The Island Book of Records 1971-72 Neil Storey with Pete Paphides

The third in the acclaimed Island Book of Records series chronicles 1971–72, two years that saw the label secure a position at the forefront of contemporary music around the world.

Major albums from Cat Stevens, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Jethro Tull brought international success. Traffic released their era-defining The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Island returned to its roots with the soundtrack to the most important Jamaican film of all time, The Harder They Come. Nick Drake’s masterpieces Bryter Layter and Pink Moon were yet to find their audience, but a new sensation emerged as Roxy Music released their first LP. Meanwhile, Bob Marley & The Wailers were beginning to record Catch A Fire – the album that will be the first to be detailed in IBoR IV.

Featuring material from recent interviews and comment of the time, and including a comprehensive discography of 45s, The Island Book of Records Volume III is lavishly illustrated with album art, gig adverts, tickets, flyers, international LP variants, rare photos, LP and 45 adverts and exclusive ephemera.

Neil Storey has spent almost fifty years at the heart of the music industry. He joined the Island sales force in 1974 before going on to co-run the press office into the mid-1980s.

Neil will be in conversation with Pete Paphides

Praise for the Island Book of Records series

‘I could spend hours poring over Neil Storey's handsomely designed Island Book of Records Volume II, the continuing story of one of Britain's greatest independent record labels.’
Neil McCormick, The Telegraph

‘A rich and lovingly curated look at a particularly prolific year in Island Records history.’
Roisin O'Connor, The Independent

‘One of the coffee table books of the year.’
Dylan Jones, The Evening Standard

‘Packed with new interviews, artefacts and delicious details.’
Jim Wirth, MOJO

‘Both an elegant coffee table book and a proper history, with a sizeable amount of written information to complement the fascinating photographs of record covers, artists and other ephemera...’
Peter Mason, Morning Star

‘In a word this is perfection in print.’
Grahame Bent, Shindig! magazine