In The Groove

The dozen men interviewed by Ted Fox for In The Groove may not be household names, but without them the music industry would not exist as it does today, and many of its greatest stars may have kept their day jobs. These are the men behind everyone from Bob Dylan to Bob Marley, John Coltrane to Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin to Janis Joplin. In The Groove is more than an anthology – it is a personal history of the music business from the men who invented it and made it. This classic book is essential reading for anyone interested in the music industry.



Featuring Interviews With:

John Hammond on: Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen Mitch Miller on: Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Mahalia Jackson, Charlie Parker Milt Gabler on: Lester Young, The Weavers, Louis Jordan, Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” Alfred Lion on: Thelonius Monk, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock Jerry Wexler on: Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Willie Nelson Leiber & Stoller on: Elvis Presley, The Drifters, Phil Spector, Peggy Lee Bob Thiele on: John Coltrane, Buddy Holly, Jackie Wilson, Duke Ellington Clive Davis on: Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston Phil Ramone on: Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Paul Simon, Julian Lennon Chris Strachwitz on: Clifton Chenier, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Country Joe and the Fish, Fred McDowell Chris Blackwell on: Bob Marley, U2, Stevie Winwood, Marianne Faithful Nile Rodgers on: Diana Ross, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Chic


Praise For In The Groove:

“Reading Ted Fox’s work can be a deceptively pleasurable experience. Like his earlier book – the classic Showtime at the Apollo – In The Groove gives the appearance of having been put together with the greatest of ease – and it undoubtedly was. But it is an ease born of a thorough familiarity with the subject and a deep devotion to its practitioners. It is no small achievement to get people to talk with the kind of insightful enthusiasm that appears on page after page of this book, but Ted Fox seems without fail to bring out the best in his subjects.”

—Peter Guralnick, author of Sweet Soul Music, Last Train To Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, and Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke 


“You’ve got to read this book carefully. It’s a killer!”

—Doc Pomus, legendary songwriter 


“Even those who think they know about the record business have something to learn from this incisive collection of interviews.”

—Dan Morgenstern, Director, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers 


“I rarely have been so impressed by a book. Ted Fox’s probing questions and the energetic repartee result in a most engaging, informative and educational book for casual music lovers as well as industry insiders.”

—Tony Bongiovi, co-owner, Power Station Studios


TED FOX is also the author of Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem’s World Famous Theater. He is a Huffington Post blogger, and produces and manages Grammy-winner Buckwheat Zydeco and lives in upstate New York.



Editorial Reviews for In The Groove:

“Fox has a knack for getting out of the way and letting the subject open up. What these guys have to say is priceless.”

—(NY) Daily News

“A collection of anecdotes and articulate insights…a collection of interviews with producers that evolves into a mini-history of pop culture.”

—New York Newsday

“A down-and-dirty beauty for pop and jazz fans.”

—Kirkus

“An authoritative set of interviews with key music producers.”

—Boston Globe