Indie Hits 1980-1989 Barry Lazel (author) 9780951720691 | CRBOOK1 300 pages, illustrated Indie Hits is the first and only complete guide to the first decade of Britain's Independent records chart, and to the acts, the music and the labels which made up the Indie scene of the 1980's. The book is set out in a similar format to the Guinness Hit Singles and Albums books, with every artist, single and album to have shown in the indie charts over the 10 year period being detailed.

All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople, Ian Hunter Campbell Devine (author) 9781901447958 | CRBOOK2 416 pages, with photos This official biography of Mott The Hoople traces their formation and their inevitable rise to international stardom. Author Campbell Devine has successfully collaborated with Ian Hunter and members of 'Mott' to create a biography devoid of borrowed information and re-cycled press clippings but instead new, sensational and humorous inside stories, controversial quotes and an array of previously unpublished views from the band. With first hand input from members Hunter, Griffin, Watts, Allen and Ralphs this book gives the complete insight into the legend of Mott The Hoople, Queen, The Clash, Kiss, Def Leppard, Primal Scream and Oasis have all cited Mott The Hoople as a major influence.

Quite Naturally - The Small Faces Keith Badman, Terry Rawlings (authors) 9780951720660 | CMBOOK3 172 pages, with photos Meticulously researched and written by Keith Badman and Terry Rawlings, this book contains previously undocumented details of their TV, Radio, Concert appearances and promotional work. This is accompanied by dozens of unpublished photographs, along with interviews from each band member and a silence breaking interview with Jimmy Winston, who speaks about the band for the first time in 30 years.

Embryo - A Pink Floyd Chronology 1966-1971 Nick Hodges, Ian Priston (authors) 9781901447071 | CRBOOK4 320 pages, illustrated, with photos A must for any serious fan, the book traces the history of the early work of the Pink Floyd from when they had recently formed to before the beginnings of their epochal work The Dark Side Of The Moon, including the solo history of their first enigmatic leader Syd Barrett. An archetypal labour of love, the chronology is a high quality, definitive history of the day to day work of the band.

Johnny Thunders - In Cold Blood Nina Antonia (author) 9781901447156 | CRBOOK5 300 pages, illustrated, with photos Thirteen years after its initial publication, Johnny Thunder's authorised biography In Cold Blood has been resurrected and revised. The cult bible of all things Thunders, In Cold Blood is the definitive portrait of the condemned man of rock 'n' roll, from the baptism of fire and tragedy that was the New York dolls, through the junkie punk years of the Heartbreakers and beyond. In Cold Blood is an unflinching account of a unique guitarist whose drug problems often overshadowed his considerable style and talent, and whose influence on such bands as The Sex Pistols and Guns N' Roses is still resonant.

The Legendary Joe Meek - The Telstar Man John Repsch (author) 9781901447200 | CRBOOK7 350 pages, with photos Joe Meek was a mystery. He was Britain's first independent pop record producer and one of the most important figures in that fabulous decade of sixties music. Hated by his rivals for his secrecy and success, he became Britain's top producer. Thousands of hopefuls trudged up the narrow staircase to his 'dingy' studio over a shop where he turned out millions-selling discs and made the first recordings of people like Rod Stewart, Tom Jones and Screaming Lord Sutch. The Beatles he rejected! His public life was one of laughter, tears and, above all, music. His private life was a tortured tangle of violence, sex, drugs, gangsters, the occult and eventually, murder.

Random Precision - Recording the Music of Syd Barrett 1965-1974 David Parker (author) 9781901447255 | CRBOOK8 285 pages, illustrated, with photos Syd Barrett was the original lead guitarist and a founder member of the group Pink Floyd, and remains one of rock music's most enduring characters. He was the principle songwriter for the first Pink Floyd album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and composed their 1967 hit single 'See Emily Play' before leaving the group in early 1968. He subsequently released two eccentric solo albums (The Madcap Laughs in 1969 and Barrett in 1970) before withdrawing completely from the music business in the mid-1970s.

Rockdetector - A to Z of Death Metal Garry Sharpe Young (author) 9781901447354 | CRBOOK10 400 pages, with photos Reviled and revered in equal measure since its inception over a decade ago the phenomenon known as Death Metal has pushed Hard Rock music to the very edge of acceptability, and way beyond. Death Metal and its bastard offspring Grindcore have become the pariahs of the music world.

Those Were the Days - the Beatles Apple Organization Stefan Grenados (author) 9781901447125 | CRBOOK11 270 pages, with 12 page photo selection This is the first complete telling of the Apple story, culled from exclusive interviews with the recording artists, staff and business associates who helped make Apple a fascinating chapter in the history of both The Beatles and pop music in general.

Rockdetector - Ozzy Osbourne Garry Sharpe Young (author) 9781901447088 | CRBOOK12 352 pages, with 16 page photo selection Until 1978, THE original and definitive Heavy Metal band Black Sabbath was fronted by the irrepressible Ozzy Osbourne. With Osbourne at the helm Black Sabbath sold tens of millions of albums. When he finally broke away to fly solo Ozzy would achieve the unthinkable. Not only would he deliver one of the seminal Rock records ever crafted to mark his resurrection but he also used it as a career making catalyst that would see him trounce his former band mates and evolve into a cult icon.

Rockdetector - A To Z of Doom, Gothic and Stoner Metal Garry Sharpe Young (author) 9781901447149 | CRBOOK14 400 pages, with photos, and 17-track CD Laboured, mournful and crushingly heavy. The anaesthetising, sloth-like riffs of Doom Metal, the bong-fuelled lazy retro Rock that is Stoner and the melancholy strains of Gothic Metal - it’s all here. Rooted in ancient instigators such as Pentagram, Atomic Rooster and the mightiest of the mighty - Black Sabbath - Doom has defied all the odds to spawn a huge global fanbase.

The Rolling Stones - Complete Recording Sessions 1962-2002 Martin Elliott (author) 9781901447040 | CRBOOK15 600 pages, with photos The Rolling Stones Complete Recording Sessions is the definitive guide to the Rolling Stones' recorded works. First published in 1989, it became a renowned source of material and inspired many a fan's record collection across the world. The book has now been updated to take into account the extra recordings released since then and also to include additional available research information.

Rockdetector - A To Z of Power Metal Garry Sharpe Young (author) 9781901447132 | CRBOOK16 400 pages, with photos Power Metal is Heavy Metal taken to the absolute, surgically precise, limit. When the major Metal institutions staked their claim they engendered a whole legion of followers in their wake. These up and coming acts were not simply content to match the volume levels of their forefathers, though. Riffs evolved into complex, labyrinthine proportions, vocals scorched higher altitudes and, yes, they even managed to crank out some more volume as part of the formula. Power Metal had been born.

Rockdetector - A to Z of '80s Rock Garry Sharpe Young, Dave Reynolds (authors) 9781901447217 | CRBOOK18 760 pages, with photos In the 80s Hard Rock reigned supreme. Albeit fuelled to the max by bubblegum power chords, skyscraper backcombed hairdos, eyeliner and (horror of horrors) spandex, artists such as Quiet Riot, Ratt, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Dokken, Guns n’ Roses, Warrant, Slaughter, L.A. Guns, Great White, W.A.S.P. and Bon Jovi reigned supreme. Established bands too fully embraced the ‘image is everything’ culture and Kiss, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, Whitesnake and Heart all enjoyed renewed flushes of success. Lita Ford’s dangerous curves, Lorraine Lewis’ pout and Vixen’s foxy looks dominated MTV. These artists roamed the globes arenas, biting platinum chunks of flesh out of the US album charts and sporting ever more extreme fashion faux pas with each album. Los Angeles seethed with CFC enclouded hopefuls. They might have looked like French Poodles but were as aggressive as the wiliest of wolves in their quest for fame.

Our Music Is Red With Purple Flashes - The Story Of The Creation Sean Egan (author) 9781901447224 | CRBOOK21 384 pages, with photos Their songs have been covered by acts as diverse as Ride, Boney M and the Sex Pistols; they impressed Pete Townshend so much that he asked their guitarist to join the already successful Who; said guitarist pioneered the use of the violin bow on guitar strings - a trick promptly lifted and made famous by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page; they inspired the name of Creation Records, the most influential record label of the '90s; they have been cited as an influence by Paul Weller, Alan McGee, Ride, Pete Townshend, John Lydon and others.

Bittersweet - The Clifford T Ward Story David Cartwright (author) 9781901447187 | CRBOOK22 350 pages, with photos This indeed is the age of the pop biography, but if you are looking for sex, drugs and rock ‘n’roll you must go somewhere else. The story of Clifford T Ward doesn’t rely on gratuitous expose for sustenance, although be warned, you may be surprised by a few of the revelations in this book.

Goodnight Jim Bob - On The Road With Carter USM Jim Bob (author) 9781901447231 | CRBOOK26 256 pages, illustrated, with photos Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine were a duo, threeo and eventually sixxo formed by South London friends Jim Morrison and Les Carter who made their name with a mix of social commentary, puns, loud guitars and electronic pop music.

Burning Britain - A History Of UK Punk 1980-1984 Ian Glasper (author) 9781901447248 | CRBOOK27 416 pages, illustrated, with photos As the Seventies drew to a close and the media declared punk dead and buried, a whole new breed of band was emerging from the gutter. Harder and faster than their '76-77 predecessors, not to mention more aggressive and political, the likes of Discharge, The Exploited and GBH were to prove not only more relevant but arguably just as influential.

Irish Folk, Trad Blues - A Secret History Colin Harper, Trevor Hodgett (authors) 9781901447408 | CRBOOK28 425 pages, illustrated, with photos A browse in any music store reveals extensive collections of Irish folk, trad & blues. It is hard to imagine a time when it was otherwise, when musicians rarely had their work committed to any kind of disc. But great pioneers, groundbreakers, lived when the media and recording industry showed scant interest. Accounts of their lives and music survived through reminiscences and good fortune

Deathrow - The Chronicles of Psychobilly Alan Wilson (author) 9781901447552 | CRBOOK31 382 pages, illustrated This book gives a tantalizing insight into the underbelly of Rock 'n' Roll...a dangerous, exciting world where Rockabilly mutated with Punk to form PSYCHOBILLY! Deathrow was the world’s only long running psychobilly fanzine and this book is a collection of all the rare and collectable original issues.

Truth - Rod Steward, Ron Wood, The Jeff Beck Group Dave Thompson (author) 9781901447606 | CRBOOK32 208 pages, with photos Jeff Beck stands alongside fellow ex-Yardbirds Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton as one of the greatest electric guitarists Britain has ever produced. His work in the past three decades has encompassed progressive, soul, jazz-rock and instrumental music, winning him the accolade of 'the guitarist's guitarist' from innumerable musicians' magazines.

The Day The Country Died - A History Of Anarcho Punk 1980-1989 Ian Glasper (author) 9781901447705 | CRBOOK33 480 pages, illustrated, with photos The Day The Country Died is the long-awaited follow-up to Ian Glasper's successful Burning Britain, and sees the author exploring in minute detail the obscure, esoteric, UK anarcho-punk scene of the early Eighties. If the bands in Burning Britain were loud, political and uncompromising, those examined in The Day The Country Died were even more so, totally prepared to risk their liberty to communicate the ideals they believed in so passionately.

No More Heroes - A Complete History of UK Punk 1976-1980 Alex Ogg (author) 9781901447651 | CRBOOK34 736 pages, illustrated, with photos In 1976 music changed forever with the arrival of a self-empowering alternative to the bloated, sterile rock music of the day. From Cardiff to Caithness, from Portrush to Plymouth, bands promoted their own gigs, designed their own artwork and organised their own pressing and distribution.

Hells Bent On Rockin - A History of Psychobilly Craig Brackenbridge (author) 9781901447804 | CRBOOK35 240 pages, with photos As the bastard genre of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the forgotten offspring of Punk, a history of Psychobilly is long overdue. Despite being starved of the oxygen of mainstream music press attention for over 25 years, Psychobilly has thrived in the underground building a network of fiercely loyal followers and produced a huge number of bands who each peddle their own brand of the genre.

Music To Die For - The Dark Underground Music Guide Mick Mercer (author) 9781901447262 | CRBOOK36 624 pages, illustrated, with photos Since Mick Mercer's acclaimed 21st Century Goth book was published in 2002, the MySpace internet phenomenon has helped fuel a worldwide explosion of related music. But as well as adding countries to the musical map, the post-Goth scene has resulted in a bewildering variety of musical sub-genres. This book is intended to be the ultimate resource to make sense of the chaos, covering the fields of Ambient, Cabaret, Noir, Deathrock, Goth, Gothic Metal, Horror, Punk, Melodramatic Song, Post-Punk & Psychobilly.

Tamia Motown - The Stories Behind The Singles Terry Wilson (author) 9781901447316 | CRBOOK37 728 pages This book provides a complete discography of Tamla Motown’s UK singles between 1965-76. It also tells the stories behind them in fascinating detail for the very first time. Apart from a Motown Reader reprinting articles about the label, published in 2001, the subject has barely been covered by books, and Berry Gordy’s autobiography is now out of print and much sought after.

No 1 Songs In Heaven - A Sparks Biography Dave Thompson (author) 9781901447460 | CRBOOK38 300 pages, with photos No 1 Songs In Heaven is the first ever biography of one of the most remarkable bands in rock history. Since the moment they emerged into the mainstream in 1974, armed with the hit This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us, Sparks – brothers Ron and Russell Mael – have endeared themselves to successive generations of fans, not only with their wry humour and offbeat quirkiness, but also with a lyrical and musical inventiveness that sees them numbered among the most influential acts ever. Morrissey, Siouxsie Sioux, the Pet Shop Boys and many more are numbered among Sparks’ most loyal disciples, while the group’s following is truly international.

You're Wondering Now - The Specials From Conception To Reunion Paul Williams (author) 9781901447514 | CRBOOK39 300 pages, with photos 1979. The dawning of a new era. Against the backdrop of the demise of punk, social unrest and the coming to power of Margaret Thatcher, The Specials burst onto the scene with their unique brand of music, sweeping up the nation’s youth with their edgy, politically-charged message and iconic ‘2Tone’ branding. Thirty years later, as the band celebrate their anniversary with a reunion tour, their hard hitting, poignant tales of teen pregnancy, knife crime and racism are still as prevalent as they always were.

Independence Days - The Story of UK Independent Record Labels Alex Ogg (author) 9781901447415 | CRBOOK40 600 pages, with photos Even by the standards of Alex Ogg’s previous work (The Hip Hop Years, No More Heroes, etc), Independence Days is an exhaustive undertaking. Collating more than 150 interviews, it traces the story of the UK independent record label boom from the late 70s to the mid-80s, a period which saw a new generation of independent spirits take up the baton and revolutionise the course of popular music.

Trapped In A Scene - UK Hardcore 1985-89 Ian Glasper (author) 9781901447613 | CRBOOK41 528 pages, with photos The underground hardcore scene of the mid-late Eighties was UK punk rock's last significant creative gasp. Emerging from the wreckage of the anarcho punk scene spawned by the likes of Crass and Conflict, it took its influences from the studs 'n' leather punk bands of the early Eighties such as Discharge and GBH, and also the nascent American hardcore movement and the emerging metal/punk crossover scene. Filter all of this through some through fiercely DIY aesthetics and you had a potent movement that spawned such seminal acts as Napalm Death, ENT, The Stupids and Heresy. With the backing of John Peel and an unwavering work ethic, these bands, and the labels that launched them (including Earache and Peaceville - both now widely regarded as having some of the finest metal rosters in the world), pushed musical boundaries into new and previously unexplored avenues of extremity, helping to shape the alternative music scene we know and love today.

Death To Trad Rock - The UK's Post-Punk Fanzine Scene John Robb (author) 9781901447361 | CRBOOK42 432 pages, with photos In the mid-Eighties, as Thatcher turned the screw and the charts overflowed with what felt to many like the most boring pop music ever made, the underground exploded. The post-post-punk scene was a diverse collection of bands brought together by independent releases and a never-ending series of gigs performed in off centre venues the length and breadth of the UK, aided by reportage in fanzines and radio play from John Peel.

Best Seat In The House - A Cock Sparrer Story Steve Bruce (author) 9781901447866 | CRBOOK43 300 pages, with pictures and memorabilia Cock Sparrer are widely considered to be one of the most influential streetpunk bands in history, and helped pave the way for the late-1970s punk scene and the significant Oi! subgenre. After battling through the 1970s and 1980s, the 1990s punk revival saw them rediscovered by hordes of fans old and new and, as a result, they now enjoy huge success as a live attraction, particularly in the UK and Europe, and find themselves headlining festival bills and performing their own shows to large ecstatic crowds all over the western world.

Block Buster! - The Story of Sweet Dave Thompson (author) 9781901447910 | CRBOOK44 288 pages, with pictures Between 1971 and 1975, the Sweet were invincible. Powered by a string of huge hit singles, the band dominated the UK charts, fighting every step of the way against their reputation as a pop group with a simultaneous string of records that are today recognised as hard rock classics.

Celebration Day - A Led Zeppelin Encyclopedia Malcolm Dome, Jerry Ewing (authors) 9781901447811 | CRBOOK45 276 pages, with pictures Led Zeppelin require no introduction - amazing records, blueprint-setting concert tours, and the ultimate in hotel-worrying rock n roll antics. The band’s legend grows yearly, and a brand which is stronger today than it’s ever been has grown up around them. Many biographies and studies, but Celebration Day is the first to explore the group’s world and career in this fashion, being an exhaustive A to Z reference work that deals with every song on each of their albums, every major gig they ever did, background information and relevant people, venues, contemporaries, incidents and articles. This meticulous study unearths numerous facts and figures that even the most ardent follower will have missed and takes a more in-depth look at areas that might only warrant passing mention in a typical biography.

Kiss Me Neck - A Lee 'Scratch' Perry Discography Jeremy Collingwood (author) 9781901447965 | CRBOOK46 304 pages, with pictures Innovator, genius and trendsetter - there are few individuals quite as unique as Lee Scratch Perry, aka The Upsetter. He has become a legend in his own lifetime and earned himself an army of admirers stretching across every continent. Musically, his CV is beyond compare in the worlds of reggae and dub, having helped create and define both since he first immersed himself in the 1950s Jamaican music world. Perry is a maverick who helped create today’s musical landscape by pushing himself, and the recording studio, to the point of destruction.

The Motorhead Collector's Guide Mick Stevenson (author) 9781901447279 | CRBOOK47 396 pages, with more than 900 images Motorhead are a band, and indeed a brand, with international appeal and a fanbase spanning generations. Headed by the icon and national treasure that is Lemmy Kilminster, their career is about to enter its fifth decade, and their popularity only ever seems to grow witness the crossover of their instantly recognisable T-shirts onto the high street during the last decade. The heavy rock and metal community holds the band in God-like regard, and no rock or driving orientated compilation album is complete without their career defining crossover hit ‘Ace Of Spades’ . Meanwhile, their image and trademark sound has survived the whims of fashion intact and virtually unchanged since their first release.

F**ked By Rock - The True Confessions of Zodiac Mindwarp (Expanded) Mark Manning aka Zodiac Mindwarp (author) 9781901447323 | CRBOOK48 328 pages, with author's illustrations Mark Manning was an everyday Yorkshire poet until, in the early 1980s, he found himself possessed by the spirit of Zodiac Mindwarp, High Priest of Love, International Sex God of Everything and reasonably competent tunesmith. He immediately abandoned life in Leeds and let Zodiac take him on a trip into the deepest, darkest crevices of the rock landscape with his own diabolical pop group The Love Reaction

Prophets And Sages - Greatest Prog Rock albums Mark Powell (author) 9781901447767 | CRBOOK50 392 pages, with images and 16 pages of coloured plates Between 1967 and 1975, progressive, album orientated music sold hugely on a global level, making some of the musicians involved major stars in the process. Many of the acts involved during that golden era are still performing and their influence is still being widely recognised and acknowledged by musicians of all generations. Others, on the other and, left behind records which never managed to receive the recognition they perhaps deserved. Prophets and Sages offers a well-informed perspective on a hundred great albums of this period, without discriminating between legendary and lesser-known works.

Children Of The Revolution - The Glam Rock Story 1970-75 Dave Thompson (author) 9781901447477 | CRBOOK51 456 pages, with images Children of The Revolution - The Glam Rock Encyclopedia is the definitive A to Z guide to the period, and chronicles every band and art ist who made a significant impression on the art form, both in its heyday and during its concept ion and later years. Detailing their output and recording significant events and contributions, the book provides a wealth of information on numerous much loved acts, such as T Rex, Wizzard, Slade, Bay City Rollers, Mud, Sweet, David Essex, Suzy Quatro, Mott The Hoople, Sparks, Kenny, Spiders from Mars, Alvin Stardust and hundreds more, ranging from household names to lesser known acts.

PWL - From The Factory Floor (Expanded Edition) Phil Harding (author) 9781901447521 | CRBOOK52 606 pages, with images To the modern pop world, Stock, Aitken and Waterman have taken on something of a legendary status in recent years. The PWL label and studios produced so many hits in the 1980s that their name became synonymous with success, and they created the template so expertly worked today by their protégée Simon Cowell today is undeniable.

Journey To A Plugged In State Of Mind - The History Of Electronic Music Dave Henderson (author) 9781901447422 | CRBOOK53 372 pages The story of electronic music and composition has, in recent decades, become a significant musical legacy. Seen by many as a novelty for a long time, the synthesiser and drum machine derived pop of the late 1970s and early 1980s finally landed the squeals and squelches of solder and circuitry in the mainstream, validating an extensive period of painstaking research and experimentation dating back to the late 19th Century. The connect ion between Edgard Varese, La Roux, Brian Eno, The Human League and The Plastic Cow Goes Moo is a complex and solder-heavy one.

Docs Devils - Manchester United Under Tommy Docherty Sean Egan (author) 9781901447378 | CRBOOK49 578 pages, with 8 pages of black and white plates Tommy Docherty led Manchester United through one of the most interesting periods in their history. Employed in late 1972, the former Scotland manager led the club on an amazing journey, taking in a successful relegation battle, relegation itself, instant promotion and two successive Cup Finals, all in just four and a half years, and the nature of his eventual sacking, following allegations about his private life, gives some indication of the complicated, less than perfect man ‘Doc’s Devils’ seeks to unveil.