In 1970, Elton John, formerly Reginald Kenneth Dwight, stepped from the obscurity of suburban Pinner, Middlesex, England, into a pop culture reeling from post-Beatles fallout, to become one of the biggest-selling recording artists in the world. To date he has sold over 300 million records from a discography of 30 studio albums, four live albums, over 100 singles, and a multitude of compilations, soundtracks and collaborations. He is the recipient of six Grammys and ten Ivor Novello awards,...

You could consider Kate Bush's The Dreaming to be her finest moment, depending on whether you value the rejection of compromise and see that as a sign of authenticity. Or, you may see her Hounds of Love - equal parts artful and accessible - as the benchmark for artistic integrity meeting commercial success: a slippery and completely unpredictable schizoid beast at the best of times.As much as The Dreaming seems to be viewed as Bush's most difficult record to consume, it's easy to fo...

In her long career, Canadian songstress Joni Mitchell has been hailed as everything from a 1960s folk icon to 20th century cultural figure, artistic iconoclast to musical heroine, extreme romantic confessor to both outspoken commentator and lyrical painter. Eschewing commercial considerations, she simply viewed her trajectory as that of any artist serious about the integrity of their work. But whatever musical position she took, she was always one step ahead of the game, making eclectic an...

Hailing from Manchester, England, sophisticated pop purveyors 10cc hit the ground running with their 1972 debut single, 'Donna'. Their pedigree reached back to bassist Graham Gouldman's songwriting successes in the 1960s, while guitarist and recording engineer Eric Stewart, was already a bonafide pop star having sung the global hit, 'Groovy Kind of Love,' with The Mindbenders. When the pair teamed up with drummer/singer Kevin Godley and multi-instrumentalist/singer, Lol Creme, the combinat...

When Sonicbond Publishing produced its first books in 2018, we didn’t expect that by 2024, we would have published over 120 new titles in our flagship On Track series. To celebrate we are pleased to present our very first printed, pocket-sized sampler. This represents a brief dive into eight of our titles in the series across a wide range of music genres, including progressive rock, indie, classic rock, folk rock, singer-songwriter and metal.Yes’ seminal Fragile album finds the band...

Listening to the Music the Machines Make is the revolutionary story of electronic pop from 1978 to 1983, a true golden age of British music. This definitive account explores how krautrock, disco, glam rock and punk inspired a new generation to rip up the rulebook and venture toward a new frontier of electronic music – one that laid the foundations for Hip-Hop, house, techno and beyond.Including an extensive collection of archive images throughout, Richard ...

Formed in the 1960s, progressive rock band Procol Harum are best known for their multimillion-selling single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which is the most played record by a British artist of the last 70 years.This book features exclusive interviews with band members as well as with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, film director Alan Parker, former managers, DJs and many others.It tells the story of their formation in Essex in the 60s, their split on the 10th anniversary in 1977 and their reformati...

Few would deny that Deep Purple were one of the most influential and popular heavy rock bands to emerge from the melting pot of the late 1960s. They went through several line-up changes, and stylistic shifts, before splitting up for the first time in the mid 1970s. Talismanic guitarist Ritchie Blackmore carried the spirit on when he formed Rainbow after leaving Purple in 1975, particularly through his partnership with legendary singer Ronnie James Dio. Deep Purple reformed some years later...

Even after 40 years, critics of Tears For Fears have tended to describe them as an 80s band. This is understandable when songs like ‘Mad World’ appear in films that typify that period and ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ has had a prolonged life as one of the most played songs on streaming services.Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith quickly transformed from their first band, mod revivalists Graduate, to introspective studio obsessives with The Hurting, to global hitmakers on Songs fro...

This is a comprehensive in-depth exploration of the career and work of one of the worlds greatest hard rock bands.With the likes of Richie Blackmore, Ian Gillan and David Coverdale passing through their ranks, Deep Purple was always destined to produce extraordinary music - what was less predictable was in the incredible story of the bands formation, rise to fame and struggle to cope with the immense pressures of international superstardom. Jerry Blooms sparkling narrative tells the story,...

*The Sunday Times Bestseller*The brand new memoir from James Acaster: cult comedian, bestselling author of Classic Scrapes, undercover cop, receiver of cabbages.PERFECT SOUND WHATEVER is a love letter to the healing power of music, and how one man's obsessive quest saw him defeat the bullshit of one year with the beauty of another. Because that one man is James Acaster, it also includes tales of befouling himself in a Los Angeles s...

Hes not paying me anymore, so I can say what I like. Ritchie is the greatest guitarist in the world. - Bobby Rondinelli of Rainbow This is the independent and uncensored guide to the music of Rainbow. Written by Jeff Perkins, this amazing eBook is the ultimate commemoration of one of the greatest rock bands on the planet.Also featured are rare and previously unreleased interviews with Ritchie Blackmore and the late great Ronnie James Dio. The views of the two founders are complemented by n...