The B-side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song

Ben Yagoda

329 ratings by Goodreads

Language: English

Published by Penguin Putnam Inc, 2015

1594488495 / 9781594488498

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From an acclaimed cultural critic, a narrative and social history of the great American songwriting era. Everybody knows and loves the American Songbook. But it's a bit less widely understood that in about 1950, this stream of great songs more or less dried up. All of a sudden, what came over the radio wasn't Gershwin, Porter, and Berlin, but 'Come on-a My House' and 'The Doggie in the Window?' Elvis and rock and roll arrived a few years later, and at that point the game was truly up. What happened, and why? In The B Side, Ben Yagoda answers those questions in a fascinating piece of detective work. Drawing on previously untapped archival sources and on scores of interviews - the voices include Randy Newman, Jimmy Webb, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mandel and Herb Alpert - the book illuminates broad musical trends through a series of intertwined stories. Among them are the battle between ASCAP and Broadcast Music, Inc.; the schism in jazz after World War II; the impact of radio and then television; and the bitter, decades-long feud between Mitch Miller and Frank Sinatra. The B Sideis about taste, and the particular economics and culture of songwriting, and the potential of popular art for greatness and beauty. It is a book destined to become a classic of American musical history. Praise for Ben Yagoda- 'A great many books celebrate the pre-rock Great American Songbook. Ben Yagoda's highly original and shrewdly argued The B-Sideisn't one of them. It tells how the Songbook emerged, but is more intent on dissecting its meretricious demise, and the way a new songbook emerged from the rubble. It is anecdotal, illuminating, and persuasive.' Gary Giddins, author of Bing Crosby- A Pocketful of Dreams and Visions of Jazz 'Wow, what a piece of work! I love it. The B Side is A PLUS.'Dave Frishberg 'A provocative, consistently engaging counternarrative to the conventional wisdom that rock 'n' roll killed Tin Pan Alley.' Kirkus Reviews 'Yagoda . . . is blessed with a genius for apt quotation.' John Leonard Ben Yagoda is always fine company, with just the right word, kindly good judgment, and another great story coming up on the next page.' Richard Ben Cramer.…

Seller Inventory # 00106156313

Title
The B-side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song
Author
Ben Yagoda
Publisher
Penguin Putnam Inc
Publication year
2015
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardback
Language
English
ISBN 10
1594488495
ISBN 13
9781594488498

World of Books (was SecondSale)

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Founded in 2002, World of Books is a leading online destination for buying and selling both preloved and new books, committed to making sustainable reading accessible to all. With a mission to help people read more and waste less, World of Books offers a huge range of affordable, high-quality books — giving both new and preloved titles a second life. The company also operates World of Books – Sell Your Books, an easy-to-use platform that allows customers to trade in unwanted books for cash, helping to keep books in circulation while promoting sustainability. As a Certified B Corp, World of Books is driven by a vision to become the world’s largest and most sustainable dedicated online bookstore. The company measures its success through the positive environmental impact it creates, the value it provides to customers, and its ability to operate profitably while supporting its sustainable mission …

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