Play On! Power Pop Heroes: Volume Three
by Ken Sharp


"I remind myself of what we, The Knack, were allowed to have in our lives. We traveled the world, and we made friends and fans in every corner of it we visited. We played our music over and over again for thousands of fans who would lay down their hard earned money to come and see us. We'd have the privilege of sending them home smiling. We were known. We were admired"—Berton Averre, the Knack

About The Book:

Back in '67, in describing their new single "I Can See for Miles," the Who's Pete Townshend coined the term "power pop," not knowing that the genre would come to take its name from his offhand description.

"A Hard Days Night"..."You Really Got Me"..."Glad All Over"..."Feel A Whole Lot Better"..."Pictures of Lily"..."She's Not There"..."Carrie-Anne"..."Walk Away Renee"...”Tin Soldier”…"Happy Together"... “Lies”…"Do Ya"...”Open My Eyes”…"Go All the Way"..."No Matter What"..."September Gurls"...these classic songs share one common thread: they contain all the ingredients that make up a musical form known as "power pop."


In Play On! Power Pop Heroes: Volume Three (Jetfighter/$39.97), the third installment of a five-volume series, Ken Sharp honors the musical innovators who helped build the genre’s foundation. Featuring a foreword by Berton Averre of the Knack, the 581 page book culls exclusive extended interviews with 17 artists that defined the genre and is profusely illustrated with rare photographs and original handwritten lyrics.

Track-by track commentary is provided about seminal albums including
The Romantics (The Romantics,) 20/20 (20/20), Everywhere at Once (The Plimsouls), The Beat (The Beat), Get the Knack (The Knack) and The Pinkees (The Pinkees) plus select artist commentary about classic recordings from members of Rockpile, Nick Gilder, Paley Brothers, Greg Kihn, Robin Lane & the Chartbusters and 4 Out of 5 Doctors add to the inside story of this influential genre.

Buyers will also receive over 130 tracks of incredible bonus music (over a $130 retail value) of rare, unreleased and live music from Marshall Crenshaw, the Knack, 20/20, the Plimsouls, Robin Lane & the Chartbusters, Paley Brothers, 4 Out of 5 Doctors, the Pinkees and many more...
Acts featured in Volume Three:
The Romantics
Rockpile
The Runaways
Paley Brothers
Greg Kihn
New England
Nick Gilder
Off Broadway
20/20
The Beat
The Plimsouls
 
The Knack
Robin Lane & the Chartbusters
Marshall Crenshaw
4 Out of 5 Doctors
The Pinkees

Buyers will also receive over 130 tracks of incredible bonus music (an over $130 retail value) of rare, unreleased and live music from Marshall Crenshaw, the Knack, 20/20, the Plimsouls, Robin Lane & the Chartbusters, Paley Brothers, 4 Out of 5 Doctors, the Pinkees and many more...


Ken Sharp is a New York Times Best Selling writer who has authored or co-authored over eighteen music books, contributes to a variety of national music magazines, works on music documentaries and has done liner notes for releases by Elvis Presley, Sly & the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Small Faces, Santana, Cheap Trick, Raspberries, Eric Carmen, KISS, Hall & Oates, Rick Springfield, The Babys, John Waite, The Guess Who, Jellyfish, Jefferson Airplane and others. Contact Ken Sharp

His books include: Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy, Elvis: Vegas ‘69, Nothin’ to Lose: the Making of KISS (1972-1975), Elvis Presley: Writing for the King, Sound Explosion: Inside LA’s Studio Factory with the Wrecking Crew, Overnight Sensation: The Story of the Raspberries, Raspberries: TONIGHT!, Eric Carmen: Marathon Man, Reputation is a Fragile Thing: The Story of Cheap Trick, Play On!: Power Pop Heroes, Kooks, Queen Bitches and Andy Warhol: The Making of David Bowie’s Hunky Dory, KISS: Behind the Mask, Meet the Beatles…Again!, Small Faces: Quite Naturally, Rick Springfield: A Year in the Life of a Working Class Dog, Power Pop, The KISS Years!, and KISS Army Worldwide!: The Ultimate KISS Fanzine Phenomenon.