This is the last of three volumes designed, in the author's words, to tell 'the story of America's popular songs, the people who wrote them, and the business they created and sustained'.Volume III, covering the twentieth century, discusses vaudeville, music boxes, the relationship of Hollywood to the music business, the 'fall and rise' of the record business in the 1930s, new technology after the Second World War, the dominance of rock'n'roll and the huge increase in the music business in the 1950s and 1960s, and, finally, the changing scene from 1967 to 1984, especially regarding government regulations, music licensing, and the record business.
Industry Reviews
"An astonishing work of discovery. Its wealth of research has been crafted into a lucid, continuously absorbing narrative. There is nothing else like it in the literature. Russ has left an resounding legacy."--Nat Hentoff
"Russell Sanjek witnessed at firsthand many of the events that helped shape the music industry in the past half century. He relates the often complex story with uncommon clarity."--Is Horowitz, Billboard Magazine
"Only Russ Sanjek had the requisite love, the diligence, and most especially, the arcane information that informs this colossal work of research and writing. How grievous it is that he lived long enough to complete the job but not long enough to see it in print."--Jerry Wexler
"There is no one to replace Russell Sanjek. His years of dedicated participation and scholarly research in the music industry made his the most well-informed mind in his field. There was virtually nothing lacking in his accumulated knowledge of American popular music. Much of it was first hand and the balance acquired through continuous reading and questioning. That he was a Vice President of BMI affords stature and pride to our organization. His death was a
great professional and personal loss. His work will take its rightful place on all library shelves and become the definitive source for information in its field. It was a great honor for me to have
worked with him for 25 eventful years in which he presented himself always with grace and wit--a legacy which I am proud to share."--Frances W. Preston, President and CEO, Broadcast Music, Incorporated
"An astonishing work of discovery. Its wealth of research has been crafted into a lucid, continuously absorbing narrative. There is nothing else like it in the literature. Russ has left an resounding legacy."--Nat Hentoff
"Russell Sanjek witnessed at firsthand many of the events that helped shape the music industry in the past half century. He relates the often complex story with uncommon clarity."--Is Horowitz, Billboard Magazine
"Only Russ Sanjek had the requisite love, the diligence, and most especially, the arcane information that informs this colossal work of research and writing. How grievous it is that he lived long enough to complete the job but not long enough to see it in print."--Jerry Wexler
"There is no one to replace Russell Sanjek. His years of dedicated participation and scholarly research in the music industry made his the most well-informed mind in his field. There was virtually nothing lacking in his accumulated knowledge of American popular music. Much of it was first hand and the balance acquired through continuous reading and questioning. That he was a Vice President of BMI affords stature and pride to our organization. His death was a
great professional and personal loss. His work will take its rightful place on all library shelves and become the definitive source for information in its field. It was a great honor for me to have
worked with him for 25 eventful years in which he presented himself always with grace and wit--a legacy which I am proud to share."--Frances W. Preston, President and CEO, Broadcast Music, Incorporated
