When you think about it, people are always going to save space for new music, new artists, and live performances. Today, we have artists like Sabrina Carpenter, new TikTok dance trends to learn, Coachella, and themed dance parties like ‘Taylor Swift Night’ at local venues. Back then, there was Dion, “the twist,” Woodstock, and Hullabaloo.
Times have changed, but the songs, the culture, and the good times remain.
In Mitchell Cohen’s Wake Me, Shake Me: New York City, the ‘60s & the Pop-Rock Youthquake, the author and critic takes us back to where a lot of it began.
Out September 1, Wake Me, Shake Me breaks down the melting pot that was New York City in the 1960s. From folk and R&B to rock and the blues, from doo wop to girl groups, so many genres were emerging and becoming the popular music of the time.
Across the book, Cohen combines extensive archival research with new interviews from artists and music business professionals to best explain this exciting moment in music history. He touches on acts like The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Rascals, Vanilla Fudge, Simon & Garfunkel, and Bob Dylan—to name a few. He also gets into the various record labels, TV shows, producers, and songwriters that had a hand in popularizing these artists and songs. There’s studio musicians like the Detergents, famed disc jockey Murray the K, TV shows like Shindig, an album of Batman and Robin songs recorded by Sun Ra… Oh, and there’s lists of 100 recommended albums and great 45s from the ‘60s that tie all of this together.
The book is a blast from the past, re-familiarizing readers with memories that they might have forgotten or missed. Cohen lived through this time, so he offers a personal, first-hand account of some of these experiences. He also brings his passion and curiosity to the table, giving readers an entertaining and illuminating look into this youthquake of the past.
Wake Me, Shake Me: New York City, the ‘60s & the Pop-Rock Youthquake by Mitchell Cohen will be available September 1 through Trouser Press Books. You can pre-order a copy here.
