Turn Up the Radio!: Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956–1972

[Custom Machine]

Just found out about this book, released last week, and ordered it from Amazon. 

Don't have Turn Up the Radio!: Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956–1972 by Harvey Kubernik in my hands yet, but so far there are 12 reviews and every one of them gives it 5 stars.

Just wanted to give a heads-up on this book for those interested in the LA music and radio scene which surrounded the Beach Boys from the beginning of the rock era in 1956 thru 1972.

From Amazon:

Combining oral and illustrated history with a connective narrative, Turn Up the Radio! captures the zeitgeist of the Los Angeles rock and pop music world between the years of 1956 and 1972.

Featuring hundreds of rare and previously unpublished photographs and images of memorabilia, this collection highlights dozens of iconic bands and musicians, including the Doors, the Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, CSN, the Monkees, the Rolling Stones, Ike and Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Thee Midniters, Sonny and Cher, and many others.

The book also digs deep to uncover the studio musicians, background vocalists, songwriters, producers, and engineers who helped propel the Los Angeles rock and pop music scene to such a legendary status, such as Bones Howe, Barney Kessel, B. J. Baker, Merry Clayton, Jack Nitzsche, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Bobby Womack, and Kim Fowley.

Finally, Turn Up the Radio! pays tribute to the DJs who brought the music of Los Angeles to fans throughout Southern California—and, ultimately, the world—including Art Laboe, Dave Hull, the Real Don Steele, and Dave Diamond.

Packed with exclusive interviews, this one-of-a-kind keepsake is a must-have for any music fan.

[guitarfool2002]

I don't have a copy yet either, but I'd highly recommend this book to anyone reading this board, especially those interested in the bigger scope of the LA scene where Brian and the BB's worked and lived in the 60's.

On a personal note, again I haven't gotten a copy to confirm for sure what did or didn't make the final edits, but I contributed to this book as well, and as that was about two years ago when I was corresponding with Harvey Kubernik as he was putting it together. It's a very welcome addition to the history of the scene and the music, and again I'd highly recommend it!

[PS]

I just received it, started it over coffee this morning and I can tell immediately this is a real find. I more or less expected it to be somewhat like Barney Hoskins' Waiting for the Sun, but this surprised me right out of the box as a large format coffee table style book with hundreds of photographs. So I thought, oh well, it will probably be rather light on the text (like the recent Laurel Canyon book of photos), but so far this is really the book of my dreams - with a detailed point by point collage of testimony from the witnesses who were there, in a roundtable kind of format - like an excellent PBS style documentary film. Starts in the early 50's with R&B and the early LA DJ's and talks about the scene from the vantage point of the great pros who clearly loved what they were doing and the time they lived in. I love when someone (like many of the people on this board) cares enough to dig deep in order to give the fullest account and save the history of these long lost radio shows, studios, producers, and recording artists with words and pictures. This is clearly a labor of love written by someone who understood that this type of first-hand account of history from the golden age will soon be lost. This book looks definitive at first blush and I highly recommend it. Can't wait for the section on The Boys...

[guitarfool2002]

My copy just arrived this morning, and I'm blown away by what I've seen so far. And I'm coming from that totally unbiased as a contributor to the book as small as that contribution was...

I don't know why this book hasn't gotten more attention here, to put it bluntly it's almost exactly what many folks here are interested in, the music and era and artists they like, yet adds a lot of backstory and some awesome photos that are not the ones you see reprinted on dozens of websites. There is one of Brian and Don Randi in the studio (Brian wearing one of his custom-made psychedelic shirts) which isn't commonly seen nor reprinted. And dozens more.

Get this book, seriously, anyone who is interested in the 60's era and the LA scene. Fantastic stuff.

[LostArt]

Thanks for the heads-up!  I love this kind of stuff.  I just checked with my local Barnes and Noble, and they have a copy in stock, so I will be picking it up this evening.  Cheers.

[Ram4]

Putting it on my wishlist - thanks!

[Shady]

Just bought my copy

I love this era of music