Overview

Using a collection of over one thousand popular songs from the war years, as well as around 150 soldiers’ songs, John Mullen provides a fascinating insight into the world of popular entertainment during the First World War. Mullen considers the position of songs of this time within the history of popular music, and the needs, tastes and experiences of working-class audiences who loved this music. To do this, he dispels some of the nostalgic, rose-tinted myths about music hall. At a time when recording companies and record sales were marginal, the book shows the centrality of the live show and of the sale of sheet music to the economy of the entertainment industry. Mullen assesses the popularity and significance of the different genres of musical entertainment which were common in the war years and the previous decades, including music hall, revue, pantomime, musical comedy, blackface minstrelsy, army entertainment and amateur entertainment in prisoner of war camps. He also considers non-commercial songs, such as hymns, folk songs and soldiers’ songs and weaves them into a subtle and nuanced approach to the nature of popular song, the ways in which audiences related to the music and the effects of the competing pressures of commerce, propaganda, patriotism, social attitudes and the progress of the war.

Full Product Details

Author:   John Mullen ,  Professor Derek B. Scott ,  Professor Lori Burns ,  Professor Stan Hawkins
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Edition:   New edition
Weight:   0.502kg
ISBN:  

9781472441591

ISBN 10:   1472441591
Pages:   262
Publication Date:   28 August 2015
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Introduction; Chapter 1 Portrait of an Industry; Chapter 101 A Star in Focus 1; Chapter 2 A Patchwork of Genres; Chapter 102 A Star in Focus 2; Chapter 3 The Songs and Their Content; Chapter 103 A Star in Focus 3; Chapter 4 ‘If you were the only girl in the world’; Chapter 104 A Star in Focus 4; Chapter 5 Songs about the War; Chapter 6 ‘I want to go home’; Chapter 105 Conclusions;

Reviews

'This wide-ranging and sensitive book demonstrates a deep understanding of the byways of British wartime society and the complex but fascinating ways in which popular song and star performers were commoditized and enjoyed by millions.' Paul Watt, Monash University, Australia

Author Information

John Mullen is senior lecturer at the University of Paris-East Créteil. He has published widely on the history of British popular music. Articles include a reflection on ’ethnic’ music festivals and immigrant identity (1960-2000), and a piece on racial stereotyping in music-hall songs from 1880 to 1920.

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