Why am I passionate about this?
I grew up with the music of the 1960s. Going to packed, pheromone-heavy dances featuring The LincolnsāNova Scotiaās most popular and most soulful bandāwere a huge part of my teenage years. Those experiences implanted a deep love of R&B, and somehow or other pointed me in the direction of becoming a writer. Itās a bit of a mystery how it all works. In any case, of all my books, none was as much fun to work on as Kings of Friday Night. It has received lots of love, including from readers who grew up far from the time and place I write about. Long live local bands! And live music everywhere!
A.J.B.'s book list on rock ānā roll in the 1960s
Why did A.J.B. love this book?
Alan Leeds does a wonderful job presenting his eyewitness experiences as part of the James Brown entourage in the 1960s and beyond. The reader canāt wait to find out what happens next in the riveting story he presents of Soul Brother No. 1, the āhardest working man in show business.ā Itās a fascinating tale, which presents Brown as an innovative musical force, determined artist, forceful businessman, and unpredictable personality. Itās a behind-the-scenes look at the Chitlinā Circuit when soul music was taking off as a dynamic new genreāas recalled by a young, Jewish kid from Queens who joined James Brownās team and learned the music business at the hand of the performer who mastered it.
1 author picked There Was a Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
As seen in the Wall Street Journal!
āAlan Leeds was a protegĆ© of James Brown and a true historian of the world that nurtured the great entertainer. Alan was a witness to the vibrant black music scene of the ā60s and ā70sāwhose book is both a memoir and a document of a lost world of sound.āāNelson George, an American author, columnist, music and culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker
A behind-the-scenes look at the Chitlinā Circuit during Americanās most vital period of soul musicāfrom the eyes and ears of a young, Jewish kid from Queens who joined the team of theā¦