{"title":"Richard Witts","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"artist-unknown-book-richard-witts-9780316878203","title":"Artist Unknown","description":"This text uncovers the world of the Arts Council. Since this pioneering outfit was set up as an emergency measure in World War II, it has grown to become the chief means by which artists and producers receive the cash of taxpayers in return for creating work for the public's benefit. Most of the #3.6 billion the Council has spent to date has gone to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The author explains why, in his opinion, the Arts Council can never say \"No\" to the opera house, despite its inglorious record. He goes on to examine the Council's public humiliations - including the orchestra fiasco of 1993 - the lottery handouts, the theatre cuts, and the tussles with Westminster and Whitehall. The interviews with artists, advisors and members of staff include discussions with Lord Rees-Mogg, Richard Hoggart, Sir Alec Guinness and Melvyn Bragg.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49540706992401,"sku":"GOR002296380","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0316878200.jpg?v=1751435866"},{"product_id":"velvet-underground-book-richard-witts-9781904768272","title":"The Velvet Underground","description":"Though The Velvet Underground existed for less than three years with its original members, it is considered to be not just the 'ultimate New York band' but also the most influential group ever. Artists who have acknowledged such influence include David Bowie, The Sex Pistols, Patti Smith, Joy Division and Nirvana. Witts places the band and its genesis in the cultural context of Manhattan's beatnik bohemianism, its radical artistic environment, and the city's negative reaction to California's 'Hippie' counterculture. Lou Reed's song factory background is also considered, while his Primitives (1964-5) and Velvet Underground songs (1965-70) are examined within the stylistic context of rock music. The band's sound world is likewise considered in this light. John Cale's experimental contribution is assessed, especially his work for LaMonte Young (The Theatre of Eternal Music) and what he carried from that experience into the Velvet's sound. The visual artist Andy Warhol became the band's manager and producer in 1965. He placed his 'superstar' Nico in the line-up (which already included a female drummer). The radical nature of the group's Warhol period performances are examined, together with those aspects related to issues of gender, sexuality and drugs culture by which the Warhol Factory scene was identified, and contemplated in Reed's songs. Witts examines the musical influences of the Velvets on punk, post-punk and subsequent rock movements, culminating in the group's reunion of 1993. He also indexes the variety of media constructions that the group endured through the years and how these affected Cale, Nico and Reed and their attempts to establish solo careers.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49674119348497,"sku":"GOR006517388","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52425487221009,"sku":"NLS9781904768272","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/190476827X.jpg?v=1751412969"},{"product_id":"nico-life-and-lies-of-an-icon-book-richard-witts-9780863696558","title":"Nico: Life And Lies Of An Icon","description":"This is the biography of Nico, the cover girl of the fifties, siren of the sixties and the female face of punk in the eighties. Written shortly before her death, it explores her fight to assert her independence as a performer, her tormented mother and troubled son.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49787343077649,"sku":"GOR001604054","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49794525266193,"sku":"GOR002789122","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50042196721937,"sku":"CIN0863696554G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50663450214673,"sku":"CIN0863696554VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50697245753617,"sku":"NGR9780863696558","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51350454731025,"sku":"GOR001658176","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0863696554.jpg?v=1751202302"},{"product_id":"artist-unknown-book-richard-witts-9780751523652","title":"Artist Unknown","description":"This text uncovers the world of the Arts Council. Since this pioneering outfit was set up as an emergency measure in World War II, it has grown to become the chief means by which artists and producers receive the cash of taxpayers in return for creating work for the public's benefit. Most of the #3.6 billion the Council has spent to date has gone to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The author explains why, in his opinion, the Arts Council can never say \"No\" to the opera house, despite its inglorious record. He goes on to examine the Council's public humiliations - including the orchestra fiasco of 1993 - the lottery handouts, the theatre cuts, and the tussles with Westminster and Whitehall. The interviews with artists, advisors and members of staff include discussions with Lord Rees-Mogg, Richard Hoggart, Sir Alec Guinness and Melvyn Bragg.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50012793045265,"sku":"GOR003546614","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52107945378065,"sku":"GOR002449533","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0751523658.jpg?v=1751453703"},{"product_id":"nico-book-richard-witts-9781852274702","title":"Nico","description":"Nico, born Christa Paffgen, was a nomad who blazed a random trail between Berlin, New York, London and Rome. But in each city she jived with the rich and famous and ultimately worked with the great legends of the day. She starred in \"Chelsea Girls\", was Andy Warhol's \"girl of the year\" and launched her singing debut with the group \"The Velvet Underground\". In this biography, the author reveals how her infamous love affairs, her addiction to heroin and her refusal to conform led to controversy and scandal. Nico saw her lovers Brian Jones and Jim Morrison die from drug overdoses, the East German police put her under observation because of her links with Baader-Meinhof, and her suppport of the Blank Panthers caused a scandal.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50137805291793,"sku":"GOR002013440","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50726516556049,"sku":"GOR003130447","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1852274700.jpg?v=1751281536"},{"product_id":"velvet-underground-book-richard-witts-9780253218322","title":"The Velvet Underground","description":"Though The Velvet Underground existed for no more than three years with its original lineup, it is considered to be not just the ultimate New York band but one of the most influential rock groups ever. Among its devotees are David Bowie, The Sex Pistols, Patti Smith, Joy Division, and Nirvana, along with hot new groups such as the White Stripes and the Strokes.  Witts places the band and its genesis in the cultural context of Manhattan's beatnik bohemianism, its radical artistic environment, and the city's reaction to California's Hippie counterculture. Lou Reed's Brill Building background is also considered, while his Primitives (1964-65) and Velvet Underground (1965-70) songs are examined within the stylistic context of rock music. The band's sound world is likewise considered in this light. John Cale's experimental contribution is assessed, especially his work for LaMonte Young (The Theatre of Eternal Music), and what he carried from that experience into the Velvet's sound.  Andy Warhol, known to the group as Drella, became the band's manager and producer in 1965. He installed his superstar Nico in the line-up (which already included a female drummer).  Witts examines the radical nature of the Velvet's Warhol-period performances, vis-a-vis issues of gender, sexuality, and the drug culture which was associated with the Warhol Factory scene, and contemplated in many of Reed's songs.  Witts studies the musical influences of The Velvet Underground on punk, post-punk, and subsequent rock movements, culminating in the group's 1993 reunion. He also indexes the variety of media constructions that the group endured through the years and how these affected the attempts of Cale, Nico, and Reed to establish solo careers.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50347411833105,"sku":"CIN0253218322G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0253218322.jpg?v=1751100875"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-richard-witts.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}