Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop

by Marc Myers

Overview

Based on the popular Wall Street Journal column, Anatomy of a Song captures the stories behind 45 influential rock, R&B, and pop hits through oral-history interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them—including Keith Richards on "Street Fighting Man," Rod Stewart on "Maggie May," and more

Writer and music historian Marc Myers brings to life five decades of music in Anatomy of a Song, based on the popular ongoing Wall Street Journal column, through oral histories of forty-five transformative songs woven from interviews with the artists who created them.

Taking readers inside the making of a hit, Anatomy of a Song includes Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz,” Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May,” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” Joni Mitchell remembers living in a cave on Crete with the “mean old daddy” who inspired her 1971 hit “Carey,” while Elvis Costello talks about writing “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” on a train to Liverpool. Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Smokey Robinson, Grace Slick, Mavis Staples, Steven Tyler, the Clash, Merle Haggard, Bonnie Raitt, Debbie Harry, and many other leading artists reveal the inspirations, struggles, and techniques behind their influential works. Covering the history of rock, R&B, country, disco, soul, reggae and pop, Anatomy of a Song is a love letter to the songs that have defined several generations of listeners.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802127181
Publisher:	Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
Publication date:	11/21/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	370,161
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Marc Myers is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal, where he writes about rock, soul, and jazz, as well as the arts. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book Why Jazz Happened and posts daily at JazzWax.com, a two-time winner of the Jazz Journalists Association’s award for Blog of the Year.

Read an Excerpt

Keith Richards on “Street Fighting Man”

"Early on, when I had played the tape of my melody for Mick, his lyrics were about brutal adults. We recorded them and called the song, 'Did Everyone Pay Their Dues?' But we weren’t that crazy about the results, and the lyrics underwent several rewrites once we saw what was going on in the streets in London and Paris in 1968. While we were in the studio, Mick had been at a huge demonstration against the Vietnam War in London’s Grosvenor Square in March. And we were both in Paris in May during the violent protests by students demanding reforms. The French cops were pretty nasty about it.

As we traveled around, Mick and I would look at each other and realize something big was happening in two major capitals of the world and that our generation was bursting at the seams. Mick knew that 'Dues' needed a lyric overhaul that better matched what was going on. I came up with the line 'What can a poor boy do' and threw it out to Mick. He completed the thought with '’Cept to sing for a rock ’n’ roll band.' He wrote the rest of the new lyrics in the studio. That’s often how we worked. One of us would have a piece of a lyric that sounded interesting, then hand it off to the other to get things going."

Joni Mitchell on "Carey"

"I had my dulcimer with me from the States. I used it to write “Carey” over a period of weeks in different locations in and around Matala as a birthday present for Cary. My lyric, “Oh Carey get out your cane” referred to a cane Cary carried with him all the time. He was a bit of a scene-stealer, and the cane was a theatrical prop for him."

Stevie Wonder on “Love’s in Need of Love Today”

"It’s about creating a marriage of all the instruments and vocals, bringing them together to make a statement . . . Whether it’s the Beatles, Sly Stone, Prince or Ed Sheeran, you start with an idea or vision and bring what you hear in your mind to reality. When I’m doing this, I become all the different musicians and approach the song from each musician’s understanding."

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

1 Lawdy Miss Clawdy Lloyd Price Lloyd Price Dave Bartholomew Art Rupe 9

2 K.C. Loving Little Willie Littlefield Mike Stoller Billy Davis Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis 17

3 Shout The Isley Brothers Ronald Isley 23

4 Please Mr. Postman The Marvelettes Katherine "Kat" Anderson Schaffner 29

5 Runaround Sue Dion Dimucci Dion DiMucci 35

6 Chapel of Love The Dixie Cups Jeff Barry Darlene Love Mike Stoller Barbara Hawkins Rosa Hawkins Artie Butler 41

7 You Really Got Me The Kinks Ray Davies Dave Davies Shel Talmy 49

8 You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' The Righteous Brothers Barry Mann Cynthia Weil Bill Medley 55

9 My Girl The Temptations Smokey Robinson 61

10 Reach Out I'll Be There The Four Tops Lamont Dozier Abduf "Duke" Fakir Paul Riser 67

11 Darling Be Home Soon John Sebastian John Sebastian 73

12 Light My Fire The Doors Ray Manzarek Robby Krieger John Densmore 81

13 Groovin' The Young Rascals Felix Cavaliere Chris Huston Gene Cornish 87

14 White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane Grace Slick 93

15 Different Drum The Stone Poneys Michael Nesmith Linda Ronstadt Bobby Kimmel Don Randi 101

16 (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay Otis Redding Steve Cropper Booker T. Jones Wayne Jackson Ben Cauley 107

17 Fist City Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn 113

18 Street Fighting Man The Rolling Stones Keith Richards 121

19 Stand By Your Man Tammy Wynette Billy Sherrill Hargus "Pig" Robbins Jerry Kennedy 127

20 Magic Carpet Ride Steppenwolf John Kay Michael Monarch 133

21 Proud Mary Creedence Clearwater Revival John Fogerty Sonny Charles Tamiko Jones Perry Botkin Jr. Brent Maher 143

22 Oh Happy Day The Edwin Hawkins Singers Edwin Hawkins Dorothy Morrison 149

23 Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley Mark James Chips Moman 155

24 Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page George Chkiantz Eddie Kramer 161

25 Mercedes Benz Jan is Joplin John Byrne Cooke Bob Neuwirth Michael McClure Clark Pierson Brad Campbell 169

26 Moonlight Mile The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger 177

27 Maggie May Rod Stewart Rod Stewart 185

28 Carey Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell Gary Raditz 191

29 Respect Yourself The Staple Singers Al Bell Mavis Staples 203

30 The Harder They Come Jimmy Cliff Jimmy Cliff Jackie Jackson Hux Brown 211

31 Midnight Train to Georgia Gladys Knight and the Pips Jim Weatherly Cissy Houston Tony Camillo Gladys Knight 217

32 Ramblin'Man The Allman Brothers Dickey Betts Chuck Leavell Les Dudek 223

33 Rock the Boat The Hues Corporation Wally Holmes John Florez Joe Sample H. Ann Kelley 229

34 Walk This Way Aerosmith Joe Perry Steven Tyler 237

35 Love's in Need of Love Today Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder 245

36 Deacon Blues Steely Dan Donald Fagen Walter Becker Larry Carlton Tom Scott Pete Christlieb 251

37 (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes Elvis Costello Elvis Costello 259

38 Heart of Glass Blondie Chris Stein Debbie Harry Michael Chapman 265

39 Another Brick in the Wall Pink Floyd Roger Waters 273

40 London Calling The Clash Mick Jones Paul Simonon Topper Headon 281

41 Brother John/Iko Iko The Neville Brothers Cyril Neville Aaron Neville Art Neville Charles Neville Barbara Hawkins Mac Rebennack 287

42 Big City Merle Haggard Merle Haggard 295

43 Time After Time Cyndi Lauper Rob Hyman Cyndi Lauper 301

44 Nick of Time Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Raitt 309

45 Losing My Religion R.E.M. Peter Buck Mike Mills Michael Stipe Bill Berry 317

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Anatomy of a Song:

An Amazon Best Book of the Month in Nonfiction

A finalist for The Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence

“In these pieces . . . songwriters and performers speak in their own voices, edited from interviews with Myers, about one of their signature songs. Because of Myers's skill as an interviewer, their pride and enthusiasm come blasting through. Each story is a pleasure to read and will deepen your listening experience . . . Myers bears down hard on these songs and the artists rise to the standards he sets.”—Anthony DeCurtis, New York Times Book Review

“A first-rate playlist . . . A rich history of both the music industry and the baby boomer era.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Marc Myers’s Anatomy of a Song [is] a winning look at the stories behind 45 pop, punk, folk, soul and country classics . . . A smart, gracious book. His interviews yield some fascinating details.”—Washington Post

“Candid conversations with stars like Stevie Wonder, Keith Richards and Rod Stewart are collected in a new book called Anatomy of a Song . . . In the pre-digital age of analog recording, Myers discovered some remarkable examples of mechanical ingenuity. Two of my favorites: Kinks guitarist Dave Davies had just learned how to shave when he bought a new amp and decided to use a razor blade to slash the amp’s speaker cone. And when the Doors were told to shorten the seven-minute version of Light My Fire for a single that would get more radio play, their producer Paul Rothchild ‘wrapped Scotch tape around the spindle holding the pickup reel, so the tape would turn a fraction faster’ . . . Myers is particularly good on the competition within bands and between them to produce the best possible songs . . . [A] splendid volume.”—Charles Kaiser, Guardian (UK)

“A music lover’s dream book.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Anatomy of a Song . . . reads like a dream karaoke playlist. Not a dud in sight.”—Huffington Post

“Anatomy Of A Song . . . gets the lowdown on about forty years of hits straight from the artists’ mouths . . . It’s always cool to hear how the musical sausage gets made, especially when it’s made by geniuses in the field. But Myers also does an outstanding job of unearthing the moments of humor and heartbreak that accompanied the creation of these songs.”—American Songwriter

“Who would’ve ever guessed the inspiration behind Gladys Knight’s soul-stirring ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ was ’70s pinup queen Farrah Fawcett? That’s just one of the fascinating song histories revealed in the new book Anatomy of a Song.”—New York Post

“Myers . . . uncovers the fascinating backstories behind many legendary songs that changed the trajectory of music . . . Culling together anecdotal revelations about happy accidents, deliberately vague lyrical choices and unexpected lapses of confidence, the book manages to both demystify and humanize so many of its iconic subjects. . . . Filled with surprises for music fans and aspiring songwriters alike.”—BMI Music

“Who doesn’t like to listen to musicians tell their stories about the genesis of a song? Or to hear them laugh at the deep meaning that listeners often invest in it when for them it was, well, just a song about a breakup? Myers’ book has something for everyone.”—No Depression

“The short, sharp chapters breeze by like a particularly well-curated jukebox . . . Fast, fun and informative.”—Houston Press

“The critical ability of Marc Myers shows in his selection of topics and his persistence in hunting down the right people to talk about their songs. But his talent as a writer shows in his willingness to get out of the way and let them talk about their songs . . . Myers pushes his subjects to recollect what had really happened that day in the studio, that moment when the song first came to mind, that instant when the radio began to play it.”— Washington Free Beacon

“Countless fun facts dot Anatomy of a Song.”—Billboard

“Myers’ book succeeds as a collection because he reveals the paradox of popular music: the magical change that transpires once the personal becomes public . . . Perhaps the greatest gift of Anatomy of a Song is its range . . . This is a book that encourages you to go back into your record collection, to the hits you think you remember well.”—Las Vegas Weekly

“Myers' . . . work is archival. It is important. It is illuminating.”—Under the Radar

“A detailed look at 45 iconic popular songs . . . This will entice general readers and music lovers alike. In his introduction, Myers calls the book an ‘oral history jukebox,’ and popular-music fans everywhere will want to be ready with a pocketful of dimes.”—Booklist

“A compelling compendium of behind-the-scenes shop talk that will excite even the most casual music geek.”—Bookreporter

“A cultural history of the elusive hit single, focused on artists' recollections and studio alchemy . . . The book's strength lies in thoughtful, wry reflections from artists including Elvis Costello, Jimmy Cliff, Stevie Wonder, Booker T. Jones, Dr. John, and Debbie Harry. An entertaining record of the soundtrack of the baby boomer era.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Music fans will enjoy the behind-the-songs stories.”—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

In these pieces, many expanded from their original versions, songwriters and performers speak in their own voices, edited from interviews with Myers, about one of their signature songs. Because of Myers's skill as an interviewer, their pride and enthusiasm come blasting through. Each story is a pleasure to read and will deepen your listening experience. Which is saying something. If you're a serious music fan—and who else would be reading this book?—you might initially wonder what's left for you to learn about such chestnuts as the Isley Brothers' Shout, the Allman Brothers' Ramblin' Man or Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall. Turns out to be plenty—not so much in terms of eye-popping new information (though there's some of that), but in the depth and feeling of the tales of artistic inspiration.

The New York Times Book Review - Anthony DeCurtis

08/08/2016
Four years ago, Myers launched his “Anatomy of a Song” column in the Wall Street Journal, and he offers this mostly interesting but hardly hit-making collection of previously published columns. Like many pop songs, the structure is pretty simple. Myers (Why Jazz Happened) provides a new introduction to the songs, which were written between 1952 and 1991, setting each in its cultural context, as well as indicating its historical significance. For example, according to Myers, in the late 1980s R.E.M. thrived in a growing alternative music scene in which listeners developed deep personal attachments to bands that were singing about issues that concerned them. Following these introductions, Myers then turns the mike over to the artists, writers, musicians, and producers behind each song, who tell us about the stories behind it. Many artists are reflective: Bonnie Raitt says that writing her hit “Nick of Time” gave her a “sense of confidence and self-awareness that helped break through some stifling self-doubt.” Some point out that we can invest too much meaning in simple lyrics, as when Mick Jagger reminds us that his song “Moonlight Mile” is “definitely not about cocaine.” Some, like the Marvelettes’ lead singer, Katherine “Kat” Anderson Schaffner, reveal a song’s origins: “Please Mr. Postman” was an unfinished blues song written by William Garrett about a “nice postman in our projects” that the group finished and then recorded. Music fans will enjoy the behind-the-songs stories, but the book would have been even more compelling if Myers had provided a clearer sense of why he selected these songs and not others, and why songwriters such as Bob Dylan are glaringly absent from the collection. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

09/15/2016
This books compiles Wall Street Journal columns by Myers (Why Jazz Happened) that use the popular oral history format to examine the creation of some of rock, R&B, and pop's most important songs. The book covers 45 songs, starting in 1952 (Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy") to 1991 (R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion"). Mainstream hits (like The Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love") are given equal time with album cuts (such as Stevie Wonder's "Love's in Need of Love Today" from Songs in the Key of Life) and countercultural classics ("White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, "London Calling" by The Clash). The most compelling entries include Joni Mitchell's "Carey," which carries (forgive the pun) an interview with the song's inspiration, Cary Raditz, and the cross-cultural tale of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" (which later became an even bigger hit when the band collaborated with the important early rap group Run-D.M.C. in 1986). One may quibble with some of Myers's song selections: Why "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin instead of "Me and Bobby McGee," or "Big City" by Merle Haggard and not "Mama Tried"? Still, most of the author's oral histories are informative and entertaining. VERDICT Recommended for libraries with a popular music section.—Brian Flota, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA

Library Journal

Oral histories are ideal audiobook material. Jonathan Yen energetically takes the listener on a journey into Myers’s list of 45 popular songs released between 1952 and 1991 that changed musical history. Yen has a verve and approachability that is reminiscent of Kasey Kasem counting down the hits. Radio play was everything! Each song is placed in its cultural and historical context, followed by interviews of key players. Yen makes it easy to make the transition from context to oral history, and he, thankfully, does not try to take on hundreds of accents. There are lots of fascinating factoids—Gladys Knight’s classic began as "Midnight Train to Houston"; Janis Joplin’s "Mercedes Benz" was a poem. It’s the nature of the thing to wonder at the omissions of the Beatles, Springsteen, Queen, Dylan, and countless others. A.B. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2017 - AudioFile

2016-08-09
A cultural history of the elusive hit single, focused on artists’ recollections and studio alchemy.In 2011, Myers (Why Jazz Happened, 2012) began the Wall Street Journal’s “Anatomy of a Song,” which focused on “dramatic stories” of creativity. “I realized the column would be better served as an oral history,” he writes, “with the stories told through songwriters’ and artists’ own words.” The resulting book is “a five-decade oral history of rhythm & blues, rock and pop.” Choosing 45 representational songs that topped the charts or were otherwise prominent, the author chronicles American pop from about 1952 to 1991, the era when radio could effectively “break” a song. Developing this overall narrative, Myers provides several paragraphs of context for the moment in which a song arrived, then switches to recollections of artists and producers. It’s a clever concept that becomes repetitive. Still, his interview subjects are well-chosen, and the excerpts provide insight on the constantly changing technology and industry behind the hits. Initially, pop music was segregated and viewed as marginally profitable, allowing regional scenes to become suddenly prominent, as with the Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman.” As vocalist Kat Schaffner recalls, “Motown wanted a No. 1 pop hit, but [nobody] expected that five girls from Inkster [Michigan] were going to give it to them.” While musicians like Keith Richards took advantage of new recording technologies (“Street Fighting Man”), the record industry was gradually losing control, as a reliance on “tightly controlled singles, with albums functioning merely as collections of these short records,” gave way to the creative demands of groups like Led Zeppelin. Myers ably discusses such fluctuations within the cultural landscape during the 1960s and ’70s, though he still tends toward generalizations—e.g., “Punk rock in New York had run its course by the 1970s.” The book’s strength lies in thoughtful, wry reflections from artists including Elvis Costello, Jimmy Cliff, Stevie Wonder, Booker T. Jones, Dr. John, and Debbie Harry. An entertaining record of the soundtrack of the baby boomer era.

Kirkus Reviews