The remarkable British actress Diana Rigg, who was awarded the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1994, is the subject of this biography. Her reputation as being ‘tough’ and a long career as the star of plays, movies, and the TV show The Avengers, where she excelled from […]
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Tag: 1960s England
The Bastard Instrument. A Cultural History of the Electric Bass by Brian F. Wright (2024)
The electric bass, an instrument that first received considerable recognition with the introduction of the “Precision Bass” by American company Fender in 1951, has left its mark on the history of popular music. That instrument, approaching the scene only very tardily and sporadically with country and jazz bands of the post WWII years in basically […]
Anymore for Anymore: The Ronnie Lane Story by Caroline and David Stafford (2023)
Authors Catherine and David Stafford’s new title on one of Britain’s most important bass players, Ronnie Lane (1946-1997), successfully fills some information gaps rock music lovers may have encountered, concerning show biz and London’s music scene of the 1960s and 70s. Their Anymore for Anymore: The Ronnie Lane Story tells of his humble beginnings as […]
The Rebel’s Wardrobe. The Untold Story of Menswear’s Renegade Past by gestalten et als. (eds.) (2022
Lots of items from modern men’s wardrobes come loaded with history, were featured in cult movies worn by famous actors or have a past strongly connected to popular culture, even if many are not aware of that. Everyday apparel, such as the baseball cap, Dr. Marten’s boots, a pair of jeans, chinos or the leather […]
Paul Weller and Popular Music. Identity, Idiolect and Image by Andrew West (2023)
There is hardly another active English musician who can look back on a catalog of great music and social comment like Paul Weller, former front man of significant bands of the 1970s, 1980s and well-known solo artist of the 2000s, and also as a political voice addressing important issues. On roughly 160 pages author Andrew […]
Rock’n’Roll Plays Itself: A Screen History by John Scanlan (2022)
When in the mid-1950s rock’n’roll as both commercial force and incarnation of teenage style invaded the charts and cinema screens, the new category was a bit too much for most common and well-aged (British and American) entertainment shows and representations on screen. In the early days, neither TV nor the film industry would grasp the […]
Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950–1985 by Andrew Nette and Iain McInty
Kicking off roughly in the early 1950s, British and American science fiction authors of the new breed, labeled New Wave later, brought massive changes to the genre and changed the way the future of mankind was perceived. They spoke for a growing readership that was hungry for new visions and speculative prospects, now being prepared […]
Doctor Who and Science. Essays on Ideas, Identities … by M. K. Harmes and L. A. Orthia (eds.) (2021)
No other TV series can boast of presenting the most exciting, thrilling and colorful adventures for decades and also featuring the most unusual protagonist, namely the Doctor(s), aka the Time Lord in the English TV program Doctor Who. It was first launched in 1963 by BBC One and, with some interruptions, is still running today. […]
All or Nothing: The Authorised Story of Steve Marriott: by Simon Spence (2021)
The careers of many heroes of the British Invasion and musicians of the 1960s have been adequately documented in books, films and memoirs. Some performers, nevertheless, have still not yet received the attention and the praise they deserve. If there was a reliable ranking of the best British soul/blues singers of all times, it could […]