Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey
Product ID: 6303563
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life was the first comprehensive history of the disc jockey, a figure who has become a powerful force shaping the music industryand since its original publication, the book has become a cult classic. Now, with five new chapters and over a hundred pages of additional material, this updated and revised edition of Last Night a DJ Saved My Life reasserts itself as the definitive account of DJ culture, from the first record played over airwaves to house, hip hop, techno, and beyond. From the early development of recorded and transmitted sound, DJs have been shaping the way we listen to music and the record industry. Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton have tracked down the inside story on some of music’s most memorable moments. Focusing on the club DJ, the book gets first-hand accounts of the births of disco, hip hop, house, and techno. Visiting legendary clubs like the Peppermint Lounge, Cheetah, the Loft, Sound Factory, and Ministry of Sound, and with interviews with legendary DJs, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life is a lively and entertaining account of musical history and some of the most legendary parties of the century. Review: Just read it! - Being a DJ myself since the mid-80's, it was an immense pleasure to remember a lot from scene that I lived my youth in, partied and played and followed since then. But it was even better to LEARN a HUGE lot about the history and development of this art before I fell in love with dance music and DJing. The book shows an enormous amount of research and data, names, tracks, labels, clubs and everything. And it's cleverly written, in such a way you feel like following a novel. It goes well into advancing through the time, showing all the different, multiple and sometimes parallel scenes that took place in sometimes far away places, connecting the dots and highlighting influences, as they happened in fact. Today, with internet and iTunes and online music stores one can read the book and go search for the artists, DJs and the music playlisted in the book while reading it, making up for an amazing "timeline" soundtrack that encompasses a great part of modern life. I did exactly that of course, and had such a good time discovering new stuff as well as "crate digging" my collection of records, most listed on the book, But even if you don't I certainly recomend you look around and hear every track as you read the book, it's a lesson and I'm sure you'll have lots of fun while learning a lot too. DJing is no longer a "career" for me, though I still play clubs, gigs and radio shows frequently. I guess you love music and that's it, you can't leave it or get left by it if you really love playing. This book shows why, the people who love finding new music, people who are daring, creative, passionate about discovering new sounds and showing to people to make them dance, that's such an amazing craft. Though the book sometimes lack depth about specifics (I'd like to have read more about some important tunes, artists, scenes or clubs), that's more on a personal note than a "fail" as it would have been impossible to tell everything about everything. DJing and all that it means is such a broad, wide and deep scene that it would take many books (they exist, even from the authors) but this one is very special and reaches a high standard in all aspects. It's mandatory for music lovers, society researchers, marketeers and of course, DJs. Just read it! Review: Nothing Better - This is really a great book. The research is impressive, and the chronological flow and detailed coverage of each music era explains not only the genesis of the DJ, but also interesting related details about recorded music, radio, and the popular nightclubs of their time. I also learned where the terms jukebox, sock hop and Top 40 come from, and why old 78's are printed with warnings forbidding their broadcast on radio. (The recording industry was convinced people wouldn't buy records if they could hear them first on the radio. Sound familiar?) Perhaps most importantly, this book gives due credit to the many DJ's that should be remembered, their personalities, approach to music and technical style. Important songs and even club playlists are included, so you can get a feel for their 'sound', even if, like me, you've never actually been to the Paradise Garage or Wigan Casino. I bought this book to do some reading on the orgins of Disco and Hip Hop, and got SO much more. A deep bow to the authors, who I hope will update the book in 10 or 20 years, continuing the history. In my opinion about the only thing that could improve this book would be to add more pictures of DJ's, records, and events. The few that are currently included are fascinating.
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,334,286 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #36 in Music History & Criticism (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 410 Reviews |
F**R
Just read it!
Being a DJ myself since the mid-80's, it was an immense pleasure to remember a lot from scene that I lived my youth in, partied and played and followed since then. But it was even better to LEARN a HUGE lot about the history and development of this art before I fell in love with dance music and DJing. The book shows an enormous amount of research and data, names, tracks, labels, clubs and everything. And it's cleverly written, in such a way you feel like following a novel. It goes well into advancing through the time, showing all the different, multiple and sometimes parallel scenes that took place in sometimes far away places, connecting the dots and highlighting influences, as they happened in fact. Today, with internet and iTunes and online music stores one can read the book and go search for the artists, DJs and the music playlisted in the book while reading it, making up for an amazing "timeline" soundtrack that encompasses a great part of modern life. I did exactly that of course, and had such a good time discovering new stuff as well as "crate digging" my collection of records, most listed on the book, But even if you don't I certainly recomend you look around and hear every track as you read the book, it's a lesson and I'm sure you'll have lots of fun while learning a lot too. DJing is no longer a "career" for me, though I still play clubs, gigs and radio shows frequently. I guess you love music and that's it, you can't leave it or get left by it if you really love playing. This book shows why, the people who love finding new music, people who are daring, creative, passionate about discovering new sounds and showing to people to make them dance, that's such an amazing craft. Though the book sometimes lack depth about specifics (I'd like to have read more about some important tunes, artists, scenes or clubs), that's more on a personal note than a "fail" as it would have been impossible to tell everything about everything. DJing and all that it means is such a broad, wide and deep scene that it would take many books (they exist, even from the authors) but this one is very special and reaches a high standard in all aspects. It's mandatory for music lovers, society researchers, marketeers and of course, DJs. Just read it!
J**.
Nothing Better
This is really a great book. The research is impressive, and the chronological flow and detailed coverage of each music era explains not only the genesis of the DJ, but also interesting related details about recorded music, radio, and the popular nightclubs of their time. I also learned where the terms jukebox, sock hop and Top 40 come from, and why old 78's are printed with warnings forbidding their broadcast on radio. (The recording industry was convinced people wouldn't buy records if they could hear them first on the radio. Sound familiar?) Perhaps most importantly, this book gives due credit to the many DJ's that should be remembered, their personalities, approach to music and technical style. Important songs and even club playlists are included, so you can get a feel for their 'sound', even if, like me, you've never actually been to the Paradise Garage or Wigan Casino. I bought this book to do some reading on the orgins of Disco and Hip Hop, and got SO much more. A deep bow to the authors, who I hope will update the book in 10 or 20 years, continuing the history. In my opinion about the only thing that could improve this book would be to add more pictures of DJ's, records, and events. The few that are currently included are fascinating.
D**Y
Great history of "DJ as artist"
A must read for all aspiring and current DJ's alike. This well reasearched book covers it all: from the beginning of single-turntable jocks to US and European Big Band spinners; it treks thru the Motown/Stax DJs, with a quick nod to the Jamacian "Sound System" approach before taking you thru Northern Soul and the NY Gay Disco trend-setting dual-turntable "mixing" innovators. With many "choice" classic cuts pointed out along the way, there's a myriad of names you will undoubtedly recognize from their many remixes in the dance/house/diva-pop genre. On a personal note it was thrilling to see both Robbie Leslise (Studio 54, The Saint) and Shep Pettibone (Mastermix remix/Productions too many to list, and co-author of Vogue & many other Madonna hits,) mentioned in the book. Not only do I have the utmost honor of being a resident DJ in Shep's amazing "Paradise" niteclub, but I also just had the privilege to spin alongside Robbie on a recent RSVP Caribbean Cruise. Living Legends both, and sweetheart gents to boot! (by dj Mick Hale, 2013)
B**Z
Comprehensive in scope, overwrought editorializing
In the last 20 years since my aha moment, I have read a lot on the history of dance music. This is probably the single most comprehensive book on that. The writers have been at the forefront of resurrecting and propagating the best of that history in several veins through this book and their other projects. Given that breadth and depth it can be a slow read at times and gets bogged down by too much editorializing. The sections about disco and post disco NYC and middle period British DJ culture seem the most inspired to me. Those are well chronicled elsewhere and so the gems for me were the more obscure stories in these sections and more so the view into their parallel offspring in other parts of.the world.
C**E
Truly in-depth
If you are looking for a detailed history of the DJ everything from just playing records to producing and the history behind the art form...this book will be for you. Brewster and Broughton leave just about NO stone unturned as they journeyed through multiple stages and development of the Disc Jockey. My favorite sections of this book were from the Disco, Hip Hop, Reggae and House era. There are many great DJ's spoken about within this book and a few clubs I was privileged to have frequented. Last Night A Dj Saved My Life is a MUST HAVE.
J**Y
Knowledge
Love it. Real life stories from experience.
S**R
A Mix of Various Music Styles Discussed
This kindlebook Last Night A DJ Saved My Life The History Of The Disc Jockey by Bill Brewster Frank Broughton features details on DJs (disc jockeys) pertaining to multiple music genres. Details involving some of the earliest origins relating to DJs are featured involving pagan high priests who directed their people to dance to the spirit world, an 1872 picture relating to the theme the history of the disc jockey, the authors discuss some of the things that go on in a DJs life, a picture of the world’s first DJ, references to multiple musicians and DJs in this kindlebook, multiple clubs referenced involving dancing and DJs, origins/roots of multiple music genres referenced in relation to the theme of Last Night A DJ Saved My Life The History of the Disc Jockey by the authors, and more.
N**Y
Fantastic, comprehensive look at the history of DJ/club culture.
I tend to prefer more academic/historiographical histories, but this book satisfied my craving for something about the DJ culture. It takes you through familiar and unfamiliar territory, beginning with the first record playing technology and moving into Northern Soul. The book bounces back and forth between nations and their influence on dance music. The book actually helped me find one of the original pressings of the first 12" ever made, "So Much For Love." If you are into dance music, clubbing, or just enjoy history, this is a great book to pick up. Anyone who DJs these days I think should understand where the house clubs came from and the meaning they held for their patron-dancers.
M**O
The holy bible for clubbers and DJs
MUST read for anyone involved in the DJing or the clubbing industry or even just if you're a house party lover. Very insightful and detailed it's also a perfect guide if you want to add some classic tunes to your library.
C**E
For those who want to read and improve their English, perhaps sunbathing on the beach
The internal hard cover is without silk-screen printing or writing that recalls the title of the external cover. In my opinion, 20 euros more than the same book but with the flexible cover seems a bit too much to me. However, in globalizing the concept of DJs, we always forget that in Italy we had important names who made history on the European scene in the 90s, like the DJ Claudio Coccoluto presents The Heartists - Belo Horizonti), or the DJ Robert Miles - Children, or Sueno Latino a.k.a. Massimino Lippoli e Andrea Gemolotto, inspired by the original song by Manuel Göttsching - E2 E4. Anyway, calling this book "the bible" as someone mentioned as soon as it came out today seems excessive to me. It remains a good paper "guide" for those who want to read and improve their English, perhaps sunbathing on the beach.
H**R
Recomendadisimo
Me encanta este libro
T**S
Dj clubsound
Tolles Buch für alle Clubgänger und and Dance Music interessierte
C**R
An excellent and essential read if you have any interest in dance music
I had the original edition years ago, and dance music has evolved and changed considerably over the years between the first publication and today. It has been updated and it is still a fantastic and informative read.
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