The Yin and the Yang of It All: Rock'n'Roll Memories from the Cusp as Told by a Mixed-Up, Mixed-Race Kid
In 1966—the Year of the Horse, not to mention Revolver and Pet Sounds — John Kim Faye was born out of wedlock to a 40-year-old Korean mother and a 62-year-old Irish father. Faye grew up in the state of Delaware, where laws forbidding interracial marriage were still on the books until 1967.

As the lead singer and primary songwriter of the Caulfields, Faye was one of the only mixed-race Asian American frontman to sign a major record contract in the alternative rock heyday of the 1990s. In an era that preceded K-Pop—and even the rise of the internet—Faye’s personal journey did not lead to superstardom. Instead, The Yin and The Yang of it All is a memoir about the discovery of a voice, a tribe, and a musical ethnicity that runs far deeper than his Korean/Irish roots.

Bookended by the loss of this father against the backdrop of his tumultuous childhood in the post-Vietnam 70s and his mother’s tragic passing in 2012, Faye’s story weaves a tapestry of revealing moments as told from his unique perspective on the cusps of identity, race, and fame.

1142957760
The Yin and the Yang of It All: Rock'n'Roll Memories from the Cusp as Told by a Mixed-Up, Mixed-Race Kid
In 1966—the Year of the Horse, not to mention Revolver and Pet Sounds — John Kim Faye was born out of wedlock to a 40-year-old Korean mother and a 62-year-old Irish father. Faye grew up in the state of Delaware, where laws forbidding interracial marriage were still on the books until 1967.

As the lead singer and primary songwriter of the Caulfields, Faye was one of the only mixed-race Asian American frontman to sign a major record contract in the alternative rock heyday of the 1990s. In an era that preceded K-Pop—and even the rise of the internet—Faye’s personal journey did not lead to superstardom. Instead, The Yin and The Yang of it All is a memoir about the discovery of a voice, a tribe, and a musical ethnicity that runs far deeper than his Korean/Irish roots.

Bookended by the loss of this father against the backdrop of his tumultuous childhood in the post-Vietnam 70s and his mother’s tragic passing in 2012, Faye’s story weaves a tapestry of revealing moments as told from his unique perspective on the cusps of identity, race, and fame.

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The Yin and the Yang of It All: Rock'n'Roll Memories from the Cusp as Told by a Mixed-Up, Mixed-Race Kid

The Yin and the Yang of It All: Rock'n'Roll Memories from the Cusp as Told by a Mixed-Up, Mixed-Race Kid

by John Kim Faye
The Yin and the Yang of It All: Rock'n'Roll Memories from the Cusp as Told by a Mixed-Up, Mixed-Race Kid

The Yin and the Yang of It All: Rock'n'Roll Memories from the Cusp as Told by a Mixed-Up, Mixed-Race Kid

by John Kim Faye

Hardcover

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Overview

In 1966—the Year of the Horse, not to mention Revolver and Pet Sounds — John Kim Faye was born out of wedlock to a 40-year-old Korean mother and a 62-year-old Irish father. Faye grew up in the state of Delaware, where laws forbidding interracial marriage were still on the books until 1967.

As the lead singer and primary songwriter of the Caulfields, Faye was one of the only mixed-race Asian American frontman to sign a major record contract in the alternative rock heyday of the 1990s. In an era that preceded K-Pop—and even the rise of the internet—Faye’s personal journey did not lead to superstardom. Instead, The Yin and The Yang of it All is a memoir about the discovery of a voice, a tribe, and a musical ethnicity that runs far deeper than his Korean/Irish roots.

Bookended by the loss of this father against the backdrop of his tumultuous childhood in the post-Vietnam 70s and his mother’s tragic passing in 2012, Faye’s story weaves a tapestry of revealing moments as told from his unique perspective on the cusps of identity, race, and fame.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781642257434
Publisher: Advantage Media Group, Inc.
Publication date: 04/04/2023
Pages: 448
Sales rank: 1,031,601
Product dimensions: 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

JOHN KIM FAYE is a music “lifer” whose career spans four decades and counting. As a recording artist, producer, mentor, open mic host, and recently retired songwriting professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Faye has seen the music industry from every conceivable angle— from the heights of major label excess to the trenches of DIY guerilla warfare.

His various musical iterations—the Caulfields, John Faye Power Trip, IKE, John & Brittany, and his solo works— have yielded over eight hours of recorded music, song placements in film and television, substantial commercial and satellite radio airplay, and a storage unit in Elkins Park filled with boxes of CDs that he’s still trying to get rid of.

Table of Contents

A Prologue
Introduction:Letter to an 8 x 10

Part I: Figure It Out
Speak Up
The Mulligan
Beside the One She Loves
Minor Key Moments
The Day that Came and Went
Letter to an 8 x 10, Part 2

Part II: Dopamine
I Wanna Go Home
The K-tel Years
Scratch 'n' Sniff
Jig = Up
Pompalaise
Letter to an 8 x 10, Part 3

Part III: Teenage Fix
Punk Brothers, International
Nosebleeds
Suburban Lizards
No Applause
The Money Note

Part IV: Salad Days
Beat Clinic: Just the Factoids
Townie
March of Dimes
Independence Days
Driveway Moment
Estate Tales
The End of the Salad Days

Part V: The A&M Years
For Rudy
Baby Band
Found Money
Tony's Theme
Ecosystem of a Van
Down Unda
Capital Lipstick L
The Devil Wears Nada
I Think This Is It
Wrong Exit

Part VI: Unsigned Again, Naturally
Power Trip
As Long as I'm Around
Hit 'Em Low, Hit 'Em High
Baby, Do You Wanna Take a Ride?
In and Out of Weeks
Opening Act
Have a Nice Day

Part VII: It Keeps Evolving
Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
1-Way to Avalon
Odyssey
Walk the Walk
Last Letter to an 8 x 10

Acknowledgments

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A backstage pass to the glory days of alternative rock." — BookLife by Publishers Weekly


"If you are interested in reading about the life of a musician, The Yin and the Yang of it All should be on top of your list." — Readers' Favorite


"The Yin and the Yang of It All is an energetic musician’s memoir by a man seeking reconciliation with his origins." —Foreword Clarion Reviews


"... Faye’s thoughts on music and family are likely to linger in readers’ minds." — Kirkus Reviews

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