Strange Sounds: Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop

What do David Bowie, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, The Troggs, The Human League, The Osmonds and The Beach Boys have in common? They've all used unusual musical instruments on big hit records. Strange Sounds tells the stories behind these recordings and many more. It includes some of the biggest names in pop music from the 1950s to the present, explaining and illustrating what instruments were used – their history, how they were played, how the artists came to choose them – and in the process uncovering a parallel history of pop music, one where guitars and drums make way for claviolines, ocarinas and stylophones. The accompanying CD includes demonstration recordings of many of the instruments documented, as well as incidental music composed by the author, recorded using a unique line-up of the instruments featured in the book.

Mark Brend is an author and musician who lives in Exeter, Devon. His books include Strange Sounds andAmerican Troubadours, and his journalism has appeared in Record Collector, Mojo, Art & Music and many other publications.