Songs in the rough

Every great song - from "Wake Up Little Susie" to "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" to "I Touch Myself" - has its origins in a scrap of paper where some songwriter decided to capture an inspiration. Some of them get it all down in one manic burst; others jot down just a line or two, coming back later to scratch out the old lines and add new ones. Inevitably, though, what's produced is not just a great anthem, but a document of the fascinating songwriting process itself. Stephen Bishop, a veteran songwriter himself and an unofficial songwriting historian, has spent three years collecting his rock 'n' roll equivalent of a collection of holy relics: the original, handwritten rough drafts of some of the greatest songs of our time. From "Heartbreak Hotel" (with a note to the original singer: "Shaky like Elvis") to "Save the Last Dance for Me" (scribbled on the songwriter's own wedding invitation) to "Stayin' Alive" (on Robin Gibb's airline ticket) to modern hits made famous by Janet Jackson, the Go-Gos, and Whitney Houston, Songs in the Rough offers a first-ever glimpse into popular music's pinnacles at their point of conception.

Filled with collectors' items - including five songs by the Beatles, two by Jimi Hendrix, one by Bob Dylan, and a fascinating collaboration between Joni Mitchell and David Crosby - Songs in the Rough is supplemented with interviews by the writers themselves, telling the stories behind the songs and bringing the reader into the creative process. This is irresistible, living music history.