NEWS: Magic – A Journal Of Song by Paul Weller, with Dylan JonesGigslutz

Magic – A Journal Of Song by Paul Weller, with Dylan Jones Released April 4th 2023. A unique insight into the creative process of one of Britain’s most prolific songwriters. Order from wellerbook.com

WATCH: Paul Weller and Dylan Jones in conversation trailer

‘There is talent and there is skill, but there’s a certain amount of magic attached to songwriting.’ – Paul Weller

Genesis Publications will publish Magic: A Journal of Song, a fascinating portrait of one of Britain’s most prolific songwriters, Paul Weller. The hardback edition will be available in bookstores on April 4th 2023, with the special limited editions shipping from May 2023.

Magic: A Journal of Song is the definitive book of Weller’s songwriting career from founding The Jam in his teenage years, to creating The Style Council, through to his years as a solo musician. Presenting Weller’s personally curated selection of 120 songs spanning his entire musical career, Magic is illustrated with more than 450 photographs and items of memorabilia. An illuminating commentary of over 25,000 words gives unprecedented insight into Weller’s creative process. As told to journalist and author, Dylan Jones, Magic is Paul Weller’s most candid and intimate account of his musical life to date.

‘As a songwriter, Paul Weller has proved that he is not only beyond reproach, in some senses he is quite possibly without equal.’ – Dylan Jones

‘The thing I have discovered is that music in its truest sense is beyond any trend or movement or category.’ – Paul Weller

The photography featured is pulled from a range of never-before-seen negatives and iconic shoots that chronicle Paul Weller in detail throughout his extraordinary career.

Magic: A Journal of Song by Paul Weller, The JamMagic: A Journal of Song by Paul Weller, The Jam

From the early days of The Jam, when the band played local talent competitions in Woking, through to performing in London, Tokyo and New York, Magic captures both the energy of their live shows as well as behind the scenes, in the studio and backstage. Later experimental images of The Style Council in Normandy and Paris recall the band’s European influences. Weller’s extensive solo career is documented by a range of photographers and friends, whose work shows Weller rediscovering himself as an artist.

Photography by globally recognised photographers is presented, including Janette Beckman, Julian Broad, Anton Corbijn, Jill Furmanovsky, Nick Knight, Mary McCartney, Pennie Smith, and many more. Together, their photographs capture historic performances, rehearsals, video shoots, and studio sessions.

Each album is personally introduced by Weller, alongside the album artwork and photoshoot outtakes.

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‘First and foremost, I try to satisfy something inside myself. And if other people get it and they share in it? That’s fantastic.’ – Paul Weller

Magic: A Journal of Song by Paul Weller, The JamMagic: A Journal of Song by Paul Weller, The Jam

AUTHOR: Paul Weller

Paul Weller is an award-winning musician with a career spanning almost 50 years. He has been an integral part of the British music scene since the early 1970s, when he founded The Jam. Following this, he teamed up with keyboardist Mick Talbot to create The Style Council, in which political statements were aired to nostalgic, summer-soaked melodies, and has gone on to have a hugely successful solo career. As a songwriter, Weller is considered on par with artists such as Paul McCartney and David Bowie and has received awards from the BRITs (Lifetime Achievement Award), NME Awards (Godlike Genius Award) and a GQ Award for Songwriter of the Year.

CO-AUTHOR: Dylan Jones

Dylan Jones is the award-winning editor and international best-selling author. A former editor at i-D, The Face, Arena, GQ, the Observer and the Sunday Times, he is a former media columnist and the author of over 20 books. He was the Chairman of the Prince’s Trust’s Fashion Rocks, a Chairman of the British Fashion Council, a board member of the Norman Mailer Writers Colony and is a Trustee of the Hay Festival and an ambassador for the UK’s GREAT Campaign. In June 2013, he was awarded an OBE for services to journalism.

About Genesis Publications:

Genesis Publications was founded in 1974 in Britain as an independent publishing house true to the arts of printing and craftsmanship. Today, Genesis creates some of the world’s most sought-after books for readers in 90 countries, and in 2017 celebrated its 100th edition (see more at genesis-publications.com).