Pop (including R&B, Rock, Rap)

ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. 3rd ed.
Bowker, 1980. ISBN#: 0-8352-1283-1
hardbound, 589 pages, OP.
Reference. Bios of every ASCAP registered writer up to '80. Ours is 4th edition, and as far as we can tell, last ever published version of this indispensable reference work. The big beige book, grab one when you see it.

The Big Bands
George T. Simon
Macmillan, 1967. ISBN#: no ISBN #
hardbound, 537 pages, B&W illus., used 75¢
Reference. Overview structured around 400 biographies. A good companion volume is Simons' Simon Says (Arlington House, 1971), his annotated articles written for Metronome Magazine.

The Billboard Book of American Singing Groups
Jay Warner
Billboard Books, 1992. ISBN#: 0-8230-8264-4
paperbound, 542 pages, $22.
Reference. Covers 1940 - 1990, pretty good, but I just looked up the Marathons on Arvee and NOT listed.

The Complete Rock Family Trees
Pete Frame
Omnibus, 1995. ISBN#: 0-711-90465-0
paperbound, 132 pages, $20.
Reference. Pete is one of the real unsung heroes of Rock & Roll - his books are too good to be true, by a true scholar. All of the older ones are worth seeking out, this is the latest collection, plus there is a new specific one, Beatles and some other guys - Rock Family Trees of the Early Sixties (Omnibus, 1997, $20.).

The Da Capo Companion to 20th Century Music
Phil Hardy, Dave Laing
Da Capo, 1995. ISBN#: 0-306-80640-1
hardbound, 121 pages, $30.
Reference. The next best, after the Penguin, general purpose, one volume pop encyclopedia.

The Directory of American 45 RPM Records
Ken Clee
Stak-O-Wax, 1997. ISBN#: no ISBN#
ringbound, 4000+ pages, $195.
Discography. One million releases, weighs more than a bowling ball, organized in 3 loose-leaf volumes by label, a 4th volume by artist. Updated, in this it's 20 year. Yikes, no index! Between this and the Music Master, the singles subject is pretty well covered. We can't afford, so we use a friends. Stak-O-Wax : P.O. Box 11412, Philadelphia, PA, 19111. Ph: 215-722-1979.

Doo-Wop
Dr. Anthony J. Gribin, Dr. Mathew M. Schiff
Krause Publications / Goldmine, 1992. ISBN#: 0-87341-197-8
paperbound, 616 pages, $20.
Reference. Practically the only general book on the music, with more than 25,000 song titles frfrenced. Also have a look at Doo-Wop, The Chicago Scene (Robert Pruter, U. Illinois Press, 1996).

Encyclopedia of British Beat Groups & Solo Artists of the Sixties
Colin Cross, with Paul Kendall, Mick Farren
Omnibus, 1980. ISBN#: 0-86001-638-2
paperbound, 95 pages, B&W illus., OP?
Reference. Fave. In general I'm not an Omnibus book fan, but this slim volume gives a good overview of all the groups eclipsed by the Beatles.

Go Cat Go! : Rockabilly Music and Its Makers (Music in American Life)
Craig Morrison
University of Illinois Press, Published 1996. ISBN#: 0-252-02207-6
hardbound, minimal B&W illus., 326 pages, $28.
History. Not a Fave, but just about all there is. Overview, brief histories and better than most discography.

Good Rockin' Tonight: Sun Records and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll
Colin Escott, with Martin Hawkins
St. MartinÍs, 1991. ISBN#: 0-312-05439-4
hardbound, 276 pages, B&W illus., $20.
History. Fave. Well illustrated document of Sun Studios and Records. Colin writes for Goldmine and Bear family projects. navigating the territory between a pop writer and a scholar. This greatly expands his earlier pamphlet on Sun. A very nice piece of work.

The Great Rock Discography
Martin Strong
Omnibus, 1996. ISBN#: 0-86241-541-1
paperbound, 946 pages, $35.
Discography. Probably the best one volume rock album discography, with track listings and singles for 100 artists. In no way complete, as they claim, but pretty good. 3d ed. Hardbound avail for $5 more.

The Green Book
Jeff Green
Professional Desk Reference, 1982. no ISBN #
paperbound, 289 pages, OP.
Reference. Fave. Pop and rock songs are sorted by words in title, or related theme or content, then grouped by the appropriate catagory, like, 'doctors', 'dogs', 'dreams', etc... JeffÍs pioneering work has led to any collection of related songs being called, "a green book". Another attempt was, The Rock Music Source (Anchor, 1980).

Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 2d ed.
Colin Larkin, ed.
Guinness / Stockton, 1995. ISBN#: 1-56159-176-9
hardbound, 6 vol., 832 pages per. vol., $495.
Reference. Probably the best, multi-volumed, general purpose pop encyclopedia for a library when just the idea of the Groves gives you a budgetary headache. Provisos: no soul or opinions. Seldom talks about what the music being described sounds like. No genres. Some world music. Discographies "selected" and OK, but just title and year. First released 1992.

Headbangers: The Worldwide Mega-Book of Heavy Metal Bands (Rock & Roll Reference Series, No 37)
Mark Hale
Popular Culture Ink, 1993. ISBN#: 1-560-75029-4
hardbound, $75.
History. Have not seen, but based on the so-so quality of the other Heavy Metal books in our collection, AND the general high quality of PCI publications, this is recommended. Ones I'm not so thrilled with, but use : Heavy Metal Thunder (Philip Bashe, Dolphin / Doubleday, 1985) andThe International Encyclopedia of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal (Tony Jasper & Derek Oliver, Facts on File, 1983).

Heat Wave, The Motown Factbook
David Bianco
Popular Culture Inc. , 1988. ISBN#: 0-87650-204-4
hardbound, 523 pages, $55.
Reference & Discography. Probably the best one volume to get if you want to keep track of your collection, and glean those bits of knowledge you won't learn at the Motown Cafe. Band and artists histories, plus both a US & UK discography of both LPs a singles.

The Illustrated Discography of Hot Rod Music, 1961-1965
John Blair, Stephen J. McParland
Popular Culture, Ink., 1990. ISBN#:1-56075-002-2
hardbound, 166 pages, $34.50.
Discography. Companion to the surf discogs.

The Illustrated Discography of Surf Music 1961-1965
John Blair
Popular Culture, Ink., 1985. ISBN#:0-87650-174-9
hardbound, 166 pages $45.
Discography. Pretty good - both 45s and LPs. As a ho-dad, I was stoked by the "Surfing Dictionary" section.

Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996
Joel Whitburn
Record Research, 1996. ISBN#: 0-89820-117-9
hardbound, 1056 pages, $90.
Reference. ItÍs not a matter of Fave, really, this is the only game in town, and Joel does a good job with his monopoly. Billboard chart reference.

Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1996
Joel Whitburn
Record Research, 1996.
paperbound, 900+ pages, $70.
Reference. 8th ed. Invaluable.

Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Singles 1942-1995
Joel Whitburn
Record Research, 1996.
hardbound, 704 pages, $65.
Reference. Invaluable listing of the Billboard R&B charts.

The Motown Story
Don Waller
Scribner's, 1985. ISBN#: 0-684-18347-1
paperbound, 256 pages, illus., $13.
History. OK history of the label & groups. If you want the coffee table version, get The Motown Album on St. Martins.

Music Central 97
Microsoft, 1996.
CD-ROM, $25.
Reference. About the least expensive way to get a pretty good, broad based illustrated pop music reference book. Info on 80,000 albums, including artist bios, discographies, photos, some videos and audio clips, and record reviews. Q Mag (UK) provides the snappy valueless reviews, and we, the ARChive, provided the 5,000 record covers illustrated on this ROM. For updates, download electronically from the site of the same name. The only competition is Rock'n'Rom, from the UK, at $1,500.00.

Music Master (US)
Paul Mawhinney
Music Master, 1983.
paperbound, 4 vol., all for $150-ish.
Discography. Fave. These massive jonquil tomes are the real yellow pages - claims to be every single ever released in the US, 1947 - 1982. First ed., 1983, 2 vol., plus a two vol. update = 4 volumes. One of the better reference books there is, alpha by artist and title. AND you can order many (most?) of the singles from their store in Pittsburgh, PA. Mail order only: Record-Rama Sound Archives / Music Master, P.O. Box 150 Allison Park, PA 15101. (412) 367-7330.

The Music of Black Americans
Eileen Southern
Norton, 1983. ISBN#: 0-393-95279-7
paperbound, 602 pages, B&W illus., $20
History. We have the Second Edition - there's a new one (3d) for '97 with 40 or so more pages (ISBN 0-393-03843-2). Vast overview - both itÍs strength and greatest problem - so much is referenced that the fascinating details are dropped in favor of scope. Puts it all in perspective, esp. the pre-pop eras - from Africa to the New World (1619) to the advent of recordings in the 1920s. Nice social and political timeline preceding each chapter to place the music in a larger context.

Mystery Train
Greil Marcus
Dutton / Obelisk, 1990. ISBN#: 0-525-48556-2
paperbound, 281 pages, $13.
History. Critically acclaimed link between rock nÍ roll and American popular culture. Orig. from '75. A classic.

The New Grove Dictionary of American Music
H. Wiley Hitchcock, Stanley Sadie, eds.,
Macmillan, 1986. ISBN#: 0-943818-36-2
hardbound, 4 vol., 2,600 pages, 700+ B&W illus., $750.
Reference. Like the New Grove above, but with greater coverage on American music and musicians, including popular and jazz. Dry, multi-volumed. work - but, trustworthy, BUT expensive. The larger, original 20 vol. overview, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, has just been published in a paper binding at $500, but while a good deal, like the American Grove's, Classical music oriented. For a real pare-down there's The Norton/Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music, Revised and Enlarged at $42,50.

The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll
Patricia Romanowski, Holly George-Warren, with Jon Pareles
Fireside / Simon & Schuster, 1995. ISBN#: 0-684-81044-1
paperbound, 1120 pages, B&W illus., $25.
Reference. Fave - by a begrudge. If you were going to buy one "rock" encyclopedia, this would be it, and inexpensive by todayÍs standards. We use in conjunction with the 1983 edition. Mainstream (no Robert Wyatt, Throbbing Gristle, Magma, Pearls Before Swine, etc..), strong on 60s & 80s, with all the flavors of the month included. Hey, they left Jerry Wexler out of this new edition! Woefully, no index.

Off The Record, Vol. 1
Reginald J. Bartlette
Popular Culture Inc., 1991. ISBN#: 1-56075-004-9
hardbound, 508 pages, $60.
Discography. Fave. Subtitled, "Motown by master numbers, 1959-1989". Just the facts, including all the related labels, with indexes by artist, song, date released and label #.

The Penguin Encyclopedia of Music
Donald Clark, editor
Viking / Penguin, 1989. ISBN#: 0-14-051147-4
paperbound, 1378 pages, $20.
Reference. Fave. Probably the best one volume, pop music (all forms) encyclopedia you can get. OP already?

Price Guides Sometimes good to do quick checks on whether or not a recording exists. We have 'em from 3 different publishers, all citing wildly disparate prices; Goldmine/ Krause, Jerry Osborne, and Billboard.

Ra Ja Ro Index
K. M. Aase
self published.
paperbound, 4 vol. availability?
Reference. Most complete modern rock magazine and fanzine index there is. Bad part are all the codes for mag names. Last ed. 1995. Postboks 6724, Rode Loekka, Oslo,N-0503, Norway. Usetabe on-line, but I couldn't find it 9/8/97.

The Rap Attack
David Toop
Pluto Press (UK), 1984. ISBN#: 0-86104-777-X
paperbound, 168 pages, $8.
History. Some info on the Jamaican dee jay scene in the south Bronx as an influence in Rap. Also African rhyming games and challenges.

vRap Whoz Who - the World of Rap Music
Steven Stancell
Schirmer, 1996. ISBN#: 0-02-864520-0
paperbound, 322 pages, 150 B&W illus., $20.
Reference. Short bios on artists, producers and promoters. OK, but the scene changes so fast no book can keep up.

RIAA Gold and Platinum Awards Program
RIAA, annual. no ISBN #
ringbound, 2 vol., not for sale.
Reference. All the gold and platinum awards for American recordings and videos in two loose-leaf binders. Only available to professionals(?), but promises to be on-line one day. A nightmare to check through as awards are alphabetical by artist, by year, with no index.

The Rock Encyclopedia
Lillian Roxon
Grosset & Dunlap, 1969. ISBN#: no ISBN #
hardbound, 575-ish pages, min. illus., $15 used.
Reference. One of the many secondary sources we go to - grudgingly recommended. Good for mainstream rock artists/bands who have not stood the test of time.

Rock On - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock 'n' Roll
Norm N. Nite
Harper & Row, 1982. ISBN#: ISBN # vol. 1, 0-06-181642-6; vol. 2, 0-06-181643-4; vol. 3, 0-06-181644-2.
hardbound, vol. 1, 722 pages; vol. 2, 747 pages; vol. 3, 444 pages. B&W illus., approx. $25. per vol.
Reference. A hesitant Fave. 3 volumes. A very pop-y, uncritical appraisal of nearly every well known artist and group, esp. older, pre-60s groups that are ignored by most 'rock' encyclopedias. Vol. 1, The Solid Gold Years; vol. 2, The Years of Change 1964-1978; vol. 3, The Video Revolution, 1978 - Present.

Rock Record, 3d ed.
Terry Hounsome
Facts On File, 1987. ISBN#: 0-8160-1754-9
paperbound, 738 pages, $15.
Discography. Fave. Best for it's listing of the session musicians on each album, and one of the few books to list data on generally available recordings released on both sides of the Atlantic.

Rock Toons: A Cartoon History of the First 30 Years of Rock 'n' Roll
S. Dutfoy, D. Farran, M. Sadler
Harmony, 1986. ISBN#: 0-517-56325-8
paperbound, 103 pages, totally illus., $8.
History. Surprisingly good, hilarious cartoon history of rock music. Don't knock it, I got the gist of the Ramayana while traveling in India by reading the comic book!

Rolling Stone's Alt-Rock-A-Rama
Scott Schinder
Delta / Rolling Stone, 1996. ISBN#: 0-385-31360-8
paperbound, 492 pages, $15.
Reference. The NOW subject covered in a book trying hard to be witty and informative with little result.

vRolling Stone Index
Jeffrey N. Gatten
Popular Culture Ink, 1993. ISBN#: 1-56075-030-8
hardbound, 1096 pages, $125.
Reference. Subtitled, "Twenty-Five Years of Popular Culture 1967-1991". Index to every cover, article, and review that ever appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine. Obsessive, excessive, exactly whatÍs needed in an index to a publication, but really, every letter to the editor indexed? An update volume covering 1992 -1996 is due out in Dec. '97, $75.

Spin Alternative Record Guide
Eric Weisbard
Vintage, 1995. ISBN#: 0-679-75574-8
paperbound, 468 pages, Color illus., $20.
Reference. Like the Rolling Stone book, casual overview of anything that qualifies as alternative.

Soul Music A-Z
Hugh Gregory
Da Capo, 1995. ISBN#: 0-306-80643-6
paperbound, 344 pages, $18.
Reference. Fave. No non-sense soul reference - a very nice job indeed.

The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll
Charlie Gillett
Da Capo, 1996. ISBN#: 0-306-80683-5
paperbound, 535 pages, $17.
History. This is a reprint of the '83 revised edition from Pantheon, with new photos, introduction, recommended recfordings and bibliography. Original from 1970.

Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands of the Sixties
Robert J. Dalley
Popular Culture, Ink., 1995. ISBN#:1-56075-042-1
hardbound, 364 pages, 400+ B&W illus., $55.
History. Our copy was Dalley's self issued first version, but this is the latest available 2d ed., part of the Rock & roll remembrance series, no. 13. Band histories greatly increased from 9 to 45 bands.

Swamp Pop - Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues
Shane K. Bernard
U. of Mississippi, 1996. ISBN#: 0-87805-875-3
hardbound, 264 pages, $50.
History. Pricey, (there's a paperbound, avail) but the only overview of this music available, Includes CD. Begins with a good overview and second half interviews and profiles of the artists. This is the music that gave us the originals to many songs covered by mainstream pop artists, including Phil Phillips' "Sea of Love", Cookie and the Cupcakes' "Mathilda" , Dale and Grace's "I'm Leaving It Up to You", and Johnnie Allan's "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights".

Trouser Press Guide To 90Ís Rock
Ira Robbins, with David Sprague
Fireside, 1997. ISBN#: 0-684-81437-4
paperbound, 846 pages, $24.
Reference. Fave. As the latest blurb says, "covers 8,500 records by 2,300 artists in 1,400 entries written by more than 50 critics." Serious? YouÍll need all four editions. Published, 85, 87, 91 & 97. Prefer Web-bound? These very same older editions of this book are magnanimously available, free, on-line, at www.trouserpress.com

Volume One: The International Discography of the New Wave

B. George, ed.
One Ten Records, 1981. ISBN#: 0-9605778-0-7
paperbound, no page numbers (about 250), B&W illustrations
Discography. Authored by the Director of the ARChive of Contemporary Music, this first edition, second printing (the pink one) is still available from the ARChive and for $15. including postage.

Volume Two: The International Discography of the New Wave
B. George & Martha DeFoe, eds.
One Ten Records / Omnibus Press (UK), 1982. ISBN#: 0-7119-0050-7
paperbound, 736 pages, B&W illustrations
Discography. The Bible is now OP with even a very worn copy will costing $50 - if you can find one. The definitive reference guide to this material - praised by the Village Voice, the NME, recommended in The Readers Catalog, and cited as inspirational in the history, England's Dreaming.

We Wanna Boogie. An Illustrated History of the American Rockabilly Movement.
Randy McNutt
HHP, 1988. ISBN#:0-940152-05-3
softbound, 286 pages, minimal B&W illus., $28.
History. Goofy and thoroughly readable, incomplete, fan written book.

Who's New Wave in Music : An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1976-1982 (The First Wave)
David Bianco, ed.
Pierian Press, 1985. ISBN#: 0-87650-173-0
hardbound, 443 pages, $30.50.
Reference. Listing by band name, briefest info, then odd discography w/o disc numbers. Still a good book to have. Pierian is now Popular Culture, Ink.

 

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