In her bestselling autobiography Bedsit Disco Queen, Tracey Thorn recalled the highs and lows of a thirty-year career in pop music. But with the touring, recording and extraordinary anecdotes, there wasn't time for an in-depth look at what she actually did for all those years: sing. She sang with warmth and emotional honesty, sometimes while battling acute stage-fright.
Part memoir, part wide-ranging exploration of the art, mechanics and spellbinding power of singing, NAKED AT THE ALBERT HALL takes in Dusty Springfield, Dennis Potter and George Eliot; Auto-tune, the microphone and stage presence; The Streets and The X Factor. Including interviews with fellow artists such as Alison Moyet, Romy Madley-Croft and Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, and portraits of singers in fiction as well as Tracey's real-life experiences, it offers a unique, witty and sharply observed insider's perspective on the exhilarating joy and occasional heartache of singing.

Naked at the Albert Hall: The Inside Story of Singing

Biographies & Memoirs

Thorn, Tracey

Arts & Literature

Virago

Tracey Thorn, musician and author of the bestselling autobiography Bedsit Disco Queen, offers a unique insider's take on the art of singing: why and how we sing, and the voice's power to captivate In her acclaimed autobiography Bedsit Disco Queen, Tracey Thorn recalled the highs and lows of a 30-year career in pop music. But with the touring, recording, and extraordinary anecdotes, there wasn't time for an in-depth look at what she actually did for all those years: sing. She sang with warmth and emotional honesty, sometimes while battling acute stage fright. Part memoir and part wide-ranging exploration of the art, mechanics, and spellbinding power of singing, Naked at the Albert Hall takes in Dusty Springfield, Dennis Potter, and George Eliot; Auto-tune, the microphone, and stage presence; The Streets and The X Factor. Including interviews with fellow artists such as Alison Moyet, Romy Madley-Croft, and Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, and portraits of singers in fiction as well as Tracey's real-life experiences, it offers a unique, witty, and sharply observed insider's perspective on the exhilarating joy and occasional heartache of singing.

Humor & Entertainment

Virago UK

In a 1970’s commuter town, Tracey Thorn’s teenage life was forged from what failed to happen. Her diaries were packed with entries about not buying things, not going to the disco, the school bus not arriving. Bored and cynical, despairing of her aspirational parents, her only comfort came from house parties, “Meaningful Conversations” and the female pop icons who hinted at a new kind of living. Returning more than three decades later to the scene of her childhood, Thorn takes us beyond the bus shelters and pub car parks, the utopian cul-de-sacs, the train to the weekly discos, to the parents who wanted so much for their children, the children who wanted none of it. With wit and insight, Thorn’s provocative new book blends memoir and psychogeography in reconsidering the suburban post-war dream so many artists have mocked, and so many artists have come from.

Another Planet: A Teenager in Suburbia

CANONGATE BOOKS *

A wise and witty exploration of suburbia from music icon Tracey Thorn; singer-songwriter and bestselling author of Bedsit Disco Queen.

My Rock 'n' Roll Friend

An exploration of female friendship and women in music, from the iconic singer-songwriter and bestselling author of Another Planet and Bedsit Disco Queen.

Review A vivid and witty memoir of the friendship between Thorn and Lindy Morrison of the Go-Betweens, two women in a cultural world dominated by men . . . [Thorn] brings wit, candour and vividness to her storytelling . . . As well as providing a portrait of a mercurial and brilliant musician, the book exposes the sexism and hypocrisy of an industry . . . Entertaining, affectionate and righteous ― GuardianThis book says so much about being a woman -- COSEY FANNI TUTTIThorn's audacious salute to Lindy Morrison of Brisbane's gorgeous romantic heroes The Go-Betweens resonates far beyond its 1980s indie milieu . . . Their parallel history not only triggers moving meditations on female friendship, motherhood and ageing, but also gives Thorn the chance to prise away old rock'n'roll myths, revealing fresh stories hidden beneath ― The Times, Best Books of the YearIt's such a radical act - as well as a loving one - for a woman to tell the story of her friend like this, and to free her (and all of us, it feels!) from the distorting prism of the male gaze. I honestly wanted to stand up and cheer! -- MELISSA HARRISONPhilosophical and furious . . . Illuminates rock's double standards . . . This is a book about more than music: it recounts the intricacies of female friendship and its crush of projection, permission, allyship and trying-on-for-size ― ObserverA warm, open-hearted book about female friendship and an angry attack on the erasure of women from the story of pop . . . thrilling ― Herald, Music Books of the YearA gorgeous, vivid account of female friendship, what it is to be a woman in a band, activism, art, motherhood, love and having men take credit for your work -- SINÉAD GLEESONBrilliant . . . The idea of reclaiming women's history is still necessary in 2021 and Thorn, who is a beautiful memoirist, does it with grace and lightness . . . Writing this friendship into history is a gorgeous thing ― Daily TelegraphIn telling the life story of Lindy Morrison, Everything But The Girl's Tracey Thorn is not only paying tribute to an inspirational friend, but defiantly restoring her to her rightful place in music history . . . Exploring identity, ambition and the bonds of friendship, this is an affectionate and timely tribute to an indomitable woman who carved a niche in a man's world ― Daily ExpressMust-read . . . writing shines with wit and philosophical insight ― Independent Ireland Product Description 'Entertaining, affectionate and righteous' Guardian'Says so much about being a woman' Cosey Fanni TuttiIn 1983, backstage at the Lyceum in London, Tracey Thorn and Lindy Morrison first met. Tracey's music career was just beginning, while Lindy, drummer for The Go-Betweens, was ten years her senior. They became confidantes, comrades and best friends, a relationship cemented by gossip and feminism, books and gigs and rock 'n' roll love affairs.Thorn takes stock of thirty-seven years of friendship, teasing out the details of connection and affection between two women who seem to be either complete opposites or mirror images of each other. She asks what people see, who does the looking, and ultimately who writes women out of - and back into - history. Review A vivid and witty memoir of the friendship between Thorn and Lindy Morrison of the Go-Betweens, two women in a cultural world dominated by men . . . [Thorn] brings wit, candour and vividness to her storytelling . . . As well as providing a portrait of a mercurial and brilliant musician, the book exposes the sexism and hypocrisy of an industry . . . Entertaining, affectionate and righteous ― GuardianThis book says so much about being a woman -- COSEY FANNI TUTTIMy Rock 'n' Roll Friend is a book to treasure, brimming with empathy and good jokes. It's something of a lost art, writing well about your friends, and Tracey Thorn does it brilliantly, capturing the difficult bits with great honesty, and shining a light into a whole industry. The book is a rare opportunity

Bedsit Disco Queen: How I grew up and tried to be a pop star

A frank and funny pop culture memoir in the vein of Caitlin Moran's How to be a Woman, this is "how to be a woman artist" This is the story of Tracey Thorn, one half of the internationally successful group Everything But the Girl, collaborator with such artists as Paul Weller, Massive Attack, and dance legend Todd Terry. Tracey was only 16 when she bought an electric guitar and joined a band. A year later, she formed an all-girl band called the Marine Girls, played gigs, signed to an indie label, and started releasing records. Then, for 18 years, between 1982 and 2000, she was one half of Everything But the Girl. They released nine albums and sold nine million records, went on countless tours, had hits and flops, and were reviewed and interviewed to within an inch of their lives. Tracey has been in the charts, out of them, back in. She's seen herself described as an indie darling, a middle-of-the-road nobody, and a disco diva. As she explains here, she hasn't always fit in, a fact that's helped her to face up to the realities of a pop career. She discusses her realizations—that there are thrills and wonders to be experienced, but also moments of doubt, mistakes, and violent lifestyle changes from luxury to squalor and back again, sometimes within minutes. This is the funny, perceptive, and candid story of her 30-year pop career.

Bedsit Disco Queen: How I Grew Up and Tried to Be a Pop Star

I was only sixteen when I bought an electric guitar and joined a band. A year later, I formed an all-girl band called the Marine Girls and played gigs, and signed to an indie label, and started releasing records.
Then, for eighteen years, between 1982 and 2000, I was one half of the group Everything But the Girl. In that time, we released nine albums and sold nine million records. We went on countless tours, had hit singles and flop singles, were reviewed and interviewed to within an inch of our lives. I've been in the charts, out of them, back in. I've seen myself described as an indie darling, a middle-of-the-road nobody and a disco diva. I haven't always fitted in, you see, and that's made me face up to the realities of a pop career - there are thrills and wonders to be experienced, yes, but also moments of doubt, mistakes, violent lifestyle changes from luxury to squalor and back again, sometimes within minutes.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Thorn, Tracey. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Thorn, Tracey

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Thorn, Tracey. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Naked at the Albert Hall: The Inside Story of Singing

Naked at the Albert Hall: The Inside Story of Singing

Another Planet: A Teenager in Suburbia

Another Planet: A Teenager in Suburbia

My Rock 'n' Roll Friend

My Rock 'n' Roll Friend

Bedsit Disco Queen: How I Grew Up and Tried to Be a Pop Star

Bedsit Disco Queen: How I grew up and tried to be a pop star