Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music

by Robert Santelli (Contributor), George Martin (Foreword), Sandra Choron (Editor)

Charting a century's worth of innovation and experimentation in the creation of music, Soundbreaking offers a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of new sounds--and features original interviews with twenty-one of the most celebrated artists, producers, and music industry pioneers of our time. This book was inspired by the eight-part Grammy- and Emmy-nominated film series Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music, one of the most wide-ranging series on the art of music recording and the last project of the late legendary music producer Sir George Martin. Featuring a special foreword by Sir George Martin and original artist profiles by Grammy Museum founding executive director Robert Santelli, Soundbreaking highlights twenty-one artists from across eras and a wide spectrum of genres. In intimate interviews, these music legends share their personal insights in passages from longer interviews conducted between 2008 and 2015: Sir George Martin, Les Paul, Pete Seeger, Tony Bennett, Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Benson, Joni Mitchell, Michael Tilson Thomas, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Mark Knopfler, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Petty, Steven Van Zandt, Rosanne Cash, Sheila E., and Darryl McDaniels. The excerpts point to themes that emerge and echo throughout: the importance of varied cultural influences on music careers, the role of technology innovation in the creative process, and most commonly, the human connection to music. "Music is the only common thread and universal language that binds us together regardless of race, nationality, age, or income. And recorded music is how we experience it and what makes it accessible." --Sir George Martin

144 pages, Hardcover

Published November 25, 2019

About the author

Robert Santelli (born January 31, 1952) is the executive director of the Grammy Museum and former CEO/artistic director of the Experience Music Project. He is the author of nearly a dozen books and a contributor to magazines such as Rolling Stone.

Reviews

[Sophie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of interviews and excerpts from the PBS series “Soundbreaking” under the direction of George Martin. It gives the personal accounts and linear histories of how recorded music came to be and struck the hearts of so many. Some of the artists interviewed include Elton John, Darryl McDaniels (DMC), Bonnie Raitt, Pete Seeger, and so many more.
Although it's only excerpts about certain questions or topics and they don't all follow an ordered timeline, the amount of information and passion put into this project inspires me to go spend some time watching that PBS series. Wonderful resource for popular recorded music research :)