About the Author

John A. Jackson is the author of the award-winning books Big Beat Heat: Alan Freed and the Early Years of Rock and Roll and American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock and Roll Empire. He lives outside Tampa, Florida.

Reviews

"A meticulously researched and engaging story.... There are lessons to be learned from the often forgotten Philadelphia International; before the triumph of the more mechanized sounds of disco and then hip-hop, it was a place where the human dynamics of musicians, songwriters and producers, all collaborating under one roof, were essential to success."--New York Times Book Review
"Jackson tells fascinating tale.... Jackson carefully threads through his story the changing backdrop of soul music and society in general, but it's what's happening in Philadelphia that drives the account."--San Francisco Chronicle
"A beautiful job of chronicling Philadelphia International Records.... You actually feel that you are right in the studio witnessing their creative processes. Music fans will enjoy the way the author intertwines PIR with Detroit's Motown, Memphis's Stax-Volt, and the sounds coming out of Chicago, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama.... Jackson includes a song list in Appendix 1 that is worth the price of the book alone."--Black Issues Book Review
"The definitive account of Philadelphia Soul. John Jackson's five years of research have resulted in a fascinating study of the hit sound that left lasting impressions on both the recording industry and American culture. A House on Fire is a wonderful human drama set in the tumultuous world of pop music, and John Jackson expertly captures the full breadth of this rollicking story." --Gerald Posner, author of Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power
"A meticulously detailed slice of pop music history."--Publishers Weekly
"A meticulously researched and engaging story.... There are lessons to be learned from the often forgotten Philadelphia International; before the triumph of the more mechanized sounds of disco and then hip-hop, it was a place where the human dynamics of musicians, songwriters and producers, all collaborating under one roof, were essential to success."--New York Times Book Review
"A meticulously detailed slice of pop music history."--Publishers Weekly
"Jackson tells fascinating tale.... Jackson carefully threads through his story the changing backdrop of soul music and society in general, but it's what's happening in Philadelphia that drives the account."--San Francisco Chronicle
"A beautiful job of chronicling Philadelphia International Records.... You actually feel that you are right in the studio witnessing their creative processes. Music fans will enjoy the way the author intertwines PIR with Detroit's Motown, Memphis's Stax-Volt, and the sounds coming out of Chicago, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama.... Jackson includes a song list in Appendix 1 that is worth the price of the book alone."--Black Issues Book Review
"The definitive account of Philadelphia Soul. John Jackson's five years of research have resulted in a fascinating study of the hit sound that left lasting impressions on both the recording industry and American culture. A House on Fire is a wonderful human drama set in the tumultuous world of pop music, and John Jackson expertly captures the full breadth of this rollicking story." --Gerald Posner, author of Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power