Five of popular music's most influential singer-songwriters talk in depth about their careers and analyse their craft: Dave Cousins (Strawbs), Iain Matthews (Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort), Ralph McTell, Al Stewart and Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention, Richard & Linda Thompson). The result is an insight into not only the inner workings of their songwriting but also where their inspiration comes from and the results of their many collaborations. These singer-songwriters started in the early to mid sixties, a seminal period in popular music, and a key theme of the book is how they developed their music in keeping with the changes in society in post-war Britain and the US and how growing up in that new society shaped their own attitudes and songs.

THE AUTHOR: Nick Awde is the writer or editor of more than 50 books including Mellotron: The Machine and the Musicians that Revolutionised Rock. He wrote the book, lyrics and music for the satirical Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Musical (1994), and with co-writer Chris Bartlett the play Pete and Dud: Come Again (2006), the West End comedy-drama about the partnership between satirical/absurdist comedians Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

– 320 pages, with 50 B&W photos