Music and Musicians
Talking Books
The titles in this booklist are just a selection of the titles available for loan from the
RNIB National Library Talking Book Service.
Don’t forget you are allowed to have up to 6 books on loan. When you return a title,
you will then receive another one.
If you would like to read any of these titles then please contact the Customer Services
Team on 0303 123 9999 or email library@rnib.org.uk
If you would like further information, or help in selecting titles to read, then please
contact the Reader Services Team on 01733 37 53 33 or email
libraryinfo@rnib.org.uk
You can write to us at RNIB NLS, PO Box 173, Peterborough PE2 6WS
Conductors in conversation. 1990. Read by Peter Barker, 6 hours 31 minutes.
TB 8849.
A collection of conversations with 7 of the world's greatest conductors: Claudio
Abbado, Carlo Maria Giulini, Herbert von Karajan, James Levine, Riccardo Muti,
Eugene Ormandy and Sir Georg Solti. Covering all aspects of their lives, their work,
their approach, their technique and interpretation, as well as their early influence and
historic performances. This would interest all lovers of classical music. TB 8849.
Atkins, Harold
The Barbirollis: a musical marriage. 1983. Read by Tom Crowe, 8 hours 54
minutes. TB 9693.
The marriage of John Barbirolli to oboist Evelyn Rothwell in 1939 presaged not only a
warm and steady relationship, but also a magical musical partnership. Born into totally
different backgrounds, they became a much loved and respectable couple in the
musical world. We see John as the serious young cellist, Evelyn as a schoolgirl, the
glorious re-creation of the Halle orchestra, and their triumphs in the concert hall at
home and abroad. A warm and intimate account of a remarkable couple, and two
remarkable careers. TB 9693.
Baker, Anne Pimlott
Beethoven. 1998. Read by Anita Wright, 2 hours 10 minutes. TB 13052.
Telling the story of Beethoven's life and work, this text describes his early
employment as a court musician, his studies with Haydn in Vienna and his work
during the French Revolution, rise of Napoleon and subsequent French occupation of
Vienna. Despite the fact that Beethoven becomes more financially successful after
Napoleon's defeat, his emotional life remained tumultuous with several unhappy love
affairs and continuous worry over his suicidal nephew, Karl. TB 13052.
Barber, David W
Bach, Beethoven and the boys: music history as it ought to be taught. 1986.
Read by Peter Marinker, 4 hours 5 minutes. TB 13364.
This book chronicles the lives of the great (and not-so-great) composers as you've
never read them before - exploring their sex lives, exposing their foibles and
expanding our understanding of these remarkable but also all too-human creatures.
Chock-full of information, interesting facts and trivia, this hilarious history covers
music from Gregorian chant to the mess we're in now. From Bach's laundry lists to
Beethoven's bowel problems, from Gesualdo's kinky fetishes to Cage's mushroom
madness... TB 13364.
2
Beckham, Victoria
Learning to fly: the autobiography. 2002. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 14 hours
44 minutes. TB 13286.
From the time she saw the movie "Fame", Victoria Beckham wanted to be a star. A
line from the theme song stayed with her -"I'm gonna live for ever, I'm gonna learn
how to fly". With this amazing book she gives us the chance to fly alongside her on
her journey from lonely teenager to international star. Contains strong language. TB
13286.
Bergreen, Laurence
Louis Armstrong: an extravagant life. 1997. Read by Jeff Harding, 22 hours 33
minutes. TB 12264.
A biography of the jazz and blues master, using new material from the Louis
Armstrong archive. Louis Armstrong was a character of epic proportions - married
four times, a life-long advocate of marijuana, who took his music from the streets of
New Orleans to Hollywood, Europe and South America. TB 12264.
Black, Cilla
What's it all about? 2004. Read by Eunice Roberts, 16 hours 20 minutes. TB
17390.
Since debuting on the showbiz circuit in 1963, Cilla Black has released 14 studio
albums, in addition to two successful greatest hit packages and 37 singles. She has
also starred in such shows as "Surprise, Surprise" and "Blind Date". This book relates
the story of her life. TB 17390.
Blackburn, Tony
Poptastic: my life in radio. 2007. Read by Andrew Stanson, 8 hours 15 minutes.
TB 16247.
Tony Blackburn is probably one of the most recognisable disc jockeys working in
Britain today, and is always busy doing what he does best - playing music to listeners.
Tony feels the time is right to look back on the time he has spent in radio and the
media. The days spent as a radio pirate, to becoming the number one DJ in the UK
for the best part of a decade. The stars he befriended, the rivalries in radio he
endured, the friendships made, and broken, all will be told in his candid style.
Contains strong language. TB 16247.
Blades, James
Drum roll: a professional adventure from the circus to the concert hall. 1977.
Read by Alvar Lidell, 13 hours 47 minutes. TB 3233.
The famous player and exponent of all percussion instruments, tells his own story
with all its many experiences and adventures. TB 3233.
3
Bliss, Arthur
As I remember. 1970. Read by Alvar Lidell, 12 hours 45 minutes. TB 1352.
A recollection of a happy life from early days and the discovery of the joys of music to
his 75th birthday. TB 1352.
Bocelli, Andrea
Andrea Bocelli: the music of silence. 1999. Read by Peter Barker, 9 hours 14
minutes. TB 12878.
Andrea Bocelli is one of the world's most successful male singers, selling 20 million
recordings world-wide. He has become the popular face of classical music. Yet
behind his extraordinary success lies a story of personal triumph. Andrea Bocelli was
blinded at the age of twelve. Undeterred, he continued to pursue his childhood dream
to sing, using Braille musical scores and lyric sheets. This is Bocelli's true story, told
in his own words for the first time. He talks frankly about his blindness, the importance
of his family, his stage fright, and the pressures of international stardom. TB 12878.
Boult, Adrian
Thoughts on conducting. 1963. Read by Alvar Lidell, 2 hours 36 minutes. TB
13036.
The techniques of orchestral command as demonstrated by several renowned
conductors. TB 13036.
Bowen, Meirion
Michael Tippett. 1982. Read by Derek Chandler, 6 hours 19 minutes. TB 4559.
This examines the innovative works of one of the foremost British composers. It is a
useful concert guide, as well as giving the main facts about the composer himself. TB
4559.
Braddon, Russell
Joan Sutherland. 1962. Read by Alvar Lidell, 9 hours 50 minutes. TB 217.
The woman and her art, her fight to overcome ill-health and many other difficulties. TB
217.
Brahms, Caryl
Gilbert and Sullivan: lost chords and discords. 1975. Read by Stanley Pritchard,
10 hours. TB 2882.
With the help of quotations from letters, newspapers and documents of the time, the
author recaptures the drama and the poignancy of the famous partnership. TB 2882.
4
Bret, David
The real Gracie Fields: the authorized biography. 2010. Read by Mike Aherne,
10 hours 27 minutes. TB 17768.
In her day, Gracie Fields was one of the highest paid stars in the world. Appearing in
a series of films which reflected the spirit of a troubled decade and cutting hundreds
of superb recordings, she became an international legend and a national institution. In
this first full-length biography of Gracie, fully authorised by her family, David Bret
reveals the real Gracie Fields a complex woman far removed from the mill-girl-toriches persona she conveyed to her adoring public, as seen by her family and closest
friends. Based on sources that include personal war diaries, private correspondence,
and many first-hand interviews, Bret reveals her personal tragedies, great bravery
and her often extreme naivety. Contains strong language and violence. TB 17768.
Brun-Lambert, David
Nina Simone: the biography. 2009. Read by Ryan Forde Isco, 15 hours 49
minutes. TB 17819.
This is the first biography of the legendary diva to tell her whole extraordinary story. It
offers fresh insights into a notoriously complex character drawing on a wealth of
original interviews with Nina Simone's intimate circle. Contains strong language. TB
17819.
Buckley, David
Strange fascination: David Bowie, the definitive story. 2005. Read by Alan
Thorpe, 27 hours 33 minutes. TB 17458.
A biography of the influential and chameleon-like rock icon, David Bowie, who created
the fantastical rock star and revenge of the suburbs, Ziggy Stardust. It seeks to
unravel the Bowie enigma, via interviews, biography and academic analysis. TB
17458.
Cardus, Neville
A composer's eleven. 1958. Read by Duncan Carse, 8 hours 45 minutes. TB 953.
Essays on Schubert, Wagner, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Strauss, Franck, Debussy,
Elgar, Delius, and Sibelius. TB 953.
Cardus, Neville
Cardus on music: a centenary collection. 1990. Read by Anthony Hopkins, 13
hours 41 minutes. TB 9307.
Sir Neville Cardus, whose formal training in music was virtually non-existent, wrote
over 2,000 pieces of music criticism and established an unassailable reputation as
one of the world's most eloquent critics this century. This is a collection of his finest
essays and shows him at his best: the last critic from a more generous era, where
criticism was an art and not a technical evaluation. TB 9307.
5
Chevalier, Maurice
I remember it well. 1971. Read by John Richmond, 7 hours 6 minutes. TB 1754.
On his eightieth birthday Chevalier takes us from the slums of Paris to his marathon
birthday tour. TB 1754.
Chissell, Joan
Clara Schumann: a dedicated spirit. 1983. Read by Patricia Hughes, 11 hours 24
minutes. TB 5218.
Music has few greater love stories than that of Clara and Robert Schumann. Their
path of love was never smooth but Clara's devotion to Robert was constant, despite
the conflict between her domestic responsibilities and the call to the concert platform.
There is also a reappraisal of Clara's musical achievement not only as a pianist, but
also as a teacher, editor and composer. TB 5218.
Clapton, Eric
Eric Clapton: the autobiography. 2007. Read by Mark Elstob, 11 hours 16
minutes. TB 15903.
Eric was born an illegitimate child to a Canadian airman in 1945 and raised by his
grandparents. Until the age of 9 he believed his absentee mother to be his sister.
When the truth was revealed he felt a sense of abandonment and isolation which was
eventually to drive him to despair and addiction. From his early teens his solace was
the guitar. At the age of eighteen he joined the Yardbirds and from then on his
legendary status was assured. In 1966 the world's first super group, Cream, was
formed and at the age of 22 Eric was a world superstar. Now for the first time, Eric
tells the story of his personal and professional journeys in this autobiography.
Contains strong language. TB 15903.
Clarke, Donald
Billie Holiday: wishing on the moon. 2002. Read by Kenneth Jay, 19 hours 40
minutes. TB 17392.
Based on unrivalled access to archival interviews with those who knew her at every
stage of her life, this is the most revealing biography of the incomparable Lady Day.
Clarke was given unrivalled access to a treasure trove of interviews from the 1970s
interviews with those who knew Lady Day from her childhood in the streets and goodtime houses of Baltimore through the early days of success in New York and into the
years of fame, right up to her tragic decline and death at the age of forty-four.
Contains strong language. TB 17392.
Clayton, Buck
Buck Clayton's jazz world. 1986. Read by Garrick Hagon, 16 hours 53 minutes.
TB 8085.
Buck Clayton, the American professional jazz player, in conjunction with Nancy Miller
Elliott has produced an autobiography looking at his life and career. His visits to China
6
and Europe are covered in detail as are his memories of Billie Holiday and Count
Basie. Clayton's autobiography also gives a revealing picture of twentieth century
American social history. TB 8085.
Cohen, Harriet
A bundle of time: the memoirs of Harriet Cohen. 1969. Read by Gretel Davis, 15
hours 2 minutes. TB 1855.
The autobiography of a brilliant pianist, and accounts of her happy associations with
many artists and composers. TB 1855.
Cotton, Billy
I did it my way: the life story of Billy Cotton. 1970. Read by John Graham, 6
hours 19 minutes. TB 1607.
The autobiography of the man known as "Mr Show Business", completed on the
morning of his death. TB 1607.
Crawford, Michael
Parcel arrived safely, tied with string: my autobiography. 2000. Read by Gordon
Dulieu, 11 hours 35 minutes. TB 13521.
In his autobiography, Crawford recalls his childhood, his early years in showbusiness
and the friendships to which it led. Stage shows like "The Phantom of the Opera" and
films such as "Hello Dolly" are all remembered, and he offers plenty of professional
and personal behind-the scenes anecdotes. TB 13521.
Crawford, Sue
Ozzy unauthorized. 2002. Read by Rachel Atkins, 5 hours 8 minutes. TB 13099.
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne has been very popular with the American public as
the star of "The Osbournes", a fly-on-the-wall-docu-soap. This biography is a
comprehensive study of his past, and with its specially commissioned astrological
chart, the future of this survivor and star. Contains strong language. TB 13099.
Cross, Charles R
Heavier than heaven: a biography of Kurt Cobain. 2002. Read by Simon Lee
Phillips, 15 hours 33 minutes. TB 17419.
Kurt Cobain's life and death fast became rock'n'roll legend. The worldwide success of
his band, Nirvana, defined the music scene in the early 1990s and their songs spoke
to and for a generation. This is the extraordinary story of artistic brilliance and the pain
that extinguished it. TB 17419.
7
Davis, Francis
Outcats: jazz composers, instrumentalists and singers. 1990. Read by John
Guerrasio, 12 hours 10 minutes. TB 9864.
The author goes in search of the true jazz musician and discovers some of the field's
true eccentrics. TB 9864.
Duberman, Martin Bauml
Paul Robeson. 1991. Read by James Tillitt, 29 hours 6 minutes. TB 10168.
The son of a runaway slave, a brilliant scholar and athlete, Paul Robeson became
world famous as a singer and actor. He achieved notoriety through his political
activities, campaigning for civil rights, and activity against fascism. A towering figure
of the 20th century, he knew many international figures, from Indira Ghandhi and
Khrushchev to Bernard Shaw and Einstein. Here is the definitive biography of a great
world figure. TB 10168.
Dundy, Elaine
Elvis and Gladys. 1985. Read by John Rye, 16 hours 44 minutes. TB 5907.
Elvis Presley, pop musical genius of this century, was a sixth-generation American,
but before the success of his first record, cut when he was 19, his family had suffered
hardship and deprivation. The author examines Elvis' life in the context of the close
mother-son relationship which increased over the years instead of - more usually gradually disappearing. The advent of the colourful Tom Parker, however, forced a
dramatic change in the lives of both mother and son. TB 5907.
Dylan, Bob
Chronicles. 2004. Read by John Chancer, 9 hours 57 minutes. TB 13951.
This is the first volume of the autobiography of a musical and political icon. Circa
1965, arguably the high point of his creative genius, Bob Dylan writes on the
beginnings of his music career, his loves - including his very first date - and offers a
very personal, anecdotal view of this time of great creativity, innovation and music
history. TB 13951.
Easton, Carol
Jacqueline du Pre: a biography. 1989. Read by Rosalind Shanks, 9 hours 51
minutes. TB 7694.
Jacqueline du Pre, her enormous courage notwithstanding, was neither golden girl
nor saint: away from her cello she was completely and achingly human. As a child,
she had been isolated by her phenomenal talent; as an adult, she was confined to the
rarefied insular concert world. During the last fifteen years of her life, she lived in the
inexorably shrinking world of the invalid. The true story of her life is as extraordinary
as her talent. TB 7694.
8
Faith, Adam
Acts of faith. 1996. Read by Cameron Stewart, 8 hours 56 minutes. TB 11699.
The book recounts the life of Adam Faith, starting as a young musician, having twenty
four hit singles, becoming an actor and then being involved in a car crash which left
mental and physical scars. The author then sets up business as a property tycoon,
has a bypass operation, goes bust owing £1.5 million and then gives one of his best
performances as an actor in Stardust, leading to further key performances. TB 11699.
Faithfull, Marianne
Faithfull. 1994. Read by Norma West, 12 hours 53 minutes. TB 10465.
When Marianne Faithfull settled into a love affair with Mick Jagger her life looked like
a rock'n'roll fairy tale, except that her passion for drugs increasingly dominated her
life. The fairy tale masked a dizzying world of intrigues, affairs and dangerous games
that finally brought Marianne's whole world crashing down. She discusses her life as
a junkie, her suicide attempts and her growing will to live, leading to a triumphant
return as a songwriter, singer and actress. Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB
10465.
Farson, Daniel
Marie Lloyd & music hall. 1972. Read by Garard Green, 7 hours 11 minutes. TB
2142.
The life story of the singer who shocked and charmed late Victorian and Edwardian
England, set against a background of music hall history. TB 2142.
Feinstein, Elaine
Bessie Smith. 1985. Read by Gretel Davis, 2 hours 25 minutes. TB 6281.
Blues singer Bessie Smith was born and raised in the slums of Chattanooga,
Tennessee. She sang of the ills at the heart of the black woman's life; of their efforts
to cope with betrayal and desertion. Her life-long defiance of the white world found
expression both in her extraordinary stage presence and in her uninhibited off-stage
behaviour. TB 6281.
Fenby, Eric
Delius as I knew him. 1936. Read by Derek Chandler, 7 hours 41 minutes. TB
4236.
Written very shortly after Delius died in 1934, while memories were still fresh, this
book covers the last six years of his life. Eric Fenby, then a young organist in
Yorkshire, went to live at Grez-sur-Loing to help the blind and partly paralysed
composer in his work, including Songs of Farewell and A Song of Summer. TB 4236.
9
Ferrier, Kathleen
Letters and diaries of Kathleen Ferrier. 2003. Read by Peter Barker, Joan Walker
and Diana Bishop, 16 hours 29 minutes. TB 13933.
Fifty years ago, Kathleen Ferrier, the greatest lyric contralto Britain has ever
produced, lost her battle with breast cancer. Until now she has been a voice, but
through these letters and diaries we get to see the person. Her correspondents
include composer Benjamin Britten, conductors John Barbirolli and Bruno Walter, her
accompanist John Newmark, her agents John and Emmie Tillet, as well as friends,
family and fans. Her letters not only illuminate the musical life of Britain, Europe and
America but also detailed the organisation involved in programming, touring, and
performing in the very different arenas of concerts, recitals, opera, broadcasting and
recording. TB 13933.
Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich
Echoes of a lifetime. 1989. Read by Peter Barker, 13 hours 25 minutes. TB 8198.
"Echoes of a Lifetime" offers a self-portrait rather than a traditional autobiography,
almost a photograph-album in prose. He vividly recalls his young years in Hitler's
Germany and the military service that interrupted his musical training and took him to
an American prisoner-of-war camp in Italy. Back home in Berlin in 1947, the
tumultuous applause that greeted his debut as Posa in Verdi's "Don Carlos" launched
one of the truly great careers of musical history. TB 8198.
Freedland, Michael
Jerome Kern. 1978. Read by Derek Chandler, 7 hours 46 minutes. TB 6098.
Jerome David Kern survived the immense handicap of not being born on the lower
East side. He arrived with at least one silver spoon in his mouth and very early in his
life Mama Kern decided that Jerry could be a famous musician. Unusually she was
right. TB 6098.
Galway, James
An autobiography. 1978. Read by Brian Perkins, 6 hours 6 minutes. TB 3732.
An entertaining account of the life and career of this leading flautist. TB 3732.
Geldof, Bob
Is that it? 1986. Read by Stanley McGeagh, 17 hours 46 minutes. TB 5538.
A charismatic pop star writes of his childhood in Dublin, schooldays funny and
horrifying and the origins of New Wave music. He charts the beginnings and triumphs
of the Boomtown Rats, their eclipse and his formation of Band Aid. With it he rallied
the forces of rock performers all over the world and inspired millions to raise millions
for the starving of Africa. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 5538.
10
Gillespie, Dizzy
Dizzy: the autobiography of Dizzy Gillespie. 1980. Read by Marvin Kane, 21
hours 10 minutes. TB 3924.
This autobiography of the great jazz musician is sub-titled 'To be or not to Bop'. TB
3924.
Glover, Jane
Mozart's women: his family, his friends, his music. 2005. Read by Charlie
Norfolk, 13 hours 52 minutes. TB 15692.
Mozart was fascinated, amused, aroused, hurt, and betrayed by women. He loved
and respected them, composed for them, performed with them. This biography looks
at his interaction with each, starting with his family - his mother, Maria Anna and
beloved and talented sister, Nannerl, and his marriage - which brought his 'other
family', the Weber sisters. His relationships with his artists are examined, in particular
those of his operas, through whose characters Mozart gave voice to the emotions of
women who were, like his entire female acquaintance, restrained by the conventions
and structures of eighteenth-century society. TB 15692.
Haendel, Ida
Woman with violin: an autobiography. 1970. Read by Carol Marsh, 18 hours 2
minutes. TB 1224.
The autobiography of a great violinist, from early days as child prodigy through
studies to travels all over the world. TB 1224.
Halliwell, Geri
If only. 2000. Read by Candida Gubbins, 14 hours 3 minutes. TB 13147.
Geri's autobiography is funny, frank, poignant, incisive and, in the best sense,
inspirational. At its heart, "If only" is about fame and the rollercoaster journey one girl
took from believing it would provide the answer to life's problems to her discovery that
the real solutions lie elsewhere. Contains strong language. TB 13147.
Hammond, Joan
A voice, a life: autobiography. 1970. Read by Judith Whale, 9 hours 21 minutes.
TB 1482.
The autobiography of the famous soprano who came to Europe from Australia a few
years before the Second World War and enjoyed great success and fame until a heart
attack in 1964 put an end to a brilliant career. TB 1482.
Hawks, Tony
One hit wonderland. Read by Tony Hawks, 10 hours 38 minutes. TB 13249.
This is an account of the adventure that takes him around the world in search for that
elusive follow-up hit. From the studios of Nashville to the coffee bars of Amsterdam;
11
from the plains of Sudan to the wilds of Tasmania, Hawks will do anything to have a
hit. He changes musical styles with a bewildering lack of integrity. He hypes charts,
he gets remixes. Is it possible to get a hit anywhere in the world with a song called
"You broke my heart like a bird's egg (but now the yolk's on you)"? Contains strong
language. TB 13249.
Headington, Christopher
Britten. 1981. Read by Derek Chandler, 7 hours 52 minutes. TB 4255.
By the time Benjamin Britten died in 1976 he was acknowledged as a major figure in
English music, acclaimed internationally and honoured with a peerage. Yet he
remained to the end a shy, retiring person. This book gives an account of his musical
career set against a background of the composer's life and times. TB 4255.
Heath, Chris
Feel: Robbie Williams. 2004. Read by David Thorpe, 20 hours 17 minutes. TB
14017.
The text explores nature of fame, ambition and talent and tells a very surreal tale of
an ordinary young man thrust into a most peculiar world. Contains strong language.
TB 14017.
Heath, Edward
Music: a joy for life. 1976. Read by Alvar Lidell, 7 hours 40 minutes. TB 3033.
This is a record of the ex-Prime Minister's lifetime passion for the art of music, as well
as an attempt to bring the appreciation of it to as many people as possible. TB 3033.
Heyworth, Pete
Otto Klemperer: his life and times. 1983. Read by Derek Chandler, 22 hours 9
minutes. TB 5108.
The first volume of a work on the life of one of the great conductors of this century,
covering the years 1885-1933, his studies in Berlin and Prague and the full story of
the Kroll. When Hitler came to power Klemperer fled from Germany. TB 5108.
Hogwood, Christopher
Handel. 1984. Read by Derek Chandler, 15 hours 33 minutes. TB 5874.
A comprehensive portrait of the career of composer George Friedrich Handel, from
his early years in Halle and Hamburg, through his apprenticeship in Italy to the
heyday of opera and oratorios in London. It is written by a man who has himself
performed and conducted the works of this composer. TB 5874.
12
Holland, Jools
Barefaced lies and boogie-woogie boasts. 2008. Read by Tim Bruce, 12 hours
21 minutes. TB 16146.
From playing on bomb sites as a boy in the East End, to skiving off school and then
selling millions of records with Squeeze, the first twenty years of his life were eventful,
chaotic and colourful. Then came 'The Tube' with Paula Yates, the seminal live music
programme that propelled him to fame. This memoir provides an inside look into the
world of Jools Holland. Contains strong language. TB 16146.
Hopkins, Antony
Beating time. 1982. Read by Antony Hopkins, 8 hours 39 minutes. TB 8865.
It was in 1948 that Antony Hopkins began his round of lecture recitals and conducting
engagements that have since made him famous throughout the world. Four years
later he started his BBC series "Talking About Music", which has become a standard
feature of music broadcasting in this country and in the 44 others in which it is
broadcast. This humorous autobiography is certain to entertain even the most
unmusical reader. TB 8865.
Hopkins, Antony
Music all around me: a personal choice from the literature of music. 1967. Read
by Antony Hopkins, 10 hours 49 minutes. TB 1419.
An anthology of music's literature by one of Britain's foremost authorities on the
subject. TB 1419.
Jackson, Joyce Gray
My memories of Jim Reeves - : and other celebrities . 2009. Read by Regina
Reagan, 6 hours 58 minutes. TB 18154.
The story of star-struck Kentucky girl Joyce Gray, who grew up, moved to Nashville
where she worked behind-the-scenes on behalf of such Music City legends as singer
Jim Reeves. This book documents her professional and private lives. TB 18154.
Jackson, Michael
Moonwalk. 1988. Read by Geoffrey Towers, 4 hours 54 minutes. TB 7240.
As children, Michael and his brothers played the amateur music shows and steamy
Chicago strip joints until Motown's corporate image-makers turned the Jackson Five
into super-stars. The author breaks a fiercely guarded silence to describe his rise to
megastardom. TB 7240.
13
Jacobs, Arthur
Henry J Wood: maker of the Proms. 1994. Read by Peter Barker, 21 hours 37
minutes. TB 10495.
A celebration of the man who made the Promenade Concerts famous. Sir Henry
Wood (1869-1944), the great trainer of orchestral musicians, was the first in Britain to
employ women in first class orchestras. He conducted Britain's first production of
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin; at Queen's Hall his commitment to new music led to
collaboration with composers such as Richard Strauss, Sibelius, Britten and
Schoenberg. The problems of Wood's complex personality and stressful private life
are also revealed and his six decades of musical achievement displayed. TB 10495.
Jacobs, Arthur
Arthur Sullivan: a Victorian musician. 1984. Read by William Abney, 27 hours 12
minutes. TB 5464.
Much of the popular fame of Arthur Sullivan is founded on his theatrical partnership
with William Schwenk Gilbert. But as a composer of many choral and orchestral
works he was a leading figure in his own right in the musical life of Victorian England.
TB 5464.
Jenkins, Katherine
Time to say hello. 2009. Read by Kate Jarman, 6 hours 41 minutes. TB 17474.
Katherine Jenkins is an international singing superstar who has brought classical
music to the masses and inspired young and old with her incredible voice, her
glamorous looks and, above all, her love for music, her country and her fans. TB
17474.
Jewell, Derek
Duke: a portrait of Duke Ellington. 1977. Read by Robert Gladwell, 11 hours. TB
3104.
A candid biography of the great jazzman. TB 3104.
Jones, Aled
Aled: the autobiography. 2005. Read by Craig Ryder, 8 hours 56 minutes. TB
15697.
Aled Jones achieved more as a teenager than many adults singers do in a lifetime.
From 'Walking in the air' and multimillion album sales before he was sixteen, he has
gone on to perform sell-out tours and has had a hugely successful broadcasting
career fronting Songs of Praise and presenting on Classic FM. For the first time, Aled
tells of his remarkable life - before and after his voice broke - in his honest-heartwarming and humorous autobiography. TB 15697.
14
Karajan, Herbert von
Herbert Von Karajan: my autobiography. 1989. Read by Peter Barker, 6 hours 34
minutes. TB 8046.
Herbert von Karajan has said in the foreword to this book "I can't write about myself, I
can only talk about myself". Over the last three years he has spent countless hours
talking to Franz Endler about his life and work - and these interviews form the basis of
his autobiography. The result is a revealing insight into one of the world's greatest
conductors. TB 8046.
Katona, Kerry
Too much, too young. 2007. Read by Kate Walsh, 8 hours 40 minutes. TB 16019.
This is the account of Kerry Katona's unique upbringing, and a woman's journey
through pop stardom, motherhood, marriage heartbreak to a new beginning. From the
backstreets of Warrington to the smoky pubs of the East End, from the shelters where
victims of domestic violence hide, to the exclusive hotels where international pop
stars party, this is Kerry's story. Contains strong language. TB 16019.
Kennedy, Michael
Richard Strauss. 1976. Read by Alvar Lidell, 11 hours 6 minutes. TB 2949.
The master musicians series. A biography of Richard Strauss which provides an
appreciation of his music as well as an assessment of his life, including his
controversial relationship with the Nazi regime. Strauss is best known as the
composer of "Der Rosenkavalier" but he also wrote a number of symphonic works. TB
2949.
Landon, H C Robbins
Handel and his world. 1992. Read by Peter Barker, 13 hours 12 minutes. TB
9831.
In this scholarly, yet affectionate biography, a rare personal portrait emerges, from
which we can sense Handel's extraordinary career and fame, poised between vital,
and often lavish patronage, and his own independence, and even stubbornness. A
fluent and engaging story, this book is an excellent introduction to Handel and his
world. TB 9831.
Lunn, John Edward and Vaughan Williams, Ursula
Ralph Vaughan Williams: a pictorial biography. 1964. Read by Derek Chandler,
19 hours 54 minutes. TB 5529.
Vaughan Williams was at the centre of English musical events for much of his long
life, and this biography by his widow uses material not previously available, creating a
picture of a man of strong character and enormous energy. TB 5529.
15
Lutyens, Elisabeth
A goldfish bowl. 1972. Read by Gabriel Woolf, 13 hours 21 minutes. TB 2260.
The fascinating autobiography of one of our more famous contemporary composers.
TB 2260.
Lynn, Vera
Some sunny day: my autobiography. 2009. Read by Diana Bishop, 7 hours 38
minutes. TB 16787.
Born Vera Welch on 20 March, 1917 in the East End of London, Dame Vera Lynn's
career was set from an early age - along with her father, who also did a 'turn', she
sang in Working Men's Clubs from just seven years old. She had a successful radio
career with Joe Loss and Charlie Kunz in the 1920s and '30s, but it was with World
War II that she became the iconic figure that captured the imagination of the national
public. TB 16787.
Lynn, Vera
Vocal refrain: an autobiography. 1975. Read by Phyllis Boothroyd, 7 hours 31
minutes. TB 2897.
The Forces Sweetheart tells of her early life in East London, her rise to fame with
Ambrose's band, and life as one of the great personalities of the war years. TB 2897.
Lyttelton, Humphrey
It just occurred to me... : the reminiscences & thoughts of Chairman Humph.
2007. Read by Peter Barker, 7 hours 3 minutes. TB 15452.
The legendary band leader and jazz trumpeter, broadcaster and humorist looks back
at his extraordinarily rich and varied life and the many colourful characters he has
known and played with - from Duke Ellington to Louis Armstrong. Contains strong
language. TB 15452.
Lyttelton, Humphrey
Take it from the top: an autobiographical scrapbook. 1975. Read by Robert
Gladwell, 5 hours 23 minutes. TB 3114.
In this autobiographical scrap-book, dedicated to the Duke (the 'patron saint of all
touring jazzmen'), the author writes about all those things both he and Ellington loved
- words, food, laughter and, above all, music. TB 3114.
Lyttelton, Humphrey
Why no Beethoven? 1984. Read by Robert Gladwell, 7 hours 28 minutes. TB
5360.
In 1974 the author began a day-to-day record of his band tours of Poland and the
Middle East. The individual eccentricities of a jazz band on the road are highlighted
against exotic landscapes and a wide variety of experiences. TB 5360.
16
Macdonald, Hugh
Berlioz. 1982. Read by Gretel Davis, 10 hours 22 minutes. TB 4588.
The first half of this book covers the life of Berlioz. In the second part Hugh
Macdonald considers all known works of the composer from his early works in Paris
as a medical student, through the romanticism of the 1830s to the more serene
compositions of later life. TB 4588.
Maitland, Sara
Vesta Tilley. 1986. Read by Ray Jones, 5 hours. TB 6729.
Virago pioneers. For 40 years Vesta Tilley was the toast of the British music hall. Hers
was a rags-to-riches story: born to a poor working-class family in the Midlands, she
died a stage idol, a much-loved philanthropist and the wealthy and respected widow
of a Conservative MP. Behind the fairytale lay a wit and daring that made her not so
much mimic male fashions as create them as she played with the limits of her sexual
differentiation cross-dressing and acting in drag. TB 6729.
Marek, George R
Gentle genius: the story of Felix Mendelssohn. 1972. Read by Alvar Lidell, 15
hours 59 minutes. TB 2320.
The life of Felix Mendelssohn, composer. TB 2320.
Meat Loaf
To hell and back: an autobiography. 2000. Read by Jeff Harding, 6 hours 56
minutes. TB 13396.
Meat Loaf is a living legend and this is his story, as bizarre as it is spectacular. He
describes a cruel childhood; his experiences of success with the third best-selling
album of all time; drink, drugs, bankruptcy and a nervous breakdown in the 1980s;
and his triumphant return as a musical star. Contains strong language. TB 13396.
Melly, George
Scouse mouse, or, I never got over it: an autobiography. 1984. Read by David
Rider, 7 hours 52 minutes. TB 5186.
Returning in time to the 1930s, a famous man of jazz recalls his early years in
Liverpool. It was a middle-class childhood, peopled with saints, monsters and aunts.
TB 5186.
17
Meneghini, Giovanni Battista
My wife Maria Callas. 1983. Read by William Abney, 11 hours 56 minutes. TB
4576.
The author was married to Maria Callas for the ten most interesting years of her
musical life and the `boring old husband' provided a very necessary cosy orderliness
in which that great talent could grow and flourish. TB 4576.
Menuhin, Diana
Fiddler's moll: life with Yehudi. 1984. Read by Pauline Munro, 10 hours 4
minutes. TB 5420.
An actress and dancer herself, Diana Gould gave up her own career when she
married Yehudi Menuhin. Her story opens in a Registry Office shortly after the
Second World War and ranges around the globe through many years of packing,
travel and hotels. It is a life filled with interesting people and events. TB 5420.
Menuhin, Yehudi
Unfinished journey. 1977. Read by Alvar Lidell, 20 hours 4 minutes. TB 3143.
Autobiography of the famous violinist and conductor, revealing the ardours and inner
complexities of his life and rise to fame. TB 3143.
Mercury, Freddie
Freddie Mercury: his life in his own words. 2008. Read by Greg Wagland, 5
hours 51 minutes. TB 16868.
This book takes us on the journey of Queen - three academics and a frustrated art
student, tired of having no money, taking on the music industry on their own terms.
Spurred on by an almost uncontrollable, ambitious and forthright Mercury, Queen
succeeded, becoming the biggest band of the generations to come. The story, told in
his own words shows how on many occasions, the band almost split, but was always
kept together by their shared love of breaching musical boundaries. Freddie's own
personal story is one of pursuing a dream, dealing with wealth and fame, looking back
and having no regrets, coming to reflect on his thoughts on getting old, his legacy and
death. Contains strong language. TB 16868.
Miles, Barry
Paul McCartney: many years from now. 1997. Read by David Thorpe, 23 hours
59 minutes. TB 11598.
Based on a combination of interviews over a period of five years, together with
material from McCartney's own archives, this is an account of Paul's personal history.
It includes his experiences whilst involved with the Beatles, and explores his
relationship with John Lennon. Recalling the genesis of every song they wrote,
McCartney talks in detail about how they worked together, and who was responsible
for each line and melody. Contains strong language. TB 11598.
18
Miller, Stephen
Smart blonde: Dolly Parton. c2008. Read by Jeff Harding, 16 hours 22 minutes.
TB 17986.
Dolly Parton is the most famous person ever to have emerged from the American
country music scene with her iconic cartoon image - mountainous blonde wigs,
pumped up breasts and dazzling outfits. This is the first new and substantial
biography for over 15 years. This book includes interviews with family members,
musicians and producers who have worked with her over the years. It includes a
detailed assessment of her music, as a songwriter and singer over the last forty
years. TB 17986.
Moore, Gerald
Am I too loud? Memoirs of an accompanist. 1962. Read by Robin Holmes, 10
hours 50 minutes. TB 861.
The memoirs of an accompanist introduce us to many world-famous musical
virtuosos, with many amusing stories about them and their work. TB 861.
Moore, Gerald
Farewell recital: further memoirs. 1978. Read by Alvar Lidell, 8 hours 25
minutes. TB 3335.
In this further edition of memoirs the author writes with his customary insight about his
master classes, lecture recitals and Schubert's Lieder. TB 3335.
Moore, Jerrold Northrop
Spirit of England: Edward Elgar in his world. 1984. Read by Patricia Hughes, 6
hours 8 minutes. TB 5595.
Many people feel that Elgar's music embodies the essence of England in its heyday
before the First World War, especially in works such as "Land of Hope and Glory" and
the "Enigma Variations". This book is an account of his relationship with his England,
its society, countryside beauty, musical and national institutions, and tells of aspects
of his life which were fundamental to his work. TB 5595.
Monro, Michele
The singer's singer: the life and music of Matt Monro. 2010. Read by Anna
Harwich, 28 hours. TB 17414.
The story of one of Britain's most iconic singers, tracing Matt Monro's life from his
poverty stricken upbringing in post-war Britain to his day job as London bus driver to
the steady rise to fame that saw the singer battling the highs and lows of the
entertainment industry to become one of Britain's best-loved entertainers. The
Singer's Singer exposes the man behind the voice, telling the story of how Terry
Parson overcame poverty, prejudice and alcoholism to arrive at the heart of the British
entertainment industry as Matt Monro. Contains strong language. TB 17414.
19
Napier-Bell, Simon
Black vinyl, white powder. 2001. Read by Tim Bruce, 14 hours 5 minutes. TB
13421.
The author uses his wealth of contacts and extraordinary personal experiences to
chart the incredible story of an industry that has become like no other. Where bad or
irrational behaviour is not only tolerated but encouraged; where drugs are sometimes
as important as talent; where artists allow themselves to be pushed to their physical
and mental limits in the name of profit and ego. Unsuitable for family reading. TB
13421.
Norman, Philip
John Lennon: the life. Volume 1. 2009. Read by Russell Boulter, 18 hours 31
minutes. TB 17073.
John Lennon, the iconic songwriter, composer and one quarter of The Beatles was
also the founding member. The book's hundreds of key informants and interviewees
include Sir Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, Neil Aspinall, Sean Lennon, and Yoko
Ono, who speaks about the inner workings of her marriage to John. TB 17073.
Norman, Philip
John Lennon: the life. Volume 2. 2009. Read by Russell Boulter, 14 hours 9
minutes. TB 17074.
John Lennon, the iconic songwriter, composer and one quarter of The Beatles was
also the founding member. The book's hundreds of key informants and interviewees
include Sir Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, Neil Aspinall, Sean Lennon, and Yoko
Ono, who speaks about the inner workings of her marriage to John. TB 17074.
Norman, Philip
Shout! the true story of the Beatles. 1981. Read by Brian Perkins, 19 hours 10
minutes. TB 4171.
This is a factual account of the lives of the four boys who started as a Liverpool
singing group and became one of the most famous groups in the world. TB 4171.
Norman, Philip
The Stones. 2002. Read by Peter Wickham, 17 hours 57 minutes. TB 16788.
The story of The Rolling Stones - the band's rise, the Marianne Faithfull, Brian Jones
and Altamont scandals, the groundbreaking hits - is the stuff of twentieth century
legend, and core to popular culture. Contains strong language. TB 16788.
20
Ockelford, Adam
In the key of genius: the extraordinary life of Derek Paravicini. 2007. Read by
Peter Barker, 8 hours 44 minutes. TB 14961.
Derek Paravicini is blind, doesn't know his fingers from his thumbs and needs roundthe-clock care. But he has an extremely rare gift - he is a musical prodigy who
amazes all who hear him play. Born prematurely, weighing just 1lb 5oz, he remained
in hospital for three months and technically "died" several times before finally growing
strong enough to go home. It was not long before his blindness became apparent,
and as he grew older, it also became clear that he had severe learning difficulties and
autism as well. Music proved to be an outlet not only for expressing himself, but for
communicating with others - his way of dealing with a strange and confusing world.
TB 14961.
Osbourne, Sharon
Extreme: my autobiography. 2005. Read by Annie Aldington, 11 hours 41
minutes. TB 15192.
A devoted wife and mother, businesswoman, TV star and award-winning producer,
Sharon Osbourne has, in her own words, 'lived fifty lives in fifty years'. From her
extraordinary childhood as the daughter of infamous rock manager Don Arden, to
managing and marrying rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, to her own rising fame on
shows such as "The Osbournes" and "The X-Factor", Sharon Osbourne has
experienced tremendous highs and devastating lows. She has earned her reputation
by overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles with her honesty, charm, sense
of humour, great instincts, and keen eye for business. Now she will reveal the truth
behind the headlines. Contains strong language. TB 15192.
Osbourne, Sharon
Survivor. 2007. Read by Annie Aldington, 7 hours 20 minutes. TB 16147.
Sequel to: Extreme. In this second instalment of her autobiography, Sharon Osbourne
reveals the secrets and heartbreak behind the headlines, along with the love and
humour that have pulled her through. From the recent sad loss of her father, to her
experiences as a judge on number 1 hit shows The X Factor and America's Got
Talent, to the further jaw-dropping adventures and dramas in the Osbourne family,
Sharon tells it like it really is. Contains strong language. TB 16147.
Parrott, Jasper
Beyond frontiers. 1984. Read by Brian Perkins, 8 hours 34 minutes. TB 5564.
Now world famous as a pianist and a conductor, the young 26-year-old Ashkenazy
kept such a low profile when he defected to the West in 1963 that Khruschev was
able to say "Let's give him permission to stay as long as he wants. That way he will
always be able to return". But the account of the leaving makes chilling reading, and
he has not returned. TB 5564.
21
Miller, Stephen
Smart blonde: Dolly Parton. c2008. Read by Jeff Harding, 16 hours 22 minutes.
TB 17986.
Dolly Parton is the most famous person ever to have emerged from the American
country music scene with her iconic cartoon image - mountainous blonde wigs,
pumped up breasts and dazzling outfits. This is the first new and substantial
biography for over 15 years. This book includes interviews with family members,
musicians and producers who have worked with her over the years. It includes a
detailed assessment of her music, as a songwriter and singer over the last forty
years. TB 17986.
Pearsall, Ronald
Edwardian popular music. 1975. Read by John Richmond, 5 hours 56 minutes.
TB 2853.
A look at typical Edwardian music: musical comedy and ragtime and the technological
advances influencing the music of the time. TB 2853.
Peel, John
Margrave of the marshes. 2005. Read by Johnathan Oliver, Joan Walker and
Peter Kenny, 12 hours 40 minutes. TB 14768.
The first half of the book, written by John describes his early life, from child to man,
including his school and National Service. The second section written by his wife
Shelia, completes the story, providing an intimate portrait of the man and his music,
and the highs and lows of everyday life at their home in Suffolk. Contains strong
language. TB 14768.
Pettitt, Stephen
Dennis Brain: a biography. 1976. Read by Alvar Lidell, 7 hours 46 minutes. TB
3184.
Biography of the great horn player whose music delighted thousands before his tragic
death at the age of 36. TB 3184.
Peyser, Joan
Leonard Bernstein. 1987. Read by Brian Perkins, 17 hours 39 minutes. TB 8019.
This impressively researched biography gives a frank and objective study of this most
brilliant and charismatic of composers/conductors, whose work is a major pillar of
20th century music. Revealing and enthralling, this book depicts all aspects of the life
and work of its internationally known subject. TB 8019.
22
Piaf, Edith
My life. 1990. Read by Gretel Davis, 4 hours 56 minutes. TB 8871.
"By the time I die, so much will have been said about me that no one will know any
longer what kind of person I was". Told in her own words, this is the dramatic, often
tragic story of the legendary Edith Piaf. In her notes Margaret Crosland corrects halftruths and fills in details Piaf chose to omit, making this the definitive account of a
remarkable life. TB 8871.
Pound, Reginald
Sir Henry Wood: a biography. 1969. Read by William Jack, 11 hours 31 minutes.
TB 1082.
A biography of the great conductor which gives a new dimension to his enormous
achievements and an insight into the life of the man whose name has become
permanently linked with the Proms. TB 1082.
Previn, Andre
Music face to face. 1971. Read by George Hagan, 4 hours 47 minutes. TB 4364.
Conversations between two famous musicians, Previn and Antony Hopkins. TB 4364.
Race, Steve
Dear music lover. 1981. Read by Steve Race, 3 hours 33 minutes. TB 3921.
The author writes to a variety of imaginary friends about music and his great love of it.
TB 3921.
Reed, William Henry
Elgar as I knew him. 1936. Read by Alvar Lidell, 5 hours 15 minutes. TB 2265.
William Reed, former Leader of the London Symphony Orchestra and one of Elgar's
closest friends from 1910 until his death, was first encouraged to write this biography
by George Bernard Shaw. The result is an informal and spontaneous portrait of the
classical composer's personality and working methods, through his years of
composing the Second Symphony, "Falstaff" and the violin and cello concertos. TB
2265.
Reid, Charles
Malcolm Sargent: a biography. 1968. Read by Alvar Lidell, 22 hours 42 minutes.
TB 638.
An affectionate biography of the great conductor whose art and personality captured
the imagination of music lovers the world over. TB 638.
23
Reid, Charles
John Barbirolli: a biography. 1971. Read by Alvar Lidell, 22 hours 11 minutes.
TB 1658.
The biography of the man who began his musical career as a prodigy cellist and went
on to become one of the most famous conductors of his time. TB 1658.
Ribowsky, Mark
Signed, sealed, and delivered: the soulful journey of Stevie Wonder. 2010. Read
by Peter Brooke, 14 hours 2 minutes. TB 17812.
This book takes an in-depth look at Stevie Wonder's life and his evolution from kidsoul pop star into a mature artist whose music helped lay the groundwork for the
evolution of hip hop and rap. TB 17812.
Rosenthal, Harold
My mad world of opera. 1982. Read by George Hagan, 10 hours 37 minutes. TB
4519.
The editor of 'Opera', a magazine which has played an important part in the spread
and development of post-war music in Britain, writes of this 'mad world' over the last
thirty years, and of his dream of a resident British company at Covent Garden singing
an English repertoire. TB 4519.
Rubinstein, Arthur
My young years. 1973. Read by Gabriel Woolf, 21 hours 38 minutes. TB 4720.
One of the most distinguished musicians of this century writes of his early years up to
the age of thirty - in his own words 'the struggles, the adventures, and... the
miraculous beauty and happiness of my young years.' TB 4720.
Russell, Ross
Bird lives! the high life and the hard time of Charlie Yardbird Parker. 1972. Read
by Marvin Kane, 13 hours 12 minutes. TB 2442.
This is the story of the brief tempestuous life of the famous jazz musician. TB 2442.
Schwarzkopf, Elisabeth
On and off the record: a memoir of Walter Legge. 1982. Read by Brian Perkins,
10 hours 29 minutes. TB 4564.
This is a memoir of Walter Legge who was a producer in EMI and a manager of the
Philharmonia. The introduction includes twelve articles by Legge in which he writes of
his work with such great artists as Klemperer, Beecham, Karajan and Lotte Lehmann.
TB 4564.
24
Secrest, Meryle
Somewhere for me: a biography of Richard Rodgers. 2001. Read by Liza Ross,
16 hours 45 minutes. TB 13371.
The life of composer Richard Rodgers encapsulates the very essence of New York
and London high society during the first half of the twentieth century. His twenty-fiveyear collaboration with Lorenz Hart gave rise to songs that will live forever such as
'The Lady is a Tramp' and 'Blue Moon'. Later he collaborated with Oscar
Hammerstein II and together they wrote musicals such as 'The Sound of Music' and
'South Pacific'. TB 13371.
Shore, Bernard
The orchestra speaks. 1938. Read by Alvar Lidell, 6 hours 18 minutes. TB
13000.
Sketches of musical life by a great viola player. TB 13000.
Shostakovich, D
Testimony: the memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich. 1981. Read by Derek Chandler,
15 hours 34 minutes. TB 5419.
The Russian composer looks back over his life, recalling such musicians, artists and
writers as Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Glazunov, Meyerhold and Anna Akhmatova. His
meeting with Stalin was momentous. However, he reserved his deepest scorn for
visiting Western liberals like Bernard Shaw who refused to recognise the truth about
Stalin's tyranny. TB 5419.
Siepmann, Jeremy
Chopin: the reluctant romantic. 1995. Read by Nigel Graham, 8 hours 15
minutes. TB 12477.
Drawing on correspondence, diaries and friends of the composer, the author sets
Chopin's colourful life against the turbulent times in which he lived. He examines
Chopin's various amorous encounters, and discusses each area of his prodigious
output. TB 12477.
Spiegl, Fritz
Music through the looking glass: a very personal kind of dictionary of
musicians' jargon, shop-talk and nicknames; and a mine of information about
musical curiosities, strange instruments, word origins, odd facts, orchestral
players' love and wicked stories about the music profession. 1984. Read by
Peter Barker, 13 hours 52 minutes. TB 6235.
25
Stancioff, Nadia
Maria Callas remembered. 1988. Read by Pauline Munro, 8 hours 41 minutes.
TB 7408.
Maria Callas once said to the author: "If I should die before you ... I want you to tell
people what I am really like". That request has now been carried out - the book tells of
the violent, unpredictable, warm-hearted, charming woman known to such a close
friend. This is the prima donna who could give an impromptu concert of Beatles hits
and Mexican ballads, the woman who suffered the loss of her lover, Onassis - and
weathered it. TB 7408.
Stanley-Clarke, Jenny
Kylie: naked. 2002. Read by Erica Grant, 6 hours 40 minutes. TB 13142.
Kylie Minogue is an icon to millions of fans who have followed her remarkable career
from the Australian soap "Neighbours" through Stock, Aitken and Waterman to her
current disco revival at the top of the charts. This is a biography of the antipodean pop
princess. TB 13142.
Stassinopoulos Huffington, Arianna
Maria: beyond the Callas legend. 1980. Read by Gretel Davis, 18 hours 6
minutes. TB 3814.
Portrait of the great operatic star, Maria Callas, a remarkable woman and of her world
and terrible struggles within her. TB 3814.
Steele, Tommy
Bermondsey boy: memories of a forgotten world. 2007. Read by David Graham,
12 hours 20 minutes. TB 15950.
In this memoir Tommy recalls his childhood years growing up in Bermondsey. He
relives with great fondness Saturdays as a young boy, spent gazing at the colourful
posters for the Palladium and days wandering up Tower Bridge Road to Joyce's Pie
Shop for pie and mash. But he also brings to life with extraordinary vividness what it
was like to live through the devastation of the Blitz. Yet it was once he joined the
merchant navy and began singing and performing for his fellow seaman that his
natural ability as an entertainer marked him out as a favourite. Contains strong
language. TB 15950.
Stewart, Chris
A parrot in the pepper tree. 2002. Read by Chris Stewart, 6 hours 47 minutes.
TB 15021.
Sequel to: Driving over lemons, TB 12274. Chris Stewart continues his account of life
on a remote Andalusian farm. He takes a look back at his previous lives - drumming
with Genesis and in a circus, shearing sheep in Sweden and heading off to Spain to
learn flamenco guitar. TB 15021.
26
Taraborrelli, J Randy
Sinatra: the man behind the myth. 1997. Read by Garrick Hagon, 30 hours 34
minutes. TB 11515.
The explosive biography of one of the world's most controversial entertainers, taking
the reader deep inside the private life and affairs of this complex, emotional man. The
author provides details of his many tempestuous romances and relationships; the
feud between Frank and his daughter, Nancy; his loss of memory which affected his
later performance; his ties with the underworld; and his influence in American politics
and history. Contains strong language. TB 11515.
Taraborrelli, J Randy
Madonna: an intimate biography. 2001. Read by John Chancer, 17 hours. TB
13149.
This biography of Madonna is the result of ten years of exclusive interviews with
people who are speaking publicly for the first time, including close friends, business
associates and even family members. J. Randy Taraborrelli has also interviewed the
star herself on numerous occasions and he draws on these first-hand experiences to
bring Madonna to life as not merely a tabloid delight, but as a flesh-and-blood woman
with human foibles and weaknesses, as well as great strengths and ambitions.
Contains strong language. TB 13149.
Taylor, Alistair
Yesterday: the Beatles remembered. 1988. Read by David Rider, 8 hours 32
minutes. TB 7779.
In a series of letters to an imaginary friend and fan, by the name of Michelle, Alistair
Taylor, Personal Assistant to the Beatles manager, the late Brian Epstein, tells of the
inside story with original authenticity. He tells of the rise to fame, the good times, the
depression and death of his manager and his time as manager of Apple. TB 7779.
Tillis, Malcolm
Chords and discords: the life of an orchestral musician. 1960. Read by Alvar
Lidell, 9 hours 15 minutes. TB 87.
The author tells of the five years he spent as a member of the Halle Orchestra. TB 87.
Tracy, Sheila
Bands, booze and broads. 1995. Read by Sheila Tracy, 10 hours 18 minutes. TB
10612.
The author talks to over 60 Americans who played with the most famous big bands.
They related their incredible experiences of life on the road where the pressure to
party every night was enormous. Swing music's huge popularity brought them wild
adulation and for many drugs and alcohol were the only way to keep up. They tell
their own stories, making this book an insight into a remarkable period of musical
history. TB 10612.
27
Trapp, Maria Augusta
The sound of music. 1953. Read by Syd Ralph, 11 hours 4 minutes. TB 4639.
The true story of a young Austrian girl who brought love and music to a lonely
widower and his large family. When the Nazis invaded Austria the Von Trapp family
made a dramatic escape across the mountains. TB 4639.
Trend, Michael
The music makers: heirs and rebels of the English musical renaissance from
Edward Elgar to Benjamin Britten. 1985. Read by Derek Chandler, 13 hours 12
minutes. TB 6016.
Michael Trend explores the "English musical renaissance" and the composers who
brought it about. He uncovers the lives and careers of the giants of English music Elgar, Delius, Holst, Vaughan Williams, Bliss, Walton, Tippett and Britten - and of their
frequently eccentric contemporaries. TB 6016.
Turner, Steve
Cliff Richard: the biography. 1993. Read by Paul Jones, 10 hours. TB 11928.
With chart success second only to Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard's success and appeal
are indisputable. Five decades into his career, his popularity is greater now than it has
ever been. Yet, this full-scale, authorised biography scrutinises more than just the
music. Steve Turner takes us behind the events of Cliff's life to discover the people,
stories and tensions which have shaped the star today. His beliefs and convictions
have also created interest and here his Christian faith, his outspoken view on moral
matters and the issue of his celibacy are all investigated. TB 11928.
Turner, Steve
The man called Cash: the life, love and faith of an American legend. 2006. Read
by Phil Shaw, 10 hours 52 minutes. TB 16875.
Country music singer-songwriter Johnny Cash is an icon to people of all ages the
world over. In Cash's first ever authorised biography, Steve Turner sifts the man from
the legend and presents an unflinchingly honest picture. TB 16875.
Walker, Johnnie
The autobiography. 2008. Read by Robin Houston and Jacqueline King, 13
hours 41 minutes. TB 16157.
Young Johnnie Walker was obsessed with music and loved to share that passion. So
it wasn't long after he'd started DJing in dance halls and pubs around his Solihull
home that he got his big break: he talked his way into a slot with newly founded
private station Radio England - and launched his incredible career. Here, he tells of
forty years at the heart of British broadcasting, stints that involved working on the
legendary Radio Caroline, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2; of the stars and musicians
he's met and worked with; of how he won the hearts of his listeners and of his
28
devotion to pioneering new music. Johnnie also speaks candidly about the personal
challenges he's faced: divorce, exile and his very public struggles with drug addiction
and cancer. Contains strong language. TB 16157.
Wall, Mick
When giants walked the Earth: a biography of Led Zeppelin. 2009. Read by
Andy Love, 19 hours 57 minutes. TB 17412.
Mick Wall tells the story of the band that wrote the rulebook for on-the-road excess and eventually paid the price for it, with disaster, drug addiction and death. Wall also
recounts the life stories of the five individuals that made the dream of Led Zeppelin
into reality: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and their
infamous manager, Peter Grant. Contains strong language. TB 17412.
Walton, Susana
William Walton: behind the facade. 1988. Read by Patricia Hughes, 10 hours 7
minutes. TB 8024.
Argentina, 1948. William Walton, rising genius of English music, arrives to attend a
conference of the Performing Rights Society. Miss Susana Gil, the daughter of an
Argentine lawyer has organised a press conference. After two weeks he and Miss Gil
were engaged. Walton's instinct did not fail him in his choice of bride, for Susana
proved to be the ideal partner. TB 8024.
Williams, Robbie
Somebody someday. 2001. Read by David Thorpe, 6 hours. TB 13335.
This biography of Robbie Williams reveals the character behind the headlines, the
genius behind the fact, the lifestyle behind the closed doors. Contains strong
language. TB 13335.
Books narrated by volunteers
The Mojo collection: the ultimate music companion. 2007. 69 hours 57 minutes.
Order No: 403951.
Organised chronologically and spanning seven decades, this collection presents a
guide to the history of the pop album via hundreds of long-playing masterpieces, from
the much-loved to the little known. From The Beatles to The Verve, from Duke
Ellington to King Tubby and from Peggy Lee to Sly Stone, hundreds of albums are
covered in detail with chart histories, full track and personnel listings and further
listening suggestions. Order No: 403951.
Popular music studies; edited by David Hesmondhalgh and Keith Negus. 2002.
19 hours 57 minutes. Order No: 403706.
This book introduces students to the most significant debates in the field of popular
music studies, offering fresh perspectives and suggesting new directions. It outlines
29
the history and development of popular music studies and introduces its unique
contribution to understanding musical cultures; offers an international perspective on
popular music; features prominent writers in the field and showcases a generation of
new voices. Order No: 403406.
Singles: six decades of hot hits & classic cuts. 2007. 25 hours 29 minutes.
Order No: 403739.
"Singles" is an informative history of over 50 years of the popular music single,
covering more than 750 records by more than 500 artists. It looks in detail at the
musical genres that work best in the shorter format, including rock 'n' roll, Motown,
punk, disco, rap and more. Order No: 403739.
Alcantara, Pedro de
Indirect procedures: a musician's guide to the Alexander Technique. 1997. 14
hours 33 minutes. Order No: 408012.
F M Alexander (1869-1955) saw the individual as a whole, and talked not of "the
body", but of "the self"; not of "posture", but of "use". The aim of his technique is not
to teach you to do what is right, but to help you stop doing what is wrong, through a
series of practical procedures which awaken awareness and allow development of
innate potential. The Alexander Technique applies to all areas of musical activity,
from technique, sound production and interpretation, to daily practice, rehearsal
routines and the mitigating of stage fright and health problems. This text shows how
the technique can be applied to all areas of musicianship. Order No: 408012.
Baker, Ginger
Ginger Baker, hellraiser: the autobiography of the world's greatest drummer.
2009. Read by Volunteers, 9 hours 33 minutes. Order No: 404193.
Peter 'Ginger' Baker tells his story for the first time. It's a journey from his humble
beginnings in war-torn south London to his adopted home in South Africa's beautiful
Western Cape. Along the way he tells of his life-long love of jazz, how he discovered
the drums and African music for himself, life on the road and he confesses to the
heroin use that should have killed him in his colourful 1960s' prime, working and
playing with the biggest names of the time. He talks candidly of the loss and recovery
of his fortune, his three marriages, Cream's induction into the rock'n'roll hall of fame in
1993, their subsequent successful reunion in 2005 and his hopes for the future. Order
No: 404193.
Baker, Richard
Mozart. 1997. 4 hours 54 minutes. Order No: 400850.
This biography tells the story of Mozart's triumphant tours across Europe as a child
prodigy, his unwilling servitude under the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg, enlivened
by his rebellious behaviour and remarkable earthy sense of humour, and the tragedy
of his early death. Order No: 400850.
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Banks, Tony
Genesis: chapter and verse. 2007. 12 hours 38 minutes. Order No: 408142.
This book is the first time in over 20 years that Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel
and Mike Rutherford have collaborated creatively on a project, working together to
create the complete history of Genesis. It is a story that spans 30 years and 30
albums selling a staggering 212 million copies worldwide. Order No: 408142.
Barlow, Gary
My take. 2006. Read by Volunteers, 8 hours 59 minutes. Order No:
404283.
Take That was the original and the best British boy band ever. Their records sold
millions, and they sold out arenas in less time than it took to play one of their singles.
Gary Barlow was the band's secret weapon: their gifted, down-to-earth front man who
not only wrote most of their greatest hits but sang them too. But the band decided to
quit at the height of their fame. What followed for Gary is an inspiring journey of highs
and lows: from the promising start of his solo career to his crisis in confidence. The
public who had once worshipped him almost seemed to forget he existed. Much has
been said about Gary but he himself has remained silent until now. For the first time,
Gary tells his full story from his childhood in Cheshire to life after Take That. Order
No: 404283.
Blackburn, Virginia
Kylie: story of survivor. 2007. 6 hours 44 minutes. Order No: 408082.
Following her battle against cancer in 2005, Kylie Minogue is back at the top and
more popular than ever. She has had countless number one hit records and the
tickets for her 2006 tour, the continuation of the Showgirl extravaganza she had to
cancel in 2005, have sold out in record time. Throughout her many image changes,
her career has gone from strength to strength and she continues to attract masses of
media attention. This book takes a look at her early life as she struggled to juggle her
acting and music careers, and her heartbreak over the death of Michael Hutchence.
Order No: 408082.
Boyd, Malcolm
Bach. 1995. 16 hours 7 minutes. Order No: 400907.
A comprehensive biography of the composer, this book looks at the events of his life
as well as the development of his musical style. Order No: 400907.
Bradbury, David
Armstrong. 2003. 7 hours 26 minutes. Order No: 408653.
Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong, born in poverty and raised in an orphanage, dominated
one of the new art forms of the 20th century: jazz. He earned the admiration of a
31
global audience, crossing the boundaries of geography, politics and race. His
inimitable voice, the poetry of his trumpet and his mastery of improvisation made him
'Mr Jazz'. This book tells the story of his life. Order No: 408653.
Duffin, Ross W
How equal temperament ruined harmony: (and why you should care). 2007. 8
hours 14 minutes. Order No: 408047.
For nearly a century, equal temperament - the practice of dividing an octave into
twelve equally proportioned halfsteps - has held a virtual monopoly on the way in
which instruments are tuned and played. Duffin explains how we came to rely
exclusively on equal temperament and along the way, he challenges the widely held
belief that equal temperament is a perfect, "naturally selected" musical system, and
proposes a radical re-evaluation of how we play and hear music. Order No: 408047.
Evanier, David
Roman candle: the life of Bobby Darin. 2004. 9 hours 48 minutes. Order No:
407868.
By the age of 8 Bobby Darin knew he was doomed to die young. So he set out to
become a showbiz legend by 25. From his Grammy-winning smash hit "Mack the
Knife" to his Oscar-nominated supporting role in Captain Newman, M.D., Darin left his
mark on every aspect of show business that he touched. Now, 32 years after his
death at 37, we finally have a written, multilayered portrait of this brash, gifted artist.
Order No: 407868.
Green, Barry
The inner game of music. 1987. 9 hours 40 minutes. Order No: 407974.
The text shows how to acknowledge and overcome internal obstacles in order to bring
a new quality to the experience and learning of music. This book is also for those who
don't play an instrument but feel their appreciation of music will be enhanced if they
understand more about the process of playing. The book explains how natural skills
can be nurtured and enhanced, and through a series of special exercises they
demonstrate the ways in which musicians can achieve exact intonation, artistic
phrasing and improved technique. Order No: 407974.
Griffiths, Paul
Modern music and after. 1995. 24 hours 30 minutes. Order No: 400502.
This text investigates Western music since the Second World War. The disruptions of
the war, and the struggles of the ensuing peace, were reflected in the music of the
time: Shostakovich's unsettling symphonies, Stockhausen's development of electronic
music and Luigi Nono's pursuit of the universally human, Xenakis's view of music as
sounding mathematics and Berio's consideration of it as language. The initiatives of
these composers and their contemporaries opened prospects that have continued to
unfold. Order No: 400502.
32
Guralnick, Peter
Last train to Memphis: the rise of Elvis Presley. 1995. 31 hours 53 minutes.
Order No: 407511.
A biography that refuses to dwell on the myth of Elvis. Aiming instead to portray the
life and career of this outstanding artistic and cultural phenomenon, it draws together
a plethora of documentary and interview material to create the narrative. This covers
Presley's rise to prominence up to his departure for Germany in 1958. Order No:
407511.
Hall, Henry
Here's to the next time: autobiography of Henry Hall. 1955. 10 hours 1 minute.
Order No: 401045.
Henry Hall is now recognised as one of the important figures during the dance band
era in Britain from the 1920's to 1950's. After years of being ignored by record
collectors Henry Hall's recordings with his BBC Dance Orchestra are now being
recognised for the quality that they are, and Henry's work on radio and TV shows is
also now being recognised as visionary. His autobiography gives us many details and
great insight into how his career developed and how he reacted to events and
changing musical tastes during those decades. Order No: 401045.
Heylin, Clinton
Bob Dylan: behind the shades: take two. 2001. 41 hours. Order No: 400746.
This new edition has been completely rewritten and substantially enlarged to take
account not only of Dylan's recent life, but of ten more years of original research by
the author. In virtually all areas of Dylan's life - his immigrant antecedents, his
business dealings, his various additions and his romantic attachments - the author is
able to provide new information about the man who changed the course of popular
music in the sixties and, over thirty years later, won three Grammys. Order No:
400746.
Hinman, Doug
The Kinks: all day and all of the night: day by day concerts, recordings and
broadcasts, 1964-1997. 2004. 52 hours 41 minutes. Order No: 408797.
This work tracks every move in the Kinks' career. With the help of band members,
Doug Hinman has reconstructed their meteoric rise to fame in the early 60s through
its dissolution and revival in the 70s, stadium success in the 80s, and an apparently
final breakdown in the late 90s. Order No: 408797.
Hodgkinson, Will
Guitar man. 2007. 9 hours 47 minutes. Order No: 407857.
Will Hodgkinson dreamt of being a guitar legend but never got round to it. Now in his
thirties and married with children, he decides to learn the guitar, start a band and play
33
a gig before it's too late. On his journey of discovery, he picks up tips along the way
from Johnny Marr and the Byrds' Roger McGuinn, and attempts to play Davey
Graham's 'Anji'. This is his story. Order No: 407857.
Howe, James
A conductor's journey. 2002. 4 hours 2 minutes. Order No: 400192.
This tells the story of Major Howe's life in the army. How he commenced his musical
career in a collier silver band then joined the Army in the Royal Scots as a band boy
and stretcher bearer before being captured in World War II by the Germans in France.
As a POW he was sent to a camp in Poland, Stalag B. Despite the difficult conditions
he still managed to start a dance band! The remarkable story takes one through his
many appointments in famous regiments and his musical career. Order No: 400192.
Humperdinck, Engelbert
Engelbert: what's in a name?. 2005. Read by Volunteers, 10 hours 52 minutes.
Order No: 404296.
From living on the dole and receiving last rites with tuberculosis to buying a
Hollywood palace with a heart-shaped pool and a fleet of fourteen Rolls Royces,
Engelbert wears his 'King of Romance' crown so well that horticulturists even named
a rose after him. And the love god has certainly lived up to his name, indulging in a
string of affairs and one-night stands, whilst remaining happily married to his first love
Patricia. Now, for the first time he is ready to tell all and she, in turn, speaks out about
years of living with his womanising is a special additional chapter. Order No: 404296.
Hurd, Michael
The ordeal of Ivor Gurney. 1990. 8 hours 46 minutes. Order No: 409457.
This biography tells the tragic story of Ivor Gurney, a composer and poet. His poetry,
music and life are examined from his childhood to the grim years of World War 1, and
finally his descent into madness, ending his days in a lunatic asylum. Order No:
409457.
Jackson, Laura
Neil Diamond: the biography. 2004. 10 hours 32 minutes. Order No: 408875.
This portrait of Neil Diamond, his life, his music and his passions are explored from
his childhood struggle to get out of Brooklyn, through five decades of global stardom,
to the present day. This biography provides a definitive insight into one of the most
enduring, creative, and prolific singer-songwriters of his generation. Order No:
408875.
Jackson, Stanley
Caruso. 1972. 11 hours 53 minutes. Order No: 403645.
This work, by a widely-acclaimed biographer, was written for Caruso's Centenary.
The singer's career was packed with drama, personalities and anecdotes but his
34
amazing life story has gathered picturesque moss over the years. Here he is shown,
for the first time, in and out of make-up. Order No: 403645.
Jenkins, S
Ego trip's book of rap lists. 1999. Read by Synthetic voice, 15 hours 49 minutes.
TB 408180.
This text documents the history of rap music with information on art, lyrics, production,
fashion, performances, albums, and singles. Order No. 408180.
Judd, Neville
Al Stewart: the true life adventures of a folk rock troubadour. 2005. Read by
Synthetic voice, 21 hours 50 minutes. Order No: 409616.
Drawing on interviews with Al, his family, friends and collaborators, and written with
complete access to Al's private diaries, journals and correspondence, this is a memoir
of a 60s folk star's trials and tribulations through stardom in the seventies and cult
success in subsequent decades. This edition brings Al's story up to date, include the
story of 'A Full Beach of Shells' and his latest British and American tours. Order No:
409616.
Keating, Ronan
Life is a rollercoaster. 2000. 8 hours 42 minutes. Order No: 408195.
Ronan Keating has lived an extraordinary life so far, from childhood on a housing
estate in North Dublin to recording chart-topping singles in the grounds of his own
country house. Seven years after Boyzone took their first steps to fame, he tells of his
move to a new kind of solo success. The book ventures behind the scenes to reveal
interesting aspects of Keating's rise to stardom, such as: meeting up with fellow
Irishmen U2, a band he idolises; coping with rumours about his own sexuality;
Stephen Gately's "gay" revelation; Ronan's discovery of Westlife, a boy group he
manages; and vivid recollections of his relationship with his mother, who died of
cancer as Boyzone finally made it to the big time. Order No: 408195.
Kilmister, Lemmy
White line fever: the autobiography. 2003. 7 hours 21 minutes. Order No:
407653.
Medically speaking, Lemmy should be dead. After years of notorious excess, his
blood would kill another human being. This is the story of the heaviest drinking,
oversexed speedfreak in the business. Lemmy quickly outgrew his local bands in
Wales, and tripped through his early career with the Rocking Vicars, backstage
touring with Jimi Hendrix, and his time with Hawkwind. In 1975 he went on to create
speedmetal and form the legendary band Motorhead. This autobiography offers a
sometimes hilarious, often outrageous, but highly entertaining ride with the frontman
of the loudest rock band in the world. Contains passages of a sexual nature. Order
No: 407653.
35
Leigh, Spencer
Halfway to paradise: Britpop, 1955-1962. 1996. 10 hours 20 minutes. Order No:
409046.
BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Spencer Leigh has interviewed over 150
performers for this books which is the story of British popular music from the birth of
rock'n'roll up to the Beatles. Order No: 409046.
Levin, Bernard
Conducted tour. 1988. 8 hours 29 minutes. Order No: 400984.
A journey through twelve music festivals in Europe and Australia. Order No: 400984.
Levy, Shawn
Rat Pack confidential: Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter, Joey & the last great
showbiz party. 1998. 11 hours 21 minutes. Order No: 400677.
A biography of the "Rat Pack" - Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin.
There was Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop when they asked him, Jack Kennedy and Sam
Giancana, and tables of cronies. It was the ultimate spasm of traditional showbiz private jets, gambling, cocktails and fist-fights. Order No: 400677.
MacDonald, Ian
Revolution in the head: the Beatles' records and the sixties. 1994. 19 hours 48
minutes. Order No: 400753.
The sixties' rejuvenation and optimism was ideally expressed by the Beatles' music.
This book penetrates and illuminates the Beatles' life, time and music. Order No:
400753.
Marten, Neville
The Kinks. 2001. 16 hours. Order No: 408796.
The story of The Kinks is not for the fainthearted: nervous breakdowns, resignations,
punch-ups, heads used for footballs and guitars wielded as weapons: drug abuse,
alien sightings - oh and some of the most inspirational, influential and downright
enjoyable music of the last five decades. Order No: 408796.
Miller, Andy
The Kinks are the village green preservation society. 2003. 5 hours 6 minutes.
Order No: 408791.
Andy Miller traces the circumstances surrounding "The Village Green Preservation
Society" released in November 1968, and celebrates the songs pieced together by a
band who were on the verge of disintegration and who refused to follow fashion.
Order No: 408791.
36
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart's letters, Mozart's life: selected letters. 2001. 19 hours 45 minutes. Order
No: 400501.
These letters of Mozart span almost 22 years, from his first journey to Italy as a shy
teenager to his final months in Vienna. These translations capture the "vibrant, earthy
flavour" of his writing, even retaining the misspellings and inaccuracies of the original
German. Order No: 400501.
Nail, Jimmy
A northern soul: the autobiography. 2004. 13 hours 19 minutes. Order No:
409005.
Since Auf Wiedesehen, Pet first captured the public's imagination, musician and actor
Jimmy Nail has been a household name. Yet, as a working class lad growing up in
Newcastle, it was beyond his imagination. However a few people made a difference encouraging, nurturing and believing in Nail: his mother; the salt-of-the-earth brothers
who supported him when he was at his lowest ebb; the young arts student who
became his wife; and the writers, actors and producers who saw something special in
him. This is a story that will confound, intrigue and inspire in equal measure. Order
No: 409005.
Negus, Keith
Popular music in theory: an introduction. 1996. 13 hours 13 minutes. Order No:
400704.
This text provides a critical introduction to major theoretical issues and debates in the
study of contemporary popular music. It shows how popular music is created,
detailing the links between industry and audience, producers and consumers, and
investigates the technological, cultural, historical, geographical and political factors
which influence popular music. The text is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate
students in sociology, media and communication studies and cultural studies. Order
No: 400704.
Newkey-Burden, Chas
Simon Cowell: the unauthorized biography. 2009. Read by Volunteers, 9 hours 2
minutes. Order No: 404022.
Simon Cowell is arguably the most influential player in the British entertainment
industry and one of Britain's most successful exports. After a humble start in the post
room at EMI, his meteoric rise began when he became a top A&R executive, signing
huge acts from "Westlife" and "Five" to "Robson & Jerome". Fame and a television
career followed when he became a judge in the TV talent shows "Pop Idol" and
"American Idol" and subsequently created the hit shows "The X Factor" and "Britain's
Got Talent". His trademark blunt honesty coupled with his extraordinary business
savvy has made him a household name - but what do we really know about this
charismatic and sharp-tongued man? In Simon Cowell Chas Newkey-Burden finds
37
out, interviewing friends and old colleagues, and lifting the lid on the professional and
private life of one of Britain's most eligible bachelors. Order No: 404022.
Nolan, Anne
Anne's song. 2008. 7 hours 12 minutes. Order No: 408203.
As the eldest of The Nolan Sisters, Anne Nolan's life appeared from the outside to be
one of boundless excitement and glamour - a dream come true for any young and
aspiring singer. At the height of their fame, The Nolan Sisters were one of the biggest
acts around, touring with Frank Sinatra, performing at the Royal Variety Performance
and travelling around the world to play for their adoring fans. Surrounded by a bevy of
loving sisters, two protective brothers and parents who wanted to see their children
succeed, how could Anne Nolan's childhood have been anything but idyllic? And yet
behind the fairytale script - the fame and glitz lay hidden a dark family secret that has,
until now, never been told. Order No: 408203.
Nolan, Coleen
Upfront and personal. 2009. 10 hours 29 minutes. Order No: 403729.
Writing with the warmth and humour that have made her so popular, Coleen
describes her eventful life, from joining her sisters' band The Nolans when she was
only nine to growing up in the spotlight as they went on to chart-topping success
around the world. Coleen also reveals how she coped with her tumultuous marriage
to television star Shane Richie and how, after they split she was left a single parent
struggling to get through each day. She landed the job of presenter on "This Morning"
and was just finding her feet when she was sacked, plunging her into depression as
she lost all confidence. A way out finally came in the form of chat show "Loose
Women", where Coleen reclaimed her place in the nation's hearts. Order No: 403729.
Nollen, Scott Allen
Jethro Tull: a history of the band, 1968-2001. 2002. Read by Volunteers, 17
hours 48 minutes. TB 404405.
Originally formed by singer-songwriter Ian Anderson in psychedelic 1968, the band
Jethro Tull has been recording its own kind of rock and roll and touring the globe for
more than three decades. This is a history of the band through the present, written by
an acquaintance of several of its members. The book includes a chronology of all the
band's recordings and information on all accompanying tours, with the author's
critiques as well as the band's own reminiscences and opinions of each album. Also
included are previously unpublished interviews with founder Ian Anderson, long-time
band member David Pegg, other band members Glenn Cornick, Andy Giddings and
Doane Perry and more. TB 404405.
38
O'Donnell, Julia
The mother's story. 2007. 5 hours 49 minutes. Order No: 403672.
Irish singing star Daniel O'Donnell's mother, Julia, grew up on a remote island off the
northwest coast of Ireland, going barefoot and doing hard labour as a child during the
poverty-stricken 1920s. After she married and settled in Kincasslagh, Julia's beloved
husband, Francie, was forced to leave his family for months on end to work on farms
in Scotland. Sadly, Julia found herself widowed and penniless with five children while
still in her forties. Then, in an amazing twist of fate, this hard-working woman and
dedicated mother watched from the wings as her offspring flourished in life. Her
daughter Margo and son Daniel went on to achieve fame as chart-topping singers.
Order No: 403672.
Petridis, Alexis
Neil Young. 2000. 4 hours 38 minutes. Order No: 401170.
This text provides a concise and well-researched view into the career of this unique
rock 'n' roll icon. The author includes full biographical information and a
comprehensive discography, and explores the influence of Young on a huge range of
artists, from Sonic Youth and Nirvana to Ron Sexsmith. Order No: 401170.
Richard, Cliff
My life, my way. 2008. 11 hours 1 minute. Order No: 403673.
Cliff talks freely and frankly about what it is like to be Cliff. Inspirational, hugely
talented, a much-loved household name, his story is extraordinary. Packed with
hitherto unseen pictures and untold stories, fascinating memorabilia and a host of
unique visual memories. Order No: 403673.
Ricks, Christopher
Dylan's visions of sin. 2004. 22 hours 33 minutes. Order No: 409048.
Bob Dylan's ways with words are a wonder, matched as they are with his music and
verified by those voices of his. In response to the whole range of Dylan early and late
(his songs of social conscience, of earthly love, of divine love and of contemplation),
this critical appreciation listens to Dylan's attentive genius, to his apprehension of
deadly sins and his comprehension of living virtues, all alive in the very words and
their rewards. Order No: 409048.
Robb, John
Punk rock: an oral history. 2006. Read by Synthetic voice, 20 hours 10 minutes.
TB 408126.
This book is an oral history of a radical movement which exploded in Seventies
Britain. With its own clothes, hair, artwork, fanzines and radical politics, Punk boasted
a DIY ethos that meant anyone could take part. The scene was uniquely vibrant and
energetic, leaving an extraordinary legacy of notorious events, charismatic characters
and inspirational music. TB 408126.
39
Robertson, William
K D Lang: Carrying the torch. 1993. 4 hours 11 minutes. Order No: 400404.
This biography looks at Lang's consort tomboy/girlhood, formative experiences at
college, and the making of her first five albums and first film. Also discussed is Lang's
struggle to avoid being narrowly categorized by the music industry and to speak out
for causes in which she believes. Order No: 400404.
Ross, Alex
The rest is noise: listening to the twentieth century. 2008. 41 hours 17 minutes.
Order No: 403722.
A sweeping musical history that goes from the salons of pre-war Vienna to Velvet
Underground shows in the sixties. The author, music critic of the New Yorker, gives
us a tour of the wild landscape of twentieth-century classical music: portraits of
individuals, cultures, and nations reveal the predicament of the composer in a noisy,
chaotic century. Order No: 403722.
Rotolo, Suze
A freewheelin' time: a memoir of Greenwich Village in the sixties. 2009. Read by
Volunteers, 10 hours 58 minutes. TB 404453.
'I met Bob Dylan in 1961 when I was 16 years old and he was 20 ' Thus begins Suze
Rotolo's memoir of her life with Dylan in New York during the tumultuous early years
of the Sixties, revealing the wonderfully romantic story of their sweet but sometimes
wrenching love affair. It is she who looks out pensively from the famous cover of his
album the Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. She has never written about that time - an
extraordinary brief epoch of artistic and political ferment in Greenwich Village where
she was not merely a central witness but also a participant - until now. This is
narrative of a place and time when art, culture and politics all seemed to be conspiring
to make America freer, better and more equitable. Order No: 404453.
Sands, Tommy
The songman: a journey in Irish music. 2005. 12 hours 50 minutes. Order No:
409392.
Singer Tommy Sands was reared in the foothills of the Mourne mountains, where he
still lives. As a child, he was immersed in folk music - his father played the fiddle, his
mother the accordion. The family's kitchen was a place where Protestant and Catholic
farmers alike would gather for songs and storytelling at the end of a day's harvesting.
In this book the author tells his life story. Order No: 409392.
Shuker, Roy
Key concepts in popular music. 1998. 16 hours 57 minutes. Order No: 400569.
The text provides an A-Z glossary of the main terms and concepts used in the study
of popular music. The book includes definitions of: key musical genres, from bhangra
40
to punk rock, musical subcultures, from hippies to Goths, methodologies, from
Marxism to postmodernism, musicological terms, from harmony to sampling and
musical phenomena, from girl groups to concept albums. Each study includes
suggestions for further reading, listening and is cross-referenced with related
concepts. Order No: 400569.
Skues, Keith
Pop went the pirates. 1994. 36 hours 50 minutes. Order No: 401132.
This is a comprehensive account of the history of pirate radio ships. From the earliest
pirates in the 1930s up to the present day, this volume is the product of thirty years of
research by the author who has been involved in sound broadcasting throughout the
period. Find out all about the ships and forts which played a role in changing radio
broadcasting into the format which exists today. With accounts from DJs and
executives of many stations, and of the debates in Parliament which led to the demise
of the pirates. Order No: 401132.
Smith, Sean
Kylie: confidential. 2002. 7 hours 20 minutes. Order No: 409376.
This book looks at how Kylie's motivation has driven her to success, why she is not so
innocent, with an exclusive chapter devoted to an interview with one of her former
lovers, how she has become one of the great survivors of pop and, in the process,
become one of the most desirable women on the planet. Order No: 409376.
Sounes, Howard
Down the highway: the life of Bob Dylan. 2002. Read by Volunteers, 19 hours 15
minutes. Order No: 409360.
Down the Highway delves into the life of Bob Dylan, one of popular music's enduring
legends. Order No: 409360.
Storr, Anthony
Music and the mind. 1992. 11 hours 23 minutes. Order No: 400844.
Music is the most mysterious and least tangible of all forms of art. Yet, Anthony Storr
believes, music today is a deeply significant experience for a greater number of
people than ever before. In this book, he explores why this should be so. Order No:
400844.
Sutherland, Bryony
Annie Lennox: the biography. 2002. 24 hours 28 minutes. Order No: 401167.
This book presents a complex, living biography of the working-class girl from
Aberdeen who has become a pop legend. Ex-lovers, musicians, photographers,
stylists, record company executives, producers and directors were interviewed to
present the full story from childhood to the reformation of the Eurythmics. Order No:
401167.
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Torme, Mel
Traps, the drum wonder: the life of Buddy Rich. 1991. 10 hours 17 minutes.
Order No: 408640.
A biography of Buddy rich, a famous drummer of the Swing Era. Early fame left
psychological scars on Rich who developed an abrasive personality, but he could also
be charming, affectionate and funny. Drawing from interviews and many personal
reminiscences, Torme packs this book with vivid anecdotes. Order No: 408640.
Fiction
Adam, Paul
Sleeper. 2004. Read by Daniel Philpott, 9 hours 56 minutes. TB 14671.
Rainaldi was a violin-maker and when he was discovered slumped over his
workbench, murdered with one of his own chisels, both the police and his friends are
at a loss to discover a motive. Then it comes to light that Rainaldi had believed he
was on the track of an infamous Stradivari - twin to the one housed in the Ashmolean
Museum and subject to two hundred years of myth and rumour. With nothing else to
go on, his two close friends pick up the search from where he left off and plunge
headlong into a world where great musical instruments change hands for millions,
where forgery is an art form and where murder is often a dealer's chosen method of
negotiation. TB 14671.
Berger, Naomi
So many promises. 1990. Read by Liza Ross, 16 hours 40 minutes. TB 9832.
Kirsten Harald grew up in the New York slums, the daughter of immigrant parents.
Her passport out of the slums to success and wealth comes as a result of musical
brilliance, but can she rediscover the love of her youth among the greedy passions
and crushing power of the musical elite and, is it possible to have music and love?
Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 9832.
Cody, Liza
Gimme more. 2002. Read by Janet Maw, 11 hours 4 minutes. TB 14621.
Once she was the face that launched a thousand hits. Now Birdie Walker - rock
widow, ageing wild child - is scratching at the dark heart of the music industry. She's
the woman everyone still loves to hate. Media darling, media demon, she fights with
fame and infamy alike, always watching with a greedy eye for the main chance. If
advantage can be taken, she'll take it. And then want more... Contains strong
language. TB 14621.
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Cooper, Jilly
Appassionata. 1996. Read by Norma West, 25 hours 31 minutes. TB 10868.
Effervescent as champagne, Jilly Cooper's new novel not only provides a fascinating
and wildly funny insight into the lives and loves of a provincial orchestra, but also
takes the reader on a thrilling journey from Bogota through Buenos Aires, New York
and Lake Lucerne, to Prague, ending up with a rampageous orchestral tour of Spain
and the high drama of an international piano competition. Contains strong language.
TB 10868.
Cooper, Jilly
Score! 2002. Read by Lindsay Sandison, 24 hours 25 minutes. TB 12762.
Sir Roberto Rannaldini, the most successful but detested conductor in the world, had
two ambitions: to seduce his ravishing 19 year-old stepdaughter, Tabitha CampbellBlack, and to put his mark on musical history by making the definitive film of Verdi's
darkest opera, "Don Carlos". Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 12762.
Deaver, Jeffery
Mistress of justice. 2002. Read by Laurence Bouvard, 10 hours 30 minutes. TB
12753.
Taylor Lockwood juggles twin careers as a struggling jazz musician in seedy
Manhattan clubs and a paralegal at the genteel Wall Street law firm of Hubbard,
White & Willis. When a multimillion-dollar promissory note is stolen, dark secrets
emerge behind the Victorian facades of the firm. Contains strong language. TB
12753.
Dracup, Angela
Mozart's darling. 1996. Read by Marie McCarthy, 10 hours 23 minutes. TB 11275.
Based on a detailed examination of the facts, this novel reveals the moving truth
behind Mozart's passionate marriage, his intriguing relationship with his three sistersin-law and his struggles in the treacherous musical world of Vienna, where he was to
die with tragic suddenness whilst on the brink of a fortune. TB 11275.
Du Maurier, George
Trilby. 1894. Read by David Dunhill, 11 hours. TB 1831.
The tragic story of Trilby, an artist's model, who became a famous singer under the
mesmeric influence of Svengali. TB 1831.
Elton, Ben
Chart throb. 2007. Read by Penelope Freeman, 15 hours 28 minutes. TB 16075.
"Chart throb" is the ultimate pop quest. Ninety five thousand hopefuls. Three judges.
Just one winner. And that's Colin Simms, the genius behind the show. Colin always
wins because Colin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgement he
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has no idea that the rules are changing. The 'real' is about to be put back into 'reality'
television and Colin and his fellow judges are about to become ex-factors themselves!
Contains strong language. TB 16075.
Galloway, Janice
Clara. 2002. Read by Janice Galloway, 17 hours 28 minutes. TB 13287.
This novel is based on the life of Clara Schumann, the celebrated nineteenth-century
concert pianist and composer, editor and teacher, friend of Brahms - who was also
the wife of Robert Schumann, the mother of his eight children, and the woman who
cared for him through a series of crippling mental illness. Contains passages of a
sexual nature. TB 13287.
Hamilton-Paterson, James
Gerontius. 1989. Read by Peter Barker, 14 hours 10 minutes. TB 8408.
In November of 1923, RMS Hildebrand put out from Liverpool to the coast of Brazil
and up the Amazon River. Sir Edward Elgar OM, the celebrated composer, was
taking a holiday, on his way to an unexpected meeting with a woman he had identified
only as '***' at the head of his thirteenth variation on an original theme ... TB 8408.
Hornby, Nick
High fidelity: a novel. 1995. Read by Nigel Carrington, 7 hours 23 minutes. TB
10536.
Rob Fleming, thirty-five years old, pop addict and owner of a failing record shop, has
some questions that need answering; about whether he will love his girlfriend if she
comes back, whether he can go on living in a poky flat or should he get a real home,
a real family and a real job and, most difficult of all, will he ever be able to stop
thinking of life in terms of the All Time Top Five bands, books, films and songs?
Contains strong language. TB 10536.
Hornby, Nick
Juliet, naked. 2010. Read by Tash Banks, 8 hours 33 minutes. TB 17400.
Annie and Duncan are a mid-thirties couple who have reached a fork in the road,
realising their shared interest in the reclusive musician Tucker Crowe is not enough to
hold them together any more. When Annie hates Tucker's 'new release', a terrible
demo of his most famous album, it's the last straw - Duncan cheats on her and she
promptly throws him out. Via an internet discussion forum, Annie's harsh opinion
reaches Tucker himself, who couldn't agree more. He and Annie start an unlikely
correspondence which teaches them both something about moving on from years of
wasted time. Contains strong language. TB 17400.
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Ishiguro, Kazuo
Nocturnes: five stories of music and nightfall. 2009. Read by David Thorpe, Matt
Addis and Peter Brooke, 6 hours 9 minutes. TB 16880.
In a sublime story cycle, Kazuo Ishiguro explores ideas of love, music and the
passing of time. From the piazzas of Italy to the Malvern Hills, a London flat to the
'hush-hush floor' of an exclusive Hollywood hotel, the characters we encounter range
from young dreamers to cafe musicians to faded stars, all of them at some moment of
reckoning. Contains strong language. TB 16880.
Joss, Morag
Puccini's ghosts. 2006. Read by Jonathan Hackett and Joan Walker, 14 hours
10 minutes. TB 14661.
It is the summer of 1960 and fifteen-year-old Lila's life is about to change forever. Set
free from the confines of school, her prison is the small unremarkable town of
Burnhead, on the west coast of Scotland. She dreams of escape: from Burnhead,
from the damp, from her mother's hysterics, her father's stolidity, and her parents'
loveless marriage. Salvation arrives in the form of her beloved Uncle George, a music
teacher from London who decides to stage an amateur production of Puccini's
Turandot. Lila, in love for the first time, maps out a future for herself in which reality
and fantasy fuse to form a dangerous mixture, threatening to destroy herself and all
those around her. Contains strong language. TB 14661.
Joss, Morag
Funeral music. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 10 hours 26 minutes. TB 13863.
Sara Selkirk series; book 1. The charity concert in Bath's famous Pump Room was
vitally important to international cellist Sara Selkirk. It was her chance to regain her
lost confidence, the first time she would perform in public since the death of her lover.
But if she'd known what was to happen that day, she would have lost her nerve
completely... TB 13863.
Joss, Morag
Fearful symmetry. 2000. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 12 hours 16 minutes. TB
12420.
Sara Selkirk series; book 2. Exhausted after a gruelling world tour, cellist Sara Selkirk
is looking forward to a few months' recuperation at her cottage near Bath. Sara's
growing attraction to DCI Andrew Poole causes her to make the mistake of joining an
amateur operatics society. The Circus Opera Group is a motley crew. There's faded
diva Helene; vain, talentless Cosmo and his long-suffering girlfriend, Poppy; not to
mention Andrew's wife, Valerie, who's beginning to grow suspicious. With this uneasy
mix of fragile egos, both Sara and Andrew predict trouble ahead. What they don't
expect is sudden, violent death... Contains strong language. TB 12420.
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Joss, Morag
Fruitful bodies. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 12 hours. TB 13516.
Sara Selkirk book 3. When she finds her first cello teacher having problems, cellist
Sara Selkirk sets her up as the resident music therapist at the successful Sulis Clinic
where her friend, James Balantyne, is a reluctant patient. But why isn't he getting
better? Sara delves into the mystery of the clinic. Contains strong language. TB
13516.
Kay, Jackie
Trumpet. 1998. Read by various narrators, 9 hours 20 minutes. TB 11884.
Celebrated trumpeter Joss Moody has died and the jazz world is in mourning. But in
death Joss can no longer guard the secret he kept all his life, and Colman his adopted
son must confront the truth: the man whom he believed to be his father was, in fact, a
woman. Winner of the 1998 Guardian Fiction Prize. Contains strong language. TB
11884.
Leroux, Gaston
Phantom of the opera. 1911. Read by John Rye, 9 hours 24 minutes. TB 6617.
Classic horror story set mainly in the complex maze of the Paris Opera House with its
cavernous subterranean bowels from which the phantom - half monster, half musical
genius - made his mysterious appearances in order to further the career of beautiful
young singer Christine Daae with whom he was in love. She in turn had just fallen in
love with her childhood friend Vicomte Raoul de Chagny. TB 6617.
MacLaverty, Bernard
Grace notes. 1997. Read by Frances Tomelty, 8 hours 4 minutes. TB 11471.
A novel about coming to terms with the past and the healing power of music.
Catherine McKenna, a young composer, returns to Belfast after a long absence, to
attend her father's funeral - and recalls exactly why she left. TB 11471.
Peters, Ellis
The horn of Roland. 1974. Read by Derek Chandler, 7 hours 25 minutes. TB
2589.
When Lucas Corinth is invited back to the Alpine town of Gries-am-See, it is as a
favoured native son. Since his boyhood there during the war, he has become a
famous composer and conductor. But over the celebrations falls a shadow. In
revenge of an act of betrayal, Lucas's life is at risk. TB 2586.
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Seth, Vikram
An equal music. 1999. Read by Michael Tudor Barnes, 16 hours 48 minutes. TB
12083.
A story of obsessive love. Years after parting, Michael is still in love with Julia. After a
chance meeting, he persuades Julia to join his quartet on its tour of Vienna, but Julia
is now happily married and Michael must accept that she will never give herself to
him. TB 12083.
Suchet, John
The last master: a fictional biography of Ludwig van Beethoven. 1996. Read by
Peter Barker, 28 hours 25 minutes. TB 11449.
The last master; book 1. Everyone knows the opening bars of the Fifth Symphony, the
famous 'fate knocking at the door' motif - but how many know the story of its writer,
Ludwig van Beethoven, arguably the greatest composer of all time? How could a man
deaf for nearly all his adult life write the 'Eroica' Symphony, the Fifth, the 'Pastoral'
Symphony, the 'Emperor' Concerto, the 'Moonlight' Sonata and Fidelio? TB 11449.
Suchet, John
Passion and pain: Volume two of a fictional biography of Ludwig Van
Beethoven. 1997. Read by Benedick Blythe, 18 hours 46 minutes. TB 16180.
The last master; book 2. This second volume of a trilogy about Ludwig van
Beethoven, depicts the composer at the height of his powers, famous throughout
Europe, championed by wealthy patrons, sought out by other musicians, yet all the
time beset by the great tragedy of his life - his deafness. TB 16180.
Tremain, Rose
Music & silence. 2007. Read by Jenny Agutter, 18 hours 21 minutes. TB 15423.
In the year 1629, a young English lutenist named Peter Claire arrives at the Danish
Court to join King Christian IV's Royal Orchestra. From the moment when he realises
that the musicians perform in a freezing cellar underneath the royal apartments, Peter
Claire understands that he's come to a place where the opposing states of light and
dark, good and evil, are waging war to death. TB 15423.
Trollope, Joanna
The choir. 1992. Read by Norma West, 9 hours 22 minutes. TB 9655.
Crisis loomed in the precinct of Aldminster Cathedral, where the urbane and worldly
Dean wanted to restore and beautify the cathedral at the cost of everything else, even
the Choir School. Alexander Troy, headmaster, is determined that nothing and
nobody shall destroy the choir. Many others are caught in the schism, and each frail
and human dilemma takes its part in the greater turmoil of the Chapter and the Close,
and the final battle for the survival of the choir. TB 9655.
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Warner, Alan
Sopranos. 1998. Read by Sally Armstrong, 9 hours 40 minutes. TB 12030.
The choir from "Our Lady of Perpetual Succour School for Girls" is being bussed to
the national Finals in the big city. It's an important day for the Sopranos - pubcrawling, shoplifting and body-piercing being the top priorities. Contains passages of
a sexual nature. TB 12030.
Weiss, David Cody
Sacred and profane. 1968. Read by Colin Doran, 28 hours 2 minutes. TB 941.
A novel of the life and times of Mozart. TB 941.
Weldon, Fay
Leader of the band. 1988. Read by Patricia Hughes, 9 hours 7 minutes. TB 7118.
Sandra Sorenson is an astronomer and the wife of a leading barrister. Before
marriage she discovered a planet and became a TV personality with her own
"Starlady Sandra" programme and she is almost as surprised as her friends when she
runs off with mad Jack the Trumpeter the Leader of the Band, to tour the festivals and
gigs of Southern France. Contains strong language. TB 7118.
If you have read a book you particularly enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) and want to share
your thoughts with other readers, visit the new RNIB Readers Forum at
www.rnib.org.uk/booktalk and post your review on the Forum.
If you have any questions regarding Braille Music please contact our Music Librarian,
Megan Chivers on 0161 355 2064.
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