{"title":"Books by Bill Janovitz","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780306835063","title":"The Cars","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Bill Janovitz delivers \"the definitive story of The Cars\" (\u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e), one of the most popular, beloved, and influential bands to emerge from New Wave—with a foreword by Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Cars formed in the late 1970s as an alliance of five journeymen musicians with roots in Maryland, Ohio, New York, and New England. They had each performed in a series of bands before finding one another—along with the right sound at the right time. That sound, soon fortified by their iconic imagery, turned them into Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.\u003cbr\u003e      Biographer, critic, and musician Bill Janovitz explores the musical, cultural, and commercial impact of the band with articulate and knowing insights. He draws on his own exclusive new reporting along with the enthusiastic participation of the surviving members of the band, as well as nearly everyone who surrounded them over the years. The band's unusual providence is fully explored here for the first time, and each of their landmark albums is masterfully chronicled and dissected, as is their profound support of the Boston music scene that has reverberated around the world and throughout the decades.\u003cbr\u003e      Yet, with all of the success, there were also significant conflicts within the band, which led to an untimely end. Janovitz reveals the stories of each member, and of the group as a whole, with great care and understanding. To paraphrase The Car's own lyrics: Hello again, you might think this is just what you needed. It's magic. Let's shake it up and let the good times roll.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55896403870069,"sku":"9780306835063","price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780306835063_1342d152-e302-42fa-b231-08dcca964e2a.jpg?v=1786012464"},{"product_id":"9780306924781","title":"Leon Russell","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe definitive \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling biography of legendary musician, composer, and performer Leon Russell, who profoudly influenced George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and the world of music as a whole. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Leon Russell is an icon, but somehow is still an underappreciated artist. He is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also for the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of music history, often intersecting with rock royalty like Bob Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles. He started in the Fifties as a teenager touring with Jerry Lee Lewis, going on to play piano on records by such giants as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Phil Spector, and on hundreds of classic songs with major recording artists. Leon was Elton John’s idol, and Elton inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Leon also gets credit for altering Willie Nelson’s career, giving us the long-haired, pot-friendly Willie we all know and love today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In his prime, Leon filled stadiums on solo tours, and was an organizer\/performer on both Joe Cocker’s revolutionary \u003ci\u003eMad Dogs and Englishmen\u003c\/i\u003e tour and George Harrison’s \u003ci\u003eConcert for Bangladesh\u003c\/i\u003e. Leon also founded Shelter Records in 1969 with producer Denny Cordell, discovering and releasing the debut albums of Tom Petty, the Gap Band, Phoebe Snow, and J.J. Cale. Leon always assembled wildly diverse bands and performances, fostering creative and free atmospheres for musicians to live and work together. He brazenly challenged musical and social barriers. However, Russell also struggled with his demons, including substance abuse, severe depression, and a crippling stage fright that wreaked havoc on his psyche over the long haul and at times seemed to will himself into obscurity. Now, acclaimed author and founding member of Buffalo Tom, Bill Janovitz shines the spotlight on one of the most important music makers of the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56232427553141,"sku":"9780306924781","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57685966389621,"sku":"9780306924774","price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780306924781.jpg?v=1792599230"},{"product_id":"9780826416735","title":"The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street","description":"Tracing the creation of Exile on Main Street from the original songwriting done while touring America through the final editing in Los Angeles, Bill Janovitz explains how an album recorded by a British band in a villa on the French Riviera is pure American rock \u0026amp; roll. Looking at each song individually, Janovitz unveils the innovative recording techniques, personal struggles, and rock \u0026amp; roll mythmaking that culminated in this pivotal album.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295076561269,"sku":"9780826416735","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780826416735_3f7196a1-23a6-4df0-9fd9-e23bc1cc00cc.jpg?v=1786015660"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-bill-janovitz.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}