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Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.443
EAN: 9780802136886
ISBN: 0802136885
Label: Grove Press
Manufacturer: Grove Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: July 01, 2000
Publisher: Grove Press
Studio: Grove Press
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Editorial Review:
From the first time a record was played over the airwaves in 1906, to a modern club economy that totals $3 billion annually in New York City alone, the DJ has been at the center of popular music. Starting as little more than a talking jukebox, the DJ is now a premier entertainer, producer, businessman, and musician in his own right. Superstar DJs, from Junior Vasquez to Sasha and Digweed, command worship and adoration from millions, flying around the globe to earn tens of thousands of dollars for one night's work. Increasingly, they are replacing live musicians as the central figures of the music industry. In Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, music journalists Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton have written the first comprehensive history of the mysterious and charismatic figure behind the turntables -- part obsessive record collector, part mad scientist, part intuitive psychologist of the party groove. From England's rabid Northern Soul scene to the birth of disco in New York, from the sound systems of Jamaica to the scratch wars of early hip-hop in the Bronx, from Chicago house to Detroit techno to London rave, DJs are responsible for most of the significant changes in music over the past forty years. Drawing on in-depth interviews with DJs, critics, musicians, record executives, and the revelers at some of the century's most legendary parties, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life is nothing less than the life story of dance music.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Witty and detailed history of DJing
This book is yet another goldmine of anecdotes for dance fans. It will also be educational for lovers of any type of music. The author goes through the music scenes in many countries and genres, from the WWII era when the disc jockey had to cobble together his own setup of speakers, to the Northern Soul scene when obsessive music lovers would drive for hours just to reach a place that would play a few new tracks that night, and so on up to our own day. Ever since Thomas Edison started messing around ... Read More
Rating: - Good History of the DJ
The book has an extensive history of the life of the DJ. Anybody interested in the profession or what it takes to be a DJ, should at least read it. You'll be surprised at what you find.
Rating:  - Great History, Writing Talent Lacking
The only thing that kept me reading this book was that it contained information I didn't know. I found that skimming helped reduce the groaning and eye-rolling caused by poor organization of the material. Much of it was just fine, but parts of the book are difficult to read because the authors couldn't devise a smooth transition from one chapter to another. Other than that minor complaint, this is a great book!
Rating: - Thoroughly researched, well-written history of the dance/club DJ
Written by two former editors of Mixmag (the magazine bible of club culture and dance music), this 400-page book provides a deep, well-researched history of the club DJ. It follows the evolution of the live performance DJ from a human record changer, to a macro mixer of individual platters, to a micro mixer of record segments and sounds, to a full-fledged music producer. In doing so the authors document the impact that DJs had on the music itself, first in selecting what they played, later in demanding ... Read More
Rating: - Written With Passion
Covering a subject as broad as this is difficult and most readers will take exception somewhere since the author deals with such a subjective subject. However, I enjoyed both the exhaustive research and obvious passion that went into this work. It's a must, not only for DJs, but for any fan of music made for the dancefloor.
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