Philip Norman

From the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle.

From the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle.

From the premiere Beatles biographer--author of the New York Times bestseller John Lennon: The Life and Shout : The Beatles in Their Generation--a rare and "absorbing biography" (Wall Street Journal) of George Harrison, the most misunderstood and mysterious Beatle, based on decades-long research and unparalleled access to inside sources. Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote. Now, Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions in this "keen and lovely tribute" (Booklist, starred review). Compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon and Paul McCartney he was considered a minor talent, yet he composed such masterpieces as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun," and his solo debut album All Things Must Pass appears on many lists of the 100 best rock albums ever. Modern music critics place him in the pantheon of sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, and Jimmy Page. Harrison railed against the material world yet wrote the first pop song complaining about income tax. He spent years lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual journey, but quickly mortgaged the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious, Monty Python's Life of Brian. Harrison could be fiercely jealous, but not only did he stay friends with Eric Clapton when Clapton fell in love with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, the two men grew even closer after Clapton walked away with her. Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous color photos, this rich biography captures George Harrison at his most multi-faceted: devoted friend, loyal son, master guitar player, brilliant songwriter, cocaine addict, serial philanderer, global philanthropist, student of Indian mysticism, self-deprecating comedian, and, ultimately, iconic artist and man beloved by millions.

Jimi Hendrixin merkitys aikaansa edellä olleena sähkökitaran uudistajana ja roturajat ylittävänä kulttuurin esitaistelijana on nykyään kiistattomasti tunnustettu. Monille Jimin musiikki on pyhää ja Jimi itse soittimensa kaikkien aikojen ykkönen. Hänen elämänsä päättyi vain 27-vuotiaana, mutta sen vaikutus ulottuu tähän päivään asti. Hendrixin aikalaiset Eric Claptonista ja Johnny Winteristä alkaen kunnioittivat tätä ujoa mestitsiä ei ainoastaan vertaisenaan, vaan itseään parempana - Johnny Winterin sanoin: ”Jimi yhdisti avaruuden ja bluesin. Miten siitä voisi enää panna paremmaksi?” Jimin vaikutus ulottui ja ulottuu laajalle rockin ja bluesin genrerajojen ulkopuolelle. Silti hänen traagisen elämänsä monet yksityiskohdat ja hänen syvimmät ajatuksensa jäivät salatuiksi. Tätä salattua meritoitunut rockkirjailija Philip Norman valottaa tuoreessa, Jussi Niemen suomentamassa elämäkerrassa Wild Thing - Jimi Hendrixin lyhyt ja vaikuttava elämä. Norman paneutuu myös hyvin tarkasti Hendrixin kuoleman olosuhteisiin ja sen moniin hämäriksi jääneisiin yksityiskohtiin.

Today, Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) is celebrated as the greatest rock guitarist of all time. But before he was setting guitars and the world aflame, James Marshall Hendrix was a shy kid in Seattle, plucking at a broken ukulele. Bringing Hendrix's story to vivid life against the backdrop of midcentury rock, and interweaving new interviews with friends, lovers, bandmates, and his family, Wild Thing vividly reconstructs Hendrix's remarkable career, from playing segregated clubs on the Chitlin' Circuit to achieving stardom in Swinging London.

Acclaimed biographer Philip Norman charts the brief life of a megastar in rock music's premier echelon, the legend and man that is Jimi Hendrix.

From the bestselling author of Shout!, comes the definitive biography of Eric Clapton, a rock legend whose life story is as remarkable as his music

Over fifty years after his death, Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) is celebrated as the greatest rock guitarist of all time. But before he was setting guitars and the world aflame, James Marshall Hendrix was a shy kid in Seattle, plucking at a broken ukulele and in fear of a father who would hit him for playing left-handed. Bringing Jimi's story to vivid life against the backdrop of midcentury rock, and with a wealth of new information, acclaimed music biographer Philip Norman delivers a captivating and definitive portrait of a musical legend. Drawing from unprecedented access to Jimi's brother, Leon Hendrix, who provides disturbing details about their childhood, as well as Kathy Etchingham and Linda Keith, the two women who played vital roles in Jimi's rise to stardom, Norman traces Jimi's life from playing in clubs on the segregated Chitlin' Circuit, where he encountered daily racism, to barely surviving in New York's Greenwich Village, where was taken up by the Animals' bass player Chas Chandler in 1966 and exported to Swinging London and international stardom. For four staggering years, from 1966 to 1970, Jimi totally rewrote the rules of rock stardom, notably at Monterey and Woodstock (where he played his protest-infused rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner"), while becoming the highest-paid musician of his day. But it all abruptly ended in the shabby basement of a London hotel with Jimi's too-early death. With remarkable detail, Wild Thing finally reveals the truth behind this long-shrouded tragedy. Norman's exhaustive research reveals a young man who was as shy and polite in private as he was outrageous in public, whose insecurity about his singing voice could never be allayed by his instrumental genius, and whose unavailing efforts to please his father left him searching for the family he felt he never truly had. Filled with insights into the greatest moments in rock history, Wild Thing is a mesmerizing account of music's most enduring and endearing figures.

Sähkökitaristien kuninkaallisiin eittämättä lukeutuva Eric Clapton (s. 1945) on kulkenut pitkän tien eteläenglantilaisesta pikkukaupungin pojasta Yardbirdsin, John Mayallin ja Lontoon bluesklubien kautta Cream-yhtyeeseen ja sieltä edelleen yhä jatkuvalle soolouralle. Bluesin ja rockin ystävät tuntevat Claptonin musiikin, mutta moniko todella tuntee ihmisen nimeltä Eric Clapton? Beatleseista ja Rolling Stonesista sekä kummankin keskeisistä hahmoista erikseen ansiokkaat elämäkerrat kirjoittanut Philip Norman valottaa tuoreessa kirjassaan perinpohjaisesti Claptonin ajatusmaailmaa ja ihmissuhteita sekä myös juhlitun muusikon uran valoja ja varjoja, hänen ylä- ja alamäkiään. Philip Normanin teoksia aiemminkin menestyksekkäästi suomentanut Jussi Niemi tekee tässä tuoreessa suomennoksessaan jälleen hienoa jälkeä. Hän osoittaa taas kerran todeksi sen, että toisessa kulttuurissa kasvaneen muusikon mielenmaailmasta osaa kertoa äidinkielellään luontevimmin sellainen ihminen, joka on itse nuoresta alkaen kokenut olevansa osa rakastamansa musiikin kansainvälistä veljeskuntaa.

'He's got me spot on' Elton John‘Anyone who can read will admire the intelligence, the detail and the robust good sense of this biography. It captures the flavour of the times every bit as distinctively as it captures the personality of Elton John’ Sunday TelegraphElton John is one of the biggest stars in the world, a man whose extraordinary career has resulted in timeless songs and sold-out world tours. But how did the sensitive boy from Pinner, who started out pounding the piano in a pub, become such an iconic figure? Philip Norman’s acclaimed biography paints a frank but sympathetic portrait, from Elton’s rise to success to the attempted suicides, from Watford football club chairman to flamboyant Versace shopaholic, from the draining addictions to his turbulent personal relationships and the extraordinary moment in Westminster Abbey when ‘Candle in the Wind’ turned into a requiem for his friend Diana Princess of Wales. Covering the first five decades of Elton’s life, setting him in the context of the changing music scene, this is a vivid, perceptive, superbly researched account of a musical legend.

Reproduction of the original: London Signs and Inscriptions by Philip Norman

Reproduction of the original: London Signs and Inscriptions by Philip Norman

Joe Flannery has been described as the ‘Secret Beatle’, and as the business associate and partner of Brian Epstein, he became an integral part of The Beatles’ management team during their rise to fame in the early 1960s. Standing in the Wings is Flannery’s account of this fascinating era, which included the controversial dismissal of Pete Best from the group (nothing to do with London, but matters back in Liverpool), Brian Epstein’s fragility, and the importance of the Star Club in Hamburg. This book is not simply a biography, as it also considers issues to do with sexuality in 1950s Liverpool, the vagaries of the music business at that time and the hazards of personal management in the ‘swinging sixties’. At its heart, Standing in the Wings provides an in-depth look at Flannery’s personal and professional relationship with Epstein and his close links with the Fab Four. Shortly before John Lennon’s murder in 1980, it was Flannery who was one of the last people in the UK to talk to the great man. Indeed, Flannery remains one of the few ‘Beatle people’ in Liverpool to have the respect of the surviving Beatles, and this is reflected in this timely and revealing book.

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Author Phillip Norman, whose previous bestseller, John Lennon: The Life, was praised as a "haunting, mammoth, terrific piece of work" (New York Times Book Review) and whose classic Shout is widely considered to be the definitive biography of the Beatles, now turns his attention to the iconic front man of the Rolling Stones, "the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world." Norman's Mick Jagger is an extraordinarily detailed and vibrantly written in-depth account of the life and half-century-long career of one of the most fascinating and complex superstars of rock music--the most comprehensive biography to date of the famously enigmatic musician. Keith Richards had his say in Life. Now it's time to get to know intimately the other half of the duo responsible for such enduring hits as "Paint It Black," "Sympathy for the Devil," "Gimme Shelter," and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Mick Jagger is a must read for Stones fans, and everyone who can't get enough of the serious memoirs and biographies of popular musicians, like Patti Smith's Just Kids, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler, and the Warren Zevon story, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.

Modern History of the City of London - A Record of Municipal and Social Progress, from 1760 to the Present Day is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1896. Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

Illuminating biography of legendary composer, musician and performer Paul McCartney. 'One of the best stories the past century has to tell' NEW YORK TIMES 'Thrillingly thorough' IRISH TIMES