Into the Groove
The Story of Sound From Tin Foil to Vinyl
Published on 26. September 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-4729-7983-4 (ISBN)
Description
'By mixing lo-fi charm into hi-fi science Into the Groove captures all the wonder and absurdity of its subject, jumping and skipping with real analogue delight.' - Sunday Times
The story of recorded sound - the technological developments, the people that made them happen and the impact they had on society - from the earliest inventions via the phonograph to LPs, EPs and the recent resurgence of vinyl.
While Thomas Edison's phonograph, the first device that could both record and reproduce sound, represented an important turning point in the story of recorded sound, it was really only the tip of the iceberg, and came after decades of invention, tinkering and experiment. Into the Groove tells the story of the birth of recorded sound, from the earliest serious attempts in the 1850s all the way up to the recent vinyl resurgence. This book celebrates the ingenuity, rivalries and science of the modulated groove.
Vinyl collector and music buff Jonathan Scott dissects a mind-blowing feat that we all take for granted today - the domestication of sound. He examines the first attempts to record and reproduce sounds, the origin of the phonograph, and the development of commercial shellac discs. Later he moves through the fascinating story of the LP record, from the rise of electric recording to the fall of 7-inch vinyl, the competing speed and format wars, and an epilogue that takes the story up to the present-day return of vinyl to vogue.
Into the Groove is the story of the science of sound - the technological developments, the humans that made them happen and the impact they had on society.
The story of recorded sound - the technological developments, the people that made them happen and the impact they had on society - from the earliest inventions via the phonograph to LPs, EPs and the recent resurgence of vinyl.
While Thomas Edison's phonograph, the first device that could both record and reproduce sound, represented an important turning point in the story of recorded sound, it was really only the tip of the iceberg, and came after decades of invention, tinkering and experiment. Into the Groove tells the story of the birth of recorded sound, from the earliest serious attempts in the 1850s all the way up to the recent vinyl resurgence. This book celebrates the ingenuity, rivalries and science of the modulated groove.
Vinyl collector and music buff Jonathan Scott dissects a mind-blowing feat that we all take for granted today - the domestication of sound. He examines the first attempts to record and reproduce sounds, the origin of the phonograph, and the development of commercial shellac discs. Later he moves through the fascinating story of the LP record, from the rise of electric recording to the fall of 7-inch vinyl, the competing speed and format wars, and an epilogue that takes the story up to the present-day return of vinyl to vogue.
Into the Groove is the story of the science of sound - the technological developments, the humans that made them happen and the impact they had on society.
Reviews / Votes
By mixing lo-fi charm into hi-fi science Into the Groove captures all the wonder and absurdity of its subject, jumping and skipping with real analogue delight. * Sunday Times * An attentive, expository account of how records came to be. * The Wire * A thoroughly entertaining history of how sound recordings evolved ... The tone is light and the narrative engaging... Within these pages is a lot of humor... an excellent, absorbing book. * Washington Independent Review of Books * An audio geek's delight, this engrossing history of music and voice recording is as wide-ranging and thorough as one could want ... Scott spins a history told with near-perfect pitch. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * A very detailed and well researched history of the gramophone... [Scott] writes in a non-technical way but fully explains how sound recording has evolved. * David Harris, Practical Wireless * Enjoyable ... Scott has an eye for detail ... music lovers will want to take this one for a spin. * Publisher's Weekly * Scott excels in explaining the connections between innovators and their various epiphanies and lawsuits without ever losing focus of recordings' end users: the listener ... A perfect fit for music lovers who've always wondered how a recorded performance reaches their ears. * Library Review * A thoroughly entertaining history of how sound recordings evolved... excellent, absorbing book. * Eugene L. Meyer, Washington Independent Review of Books * This is the book music lovers will want this summer. * Bookworm Sez * In Into the Groove, Scott spins a remarkably dulcet history of sound recording from its genesis to the present day. -- Bill Thompson * The Post and Courier * This is an interesting look at a specific part of music history. -- Erica Ezeifedi * Book Riot * Into the Groove is a thorough exploration of the sound revolution that brought music to the masses... Jonathan Scott contributes a wealth of valuable information that will engage audiophiles everywhere. A winning book of history mixed with pop culture. -- Philip Zozzaro * Manhattan Book Review * This is the book music lovers will want this summer, by the water or by the speakers. -- Terri Schlichenmeyer * Marco Eagle News * Scott's writing is engaging... And there is no dearth of nuggets that even the least engineering-minded individual will take from his narrative... Ultimately, for anyone who loves music, Into the Groove is an essential document. -- Frank Valish * Under the Radar * This book will fascinate both novices and knowledgeable readers...One comes away from this volume with an appreciation of how technological change/innovation occurs in an economy that is dominated by profit making and by the inquisitiveness of individuals. -- R. J. Phillips * Choice Magazine * A breezy twirl through the technical innovations, musical revolutions and cultural changes that have driven it. -- Marc Weingarten * Wall Street Journal * Fascinating...vivid * The Financial Times *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 211 mm
Width: 135 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
322 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4729-7983-4 (9781472979834)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sigma
€12.49
Available for download
E-Book
03/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sigma
€12.49
Available for download
Person
Jonathan Scott is a music journalist who has been collecting vinyl since he was seven years old. He's written about weird, rare and collectable records for Record Collector, has edited books about Prince, Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead, and has written about Nirvana, The Venga Boys and lots of others in between. Jonathan's first book, The Vinyl Frontier, told the story of NASA's 'golden record' on the Voyager missions.
Content
Foreword
One: The End
Two: The Beginning
Three: Oddballs
Four: Telegraphs and Telephones
Five: The Barb of a Feather
Six: The First Phonograph
Seven: Fade Away
Eight: The Volta Lab
Nine: Edison Returns
Ten: Performers and Producers
Eleven: Crossing Continents
Twelve: Berliner, Johnson, Seaman and Jones
Thirteen: Coin Slots and Record Shops
Fourteen: Tunes and Tone Tests
Fifteen: Studios, Scouts and Engineers
Sixteen: The Electrical Era
Seventeen: The Coming of the 33
One: The End
Two: The Beginning
Three: Oddballs
Four: Telegraphs and Telephones
Five: The Barb of a Feather
Six: The First Phonograph
Seven: Fade Away
Eight: The Volta Lab
Nine: Edison Returns
Ten: Performers and Producers
Eleven: Crossing Continents
Twelve: Berliner, Johnson, Seaman and Jones
Thirteen: Coin Slots and Record Shops
Fourteen: Tunes and Tone Tests
Fifteen: Studios, Scouts and Engineers
Sixteen: The Electrical Era
Seventeen: The Coming of the 33