Cowboys and Indies

Chronicling the pioneers who set the stylus on the most important labels and musical discoveries of the last century, this narrative follows all the musical trends and developments, from the phonograph to the internet age, as it delves behind the big business of corporate hit machines and the diligent industry of small, curated labels.

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Cowboys and Indies is the definitive record business bible, chronicling the pioneers who set the stylus on the most important labels and musical discoveries of the last century. The narrative follows all the musical trends and developments, from the phonograph to the internet age, as it delves behind the big business of corporate hit machines and the diligent industry of small, curated labels. Drawing from memoirs, archives, and over one hundred exclusive interviews with the legends of the record industry including the founders and CEOs of Virgin Records, United Artists, Atlantic Records, and A&M, this book reveals the secrets behind the hit making craft. Cowboys and Indies focuses on the game changers - the indie founders, talent scouts, the legendary A&R men - believers who understood the music business was two distinct parts; first music, then business. An industry insider himself, Gareth Murphy culls numerous behind-the-scenes anecdotes to bring together a clear genealogical map of the record industry's international 130 year history.
Among its revelations, Cowboys and Indies highlights the remarkable similarities between the industry crash in the 1920s and 30s and the recent CD crash. Witty and evocative, Cowboys and Indies offers a fresh panoramic view of the cycles and grooves of pop music and is sure to top the charts with music industry classics like Hitmaker and The Mansion on the Hill.