Product Description

Collating more than 150 interviews, Independence Days traces the story of the UK independent record label boom from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, a period which saw a new generation of independent spirits take up the baton and revolutionise the course of popular music. Covers the era's most celebrated labels including Rough Trade, Beggars Banquet/4AD, Factory, Cherry Red and Mute - and covers releases by such notable acts as The Smiths, Joy Division, The Buzzcocks, Elvis Costello, Gary Numan, Teardrop Explodes and Nick Cave.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #87929 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 600 pages

Customer Reviews

Superb, detailed history of Independent Labels in the UK
This is a superb book, and absolutely essential for anyone interested in the history of the UK popular music industry in the late 20th century. It took the author years of research and detailed investigation to develop, and includes interviews with all the surviving major players in the independent 'sector' (though many of them may baulk at that term!).

It's not about "Indie" - whatever that is nowadays - though fans of "Indie" music will learn a huge amount about the origins, influences and definition of the term. It's also extremely well written, witty and amusing in places, scathing in others, and it concludes with a critical reflection on the current trends in the industry, and what can be learnt from the original independent pioneers.