From Satisfaction to Burnin': Genesis Authors in the National Recording Registry

On the 5th of March 2007, the Library of Congress announced 25 recordings selected for induction into the 2006 class of the National Recording Registry. These selections - all works deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and worthy of permanent preservation - span more than eighty years of recorded sound and include landmark performances from across music, literature, and broadcasting. Boasting the largest collection size in the world, the Library of Congress is home to over 173 million catalogued items, including the 675 sound recordings that make up the National Recording Registry and, historically, several Genesis Publications editions.

Among the honorees were songs and albums by several Genesis authors. We have created a short catalogue of our own below:

One of the most recognisable and era-defining songs in rock history, ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ by The Rolling Stones was included in the 2006 registry class. Genesis has worked extensively with the members, photographers and associates of The Rolling Stones, from Ronnie Wood’s Wood On Canvas and Bill Wyman’s Wyman Shoots Chagall to Gered Mankowitz’s I CONTACT, Dominique Tarlé’s Exile, Bob Gruen’s Crossfire Hurricane, Michael Putland’s Pleased To Meet You, the iconic T.O.T.A ‘75 by The Rolling Stones & Christopher Sykes and Michael Cooper’s Blinds & Shutters, Ronnie Wood’s second and third books with Genesis, How Can It Be? and The Rolling Stones Set Lists, and Matt Lee’s Hot Stuff.

Most excitingly, Genesis has recently announced Ronnie Wood’s fourth book with us, Fearless: The Anthology. Opening his personal archive for the first time in book form and told in his own words, Fearless collates his musicography and career-spanning collection in an adventure that begins with The Birds in early Sixties London and culminates with fifty years as a fully-fledged member of the Rolling Stones.

Another key entry to the Library of Congress was Burnin’ (1973) by Bob Marley and The Wailers. Featuring songs such as ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ and ‘I Shot the Sheriff’, this was the final release under the original Wailers lineup and marked a turning point as Marley’s music began reaching a global audience. That global audience included photographer Kate Simon, whose deeply personal relationship with both Bob Marley and reggae music is recorded in Rebel Music: Bob Marley & Roots Reggae, presenting over 400 photographs from Simon’s remarkable archive, including some of the most intimate, enduring and emblematic portraits of the musical great.

The groundbreaking 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground also entered the registry, with its experimental sound and unflinching lyrics profoundly shaping generations of alternative and art-rock musicians. Five years later, Lou Reed would release Transformer, launching him from the New York underground to global recognition. Collaborating with legendary photographer Mick Rock, Genesis Publications’ limited edition of the same name is one of the most visually exciting books Genesis has ever produced, a revealing but virile portrait of the rock icon, artist and poet.