Dwight Rounds Interview


Tell us a bit about your book, The year the music died
The book is both a commentary and a reference on pop music from 1964-1971, which I consider the best era of pop music It is very different from other music books. It is a book on music, written by a non-musician. However, a majority of music-listening enthusiasts are not musicians either, and I hope this book will especially appeal to them.
It discusses the social movements of the time, along with lists and trivia questions. There are commentaries on what I consider to be the best groups, especially the Beatles, along with charts, and other, statistics on all the groups that had at least one Gold album. There are sections on the three largest festivals (Monterey Pop, Woodstock and Isle of Wight ), along with some history of the social movements and hallucinogenic drugs. Such things as why American and British vocals band sing with the same accent, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, rhythm and blues, and solo careers that spawned from this era, are discussed.

Have you always had such a strong interest in music?
Only after the Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan, and not much since they ended.

The book covers the years 1964 to 1972, what makes this particular period so special?
Just my opinion. There was a huge variety of music and voices, and all the kids my age liked just about all of the music. The music, especially the Beatles, was original. It seems to have lasting value, as many younger people today enjoy the music. No one back then liked music from decades earlier, and I cannot see young people 40 years from now listening today's music.

What made you write this book?
A tribute to that music, and to introduce younger people to it. I do not know of any other books that specifically deal with that era.

How did you research for this book?
Maybe half off the top of my head, including information I have remembered from many books and videos, and the other half through Internet research. I have listened to the music almost daily for 45 years now.

Anything else you'd like to add?
I have a very limited taste in music (which seems to bother just about everyone but me), but what I do like, no one likes more. It is like my mind is a hard drive, and it filled up in 1972.

1 Comments

  1. Stoney29 January 2010 at 22:25

    Nice idea. I worked in the music business for 30 years from 1970 to 2000 and the 70's were incredible like you say.
    I've tried to write a book and I am looking to sell it as we speak.
    Not sure of a title yet.
    Working title is "Music was my Life" You can't make this shit up.

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