Tim Burgess to Publish Book Based on Twitter Listening Parties

Last year, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Tim Burgess of the Charlatans created a Twitter Listening Party series with his fellow musicians and friends, inviting people from around the world to enjoy real-time album playbacks and live-tweeting on the social network together.

What started out as a fun way to pass the time during quarantine quickly turned into a full-fledged phenomenon, with participating bands and acts including Paul McCartney, Oasis, Kylie Minogue, Franz Ferdinand, Michael Kiwanuka, and many more.

Now, Burgess has announced plans to publish The Listening Party, a book that reflects on the best moments from 100 of the Twitter Listening Parties chosen by Burgess, out September 2021 via DK/Penguin Random House.

British journalist Pete Paphides, who wrote the foreword to the book, said in a statement: “Throughout 2020 and into 2021, these get-togethers began to feel like an important part of our pop-cultural life. With no gigs to attend; no pubs in which to gather; schedules obliterated, the Listening Parties extended an invitation to anyone with an internet connection.”

The listening parties quickly became a way both for fans to share their best memories of each album and for bands to post behind-the-scenes photographs, anecdotes, and other extras from the time of each album’s recording. Some of those recollections will be republished in The Listening Party alongside Burgess’ own writing.