Songs, soul and confidence. The Verve were special from the start. A classic rock'n'roll tale of victory against all the odds.

Verve: Starsail

Arts & Photography

EGAN, Sean

Music

Omnibus Pr & Schirmer Trade Books

When considered in a broader social context, The Clash stand as one of the most important musical acts in rock history. Original punks who transcended the music’s minimalist origins, The Clash lived and breathed the idea that they could change the world with their art. In The Clash: The Only Band That Mattered, respected music critic Sean Egan examines The Clash’s career and art through the prism of the uniquely interesting and fractious UK politics of the 1970s and ’80s, without which they simply would not have existed. Tackling such subjects as The Clash’s self-conscious tussles with their record label, the accusations of selling out that dogged their footsteps, their rivalry with the similarly leaning but less purist Jam, the paradoxical quality of their achieving multiplatinum success, and even whether their denunciations of Thatcherism were proven wrong, Egan has come up with new insights into a much discussed group. Clash fans, Clash haters, social historians, and political students will all find themselves entertained by his thought-provoking conclusions.

The Clash: The Only Band That Mattered (Tempo: A Rowman & Littlefield Music Series on Rock, Pop, and Culture)

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pink Floyd are one of the world's most successful rock bands of all time. After their breakthrough record, "The Dark Side Of The Moon", brought prog rock to the masses, they have never looked back, and their influence continues today in rock, ambient and techno music. "Pink Floyd: Glorious Torment" is an unofficial, intriguing review of their path to mega success, tracking too the dismay of Syd Barrett's decline and the battles and the glory of their music. Covering all the major events in their long career this great new book is accompanied by revealing and evocative images of the band.

Pink Floyd: Glorious Torment (Pop, Rock & Entertainment)

Humor & Entertainment

Flame Tree Publishing

David Bowie needs no introduction. An immense star whose music and writing has transcended generations he remains one of the most articulate influencers of modern music. Over fifty years his singles and albums have slid up and down the bestseller charts, adapting to the changing times, exploring new musical themes, always pushing at boundaries in a desperate desire to seek out the new and the different. This fantastic new, unofficial biography covers his life, music, art and movies, with a sweep of incredible photographs.

David Bowie: Ever Changing Hero (Pop, Rock & Entertainment)

Flame Tree Press

Sick of Being Me is the alternately exhilarating and harrowing story of guitarist Paul Hazelwood, from his childhood on a London council estate, where he nurtures his dreams of stardom, to his agonising realisation on the cusp of his thirties that talent doesn't necessarily bring success. Egan spurns sensationalism to portray the reality of the life of a struggling musician. Similar authenticity informs the drug scenes, which reveal the touching pain that can be hidden beneath an unpleasant junkie exterior. Vulnerable, truthful, moving and beautiful, Sick of Being Me is one of the great coming-of-age novels of our time. Reviews of Sick of Being Me "Sean Egan has taken a clichéd formula (a coming-of-age story with a rock 'n' roll backdrop and a heroin-fuelled sting in the tale) and turned it into something of a quiet masterpiece.” ~ Melissa Blease, 'Venue' "...compelling but painful reading. The story of a talented guitarist’s quest for stardom is told with an at times shocking candour… " ~ Colin Irwin, ITV Teletext “…an excellent first novel that is both well-crafted and authentic ... There's something of Roddy Doyle's gritty realism in the dialogue, and his harrowing descriptions of junkiedom rival Irving Welsh ... A snorting good read.” ~ Nigel Williamson, ‘Uncut’ "This is pop-fiction with a difference; insightful and affecting - and one of the best books of its genre out there.” ~ Joy Fillingham, What's On UK “I found myself gripped by the life, experiences and feelings of Hazelwood ... In a nutshell, Egan writes his ass off in a fine effort. ~ John Koenig, ‘Discoveries’ “Sick of Being Me finally gives rock ‘n’ roll the work of fiction it has always deserved ... His in-depth knowledge of the music industry has worked brilliantly with his eye for gritty, urban detail.” ~ Simon Netherwood, alive.co.uk “…a harrowing tale, grippingly told. Descriptions of the junkie’s lot are graphic, while the struggling muso backdrop is, by and large, spot-on.” ~ Neville Marten, ‘Ink’ “…succeeds in evoking the spirit of rock and the belief that it can save lives ... a fun read for those yet to live the dream.” ~ Jason Draper, ‘Record Collector’ "…a shockingly real ride through the dirtiness of addiction and denial and egotism told with the sure-eyed realism of a practicing journalist." ~ John Aiello, The Electric Review “A positively uncomfortable, but totally essential and ultimately satisfying read, it will challenge your perceptions on many levels. Recommended without reservation.” ~ Mark Hoaksey, ‘Powerplay’ “…more gut-level believable than many real-life rock bios ... consistently engaging… ~ Mike Stax, ‘Ugly Things’

Sick of Being Me

Literature & Fiction

Literary

Askill Publishing

Leiber &amp; Stoller. Mann &amp; Weil. Greenwich &amp; Barry. Bobby Hart. Chip Taylor. Holland-Dozier-Holland. Tony Macaulay. Stock, Aitken &amp; Waterman. Few would recognise them in the street but their melodies and lyrics are embedded in the minds of music lovers worldwide. With the aid of lengthy and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the history of rock and pop songwriting, Sean Egan's The Guys Who Wrote 'em seeks to put right the lack of recognition for compositional geniuses who have chosen to use their musical skills to help not themselves but others achieve stardom. The result is a recounting of the story of post-Elvis popular music from an intriguing and delightful lateral angle. Amongst those to whom respected music journalist Egan has been granted access are Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Eddie and Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Bobby Hart, Joey Levine, Graham Gouldman, Chip Taylor, Tony Macaulay, Nicky Chinn, Mike Stock and Matt Aitken. Their anecdotes feature Elvis Presley, Phil Spector, Eric Clapton, The Shangri-Las, Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix and a host of other iconic figures. The Guys Who Wrote 'em is both the most comprehensive book ever written about the 'bespoke songwriter' and the fascinating, untold story of popular music.

The Guys Who Wrote 'em: Songwriting Geniuses of Rock and Pop

Barry Hines' A Kestrel for a Knave, Stan Barstow's Joby, Bill Naughton's The Goalkeeper's Revenge, Keith Waterhouse's There Is A Happy Land, David Storey's Saville.. In the esteemed tradition of British working class childhood depicted through fiction comes Sean Egan's superb collection Don't Mess With The Best. In these fifteen tales describing the adventures, escapades, high jinks and set-backs of children and teenagers, Egan captures the 1970s as acutely as did the aforementioned writers their eras. Whether writing about a skinhead who realises that his hard-man status means nothing to a woman interviewing him for a job, a ten-year-old tomboy whose kindness nullifies the embarrassment produced by peer pressure in her new, male best mate, a 13-year-old who realises to his horror that a girlie magazine he has hidden in his mother's flat has disappeared, a boy who is swept up by the illusion of being as tough as his playmate with humiliating results, or a football hooligan whose crushing anonymity is replaced by exhilarating fame on match days, Egan's powers of observation, flawless ear for speech and technical dexterity make for a collection bursting with life and studded with pleasures. Two former winners of the greatest prize in British fiction, the Booker, have garlanded this collection already and more laurels are sure to come for an author who grants us an incisive view of a fascinating and rarely seen segment of the world. STANLEY MIDDLETON (BOOKER PRIZE WINNER 1974):"These stories are interesting, intelligent and well-written. Children who are approaching, putting up with or getting out of their teenage years are described with lively observation and appropriate language. Sometimes we may not like or approve of them, but we cannot but feel some twinges of pity for them. Tears often flow from the eyes of these toughs. With the older characters the scars of the old life are still to be seen on characters who are much more like us, a difficulty handled well and admirably. These are clever, strong stories about a group we rarely come across." DAVID STOREY (BOOKER PRIZE WINNER 1976): "I was struck by their authenticity (not easily acquired) and, almost paradoxically, their sensitivity. They acquire a momentum of their own as the feeling of a single personality (the narrator) develops, deepens and broadens - culminating in a fitting climax, `Me and Jools', which with a dynamic of its own, resonates most strongly. The sense of understatement plays a not inconsiderable part in what feels like original material - original, not least, in its fusing of two cultures." About the Author Sean Egan is a journalist, author and editor specialising in popular culture and sport. He has written for, among other outlets, Billboard, Billboard.com, Classic Rock, Death Ray, Discoveries, Goldmine, Guitar, Inside United (official Manchester United magazine), Record Collector, RollingStone.com, Serve And Volley, SFX, Sky Sports, Tennis World, TV Film Memorabilia, Uncut and Vox. He is the author or editor of eleven books, including works on The Animals, Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones. One of his books - Jimi Hendrix and the Making of `Are You Experienced' - was nominated for an Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections. His novel Sick Of Being Me was published in 2003. This work, which had a rock industry backdrop, boasted cover endorsements from the likes of Charles R Cross, award winning biographer of Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, Frank Allen of The Searchers, Gary Valentine of Blondie and Vic Briggs and John Steel of The Animals. Among the stories included in Don't Mess With The Best is `The Interview', which was shortlisted in the 1998 London Writers Competition.

Don't Mess With the Best

Askill Pub

THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF CORONATION STREET NOW IN PAPERBACK. Coronation Street was reluctantly commissioned in 1960 as a twice-weekly stop-gap until a new programme could be found to fill its airtime. Half a century later, the gritty working class serial broadcasts five times per week and remains one of the television schedules' biggest ratings-pullers. Sean Egan has been granted access to the show's creators, producers, directors, writers and actors. With their aid, he has constructed a fascinating account of how Coronation Street became the most successful drama in the history of UK television. Acclaim for 50 Years of Coronation Street: The (Very) Unofficial Story. “There are … lots of books about Coronation Street, but I found Sean Egan, Fifty Years of Coronation Street: The (Very) Unofficial History (2010) to be the most informative…“ - Dominic Sandbrook, The Great British Dream Factory: The Strange History of Our National Imagination. "An invaluable guide to the making of a television classic" - Michael Cox, former Coronation Street director and producer. "It rings very true, and there are some fascinating quotes from many old colleagues. A remarkable piece of work" - John Finch, former Coronation Street scriptwriter and producer. "Diligent and astonishingly detailed research has led to an absorbing narrative" - Stan Barstow, author of A Kind of Loving, former Coronation Street consultant. "Extremely accurate in its detail" - coronationstreet.wikia.com. "Lively unofficial history" - Financial Times. Sean Egan has contributed to, among others, Billboard, Book Collector, Classic Rock, Record Collector, Tennis World, Total Film, Uncut and RollingStone.com. He has written or edited books on The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Manchester United, Tarzan and James Bond. His critically acclaimed novel Sick of Being Me was published in 2003, while his 2008 collection of short stories Don't Mess with the Best carried cover endorsements from Booker Prize winners Stanley Middleton and David Storey.

50 Years of Coronation Street: The (Very) Unofficial Story

The story of Eric Burdon and The Animals is the story of the Sixties. The original Animals were part of the British rhythm 'n' blues movement in the early years of that momentous decade - a movement whose love of a musical genre almost forgotten in its native America succeeded in "Bringing It All Back Home". Blessed in Eric Burdon with the most authentic white blues vocalist of their generation and a collective and astonishing capacity to reinvigorate old forms - most notably in transatlantic chart topper 'The House of the Rising Sun' - The Animals overcame bitter internecine rivalry to produce a string of truly classic singles that put them briefly on a par with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. They also gained a reputation for remarkable live shows that showcased Burdon's almost frightening commitment to their material. By 1967, though, both music and society were changing. A trip to love-infused, LSD-drenched San Francisco convinced Burdon that R&B was redundant. His new line-up of The Animals espoused the philosophy of Flower Power and made the shift to writing their own material. Their hits 'San Franciscan Nights' and 'Sky Pilot', as well as being brilliant records, fascinatingly freeze for posterity the concerns and issues of a particular time and place. However, the 'new' Animals' affi nity for peace-and-love was not reflected by relations within the band. After personnel upheavals and a terrifying tour of Japan in 1968, the group collapsed. Animal Tracks tells the story of both versions of The Animals. Additionally, it reveals the astonishing behind-the-scenes rancour that marked the ill-fated reunions of the original band. In this UPDATED AND EXPANDED version of his definitive Animals biography, Sean Egan draws on hours of interviews with surviving Animals, both original (Eric Burdon, John Steel, Hilton Valentine, Dave Rowberry, Barry Jenkins) and 'new' (Vic Briggs, John Weider, Zoot Money, Andy Summers) to produce a compelling portrait of a truly remarkable band. Egan has also been granted unprecedented access to band member journals and archives, enabling him to reveal the story behind the recording of each and every Animal Track.

Animal Tracks - Updated and Expanded: The Story of the Animals, Newcastle's Rising Sons

Some albums are so extraordinary that they influence generations of aspiring artists and even redefine entire genres. Such a description applies to Are You Experienced. In this revelatory book, now UPDATED AND EXPANDED, Sean Egan tells the story of the making of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's classic 1967 debut. His interviews with key figures and access to diary entries help create the definitive study of one of the most important, groundbreaking and exciting albums ever made. "...proffers a wealth of dedicated detail. Utilising scores of new interviews, he offers a keen sense of Hendrix's impact on the London scene..." - Q "...with copious facts for the boffin seeking tape reduction info or the beginner pondering how these imperishable sounds were fashioned, [this] is an accessible, informative read"- Record Collector "...his judgements on this album are sound and lovingly eloquent..." - Uncut "An original contribution to the enormous body of Hendrix literature" - Library Journal

Jimi Hendrix and the Making of Are You Experienced: Updated and Expanded

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