The definitive record-business bible, chronicling the pioneers who set the stylus on the most important labels and musical discoveries of the last century. The narrative follows all the musical trends and developments from the phonograph to the Internet age. It focuses on the game changers, the indie founders, talent scouts, legendary A&R men, believers who understood the music business was two distinct parts: first music, then business.
"Record labels, at their best, are invariably driven by the taste, the personality, and the ambition of one man, or woman-this book fascinatingly charts their course, their perversity, their bloody-mindedness. It's those men, those labels, that found and broke the artists who have created our musical world."
Martin Mills founder of the Beggars Group
"Just when you thought the record label beast was dead and buried, along comes Gareth Murphy with a tour de force that makes you almost want to dance with that devil again. Through Cowboys and Indies, new artists will get a sense of history that will enlighten their success and lessen the pain of being ripped off!"
Andrew Loog Oldham Rolling Stones producer and founder of Immediate Records
"Spectacular, compelling, evocative-this book places you at the heart of the record industry's defining moments. Far more than recounting the history, it's an artful and long-overdue look at the fantastic characters, companies, and shifting cultures that have given birth to the soundtrack of modern life. Essential reading."
