Cherry Red Books – förlag

A browse in any music store reveals extensive collections of Irish folk, trad and blues. However, in the past great pioneers of the genre lived when the recording industry showed scant interest in the scene. This fascinating history reveals the frustrations and triumphs of trailblazers before acts like U2 existed. The main thrust of the book concerns the influence of homegrown pioneers, from Sweeney's Men to De Dannan and Martin Hayes.

Following their reunion in 2009, Paul Williams charts the meteoric rise, fall and revival of the band, with unprecedented access to band members and those close to them, a remarkable level of research and an irresistible enthusiasm for both The Specials and the 2-Tone culture which grew up around them. This new and expanded edition of 'You're Wondering Now' contains over 30,000 words of new material, and takes us around the world several times as the reunited band were rightfully elevated to their position among British pop music royalty. Also including an updated complete discography and gigography, track-by-track detail and analysis and a brand-new foreword from Madness guitarist Chrissy Boy, this is an essential read for those who were there, fans of 2-Tone and ska and for anybody with an interest in a band whose political voice - one that often spoke out in isolation for the repressed and the disregarded - grows more relevant year on year. Much loved, much missed and absolutely irreplaceable, The Specials continue to appeal to fans old and new, and 'You're Wondering Now' provides a perfect accompaniment for anybody on that journey. Paul Williams is a lifelong Specials and 2Tone fan, Managing Director of The Specialized Project (a charitable music-based events, record label and fund-raising project), co-admin at The Specials Fan club, and lead vocalist in the popular modern 2Tone ska band The Skapones. He lives with his family in Darlington, County Durham. He will be giving readings and appearing at selected ska and 2-Tone festivals around the release of the book, including Madness' 'House Of Fun' weekender in November 2025.

From his youth, through his brief but beautiful impact on the charts, to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis that effectively ended his career, the names that define Clifford T. Ward's unique talent are as varied as they are impressive: Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney, Karl Hyde, Jeff Lynne and Tim Rice. All speak between these pages of a truly extraordinary man that the world, sadly, remembers only for an appearance on Top of the Pops in 1973. In this affectionate, exhaustively researched book, recently revised and expanded, readers will come to reconsider this amazing talent. Photos.

A chronicle of Alex Howard's seven-year journey with M.E. - also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This updated second edition includes Alex's experiences since the first edition of Why M.E. was published, most crucially his adventure setting up the Optimum Health Clinic, an award-winning clinic specialising in M.E., which has since treated over 5,000 patients.

The first and only complete guide to the first decade of Britain's independent record charts, and to the acts, the music and the labels which made up the indie scene of the 1980s is now back in print. Every artist, single and album to have made the Indie Charts, including Depeche Mode, Joy Division, The Smiths, New Order, Stone Roses, Erasure and Happy Mondays is recorded in detail. Also included: complete indexes of single and album titles; an authoritative history; a host of facts and trivia, plus tons of photos!

Rooted in ancient instigators such as Pentagram, Atomic Rooster and the mightiest of mighty - Black Sabbath, Doom has defied all the odds to spawn a huge global fanbase. Boasting such revolutionary bands as The Obsessed, Trouble, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Stoner, Candlemass, Fu Manchu, Ironboss and hundreds more, the impact of Doom can be felt the world over. Here, each and every band is included with an enormous wealth of historical detail and full global discography. Also includes a free 17-track Doom & Gothic Metal CD.

A fascinating biography of Joe Meek who was widely recognised as Britain's first real independent pop music producer and hailed as Britain's answer to Phil Spector. He turned out million-copy selling records such as 'Telstar' from his home recording studio and made the first recordings for stars like Rod Stewart, Tom Jones and David Bowie. Legendary for his obsessive secrecy and often bizarre behaviour, his private life was a tortured tangle of violence, sex, drugs, the occult and eventually murder. Includes a full discography and B & W photographs.

Few people in rock music are as fascinating to their fans as Syd Barrett, the legendary lead guitarist and founder of the band Pink Floyd. This new book, prepared in a diary format, provides for the first time the full details of all his recording sessions together with exclusive interviews with many of the producers and engineers involved. This is the most comprehensive, accurate and detailed account yet published of the background to the creation of Syd Barrett's musical legacy and will be essential reading for all fans. Illustrated with B/W photos.

Motorhead are a band, and indeed a brand, with international appeal and a fanbase spanning generations. Headed by the icon and national treasure that is Lemmy Kilmister, their career is about to enter its fifth decade and their popularity only ever seems to grow, as demonstrated by the crossover of their instantly recognisable T-shirts onto the high street. This new edition of The Motorhead Collector's Guide tells an alternate history of the band via its discography and collectables, along with choice selections from the fanzine Motorheadbangers.

The first ever biography of one of the most remarkable bands in rock history. Since the moment they emerged into the mainstream in 1974, armed with the hit This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us', The Sparks - brothers Ron and Russell Mael - have endeared themselves to successive generations of fans, not only with their wry humour and quirkiness, but also with a lyrical and musical inventiveness that sees them listed among the most influential acts ever. Published to celebrate 40 years of this incredible act and 35 years of hits.'

Despite its disposable appearance, Glam Rock has survived and thrived for four decades and is now viewed as one of the best loved and most productive periods for pop music in the UK. Children of the Revolution is the definitive A to Z guide to the period, chronicling every band and artist who made a significant impression on the art form, both in its heyday and its later years. Provides a wealth of information of numerous much loved acts, including T.Rex, Wizzard, Slade, Bay City Rollers, Mud, Mott the Hoople, Sparks, Alvin Stardust and hundreds more.

To the modern pop world, Stock, Aitken and Waterman (and Waterman's PWL brand) form a key link between the analogue past and the digital present of record production and writing. The label and its studios produced so many pop hits in the 1980s that their name became a byword for success and perfection: that they created a template expertly worked today by Simon Cowell is undeniable. Packed full of anecdotes and production details, PWL perfectly walks the line between gossip and fact, representing the first account of the PWL world outside the core trio.

A fascinating compilation of the life stories of perfectly ordinary people, all of whom have been through extraordinary experiences leading to amazing new perceptions. Some have been seekers from a very young age, whilst others had previously never even thought in terms of seeking. Nevertheless, all shared a common sense of dissatisfaction with their lives. This collection of stories explores the remarkable means by which each individual went about achieving an end to their suffering.

The definitive guide to the band's studio activity. This updated edition brings the story up to date and includes detailed commentary and analysis of each recording, along with information on recording locations, the context of the material and the band's chronology through the only thing that really matters, their work. The book also covers details of the band's live career, other activities such a autobiographies and suchlike and includes a full discography.

Since the dawn of the 1980s, psychobilly has infected generations of rockers with its demented and speed-crazed take on a variety of musical styles. Starved almost entirely of mainstream recognition, it has created its own universe of bands, fans, labels, fanzines and websites across the globe. With many rare photographs, Hells Bent on Rockin' documents the growth of a genre at the blunt end of the music industry, featuring titans of the genre such as The Meteors, Demented are Go, King Kurt and Mad Sin. Part rockabilly, part punk... all rock 'n' roll!

Led Zeppelin require no introduction - their fusion of blues, rock, proto-metal and vivid lyrical imagery ushered in the 1970s rock boom, invented stadium rock and have influenced every would-be rocker around the world. Many books have been written on the group, each of whom are legends in their own right, but Celebration Day is the first book to explore the group's world and career in this fashion - an extensive A to Z reference work dealing with every song on each of their albums, every major gig they ever did and the background of each of the four musicians.