{"title":"Mark Blake","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMark Blake is an English writer and editor with a prolific career spanning over three decades. His work has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers since 1989, establishing him as a respected authority in the industry. As a former Assistant Editor of Q magazine and a long-time contributor to Mojo, the UK's biggest-selling music magazine, Mark Blake has also contributed his expertise to publications such as Classic Rock, The Times, Daily Telegraph, and Music Week.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"pretend-you-re-in-a-war-the-who-and-the-sixties","title":"Pretend You're in a War: The Who and the Sixties","description":"\u003cp\u003ePete Townshend was once asked how he prepared himself for The Who's violent live performances. His answer? \"Pretend you're in a war.\" For a band as prone to furious infighting as it was notorious for acts of auto-destructive art this could have served as a motto. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50409846931787,"sku":"1010999","price":3.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/d0cf3699-9762-453e-a6b5-6295f63817b0_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726629911"},{"product_id":"us-and-them-the-authorised-story-of-hipgnosis","title":"Us and Them: The Authorised Story of Hipgnosis","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe definitive story of the Hipgnosis design partnership, their iconic album artwork, and their rock 'n' roll life. Between the late '60s and early '80s, design house \u003cstrong\u003eHipgnosis\u003c\/strong\u003e created some of the most iconic and ubiquitous album artwork of all time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTheir original lifespan coincided with the golden age of the 12-inch LP, beginning just as the Beatles' \u003cem\u003eSgt Pepper\u003c\/em\u003e made the record sleeve the ultimate blank canvas and ending just as new technology looked set to usurp vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHaving originally been approached to design an album cover for their friends \u003cstrong\u003ePink Floyd\u003c\/strong\u003e, students Aubrey 'Po' Powell and Storm Thorgerson would go on to define the visual identity of rock and roll for the next fifteen years, swiftly gaining international prominence for their famed \"\u003cem\u003eThe Dark Side of the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e\" artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis paved the way for other major musicians to set foot in the surreal photo-design world of Storm and Po, resulting in seminal Hipgnosis creations for the likes of Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Genesis, Black Sabbath, ELO, and Yes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this authorized account, with access to previously unpublished material and exclusive contributions from David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, Robert Plant, and even Aubrey Powell himself, \u003cstrong\u003eMark Blake\u003c\/strong\u003e goes behind the scenes of the Hipgnosis partnership to reveal the pioneering ambition and grand vision that led to their success, as well as the clashing egos and artistic differences that undermined it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Hipgnosis story also offers hitherto-untold insight into some of music's most legendary bands, as viewed through the prism of the people who shaped their imagery and cultural legacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith the work of Hipgnosis continuing to be referenced, reproduced, and revered worldwide, \u003cem\u003eUs and Them\u003c\/em\u003e serves as a celebration, a cautionary tale, and a compelling human drama, exploring the vital intersection between art and music.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nine Eight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":51482217677131,"sku":"2240671","price":5.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/us_and_them_limited_b504bf98_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727036594"},{"product_id":"dreams-the-many-lives-of-fleetwood-mac","title":"Dreams - The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac","description":"\u003cp\u003eFleetwood Mac have had a chart-topping career that spans over fifty years and includes some of the biggest-selling albums and greatest hits of the 20th and 21st centuries. But the band's story is one of enormous triumph and also unimaginable tragedy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere has never been a band in the history of music riven with as much romantic drama, sexual tension and incredible highs and lows as \u003cstrong\u003eFleetwood Mac\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cem\u003eDreams\u003c\/em\u003e is a must-read for casual Fleetwood Mac fans and die-hard devotees alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this unique collection of mini-biographies, observations, and essays, \u003cstrong\u003eMark Blake\u003c\/strong\u003e explores all eras of the Fleetwood Mac story to explore what it is that has made them one of the most successful bands in history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlake draws on his own exclusive interviews with \u003cstrong\u003eMick Fleetwood\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eStevie Nicks\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eLindsey Buckingham\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the late \u003cstrong\u003ePeter Green\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eChristine McVie\u003c\/strong\u003e, and addresses the complex human drama at the heart of the Fleetwood Mac story, including the complicated relationships between the band's main members.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut he also dives deep into the towering discography that the band have built over the past half-century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nine Eight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50532425924939,"sku":"R8404-2882","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/markblake_9781788708043_af4d8cb0_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728121787"},{"product_id":"magnifico-the-a-to-z-of-queen","title":"Magnifico: The A to Z of Queen","description":"\u003cp\u003eA unique 'A to Z' biography from music journalist and Queen biographer Mark Blake that will shed new light on the story of the biggest rock band of all time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story of Queen is rich with anecdotes, trivia, humour and tragedy - accompanied by some of the best-known songs of all time. In this revealing profile, acclaimed biographer Mark Blake uses a unique 'A to Z' approach to shed new light on the legendary band. With every entry aiming to celebrate, inform, entertain or amuse, Blake's complete portrait covers not only the major hits and bestselling albums, but also the inside stories behind the music. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVia a series of essays, lists and mini biographies, the author shares a wealth of lesser-known details - gained from over thirty years of original interviews - and explores what the songs of Queen say about their creators. The book's format also allows it to take fascinating tangents, charting the places, characters and events that, often inadvertently, played a part in shaping the band and informing its music. Elsewhere, entries offer light-hearted trivia - from a list of LPs the band was listening to in 1970 to tales of the fifteen Jimi Hendrix gigs Freddie Mercury hitch- hiked around the UK to attend - as well as serious analysis, including the truth behind Mercury's funeral, which was effectively controlled by Queen's management, and a reflection on the ways in which the flamboyant frontman confronted the twentieth century's sexual mores and prejudices. Addressing the phenomenal success of Bohemian Rhapsody, while challenging the fictionalised account it sold to cinemagoers, Blake builds on the band's enduring audience appeal in order to provide a fresh and unparalleled take on Queen's music, story and legacy. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nine Eight Books","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":51171379511627,"sku":"1125281","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/d9c950b3-1756-45fa-831b-532ee026049d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1738066222"},{"product_id":"pink-floyd-shine-on-the-definitive-oral-history","title":"Pink Floyd Shine On: The Definitive Oral History","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe definitive oral history of \u003cstrong\u003ePink Floyd\u003c\/strong\u003e as told by friends, associates, family members, and the band themselves through exclusive, never-before-published interviews.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBestselling music author \u003cstrong\u003eMark Blake\u003c\/strong\u003e has been an associate and collaborator of \u003cstrong\u003ePink Floyd\u003c\/strong\u003e for over thirty years. \u003cem\u003eShine On\u003c\/em\u003e takes on the behemoth task of capturing the most comprehensive history of the band ever compiled, drawing on huge amounts of new, archive, and unpublished interview material with \u003cstrong\u003eGilmour\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eWaters\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMason\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eWright\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNo other writer has interviewed the members of \u003cstrong\u003ePink Floyd\u003c\/strong\u003e as often nor as thoroughly, which is candidly apparent in this textured, gripping, and consistently surprising biography. For the first time, the band's story is told as an oral history with each chapter presented through the words of the band, their friends, contemporaries, and supporting musicians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe accessible structure and high level of detail mean that the narrative is both approachable to casual readers and magnetic to the committed. \u003cem\u003eShine On\u003c\/em\u003e is comprised of a significant amount of previously unpublished material, including a rare interview with \u003cstrong\u003eRosemary Breen\u003c\/strong\u003e lamenting that her younger brother \u003cstrong\u003eRoger\u003c\/strong\u003e, aka \u003cstrong\u003eSyd Barrett\u003c\/strong\u003e, should have never become a musician.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExclusive new interviews with \u003cstrong\u003ePink Floyd\u003c\/strong\u003e's \u003cstrong\u003eNick Mason\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eGuy Pratt\u003c\/strong\u003e reflect on their enduring legacy and rather more complicated recent twists and turns in the band's story. \u003cem\u003eShine On\u003c\/em\u003e is a forensic retelling of one of the most turbulent and enduring groups in rock music history, a complex history that only someone as skilled and insightful as \u003cstrong\u003eBlake\u003c\/strong\u003e can navigate.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Modern","offers":[{"title":"Hardback - signed","offer_id":51957888942411,"sku":"R1435-2486","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/PinkFloydcoverfinal_3594d942-1856-434a-b386-e85764040f4b.jpg?v=1752252739"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_0efb459b_thumbnail_4096_682d15f7-a971-4a4f-933b-f9577365cf8f.jpg?v=1726629893","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/collections\/mark-blake.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}