Lives of the Great Songs

This is a celebration of some of the classic songs of all time. The book includes forty essays, each focusing on a particular song. All of the chosen songs have had an interesting life, and have been recorded by several different artists in at least three different ways. Together they span the whole history of popular music, from the Gershwins to the Stones, Cole Porter to Stevie Wonder - they include such classics as "My Funny Valentine" (Rodgers & Hart), "Blowin' in the Wind" (Bob Dylan), "You Send Me" (Sam Cooke) and "Satisfaction" (Mick Jagger and Keith Richards). The essays are written by an impressive line-up of contributors, each of whom has a particular affection for and knowledge of the song he or she has written about. Many of the pieces are the result of extensive research - interviewing those writers still alive, and talking to the artists who have interpreted them (which in the case of 'Yesterday', recorded by over 1,500 artists, proved a major task!).