Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era - Hardcover

Emerson, Ken

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670034568 ISBN 13: 9780670034567

Publisher: Viking Adult, 2005

Synopsis

Profiles fourteen songwriters responsible for such hits as "Jailhouse Rock," "Uptown," and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'," explaining how their blending of music from different genres affected social consciousness, in a volume that includes portraits of such figures as Neil Sedaka, Hal David, and Carole King. 30,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author:

Ken Emerson, the author of Doo-Dah!: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture and coauthor of Stephen Foster, a documentary film for the PBS series The American Experience, has written widely about popular music and culture since the 1960s. His articles and reviews have appeared in publications ranging from Rolling Stone to The Wall Street Journal. He is the former articles editor of The New York Times Magazine and op-ed editor of New York Newsday.

From Publishers Weekly:

Emerson (Doo-Dah!: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture) enthusiastically chronicles the lives and careers of seven songwriting teams whose pioneering work from the late 1950s through the mid '60s ushered rock and roll into mainstream America. From Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman came enduring hits like "On Broadway" and "Yakety-Yak." Emerson follows their progress as competitors, lovers and collaborators, creating a hagiography of these ambitious, often classically trained (and often Brooklyn-bred) tyros, influenced as much by the great American songbook as New York City's Latin, soul and doo-wop sounds. Emerson also depicts a music industry in flux, shifting idols from Sinatra to Elvis and learning to cater to a lucrative youth market. Seldom short on gossip, this dense mix of biography, music analysis and social history offers an upbeat reading of rock history. It begs for a fuller discussion of the influences of Motown, the British invasion and payola, but Emerson's affectionate tone, delight in the songwriter's craft and extensive research are fortifying—much like the classics he celebrates.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Adult
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0670034568
• ISBN 13: 9780670034567
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320