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Players' work time

A history of the British Musicians' Union, 1893–2013

by Martin Cloonan, John Callan Williamson

Description

This book examines the working lives of musicians over the past 120 years via the history of the Musicians' Union. The union has been at the centre of all major agreements covering the employment of musicians across the UK's music industries for this period and its role to date has largely been ignored by historians of the music profession, the music industries and trade unions. This book remedies that oversight, providing fresh insight to musicians' working lives, the industries in which they work and wider British social life. It explores a history of confrontation, coercion and compromise played out across the nation's studios, performance spaces and airwaves.
Players' work time

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Endorsements

For more than 120 years, the Musicians' Union has played a central role in the lives of musicians across the UK, taking part in most of the major agreements covering their employment. In spite of this, the organisation has largely been overlooked by historians of the music profession and trade unions. Players' work time aims to remedy the situation. Drawing on extensive archival research and interviews with Union employees and members, it provides a comprehensive history of the organisation, from its founding in 1893 to the present day. In so doing, it gives new insight into the working lives of musicians and, through this, the industries they work in. What emerges is a history of confrontation, coercion and compromise played out in orchestras and bands across the nation's ballrooms, concert halls, cinemas, recording studios, radio stations and all the other places where music is performed and heard.

Author Biography

John Williamson is Research Associate in Music at the University of Glasgow Martin Cloonan is Professor of Popular Music Politics at the University of Glasgow

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Manchester University Press

Manchester University Press

Manchester University Press is a leading UK publisher known for excellent research in the humanities and social sciences.

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Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher Manchester University Press
  • Publication Date September 2016
  • Orginal LanguageEnglish
  • ISBN/Identifier 9781784991326 / 1784991325
  • Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
  • FormatHardback
  • Primary Price 70 GBP
  • Pages288
  • ReadershipCollege/Tertiary Education
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Dimensions234 x 156 mm
  • Illustration18 black & white illustrations
  • Biblio NotesIntroduction 1. Musicians' organisations before 1893 2. Early days: the Amalgamated Musicians' Union, 1893-1918 3. Boom and bust: 1919-33 4. The politics of dancing: 1934-45 5. Worlds of possibilities: 1946-55 6. The beat generation: 1956-70 7. The John Morton years: 1971-90 8. Disharmony: 1991-2002 9. Beginning again: the MU in the twenty-first century Conclusion Index

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