Crooner: Singing from the Heart from Sinatra to Nas

by Alex Coles

An intimate history of the crooner in popular music from the 1950s to the present.
 
In this book, Alex Coles explores the history of the crooner—someone who sings close to the mic in a soft style—in popular music from the 1950s to the present. Each chapter focuses on how one song by one artist contributes to the image of the crooner in the popular imagination. The book describes the rich diversity of crooners throughout music history, including artists in disco, rock, hip-hop, and more such as Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, Barry White, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Tom Waits, Grace Jones, Ian McCulloch, Nick Cave, and Nas. Ultimately, Coles shows how the crooner continues to connect listeners with their hidden feelings.

208 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2023

Reviews

[Lola Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

great balance of focus and depth on each of the chosen tracks while also wider contextualising ,, clear relationships identifiable between artists and their use of vocals as instrument/negotiations w emotional vulnerability