Audio

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Helen O'Hara on BBC Radio Scotland

Helen O'Hara on BBC Radio Scotland

Helen O’Hara talks to Nicola Meighan on BBC Radio Scotland’s Afternoon Show about her life, work and...

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Steve Pringle on Oh Brother Podcast

Steve Pringle on Oh Brother Podcast

Steve Pringle guests on the Oh! Brother podcast with hosts Steve and Paul Hanley. (1:00:05)...

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Paul Hanley on Late Night Book Club

Paul Hanley on Late Night Book Club

Paul Hanley on Gideon Coe’s Late Night Book Club on BBC Radio 6 Music talking Hex Enduction Hour and...

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Selected reviews

Record Collector

What’s She Like is kind, generous, and honest, told by a reliable narrator. Having no myths to preserve, Helen O’Hara has written the book that Dexys aficionados will savour, a warm memoir that cuts through politics and actions, written with a knowle..

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Louder Than War, Book of the Year

You Must Get Them All is the yardstick by which all future books on the band will be judged and the bible for those worshipping at the Church of The Fall, past, present and future. This book will be one that I go back to time and time again...

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Americana UK

Ian Clayton shines a forensic light on one of the great bands, and great enigmas, of the English Folk Rock boom of the early 70s and, with the keen eye of a musical historian, shows exactly why Plainsong were such an important band at the time and, e..

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Malcolm Garrett

One of the most entertaining, well researched and informative books about making music in Manchester I have read. Paul Hanley’s writing is effortlessly entertaining yet packs masses of detail without ever sounding geeky. If you want to know what conn..

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Selected titles

Books
The Big Midweek: Life Inside The Fall

The Big Midweek: Life Inside The Fall

Steve Hanley, Olivia Piekarski

Guardian Book of the Year Rough Trade Book of the Year Reader’s Digest Editor’s Choice Dagsavisen Book of the Year The first insider’s account of life inside The Fall, Steve Hanley’s story unfolds like a novel; from 1979 when he joined his schoolmates Marc Riley and Craig Scanlon in The Fall, he puts us right in the heart of the action: on stage, o..

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The Chameleon Poet: Bob Dylan’s Search For Self

The Chameleon Poet: Bob Dylan’s Search For Self

John Bauldie

On his untimely death at 47 years old in October 1996, not only did John Bauldie sit at the what could be called the high table of Dylan Studies, but from the early nineties, when he was invited by Dylan’s management to write the liner notes that accompanied the Bootleg Series Volume 1-3, many would attest that he was chairman of the board. In his lifetim..

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The Train of Ice and Fire

The Train of Ice and Fire

Ramón Chao, Ann Wright

The incredible story of an audacious rock'n'roll tour through Colombia. 'Any band that ever moaned about the freshness of the backstage towels should read this book.' Word

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Thro My Eyes: A Memoir

Thro My Eyes: A Memoir

Iain Matthews, Ian Clayton

A memoir by Iain Matthews, one of the music industry’s great survivors. He has been making pitch-perfect records for over fifty years.

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You Can Drum But You Can’t Hide

You Can Drum But You Can’t Hide

Simon Wolstencroft

Of all the iconic musicians and scenes that emanate from Manchester, Simon Wolstencroft is the one who joins up the dots. He learnt his chops playing with Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke, but turned down The Smiths because he didn’t like the cut of Morrissey’s jib. He parted ways with his schoolmates Ian Brown and John Squire before The Patrol became The Stone R..

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Away From the Light of Day

Away From the Light of Day

Idrissa Keïta, Ann Wright, Amadou and Mariam

Amadou and Mariam with Idrissa. Translated by Anne WrightAmadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia met at an institute for young blind people in Bamako, Mali, and fell in love both musically and romantically. Following several years of performing and releasing cassettes in the their native West Africa, they went on to become stars of the international stage with a ..

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Selected features

Blog
A Route To The Fall

A Route To The Fall

Route's Fall Titles..

A Route To Bob Dylan

A Route To Bob Dylan

Route's Bob Dylan titles and authors...

Steve Hanley's First Big Midweek Interview

Steve Hanley's First Big Midweek Interview

Steve Hanley's first interview for The Big Midweek was to Conway Paton of The Fall Online,..