Please join us on Wednesday, November 18th at 7:00pm EST on zoom when we will be discussing "Days of Miracle and Wonder: Paul Simon and the Trials and Triumphs of Graceland" written by grammy award winning American music historian, journalist, producer and professor at NYU's Clive Davis Institute Ashley Kahn.

In 1984, Paul Simon was at a professional and personal crossroads. His new marriage was failing and his career was in danger of stalling. He was forty-two, navigating a digital age, searching for inspiration in a scene driven by music videos, synthesizers, and drum machines.

Driving around that summer, a bootleg cassette of “township jive”—the street music of South Africa—kept him company. Lent to him by a friend, it reminded Simon of the sound and the joy of the early days of rock and roll. He began to invent his own lyrics to the groove, and became drawn to the idea of recording with the musicians on that tape. But South Africa was in the thrall of a racist apartheid system, and with economic and cultural boycotts in place, such an undertaking was risky. He grew determined to find the right conditions to allow for a collaboration.

Simon took a fateful trip to Johannesburg in 1985. It would turn out to be the first step on a musical journey that would lead him to New York, Los Angeles, Louisiana, and London, and eventually to the release of Graceland, a critical and commercial triumph, winning multiple Grammys, selling 16 million records, and spawning a five-year, worldwide tour.

Days of Miracle and Wonder is the first book to tell the full story of Graceland, offering windows into Simon’s creative process, the technical innovations that brought his songs to life, the people and places that made the album possible, the forces that helped the album achieve mainstream reach, and the controversies that the music raised—and which remain today. It sheds light on a period when America opened its doors to the sounds and styles of Africa and other faraway lands.


This page is sponsored by Brewster Book Store.

There is no sign-up necessary for the Rock and Roll Book Club. Just read the book (it's ok if you don't read the book- come anyway!) and use the Zoom Link. We hope to see you soon at an MVYRADIO Rock n’ Roll Book Club gathering. Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86394159879

Links to past book club videos:
Jane Eisner, "Carole King: She Made the Earth Move" | Tom Piazza, "Living in the Present with John Prine" | Peter Ames Carlin, "The Name of this Band is REM" | Sam Sussman, "Boy from the North Country" |Peter Wolf, "Waiting on the Moon" | Emma Brodie, "Songs in Ursa Major" | Larry S. Sherman and Dennis Plies, "Every Brain Needs Music" | Mark Blake, "Dreams: The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac" | Jayson Greene, "Once More We Saw Stars" | Peter Shapiro, "The Music Never Stops" | Jeff Tweedy, "A World Within a Song" | Danyel Smith, "Shine Bright" | Dar Williams, "How To Write a Song That Matters" | Susan Rogers' This is What it Sounds Like | Lou Reed, "The Art of the Straight Line" | Chris Frantz, "Remain in Love"

Upcoming Books
November ~ Ashley Kahn, "Days of Miracle and Wonder: Paul Simon and the Trials and Triumphs of Graceland"

Have any questions? Email polly@mvyradio.org.

Zoom Meeting with Jane Eisner:

Audio Interview with Jane Eisner:

Zoom Meeting with Tom Piazza:

Audio Interview with Tom Piazza:

John Prine Playlist:

CBC news piece/video about John Prine

Zoom Meeting with Peter Ames Carlin:

Peter Ames Carlin Soundcloud Interview:

The Name of this Band is REM Playlist:

Zoom Meeting For Boy from the North Country:

Sam Sussman Full Audio Interview:

Spotify Playlist for Boy from the North Country

Featured articles:
Harper's Magazine, "On (possibly) being Bob Dylan’s son" by Sam Sussman
GQ, "A Guy Who Thinks He Might Be Bob Dylan's Son Picks 10 Great Bob Dylan Songs" by Julia Pagnamenta

Zoom meeting with Peter Wolf:

Peter Wolf full interview:

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Spotify Playlist:

Article about Peter working with Aretha Franklin and an excerpt from his Memoir~
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/peter-wolf-aretha-franklin-book-excerpt-memoir-1235280965/

Zoom meeting with Emma Brodie:

Spotify Playlist for Ursa Major:

Zoom meeting with Larry S. Sherman and Dennis Plies:

Full interview with Larry S. Sherman and Dennis Plies:

Zoom meeting with Mark Blake:

Mark Blake full interview:

Fleetwood Mac Spotify playlist:

Fleetwood Mac article: https://www.thisisdig.com/feature/fleetwood-mac-line-ups-complete-list-of-bandmembers/

Zoom meeting with Jayson Greene:

Full interview with Jayson Greene in two parts

Here is a beautiful video created about Jayson's words and story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYqAMBRqgZM
Here is an interview with Jayson Greene:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/11/jayson-greene-interview-once-more-we-saw-stars-trauma
The Oprah Magazine article with the playlist link:
https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a27395764/jayson-greene-once-more-we-saw-stars-playlist/
Here is a few articles by Jayson about one of his favorite musicians Elliot Smith:
https://pitchfork.com/features/article/the-untold-story-of-elliott-smiths-teenage-band/
https://pitchfork.com/features/podcast/elliott-smith-like-youve-never-heard-him-before/


Zoom meeting with Peter Shapiro:

Check out the interview here:

Please find a playlist below highlighting some of the music that Peter has enjoyed and been involved in as well as two links for book-related films:

Wetlands Preserved, the History of an Activist Rock Club

Peter's 1993 Grateful Dead Tour Documentary"Miles to Go Before I Sleep"

Zoom meeting with Jeff Tweedy:

Zoom meeting with Danyel Smith:

Polly's Danyel Smith full interview:

Danyel Smith Spotify Playlist:

Zoom meeting with Dar Williams:

Polly's Dar Williams full interview:

Dar Williams Spotify Playlist:

Zoom meeting with Susan Rogers

Polly's full Susan Rogers interview:

Check out The Kitchen Sisters Presents podcast episode which discusses Susan's book (requires an Apple Podcast subscription and MacOS 11.4 or higher).

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Our book for November 2023 was Lou Reed's "The Art of the Straight Line" ~ a book written in part by Lou before his death and curated and edited by Laurie Anderson, Stephan Berwick, Bob Currie and Scott Richman. The book includes interviews and stories from many who knew Lou well and truly captures his life story. Hear the interview with Scott Richman here (mp3).

Check out Barbara Dacey's interview with Lou Reed from 1997!

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Our Book Club book for September 2023 was "Remain In Love" by Chris Frantz. Below you'll find video of our Book Club meeting, plus Polly's full interview with Chris Frantz.

A note from Polly:
This playlist is an exploration of musical references from Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz' book Remain in Love - beginning with his earliest musical influences, through his RISD days where he met David and Tina, then stepping into the Talking Heads' formative days at CBGB, touring with the Ramones as well as a walk through the Talking Heads studio albums, Stop Making Sense and some Tom Tom Club tracks as well! Listen to some or all to get a taste of what Remain in Love sounds like!

In 2002, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth visited the MVY studios on their way to a Tom Tom Club gig at The Atlantic Connection in Oak Bluffs. Here's their chat with Barbara Dacey.