20 chapters investigate the origins and evolution of classic musical covers. Explores iconic covers such as Elvis's 'Hound Dog' and Led Zeppelin's 'Dazed and Confused'. Perfect gift for music fans.
Ray Padgett founded the blog Cover Me in 2007 and has run it ever since, growing it into the largest blog devoted to cover songs on the web, with 80,000 individual readers a month. He lives in New York City and works as a senior music publicist for Shore Fire Media.
“One of the best multi-subject music books to come down the pike in
years. . . . By taking a fresh and deeply informed approach to a
project that could have been dismally predictable, Padgett has
produced a book that even the most condescending music snob will
find satisfying and illuminating.” —Variety
“Ray Padgett . . . offers up the inside track on the stories
behind the 20 most iconic cover songs of all time, and the artists
who turned them into classics.” —Parade
“Music publicist and blogger Padgett (covermesongs.com) delves into
the world of the cover song by compiling interviews, archival
photographs, and reproductions of disc labels to highlight 20
well-known tunes covered by artists ranging from Elvis Presley and
the Who to Adele, giving each a chapter tracing the song's history,
production details, and other versions when appropriate. His
explorations of the reasons artists choose to record covers are
astute, and while some of the original performers (perhaps more
obscure to current listeners) were not always pleased to have their
own versions superseded, others were honored that someone valued
their work enough to take on this challenge. The especially useful
bibliography cites both sources contemporaneous to the time of the
first recordings as well as recent scholarship and relevant
websites. VERDICT This engaging nostalgia trip is sure to appeal to
discophiles and cultural historians. . . .” —Library Journal
“Fresh context and intriguing background to many of these songs. .
. . Astute ruminations on evolving cultural perceptions of the
cover’s place in the music canon.” —AV Club.com
“One of the best multi-subject music books to come down the pike in
years. . . . By taking a fresh and deeply informed approach to a
project that could have been dismally predictable, Padgett has
produced a book that even the most condescending music snob will
find satisfying and illuminating.” —Variety
“Ray Padgett . . . offers up the inside track on the stories
behind the 20 most iconic cover songs of all time, and the artists
who turned them into classics.” —Parade
“Music publicist and blogger Padgett (covermesongs.com) delves into
the world of the cover song by compiling interviews, archival
photographs, and reproductions of disc labels to highlight 20
well-known tunes covered by artists ranging from Elvis Presley and
the Who to Adele, giving each a chapter tracing the song's history,
production details, and other versions when appropriate. His
explorations of the reasons artists choose to record covers are
astute, and while some of the original performers (perhaps more
obscure to current listeners) were not always pleased to have their
own versions superseded, others were honored that someone valued
their work enough to take on this challenge. The especially useful
bibliography cites both sources contemporaneous to the time of the
first recordings as well as recent scholarship and relevant
websites. VERDICT This engaging nostalgia trip is sure to appeal to
discophiles and cultural historians. . . .” —Library Journal
“Fresh context and intriguing background to many of these songs. .
. . Astute ruminations on evolving cultural perceptions of the
cover’s place in the music canon.” —AV Club.com
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