Overview

Crooners sing close to the mic in a soft, intimate style. In this book Alex Coles explores the crooner in popular music from the 1950s to the present. Each chapter focuses on one song and one singer - Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, Barry White, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Tom Waits, Grace Jones, Ian McCulloch, Nick Cave and Nas - and examines in detail how each contributes to the crooner image. The book describes how crooners traverse era, gender, geography and genre - where Barry White developed out of disco, Nick Cave sprung from alternative rock; where Grace Jones was born from reggae and funk, Nas originated from hip-hop. Ultimately, Coles shows how the crooner continues to be a figure that enables listeners to reflect on and communicate their emotions.

Full Product Details

9781789147667

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""Crooning . . . is an extremely broad church, as Alex Coles' new book on the subject shows us, through several case studies which include Frank Sinatra, Bryan Ferry, Grace Jones and Nas.""-- ""Quitetus"" ""Coles defines 'crooners' as baritone singers using torch songs, concept albums, and studio technology to work their magic. He writes here that music studios gave birth to crooners such as Frank Sinatra who could capture softer, lower tones that are difficult to replicate on stage. . . . This is an intriguing study of a wide array of vocalists who were inspired by Sinatra. A fresh and educational look at an influential element of popular music.""-- ""Library Journal"" ""Crooner [has] the virtue of sending you back to the songs and albums Coles discusses.""-- ""The Mail (UK)"" ""It's about time somebody properly investigated the modern art of the croon and Alex Coles is the right person for the job. We're not talking about the 'golden age' of crooning here, although of course Sinatra is a natural place to start. Across ten carefully selected case studies from those you might expect to be reading about (Nick Cave or Tom Waits) to others that may come as more of a surprise (the rapper Nas, for instance), Coles explores what it means to croon and how the art has evolved.""--JR Moores, author of 'Electric Wizards'"

"""It's about time somebody properly investigated the modern art of the croon and Alex Coles is the right person for the job. We're not talking about the 'golden age' of crooning here, although of course Sinatra is a natural place to start. Across ten carefully selected case studies from those you might expect to be reading about (Nick Cave or Tom Waits) to others that may come as more of a surprise (the rapper Nas, for instance), Coles explores what it means to croon and how the art has evolved.""--JR Moores, author of 'Electric Wizards'"

"""Coles defines 'crooners' as baritone singers using torch songs, concept albums, and studio technology to work their magic. He writes here that music studios gave birth to crooners such as Frank Sinatra who could capture softer, lower tones that are difficult to replicate on stage. . . . This is an intriguing study of a wide array of vocalists who were inspired by Sinatra. A fresh and educational look at an influential element of popular music.""-- ""Library Journal"" ""Crooner [has] the virtue of sending you back to the songs and albums Coles discusses.""-- ""The Mail (UK)"" ""It's about time somebody properly investigated the modern art of the croon and Alex Coles is the right person for the job. We're not talking about the 'golden age' of crooning here, although of course Sinatra is a natural place to start. Across ten carefully selected case studies from those you might expect to be reading about (Nick Cave or Tom Waits) to others that may come as more of a surprise (the rapper Nas, for instance), Coles explores what it means to croon and how the art has evolved.""--JR Moores, author of 'Electric Wizards'"

Author Information

Alex Coles is professor of arts and humanities at the University of Huddersfield. He is the author of several books, including Tainted Love: Twisted Romantic Ballads (2023).

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