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The first publication dedicated to songs written and composed by Ian over the last 40 years, starting with his 1965 smash hit, You Turn Me On. the book includes his many styles ranging from Nashville country numbers (Hands) and British comedy songs (Wurzel Fudge, written for Benny Hill) to personal ballads Old Friends, and his latest batch of songs-from waltz to rumba - reflecting his life as an expatriate Englishman living in Southern California.Ian plays piano, accordion and ukulele as well as singing. the book provides top line melodies plus chord symbols for keyboard, guitar and ukulele.The audio download is a treasure trove of commercial recordings of all the songs, including releases on Capitol Records and Warner Bros. Records. Other vocals are by Debbie Dawn, Corky Mayberry, and Regina Whitcomb. There's also a full description of how these songs came to be written, as well as an essay about Ian's famous uncle who wrote such evergreens as Lady of Spain and Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing. This book takes the player inside the eclectic musical world of this Renaissance Man who has risen from Teen Idol to Grammy Award winner, respected musicologist and author.
(Limelight). An irreverent and engaging chronicle of popular music dating from the 1880s, when Tin Pan Alley was founded, to the present by a British-born songwriter and onetime pop star. "Brash, learned, funny, and perspicacious." The New Yorker
First published in 1972, Ian Whitcomb's After the Ball is an exuberant account of the origins and explosion of popular music, informed by the author's store of experience in the field as a pop sensation of The Sixties. 'Brash, learned, funny and perspicacious.... The author of this free-wheeling, diverting history was a student at Trinity College, Dublin, when he created a rock hit 'You Turn Me On,' and experienced a brief, bewildering season as a touring rock celebrity. This book... is his effort to explain that experience to himself, and, well-educated man that he is, he goes all the way back to the first pop bestseller (in sheet music, of course), 'After The Ball,' and all the way forward to the 1960s.' New Yorker 'One of the best books on popular music to come along in the last few years.... Whitcomb's own involvement with music constantly surfaces to make the book both revealing and highly enjoyable.' Seattle Times
This colorful history of the ukulele, which is making a comeback, reveals how the uke came to the mainland United States from Hawaii and details the stage, screen and recording stars who pioneered the uke, including Johnny Marvin, Arthur Godfrey, Tessie O'Shea and Tiny Tim. Original.
(Limelight). In 1965, Ian Whitcomb's novelty rocker "You Turn Me On" was number eight on the national charts, along with entries from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys. In 1966 he was nowheresville a certified rock 'n' roll flash in the pan. It is, then, with a survivor's humor that he tells both his and rock's story from its beginnings in the late fifties to 1969, the year of Woodstock and psychedelic dreams of universal peace and love. Here is the saga of the British Invasion, the genesis of folk rock, the blooming of Flower Power, the Summer of Love and the inner workings of the pop music biz, brought to life by a true insider who is also an uninhibitedly acute observer.
In this wonderful collection Ian Whitcomb shows how to handle the uke in such a romantic way that the gently murmuring strums emerge to act as a sweet stream of accompaniment upon which one's vocals can float along smoothly and pleasingly. All of the classic ballads included in this book were originally published before the ukulele established itself as an instrument to be taken seriously by the pop industry, before it became the 1920's equivalent of the rock guitar. the music on the companion compact disc is performed by Ian Whitcomb and his various bands and orchestras. the music is written in standard notation with chord symbols and fretboard diagrams for soprano or tenor uke in standard (G-C-E-A) tuning. Lyrics are also included.
Presents authentic period music, ranging from classical to ragtime, as performed on the fateful voyage of the Titanic on April 14, 1912. Ian Whitcomb- one-time rock star, now a renowned music historian and a specialist in the performance of ragtime and Tin Pan Alley songs- assembled this outstanding collection of authentic music played aboard the Titanic. the book features historical essays and anecdotes, facsimiles of the original sheet music covers, and even photos of the members of the ship's orchestra. This book is a musical/historical tour de force, sure to appeal to singers, pianists, and amateur historians alike.
Traces the musical legacy of the California neighborhood, and the artists who lived there
A wonderful tribute to the ukulele and its leading advocates, past and present.Contains seventeen classics and eight new tunes as well as an in-depth historical essay illustrated with original sheet music covers. Classic selections include: Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula; Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go with Friday on Saturday Night?; All That I Ask of You Is Love; They're Wearing 'Em Higher in Hawaii; Sierra Sue; Any Time; Pasadena; Somebody Stole My Gal; Blue; and more. All tunes are shown with complete lyrics and chord diagrams. Includes a select discography of audio's featuring ukulele artists and a list of uke web sites. Most of the songs heard in the feature film Stanley's Gig (2000) starring Faye Dunaway can be found in this book. Includes access toonline audio