allowing the music industry in Manchester to not be as reliant on London as other cities and promote local groups.
Not so much the technical aspects of recording but the wider influence.
Leave The Capital by Paul Hanley
Thanks; interesting and important - the point is made in the Abbey Road book over and over that in the 60's and early 70's it was London or nothing for recording studios.Not so much the technical aspects of recording but the wider influence.
Leave The Capital by Paul Hanley
If you are interested in Opera (and I concede that few are these days) then John Culshaw’s Ring Resounding tells the story of the recording of Decca’s mighty Ring Cycle under Solti from 1958 to 1965.
Culshaw was the producer of what is acknowledged to be the greatest classical recording ever made, and the book is full of background and anecdotes to this great achievement in the history of recorded sound, a record that is still being marketed vigorously to this day. It’s a great read.
Culshaw was the producer of what is acknowledged to be the greatest classical recording ever made, and the book is full of background and anecdotes to this great achievement in the history of recorded sound, a record that is still being marketed vigorously to this day. It’s a great read.
S100HP said:
Does anyone else who loves music really struggle with podcasts? I've tried and tried to listen to them, but just find I'd rather listen to music. I just find them really boring, but I love a music documentary on BBC4 on a Friday night.
I really enjoyed Nick Mason doing the History of Recording, the BBC one on the Hammond Organ, The A-Z of Punk and a lot of the Rockonteurs pods.Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff