Clinton Heylin (born 8 April 1960) is an English author who has written extensively about

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...

and the work of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Education

Heylin attended

Manchester Grammar School The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) in Manchester, England, is the largest independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1515 as a Grammar school#free tuition, free grammar school next to Manchester C ...

. He read history at Bedford College, University of London, followed by an MA in history at the

University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...

Work

Heylin has written extensively on the life and work of Bob Dylan, combining interviews with discographical research. His full-length biography ''Dylan: Behind the Shades'' (1991) was republished in a revised second edition as ''Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades – Take Two'' (UK edition, 2000) and ''Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited'' (US edition, 2001). Heylin published a detailed analysis of every song by Dylan in two volumes: ''Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan: Vol. 1: 1957–73'' (2009) and ''Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan: Vol. 2: 1974–2008'' (2010). These books analyse 610 songs written by Dylan, devoting a numbered section to each song. In 2011, to mark Dylan's 70th birthday, Heylin published ''Behind the Shades: The 20th Anniversary Edition'', which contained 60,000 words of new material to cover Dylan's work since 2000. He has also written biographies on

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

and Sandy Denny. He received favourable reviews for his studies of

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

, ''Despite the System: Orson Welles versus the Hollywood Studios'', and of Shakespeare's sonnets, ''So Long As Men Can Breathe''. In 2012, Heylin published a book about the theme of mental illness in British rock music in the 1960s and 1970s. Titled ''All the Madmen'', it includes chapters on the

Dialectics of Liberation The congress on the Dialectics of Liberation was an international congress organised in London between 15 and 30 July 1967. It was organised by the American educationalist Joe Berke. The scope of the conference was to "demystify human violence i ...

conference of 1967,

Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...

's album '' The Dark Side of the Moon'',

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

's theme of

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...

in his songs,

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

's ''

Quadrophenia ''Quadrophenia'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the two previous being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, Whil ...

'' album, and

Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognit ...

. Also in 2012, Heylin published ''E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band'', a biography of

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

and an analysis of his achievements in the recording studio. In 2015, Heylin published ''It's One for the Money'', a history of song publishing since the birth of the popular music industry and the establishment of song copyrights at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 2016, Heylin published his history of UK punk music in the year 1976, ''Anarchy in the Year Zero: The Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Class of '76''. In October 2016, Heylin published his study of Bob Dylan's 1966 World Tour, ''Judas!: From Forest Hills to the Free Trade Hall: A Historical View of Dylan's Big Boo''. Heylin has also contributed the liner notes for the 36-CD set, '' Bob Dylan: The 1966 Live Recordings'', released by Sony/Legacy Recordings, which includes every known recording of Dylan’s 1966 concert tour. In 2017, Heylin published his account of Dylan's controversial "Born Again" Christian phase, ''Trouble In Mind: Bob Dylan's Gospel Years: What Really Happened''. The book complemented the release of '' The Bootleg Series Vol. 13: Trouble No More 1979–1981'', which consisted of a large number of out-takes and live performances from this period of Dylan's recording and performance career. To tie in with Dylan's 80th birthday in May 2021, Heylin published ''The Double Life of Bob Dylan: Volume I: 1941–1966 A Restless, Hungry Feeling''. The first of two volumes, this biography is based on research by Heylin in the newly-established Bob Dylan archive in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...

Andrew Motion Sir Andrew Motion (born 26 October 1952) is an English poet, novelist, and biographer, who was Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. During the period of his laureateship, Motion founded the Poetry Archive, an online resource of poems and audio reco ...

wrote in ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''Th ...

'' that "Heylin has always been good on this aspect of Dylan’s story — concealment — hence the title of his first biography, and the way this new one repeats an idea of secrecy."

Books

* ''Saved! The Gospel Speeches of Bob Dylan''. Hanuman Books, NY & Madras, 1990. * ''Dylan Behind the Shades''. Penguin, UK; Simon & Schuster, US, 1991. *
Bob Dylan: The Recording Sessions 1960–94
'. Penguin. UK; St Martin’s Press, US, 1995. * ''Dylan Day By Day: A Life in Stolen Moments''. Music Sales/Schirmer, 1996. * ''Dylan's Daemon Lover: The Story of a 450-Year Old Pop Ballad''. Helter Skelter, 1998. * ''Bob Dylan: Behind The Shades – Take Two''. Penguin-Viking, UK, 2000. * ''No More Sad Refrains: The Life & Times of Sandy Denny''. Helter Skelter, 2001. * ''Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited''. Harper-Collins, US, 2001. * ''Can You Feel the Silence? – Van Morrison: A New Biography''. Viking-Penguin, UK; Chicago Review Press, US, 2004. * ''Bootleg – The Rise & Fall of the Secret Recording Industry''. Omnibus Press, 2004. * ''Despite the System: Orson Welles Versus the Hollywood Studios''. Canongate, UK; Chicago Press Review, US, 2005. * ''All Yesterdays' Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print 1966–71''. Da Capo Press, 2005. * ''From the Velvets to the Voidoids: The Birth of American Punk''. Helter Skelter, UK; Chicago Review Press, US, 2005. * ''The Act You've Known For All These Years: A Year in the Life of Sgt Pepper & Friends''. Canongate-Grove, US/UK, 2007. * ''Babylon's Burning: From Punk to Grunge''. Penguin/ Canongate-Grove, US/UK, 2007. * ''So Long As Men Can Breathe: The Untold Story of Shakespeare's Sonnets''. Perseus, US, 2009. * ''Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan: Vol. 1: 1957–73''. Constable-Robinson, UK; Acappella, US, 2009. * ''Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan: Vol. 2: 1974–2008''. Constable, UK. 2010. * ''E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band''. Constable. 2012. * ''All the Madmen: Barrett, Bowie, Drake, the Floyd, the Kinks, the Who and the Journey to the Dark Side of English Rock''. Constable. 2012. * ''Behind the Shades: The 20th Anniversary Edition''. Faber and Faber. 2011. * ''It's One for the Money: The Song Snatchers Who Carved Up a Century of Pop & Sparked a Musical Revolution''. Constable. 2015. * ''Anarchy in the Year Zero: The Sex Pistols, The Clash and the Class of 76''. Route Publishing. 2016. * ''Judas!: From Forest Hills to the Free Trade Hall: A Historical View of Dylan's Big Boo''. Route Publishing. 2016. * ''Trouble in Mind: Bob Dylan's Gospel Years – What Really Happened''. Lesser Gods. 2017. . Route Publishing * ''The Double Life of Bob Dylan: Volume I: 1941–1966 A Restless, Hungry Feeling''. Bodley Head. 2021.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heylin, Clinton English non-fiction writers Living people 1960 births Writers from Manchester