Subject - Aimee Mann – The Forgotten Arm, a 2005 release on SuperEgo Records, with cover art direction by Aimee Mann & Gail Marowitz

Based on a story about the relationship between a small-time boxer who’s a Vietnam vet who returned with a LOT of emotional baggage and his small-town girlfriend - who both simply want to run away from their problems – singer/songwriter Aimee Mann’s concept album and her band take the listener on a cross-country musical tour that ends with our two young lovers breaking up, facing their demons and, ultimately, getting back together – well, sort of…

Aimee Mann’s career – from her beginnings in Virginia and Boston at the Berklee College of Music, to her musical travels through punk (The Young Snakes) to New Wave success (and an MTV Video Award for “Best New Artist”) in the mid-80s with ‘Til Tuesday (Voices Carry) and then finally as a well-regarded solo artist, independent label owner and an Academy Award nominated songwriter (in 1999, for music and songs written for the film Magnolia) – has also had its share of heavyweight successes and the sucker punches that only an independent-minded artist suffers in the music business, but in the end, she’s found true love (with singer Michael Penn, whom she married in 1997) and keeps delivering her music to her fans, her way.

(more…)

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All images Copyright 2001 and 2007 – Maryanne Bilham Photography – www.maryannebilham.com

Subject - The Go-Gos God Bless The Go-Gos – a 2001 release on Beyond Records (Re-released in the U.S. in 2004 on Sony/Legacy/Eagle Records), with cover photography by Maryanne Bilham

Having released 3 albums in the early 1980s (including 1982’s huge Vacation, previously discussed in our 9/14 Cover Story) that coincided with the path that took them from bar band to opening act for the Police to superstardom on their own, the Go-Gos disintegrated within a year after releasing 1984’s Talk Show, and the members went their separate ways.

(more…)

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Track List

1. Baba O’Riley

2. Bargain

3. Love Ain’t For Keeping

4. My Wife

5. The Song Is Over

6. Getting In Tune

7. Going Mobile

8. Behind Blue Eyes

9. Won’t Get Fooled Again

All songs written by Pete Townshend except “My Wife”-written by John Entwistle

Released July, 1971 by MCA Records

Produced by The Who and Glyn Johns

Band Members: Pete Townshend-guitar, piano, synthesizers, vocals John Entwistle-bass, piano, vocals Keith Moon-drums, percussion Roger Daltrey-vocals

If you have never sat down and listened to an entire album by The Who, this is the one to start with. “Who’s Next” is a work of tremendous power and beauty, mixing pure hard rock with dramatic synthesizers, power chords with piano, and raging vocals with delicate acoustics.

It is obvious that Pete Townshend got into synthesizers in a big way when he made this album, but he uses them to inhance the power of the music, and it never overwhelms the listener. Each song is unique, and all are excellent. Every member of the band is in top form on this album, and the production is superb. Simply put, this is one of the best rock and roll bands ever, playing some of the best rock and roll ever made.

By Rebecca

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All images Copyright 2001 and 2007 – George Chin Photography – www.georgechin.com

Subject - Blackmore’s Night Fires At Midnight – A 2001 recording, released on Steamhammer Us/SPV records, with cover photography by George Chin.

One of rock music’s Renaissance men, guitarist Richie Blackmore is the one who has taken the term most literally, having played for the past 10 years in Blackmore’s Night, a band that brings his amazing talents and prog-rock sensibilities to a mix of music that includes Renaissance-era melodies, English folk and recreations of more current folk/rock tunes. Joined in this effort by Long Island’s own Candice Night on vocals and a backing band of squires, lords and bards playing a broad range of medieval and modern instruments, the band has released a series of well-received records and toured regularly, appearing at Renaissance-themed fairs, festivals and unique concert events in castles all over the world, charming audiences wherever they appear.

While Deep Purple and Rainbow fans might at first question why one of hard rock’s most-influential guitarists is focused more on complex romantic song structures and subtle nuance rather than the gutsy, bluesy power playing that endeared him to rock fans (and legions of admiring fellow guitarists) in the 70s and 80s, it is clear that this is the music that he holds most dear. One listen to Fires At Midnight will entrance listeners with a mix that successfully highlight his electric guitar leads within the structures of beautifully-sung and played melodies and rhythms.

Fires At Midnight was the first Blackmore’s Night release on Germany’s Steamhammer/SPV label, whose other well-known acts include metal fan favorites Motorhead, Dio, Judas Priest, and Type O Negative. The label wanted to impress fans with this new release and trusted that the collaboration between Blackmore and UK-based photographer George Chin would produce just the right image to appeal to fans of all ages and musical genres. The tale of how George went about getting “just the right shot” in a centuries-old castle in the U.K. – complete with magic and a beautiful maiden - is the subject of today’s Cover Story…

In the words of the photographer, George Chin (interviewed October, 2007) –

“One of my clients - the Japanese music magazine Burrn! – had commissioned me to go to Germany to photograph Blackmore’s Night for a cover feature in the Bavaria region in Germany at a small castle called Schloss Eggersberg that was located in a small village in the middle of a national park on the banks of the Danube at least two hours drive away from Munich, the nearest major city. It was an amazing place, with forests everywhere. Prior to this I had photographed Ritchie in concert with Deep Purple, but never with that band in a formal session (this somehow never came together), and so this was my first time to meet the great guitar legend.

I spent three days in Germany with Ritchie and Candice (Night – lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist) and Carole, who is Candice’s mother and the manager of Blackmore’s Night. After dinner on the second night, Ritchie explained that the name for the album would be Fires At Midnight and he wanted to shoot the cover of the album at Schloss Eggersberg at midnight (of course!) with the castle as a backdrop, and a series of bonfires lit around the castle. As we talked about it, it became apparent that it would involve additional lighting to illuminate the castle because it was pitch black at midnight, with no other lighting available apart from moonlight.

At this time, Ritchie never officially asked me to do the cover shoot - he only asked me what I thought of his concept as a photographer and whether the idea he had would work on film. I provided some input and suggestions, but it was left at that and I returned to London after listening to some of his ghost stories on the last night after dinner (more on this later).

One Friday morning, about two weeks later, I got a call from the record company, SPV in Germany, asking me if I would be available on Sunday to fly to Newcastle, in the north of England to shoot the cover for the forthcoming Blackmore’s Night album - Fires At Midnight. Ritchie and Candice would be doing a private concert for their fan club in the rand hall of a medieval castle – called Lumley Castle - and everybody attending would be in medieval dress. I told them that if the idea was to shoot the concept I had discussed previously with Ritchie in Germany, I would need a lot of lighting. The label said that the lighting that would be available which was whatever was being brought in for the concert - anything else, I had to bring with me on two day’s notice!

There was no art director involved in this project – we were simply going to base the effort on the conversations I had with Ritchie in Germany. And while I had not spoken to Ritchie any further up until this point, I felt that – as if by mental telepathy - I knew what he was thinking about and I could visualize the whole thing. I really wondered what the record company was thinking at that point – that is, that the whole album - artwork, promotion campaign, etc. – would be resting on a conversation between Ritchie and me. I had never worked with SPV before this and they had to trust their artist and go with his recommendations. This was the first Blackmore’s Night album for them, so it was a major act of faith on their part. It was Ritchie’s decision entirely to use me for the cover shoot.

When I arrived at Lumley Castle on Sunday morning, I hooked up with the label representative, who was still very much in the dark what the shoot was going to be about. I told her what Ritchie and I had talked about and she seemed relaxed and reassured that I had a hang on the whole concept and knew what I had to do. The concert was happening that evening so I figured out that we would be shooting after the concert - at midnight!

After lunch, we all sat down and talked again about the shoot. The main concept of fires and flames was still there, but Ritchie was now thinking some of the fans dressed in medieval garb should be holding flaming torches in a recreation of a medieval scene with Ritchie and Candice both dressed in medieval clothes. This was to be photographed at midnight after the concert was over.

All images Copyright 2001 and 2007 – George Chin Photography – www.georgechin.com

I had already done a recon of the castle and found that the entrance to the main keep had an old wooden door with an iron grill, whereas the walls surrounding the doorway already had medieval torch holders in place which we could light and use that whole area as the background for the shoot. The lit torch holders would be ideal for flames and I could use the concert lighting to fill in and light the castle walls and also to light Ritchie and Candice. If I shot everything on daylight film, it would have a warm cast overall which would give it a feel of a scene from another time in history. One or two of the fans could be in the shot holding additional torches for added effect. I had brought a smoke machine with me to create some smoky haze and, adding that, this was the entire set-up.

Ritchie and Candice loved my suggestions. They also wanted to shoot a drunken medieval scene with the fans in the grand hall after the concert. This idea was a medieval banquet with all the fans dressed up drinking and laying about looking pissed, with Ritchie and Candice at the center of it all as the Lord and Lady of the castle. . I decided to shoot this using the same concert lighting again to create the same old-world effect. I had brought strobes with me, but decided not to use them, opting for the concert lighting instead. By 4am the next morning - after a long night - it was all wrapped up and in the can.

All images Copyright 2001 and 2007 – George Chin Photography – www.georgechin.com

Tech notes - Everything was shot as it was set up using transparency medium-format film. I could have done with a couple of extra lighting heads, but had to make do with what was available by pushing the film. I used daylight 400ASA film pushed one stop to 800ASA. I also shot some 35mm on tungsten film to see how that turned out. Nothing was done in Photoshop afterwards - the images were used as they were shot.

Everyone was absolutely delighted with the results. The photos were exactly what they had in mind. They chose one shot for the cover and that was it. I had that scanned and sent over to SPV in Germany. Two days later, SPV called me and bought out all the rights to the entire shoot and I sent them all the selections that Ritchie and Candice had made. The banquet scene photo was then used on the cover of the first single off the album (’Home Again’ - see image, below) and other images were used on merchandising and websites, including Blackmore’s Night official website.

All images Copyright 2001 and 2007 – George Chin Photography – www.georgechin.com

The whole project and process worked as if by magic, which reminded me of something that had happened on the last night of my stay at the Schloss Eggersberg. As we were all sitting round the dinner table chatting and having a few drinks, Ritchie asked the lady from the Japanese label to think of someone she knows - a relative, friend or colleague - write his/her name down on a piece of paper, then fold it up and place it under a glass.

He then proceeded to ‘read her mind’ by asking a series of questions – ‘is the person male?’, ‘does he/she have blond hair’, ‘is he/she a close relative’, etc. - and to each question, her response was – ‘yes, that’s correct’. He then named the person - a Japanese name no-one else would have guessed or known apart from the label person herself. She confirmed he was right again and then he asked me to open the folded piece of paper. On it was the name of the person he had just called out. I couldn’t figure out how he could have done that because it was impossible to guess the name of anyone, let alone a foreign name. And how could he have guessed that the person had blond hair when Japanese people all have naturally black hair? Now, that was magical!!”

To learn more about Blackmore’s Night, please visit their website at
http://www.blackmoresnight.com/

To see more examples of fine album cover artwork and photography in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please visit our site at
http://www.rockpopgallery.com

About the photographer, George Chin –

George Chin started his photographic career while still at college in 1979. Gaining access to black artists at that time was relatively easy because, unlike today - apart from Bob Marley - they had little media value. George began honing his photographic skills on artists such as The Jackson Five, Parliament & Funkadelic, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Manu Dibango, Toots & The Maytals, Dennis Brown and the 2-Tone bands - Specials, Selecter, Madness, etc.

Next came the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, spearheaded by Diamond Head and Iron Maiden together with the New Romantics and bands like Duran Duran, Culture Club, Spandau Ballet, The Thompson Twins, etc. It was an exciting time and George was soon very busy shooting these bands and others for magazine and record company clients in the UK, Europe and Japan.

During rock and metal’s halcyon days of the late 1980’s, George was one of the early contributors to Kerrang! magazine and worked for all the major publications of those genres in the UK, Europe, USA, and Australia. Also during this time, George toured the world extensively as the official tour photographer for many of the biggest bands of that era - Guns n’ Roses, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Motorhead, Anthrax – while at the same time working exclusively with Terence Trent D’Arby and a young Whitney Houston whenever she toured the UK.

By 1990, George’s reputation and profile were so high that he landed the prime job for any music photographer; i.e., official tour photographer with the Rolling Stones on their Urban Jungle Tour of Europe. Then, early in 1991, Axl Rose invited George to join Guns n’ Roses in Rio de Janeiro to photograph them exclusively at the Rock in Rio II festival at the Marcana Stadium, following that with the Get In The Ring Tour of the USA in 1991 and the Use Your Illusion world tour through to 1994.

Next followed a stint with Aerosmith in 1994 -1995 for the Get A Grip world tour and again in 1997 for the Nine Lives tour of Europe. At the end of 1997, for personal reasons, George took a break from touring and worked in the studio doing editorial and record company sessions shooting bands as diverse as Blur and Iron Maiden.

In 2000, after a three year hiatus of no overseas tours, George went to Rio de Janeiro to hook up with Guns n’ Roses again at Rock in Rio III where the new GnR were headlining to 250,000 people (also photographing the entire set of Oasis). In 2002, Axl again invited George to go to the Far East for a short tour followed by the aborted autumn tour of the USA (which ended in a riot in Philadelphia!).

After that, George settled down in the U.K. with his young family, preferring to work with bands touring the UK/Europe and those based in the UK. The list, by no means complete, of acts he worked with includes Ashanti, Beyonce, Black Sabbath (reunited), Cream (reunited), Eric Clapton, Annie Lennox, Cher, Coldplay, Deep Purple, Depeche Mode, H.I.M., Jay-Z, Joss Stone, Judas Priest, Madonna, Metallica, Morrissey, New York Dolls, Oasis, Paul McCartney, Pink, Primal Scream, Queen + Paul Rodgers, REM, Rolling Stones, Scissor Sisters, Shakira, Simple Plan, Soulfly, and Sting. In 2006, Axl Rose once again invited George to New York for three warm-up shows, followed by dates in Europe and the UK.

George continues today to work for bands, record companies, and editorial clients using the latest digital cameras and imaging technology meeting today’s demands for instant delivery. He specializes in providing the photographic requirements that today’s artist and artist brands now demand for a variety of uses (including merchandising of all kinds), as well as web and print use for press, promotion and advertising.

According to George, “these days, anyone can call themselves a photographer because they have a digital camera and, while shooting a lot of pictures, they get at least one or two good shots. My trademarks are creativity and imagination coupled with professionalism and over 25 years experience of shooting under any lighting conditions at the drop of a hat. Quality before quantity is what I am about.”

To see more of George Chin’s photography, please visit his website at http://www.georgechin.com

About “Cover Stories” - Our weekly series will give you, the music and art fan, a look at “the making of” the illustrations, photographs and designs of many of the most-recognized and influential images that have served to package and promote your all-time-favorite recordings.

Every Friday and syndicated the following week on The Rock and Roll Report, we’ll meet the artists, designers and photographers who produced these works of art and learn what motivated them, what processes they used, how they collaborated (or fought) with the musical acts, their management, their labels, etc. - all of the things that influenced the final product you saw then and still see today.

We hope that you enjoy these looks behind the scenes of the music-related art business and that you’ll share your stories with us and fellow fans about what role these works of art - and the music they covered - played in your lives.

Bonus Photo info –

#1 - Candice Night and Ritchie Blackmore live, 2001 Blackmore’s Night performing a private concert at Lumley Castle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK - 07 May 2001

#2 - Blackmore’s Night - Lumley Castle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK - 07 May 2001 Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night photographed exclusively for the cover of the CD album “Fires at Midnight” at Lumley Castle, Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK - 07 May 2001.

All images Copyright 2001 & 2007 George Chin - www.georgechin.com - All rights reserved. Except as noted, All other text Copyright 2007 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

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All images Copyright 2001 and 2007 – George Chin Photography – www.georgechin.com

Subject - Blackmore’s Night Fires At Midnight – A 2001 recording, released on Steamhammer Us/SPV records, with cover photography by George Chin.

One of rock music’s Renaissance men, guitarist Richie Blackmore is the one who has taken the term most literally, having played for the past 10 years in Blackmore’s Night, a band that brings his amazing talents and prog-rock sensibilities to a mix of music that includes Renaissance-era melodies, English folk and recreations of more current folk/rock tunes. Joined in this effort by Long Island’s own Candice Night on vocals and a backing band of squires, lords and bards playing a broad range of medieval and modern instruments, the band has released a series of well-received records and toured regularly, appearing at Renaissance-themed fairs, festivals and unique concert events in castles all over the world, charming audiences wherever they appear.

(more…)

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Track List
1. 2112
2. A Passage To Bangkok
3. The Twilight Zone
4. Lessons
5. Tears
6.Something For Nothing

All Songs written by Lee, Lifeson, and Peart
Released February, 1976 on Mercury/Polygram Records
Produced by Rush and Terry Brown

Band Members:
Geddy Lee-bass, keyboards, vocals Alex Lifeson-guitars
Neil Peart-drums, percussion

“2112″ was a breakthrough album for Rush, and is still considered the bands’ masterpiece by many fans.

The title track is a 20-minute, seven part suite. On vinyl, this was the whole first side of the album. It tells the story of a man who lives in a future society that is ruled by the Priests of the temple of Syrinx. These priests alone decide what can be heard, read, or seen. The man finds an ancient guitar in a cave, and realizes that he can create his own music. Overjoyed, he takes it to the priests. They take the instrument and destroy it. The man stumbles back to his home. Deciding that he cannot live in a world in which he cannot express himself, he commits suicide.

Melodramatic? Maybe. Powerful? Totally. The music behind the story is driving and intense. Lee, Lifeson, and Peart are each considered among the best at the instrument each plays, and the three together are a force to be reckoned with. There are many “progressive” bands playing today that owe a great debt to Rush.

The rest of the tracks are unrelated to the story, so technically this is not a “concept album”. But all I can remember from 1976 is listening to the first side, then picking up the needle and setting it back to the beginning.

By Rebecca

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All images Copyright 1988-90, 1998 and 2007 W.A. Williams – www.wawilliams.com

Subject - A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan – a 1996 CD & DVD release from Sony Music Entertainment, with cover photography by W.A. Williams

A short while ago, I wrote a Cover Story based on an interview with photographer Robert M. Knight and his photos of guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughan. The response to this article was astounding – although SRV’s been gone 17 years, his fan base is a DEDICATED one and his music brings great joy to them (and to anyone else lucky enough to be within earshot).

(more…)

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Winnipeg, Manitoba’s Smallman Records is an amazing indie record label that has championed the little guy since it’s creation in 1997. Founded by Rob Krause and Jason Smith, Smallman has consistently supported bands that were just starting out, acting not only as their record label but taking on management duties for a number of the bands as well.

Check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/smallmanrecords and have a listen to current signings Sick City, Broadway Calls, Sights and Sounds and Daggermouth for a taste of their punk rockin’ sound.

Later.

Mark

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Track List
1. The Song Remains The Same (Page, Plant)
2. The Rain Song (Page, Plant)
3. Over The Hills And Far Away (Page, Plant)
4. The Crunge (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant)
5. Dancing Days (Page, Plant)
6. D’yer Mak’er (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant)
7. No Quarter (Jones, Page, Plant)
8. The Ocean (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant)

Released March 1973, by Atlantic Records
Produced by Jimmy Page

Band Members: Jimmy Page-guitars, John Paul Jones-bass, piano, organ, mellotron, harpsichord, synthesizers, John Bonham-drums, Robert Plant-vocals, harmonica

If I were abducted by aliens and they asked me to define rock and roll, I would hand them a pair of headphones and crank this album.

Track by track, it is probably Led Zeppelin’s most diverse. Houses Of The Holy is their fifth album, and their last recording for Atlantic Records. There is classic riff-driven Zeppelin- “The Song Remains The Same”, a ballad- “The Rain Song” a reggae influence on “D’yer Mak’er”, and the best song ever for strapping on the headphones and lighting up-”No Quarter”.How many rock songs do you know of that feature a harpsichord? Interestingly, the song “Houses Of The Holy” didn’t make it on this album. It was released on their next recording, “Physical Graffitti”.

Led Zeppelin’s catalog will be made available on Itunes soon. Buy this entire album. It has been remastered, and sounds better than ever.

Rebecca

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Just a quick note that the second issue of Roczine featuring my brand new column called The Rock and Roll Report (5 points for originality!) should be off the printing presses as you read this. Make sure you check out the magazine’s site at www.myspace.roczine to find out where you can get your copy ’cause it rocks!

Later.

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You know, I don’t know if it’s just me but the rock and porn world continue to get all cozy cozy these days.

First we have Vince Neil’s Off the Strip Poker Tournament taking place November 3, 2007 inside The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Vegas. Hosted by adult film stars Tera Patrick and Taylor Wayne, all proceeds from the poker tournament and charity auctions will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation via the Skylar Neil Memorial Fund, established in 1995 by Vince to honor his daughter Skylar who passed away from cancer. Since that time, Vince’s charitable efforts have helped to raise nearly two million dollars for the T.J. Martell Foundation. It’s kind of hard to find any fault with this knowing that it is a fund raiser you must admit.

Continuing our tour through the rock and porn world everybody’s favourite rock reality host and adult film director Dave Navarro speaks to Rock Confidential about his directorial debut with “Dave Navarro: Broken.” Apparently once you’ve been through heroin and cocaine addiction, the murder of your mom and Jane’s Addiction the thing to do is direct a porn flick. I suppose that’s one way to deal with it!

Later.

Mark

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From Austin Texas comes the full on rock and roll attack of She Craves. Rockin’ out behind their debut CD Goodbye Radio Days, She Craves have enough crunchy, smash mouth choruses and rock and roll oomph that you will be continuously nodding your head in ready agreement.

Personally I love Wake Me Up and You Move Me but that’s just me. Check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/shecraves and have a listen for yourself.

Later.

Mark

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I had a couple of people recommend that I check out South African band Switchback so I contacted John Dirker who is the singer and guitarist for the band to tell me a bit about them and the rock scene in South Africa. John was enthusiastic in explaining to me the pros and cons of playing rock and roll at the southern tip of the African continent and he piqued my curiosity enough to look into doing a South African-themed podcast and/or blog posting to investigate what that country has to offer. The whole region sounds intriguing.

As to Switchback, there is something vaguely familiar with their sound and especially John’s voice. It’s there, at the tip of your brain trying to make a connection with something you have heard before but at the same time it is wholly original and definitely “modern” (you know what I mean, it’s a tough thing to explain. Listen to their tunes and it will become clear).

Track of Time and Better Off are nice and hard hitting while Losing Me reminded me of latter-era Nirvana for some reason, especially the vocals which are eerily similar to those of Kurt Kobain.

All in all this is promising stuff from an area of the world that to me is extremely under-represented in the global rock and roll party. Again I see no reason why Switchback couldn’t easily slot in to your local “alternative rock” radio station playlist but I suppose the fact that people would have to go looking off the beaten path just makes it all too damn hard. Too bad, this is good shit.

Check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/switchbackonline

Later.

Mark

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Track List
1. Bustin Out For Rosey (Bolin)
2. Sweet Burgundy (Cook)
3. Post Toastee (Bolin)
4. Shake The Devil (Cook)
5. Gypsy Soul (Cook)
6. Someday Will Bring Our Love Home (Bolin, Tesar)
7. Hello Again (Cook)
8. You Told Me You Loved Me (Bolin)
Released May 1976 on CBS Records
Produced by Tommy Bolin and Dennis McKay
Band Members: Tommy Bolin-guitars, piano, lead vocals Reggie McBride-bass Mark Stein-keyboards Carmine Appice-drums Bobby Berge-percussion Norma Jean Bell-saxophone

I first became aware of Tommy Bolin when I was in junior high. Jeff, the high school senior who lived down the street, was a huge fan of his. I was a huge fan of Jeff, and became an instant disciple. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered Tommy Bolin and his music, he was already dead.
If you can find this album, buy it. If not, find what you can on Bolin on the internet. He was a true innovator, mixing rock, jazz, and blues influences for an absolutely unique guitar sound. His style was emotional and funky at the same time, his voice seeming to meld seamlessly with the notes from his guitar.
The production on this album is not the greatest, but you will be amazed at the variety of musical styles and genres that he mixes here, all the while staying true to his own personal sound. This is his second solo record, and the last album he made. Before forming his own band, he replaced Joe Walsh in the James Gang, and was the lead guitarist in Deep Purple after Ritchie Blackmore left. He was only 25 when he died, leaving us to wonder what might have been.

By Rebecca

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I have played American Anthem a bunch of times on Rock and Roll report Radio and you can bet that I will be playing them on the podcast. They consistently pump out that hard melodic rock that I love so much.

I Think About You is just outstanding (and all the girls seem to love it so that’s a bonus) and Real Thing flat out rocks. If you check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/americananthem you can listen to their take on the Beatles classic Help (which actually rocks and definitely sounds….different without doing so for the sake of being different).

There is more to the band than what is on their MySpace page but it is a good place to start. Great stuff. A band that I definitely play regularly on my iPod and in the car and that’s about as good an endorsement as you can get from me.

Later.

Mark

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I don’t think I can recall anybody who has listed Thin Lizzy and W.A.S.P. side by side as influences but Rufus Fontain have no problem in doing so. Are they heavy? Shit ya! Are they good? Shit ya! Lookin For a Fight lifts itself out of the morass of the merely heavy by infusing itself with supremely tasty guitar licks and Talk is Cheap wants to make you hit the road for the nearest road house.

Hard, no excuses rock and roll played by guys that look like they live on Harleys, Rufus Fontaine have the attitude and licks to match. Cool stuff.

Check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/rufusfontainband

Later.

Mark

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All images Copyright 1987 and 2007 Sherry Barnett – www.sherrybarnettphotography.com

Subject - Nina Simone – Let It Be Me – released in 1987 on Verve/Polygram Records, with cover photography by Sherry Barnett.

My wife and I had the good fortune of seeing Nina Simone at the Vine Street Bar & Grill in Hollywood a number of years ago, and so when I was going over the details of my interview with photographer Sherry Barnett, some vivid memories flooded into my head about my experience there. It was a small – very small – club that had room for perhaps 80 people (including those crammed in at the bar), and yet Ron (the owner) managed to book some of the best and biggest acts to come and play there. The place was “cool”, and it had a vibe that musicians and club patrons both just wanted a part of.

What makes this Cover Story so special for me is that it is the first one that is about an artist and a time and place that I have personal experience of. Of course, I’ve seen some of the other musical acts that have been featured on other covers, but in most cases it was after the fact (like seeing Pink Floyd well after they had released Dark Side of the Moon). In this case, I was part of that scene, going in to the Vine Street venue (after seeing a performance at the nearby temporary Ahmanson Theater) for a cocktail and to hear who was playing (and, often times, it was Nina Simone).

The music industry loves to tag its most-interesting artists, and singer Nina Simone had two of them – the “High Priestess of Soul” and the “Queen of African Rooted Classical Music”. I attribute this to the fact that the industry loves to try and categorize artists so that retailers know where on the shelves to put an artist’s music but, in this case, that was the most disrespectful approach as it is that Ms. Simone could sing so many different styles of music so well. She was best-known to fans for her amazing cabaret shows, best enjoyed in intimate venues (although she could make even large venues feel intimate). Verve Records released this gem of a recording in the late 80’s that showcased her ability to work her magic with both traditional cabaret tunes and the works of songwriters such as Janis Ian, Randy Newman and Bob Dylan. Sherry Barnett was asked to produce a suitable cover image for this immense talent, and the details of this assignment are now yours for the reading in today’s unique Cover Story….

In the words of the photographer, Sherry Barnett (interviewed October, 2007) –

“I was approached by Verve Polygram Records during a time in the mid-80’s when they were releasing a series of recordings titled, Live at The Vine St. Bar & Grill. The Vine St. venue in Hollywood was relatively small in size, but had the ambiance of an elegant jazz club in its heyday. Located close to the heart of what was becoming a dilapidated intersection at Hollywood & Vine, it sat directly across from The Huntington Hartford Theatre, where it drew a cross-section of theatre goers and jazz aficionados. A recording deal was struck with owner Ron Berenstein and frequent performer Miriam Cutler to produce a series of live recordings featuring ‘the best of’ Verve/Polygram’s current roster of artists.

I was brought into the mix to shoot portraits of the performers, sometimes incorporating the elements of the club itself. One cover in particular, ‘I Thought About You’ by Shirley Horn, pictured the singer at its deco-styled bar. Another cover, ‘It Is Love’ of stellar jazz/blues singer Marlena Shaw, pictured her in one of the corner booths, surrounded by a colorful array of flowers. This one bore a stronger resemblance to a studio setting than a club. But Nina Simone, however, was the piece-de-resistance.

Her record was to be titled Let It Be Me and I would be shooting it at my home studio in the Hollywood Hills. It would be me with the ‘High Priestess of Soul’, along with a stylist and my favorite lighting assistant. Coincidentally, I had photographed Nina once before in concert in 1971, 15 years prior to this Verve Polygram shoot. I’d been assigned to photograph her at The Village Gate in NYC. One of the shots was published in Rock Magazine, the first publication where I appeared on the masthead as Staff Photographer. It was early in my photographic career, and ironically this shot was the very first photograph that I’d printed myself in my own darkroom. I knew that this new session would be both an honor and a challenge, as I’d heard stories of her fluctuating temperament, and I was determined to be prepared for anything …

We had prepared a choice of backdrops, lighting options, and even had a piano on hand should Ms. Simone choose to grace us with her playing. My crew of two arrived early and we readied ourselves for the soul diva’s arrival. Well, we waited … and waited … and waited. To offset our mounting anxieties, we played & sang, making our own good use of the piano. Finally, several hours past the original ETA, the record company called to confirm her impending arrival and specified that Nina wished to be clad in nothing more than a simple white sheet – and that would be the ONLY set up she would approve of.

After a hasty white sheet scramble, Ms. Simone arrived & time flew from that moment on. What was to happen next remains an incomparable moment in my memory bank. Nina, the diva herself, began to disrobe directly in front of my living room window. As one by one, the garments fell to the floor, she began to wrap herself solely in the white sheet. We did our best not to bat an eye, as she then proceeded to go to make-up without missing a beat. In all my years of photographing the most eccentric rock performers, I thought that nothing would surprise me. But this time, it did!

The ensuing photo session was relatively short – at least compared to the hours spent waiting – and moved along quite quickly. Her concept of the simple white sheet worked beautifully, and required no background or lighting changes. We were on a tight schedule when, all of a sudden, we nailed the shot. The resulting photographs were simple, direct and elegant. All of the elements “worked” and everyone was pleased. Just before Nina left, I asked her to autograph a classic LP I had of hers … something I’d never done before. She obliged, signing it ‘Thank you. Signed, Dr.Nina Simone’.

When the record company’s art department came around to packaging Let It Be Me, they wanted a “live” shot to grace the back of the LP. Ironically, of all the photos considered, the Village Gate shot from 1971 was the one chosen. Both photos were included in the 2005 Let It Be Me CD re-issue as well.

A final note to the story … Apparently, Ms. Simone was quite pleased with the work I’d done - so much so that, in the early 90’s, I received a phone call from her longtime friend and associate, Roger Nupie, requesting that I do another shoot for Ms. Simone at her Hollywood apartment. This commissioned work was to be a B&W portrait to be used for a poster in conjunction with her upcoming performance at The Olympia Music Hall in Paris. This time around, Nina was prompt, up-tempo and easy to please. I actually took the liberty of asking her about her change of spirit from the time we’d met previously. She looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘I’m a happy woman. I finally got the IRS off my back and I’m free at last!’ Whew … what a difference in her vibe. This shoot too, moved quickly, and with great success. She had a concept chosen for what she wanted and all I had to do was capture it on film. This diva had a deep sense of self and knew exactly what was right for her. She was her own direction & I had no one to please except the High Priestess herself.

All images Copyright 1987 and 2007 Sherry Barnett – www.sherrybarnettphotography.com

Though I never saw the finished photograph reproduced in poster form, in 1992 Nina wrote her autobiography, I Put A Spell On You and chose the portrait for her book. A paperback version was issued again in 2003. The album cover photograph continued to be used by Nina throughout the 90’s to promote her live performances, until her passing in 2003. Let It Be Me, the CD, has been reissued, and I Put A Spell On You, the paperback version, remains in print. Yet another photo, from the original Village Gate performance, resurfaced as a full page photo as part of writer Michele Kort’s 2004 feature on Nina in Ms. Magazine.

There have been many career highlights in my experience of photographing the musicians and events that have changed our lives. From my earliest shoots of political protests and marches spearheaded by some our major musical commentators, to being at the right time, right place … photographing both Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin each in one of their final concerts, Joni Mitchell recording Court & Spark, Peter, Paul & Mary warming up backstage, The Manhattan Transfer rehearsing with Ella Fitzgerald, Mark Knopfler playing solo acoustic guitar for me as I photographed him alone … these are some of the most memorable. But the opportunities to photograph Nina Simone and capture her essence on film in the way that I did, stand out as photographs that I am honored to have done. And these photos continue to find their way over time.”

Technical footnotes:

All Nina Simone portrait photographs were shot on film with a medium format Bronica SQ-AM camera, using a Dynalite power pack and strobes. The Village Gate performance photographs were shot on 35mm Kodak Tri-X film exclusively with Nikon cameras and lenses.

Nina Simone’s Web site - http://ninasimone.com/welcome.html

About the photographer, Sherry Rayn Barnett –

Sherry began taking pictures as soon as she was able to hold her first pint-size Kodak Brownie box camera (OK, not a true “Brownie” - it was turquoise blue). She began to focus on the things around her that caught her eye … beginning with her B&W cat, her friends and anything in her small, but great outdoors.Growing up in a creative & musical suburban Forest Hills (NYC) household, she simultaneously began a love affair with music. Fortunately, she quickly moved on from an early obsession with the accordion to a lifelong love of the guitar. She attended The High School of Performing Arts as a classical guitar major and began photographing the music - and the musicians around her. While still in high school she had her first magazine cover published by a national dance magazine and became the photo editor for the Performing Arts yearbook. She alternately began photographing concerts and then escaping the city to seek out anything that appeared to be non-urban and connected to nature.

As part of the New York “underground press” of the late 60’s & early 70’s that developed, she began to be photograph the culture and the musicians that provided the soundtrack for it. Relocating to Southern California (L.A.) in the mid 70’s provided a new landscape of musical inspiration that Sherry continues to draw on.

Today, she’s still focused on photography that includes musicians, cats, and nature - as well as anything eccentric, from roadside attractions to people and pets of extraordinary personality. Her extensive music photography archive now spans 3 decades, during which she has captured 100’s of live performances of artists ranging from Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix to Sting and David Bowie. She continues to add to the subject list by shooting both newer and classic folk, rock, jazz and acoustic music artists.

Most recently, she has continued to photograph both eclectic and iconic performers, licensing her work for books, magazines, television & electronic media. She’s been inspired by the “instant gratification” of digital photography, although she continues to shoot on assignment in both B&W and color in 35mm and 2 1/4″ formats also. Her work can often be seen in music publications including ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAGAZINE, GOLDMINE, GUITAR PLAYER, COUNTRY MUSIC MAGAZINE, and GUITAR WORLD ACOUSTIC.

Sherry is also represented by Getty Images for select images. An overview of her work can be seen at: www.sherrybarnettphotography.com. Limited edition prints will soon be available.

To see more examples of iconic album/CD cover artwork in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please visit
http://www.rockpopgallery.com

About “Cover Stories” - Our weekly series will give you, the music and art fan, a look at “the making of” the illustrations, photographs and designs of many of the most-recognized and influential images that have served to package and promote your all-time-favorite recordings.

Every Friday and syndicated on The Rock and Roll Report the following week, we’ll meet the artists, designers and photographers who produced these works of art and learn what motivated them, what processes they used, how they collaborated (or fought) with the musical acts, their management, their labels, etc. - all of the things that influenced the final product you saw then and still see today.

We hope that you enjoy these looks behind the scenes of the music-related art business and that you’ll share your stories with us and fellow fans about what role these works of art - and the music they covered - played in your lives.

All images Copyright 1987 & 2007 Sherry Barnett www.sherrybarnettphotography.com

Except as noted, All other text Copyright 2007 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

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All images Copyright 1987 and 2007 Sherry Barnett – www.sherrybarnettphotography.com

Subject - Nina Simone – Let It Be Me – released in 1987 on Verve/Polygram Records, with cover photography by Sherry Barnett.

My wife and I had the good fortune of seeing Nina Simone at the Vine Street Bar & Grill in Hollywood a number of years ago, and so when I was going over the details of my interview with photographer Sherry Barnett, some vivid memories flooded into my head about my experience there. It was a small – very small – club that had room for perhaps 80 people (including those crammed in at the bar), and yet Ron (the owner) managed to book some of the best and biggest acts to come and play there. The place was “cool”, and it had a vibe that musicians and club patrons both just wanted a part of.

What makes this Cover Story so special for me is that it is the first one that is about an artist and a time and place that I have personal experience of. Of course, I’ve seen some of the other musical acts that have been featured on other covers, but in most cases it was after the fact (like seeing Pink Floyd well after they had released Dark Side of the Moon). In this case, I was part of that scene, going in to the Vine Street venue (after seeing a performance at the nearby temporary Ahmanson Theater) for a cocktail and to hear who was playing (and, often times, it was Nina Simone).

(more…)

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Van Halen Van Halen I
Track List
1. Runnin’ With The Devil
2. Eruption
3. You Really Got Me (Ray Davies)
4. Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love
5. I’m The One
6. Jamie’s Cryin’
7. Atomic Punk
8. Feel Your Love Tonight
9. Little Dreamer
10. Ice Cream Man (John Brim)
11. On Fire
All songs written by Van Halen except where noted
Released February 1978 on Warner Brothers Records
Produced by Ted Templeman
Band Members: Edward Van Halen-guitars, Alex Van Halen-drums, Michael Anthony-bass, David Lee Roth-lead vocals

When I started this project, I sent emails to all the musicians I know, (and quite a few that I don’t) and asked them to name the albums that had influenced them the most. This album was mentioned more than any other. A lot more.
I was 13 when this album came out, and it changed my life. I thought “Eruption” was the coolest thing I had ever heard. I still do. Van Halen was a huge factor in determining the kind of music I listen to. I still listen to this album, and it sounds as good to me today as it did almost thirty (yikes!) years ago. My friend Robin and I listened to it over and over on her little portable turntable. Her mom thought we were crazy. We were.
Van Halen is reunited, with Wolfgang Van Halen replacing Michael Anthony on bass. You should go see them. At the very least, buy this album. Especially if you are a guitarist. Let Edward Van Halen show you how it’s done.

By Rebecca

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Sorry for the dearth of stuff on the site over these last few days but things have been pretty hectic personally and I have learned to not write just for the sake of writing. I would prefer the content to be sparse but good as opposed to overflowing but shit. Of course the content could be sparse and shit but that’s beside the point…

Just received two essential components (finally!) for Rock and Roll Report Studios and will actually begin recording Episode 1 of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast (The Phantom Podcast?) this week. It’s been frustrating to say the least but I think that once I get going things will run a lot smoother. The plan is to have the first episode out the week of October 22, 2007 (probably the 24th) and then every week thereafter. The only decision I face is whether to produce a show the week Rock and Roll Report Radio is on. Since CKUT provides a podcast feed for the show for a week after broadcast I will probably only produce three podcasts a month and see how that goes.

The Day in Rock reports that Fox News columnist Roger Friedman is calling for a boycott of Rolling Stone Magazine. Now I have a love/hate relationship with that mag and I can see that if you are of a politically conservative bent you would have a lot to gripe about but Friedman’s reason is not due to the content of the magazine. Friedman’s complaint revolves around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the fact that Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner essentially controls the nomination process for this ridiculous institution. Now if you shake your head at some of the decisions made for these nominations (why is Rush still not nominated again?) you will definitely want to read Friedman’s reasons for the boycott but really, why don’t we boycott both the magazine and the “institution” and get on with listening to cool rock and roll played in sweaty little clubs, you know, the way rock and roll should be celebrated.

Well if you thought the days of ‘80s hard rock and hair metal were behind us think again. According to Kris Osborn of Time.Com, some of the biggest concert draws of 2007 were reunion concerts by bands like Ratt, Tesla, Poison, Quiet Riot, Ozzy, White Lion and the like and the response to the semi-reunited Van Halen seem to bear this out. The interesting thing is that the shows seem to be attracting young concert goers who weren’t around for these bands’ first kick at the can. Can you blame them? Hard rock and metal have always contained a great mixture of sleaze, glam and fist pumping fun that makes it quite clear you are at a rock show and not a political convention. People want to lose themselves for a couple of hours and this stuff is a great way to do it. Cheap, fast and disposable. That is sometimes the best definition of rock and roll and I guess this just goes to prove that people want more than angst on stage, they want to rock!

One of the best CDs that I received last year and played quite a bit on Rock and Roll Report Radio was Light ‘Em Up! By The Fags and it was with considerable sadness that I learned this summer of the band’s demise. Billed as a logical successor to Cheap Trick, The Fags had what many thought was it all. Great hooks, cool songs, a great sound behind the vocals of main man John Speck, this was a band that seemed poised for great things. Unfortunately major label politics and other business mis-cues killed the band in its crib. Read all about Speck’s experiences with the Fags and their doomed run at the brass ring in The Fags Get Screwed. If you are interested in what John is up to now check out his new band HiFi HandGrenades.

Finally, if you thought all that came out of Israel was religious conflict and strife you will be happy to know that the Jewish Music Group has announced the release of “Israel Unleashed: The Best Rock And Metal From The Holy Land”. Featuring the very best unsigned rock and metal bands from Israel it is scheduled to be released November 27, 2007. For a full track listing check out http://www.jewishmusicgroup.com/album.php?id=131.

That’s it for now. I know I haven’t featured any blitz bands in awhile but if your jonesing for a rock and roll fix I suggest that you click on any of the band links from this week’s Rock and Roll Report Radio playlist and check out what they have to offer. I think you your ears will be amply rewarded.

Later.

Mark

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(Press Release) In December, 2007, “Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine” will make its newsstand debut! As part of our launch, we’re seeking to profile some of the hottest up and coming, as well as established, millennium rock/metal bands! To that end, we are now seeking submissions for our CD Sampler, which should be emailed to sexdrugsandrocknrollmagazine@yahoo.com in MP3 format, along with a myspace link, and a contact name and number. Each participating band will receive a brief (150-200) word write-up (additionally including contact info, websites, etc.), and color photo of the band in the Magazine itself, as well as promotional copies of the issue. The participating bands’ names will also be included in any press release concerning the publication of our inaugural issue. Each slot costs $100.00 U.S.

Our debut issue will feature the beautiful and talented SHERI MOON ZOMBIE on the cover. Sheri’s star has been on the rise since appearing as a lead character in husband Rob Zombie’s “House of 1000 Corpses” and “The Devil’s Rejects.” Currently, Sheri is starring in her hubby’s remake of “Halloween”—as Michael Myers’ mother Deborah—which earned more than $30,000,000 during its opening weekend. Additionally, Sheri owns and operates the Total Skull clothing line, which will be highlighted in her magazine spread. Additionally, it features interviews with Motley Crue founder/songwriter/bassist Nikki Sixx discussing his new biography “The Heroin Diaries,” Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee and his producer, Scott Humphrey, discussing their writing and recording process, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, the Guru of Ganja Ed Rosenthal, are other key articles in the premiere issue of “Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine.”

More About Us:

“Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine” is as provocative in subject matter as our title might suggest. A hybrid in the spirit of “Rolling Stone,” “High Times” and “Maxim” magazines, the publication offers cutting-edge coverage and commentary of and on everything and anything colorful—be it mainstream or indie—popping off in the entertainment, sex and counter cultures! Published quarterly to three demographics simultaneously, readers can flip from what’s hottest in the bedroom to the radio or movie screen, hearing it all first-hand from their favorite stars! “Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll” is more than just a magazine…it’s a lifestyle!” www.myspace.com/sexdrugsandrocknrollmagazine

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All images Copyright 1968 and 2007 Jerry Schatzberg – www.jerryschatzberg.com

Subject – Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only In It For The Money - Released in 1968 on Verve/Bizarre Records, with cover photography by Jerry Schatzberg.

Sticking with out “psychedelic” theme another week, this week’s Cover Story is on one of the best from the era – Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention’s fantastic spoof of everything and everyone involved in making (and promoting) that genre’s music titled We’re Only In It For The Money. Using an overall style of songwriting that would serve for many years as Zappa and The Mother’s trademark – sparing no subject, touching on all aspects of that subject that made it a joke in the songwriter’s mind, and then delivering this material via bound-to-be-censored lyrics, memorable melodies and with superb musicianship and studio craftsmanship – this record made more people laugh uncomfortably than any other I know of (until the Sex Pistols released Never Mind The Bullocks… 10 years later.

The record parodied everything that the Hippie/Flower Power movement stood for and used as its symbols – from songs such as “Who Needs the Peace Corps” , “Flower Punk”, “Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance”, to the finale of “The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny” – and was Zappa’s conscious effort to get the youth of the day to stop a minute and look at how silly everything was. After The Beatles had released their widely-praised concept record Sgt. Pepper’s, Zappa wanted to show the world both that he’d mastered many technical aspects of the modern recording studio and that, perhaps, some of the widely praised concepts were, in fact, nonsensical, superficial and often meaningless in the long run.

The record did have some decent commercial success, hitting #30 on the Billboard Album charts in 1968, but it has had its greatest impact when viewed historically by fans of rock music. Rolling Stone Magazine included it in its “Top 100 Albums” list in its 20th Anniversary issue in 1987, commenting on how mercilessly – and with great talent - a band from that era could spoof its musical brethren of the time (it also came in at #296 on Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of the “Top 500 Albums of All Time”).

Of course, one of the most-memorable aspects of the record was the packaging. Here again, The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper’s stood for what was in vogue at the time, and so Zappa and his crew felt that it was important to use their newly-famous imagery as a starting point for their parody. Famed photographer and (film-maker) Jerry Schatzberg was called in to aid in this “homage to the collage” of Sir Peter Blake and Michael Cooper, creating the first of what would be many parodies of that work (I particularly liked the one done on The Simpsons in the 90s). How it all came together is addressed in today’s Cover Story….

In the words of the photographer, Jerry Schatzberg (interviewed September, 2007) –

“I had shot a photograph for the Rolling Stones in drag for the U.K. release of their single “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?”. Zappa had seen that and after seeing the cover of Sgt. Peppers, he had the idea the he wanted to do a spoof of that image, with the principals in drag. I had met Zappa a couple of times before that, but we’d never worked together, so I was intrigued when I was told that this was going to be the cover of his next record.

We had a couple of weeks to produce this, and keeping the Sgt. Pepper’s cover in mind – with its elaborate costumes, flower-filled foreground, and its amazing cast of celebrity guests who were featured on the cover, both of our staffs set out to find the clothes, the props and some “celebrities” who would be part of the final composition.

We all agreed that it’d be very funny if we’d use fruit and vegetables and other junk in the foreground (instead of flowers), and since both of us knew Jimi Hendrix, we asked him to take part (you’ll find a real-live Jimi Hendrix on the far right-hand side of the shot, the second person to the right of Zappa, who’s posed in a mini-skirt). Zappa and his record company then decided on the rest of the background imagery and then a series of photos were taken. I submitted all of my tests over the two weeks and then the final one was selected. No special effects or lenses were used – the final photograph contains just the props and the people you see. Everyone was very happy with the results.”

On the original Sgt. Pepper’s record package, the collage was the cover, a photo of the band with Paul standing with his back to the viewer (“Paul Is Dead?”) was on the back cover, and the inside gatefold image (quite strange for a single LP) showed the band in costume on a bright yellow background, spread across both panels. For the Zappa version, we shot a back cover photo of the band with only one member facing the viewer, and then a gatefold portrait of the band – in costume/drag – standing in front of a bright yellow background.

All images Copyright 1968 and 2007 Jerry Schatzberg – www.jerryschatzberg.com

When the record was first released, a lot of the songs were censored, and so the record company decided to make changes to the packaging, too, and basically turned the package inside-out, with the gatefold image presented as the front cover and the collage on the inside. Years later, when the record was re-released on CD, the original cover was returned to its proper position.

All images Copyright 1968 and 2007 Jerry Schatzberg – www.jerryschatzberg.com

About the photographer, Jerry Schatzberg –

Born In the Bronx, New York in 1927, Jerry attended the University of Miami, and then worked as assistant to Bill Helburn (1954-1956), after which he left to start his career as a freelance photographer. His fashion and portrait photography has been published in magazines such as Vogue, McCalls, Esquire, Glamour, Town and Country, and Life. He was also in demand by the record companies as a photographer and was the one who shot the famous cover photo image (as well as the other photos used on the record sleeve) for Bob Dylan’s 1966 LP Blonde on Blonde. His cover photo portfolio also includes Sonny & Cher’s Wonderous World of Sonny & Cher, The Rascals’ Young Rascals, Wilson Pickett’s Midnight Mover, and others for Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin, Carmen McRae and many others. In 2006, Genesis Publications released a limited-edition collection of Schatzberg’s photos of Dylan entitled Thin Wild Mercury.It was his portrait photography that taught him how to deal with actors. He realized that most people feared the photographer’s lens. To relax them, he would spend as much time with them as possible, not only to know them better, but to see beyond the surface and discover their true self - the one they hid from the outside world. Most of his great portraits of the sixties - Bob Dylan, Francis Coppola, Andy Warhol, Arlo Guthrie, Roman Polanski, Fidel Castro, Milos Forman, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, The Rolling Stones and many more - reveal these moments of truth.

By not giving specific directions to his photographic models Schatzberg gave them rein to find the moment. It is the same way he gets actors to reach inside. In many ways his photographic style is much closer to that of Andre Kertesz or Henri Cartier-Bresson than to the more-contemporary Irving Penn or Richard Avedon. Instead of the self-contained space of the frame, he looks for the space beyond. His photographs are narrative; they tell a story. In an instant they recognize an action, a gesture, an emotion while at the same time they have a rigorous formal pattern that expresses their meaning. The style however, never manifests itself ostentatiously and never encroaches the fluidity of life.

After expanding into directing TV commercials, he made his debut as a film director in 1970 with “Puzzle of a Downfall Child”, the story of a fashion model. Schatzberg then scored with his second directorial effort, the gripping, finely acted “The Panic in Needle Park” (1971), a bleak study of heroin addiction starring Al Pacino. Pacino co-starred with Gene Hackman in Jerry’s next film, “scarecrow” (1973), which was a moody tale of two drifters which in many ways is an apotheosis of 70’s alienation and confusion. Schatzberg was one of the leading protagonists in the Hollywood Renaissance that struck critics and film-goers alike at the beginning of the 70’s. Perhaps significantly, Schatzberg’s critical following in the United States rose and fell with the 70’s; after 1979’s “Seduction of Joe Tynan”, the trend in Hollywood shifted from small introspective films to the Spielberg/Lucas blockbuster mentality.

Jerry Schatzberg never lost his European devotees, as witnessed by the international success of 1989’s “Reunion”. He also directed 1995’s Lumiere et Compagnie with Sylvia Miles and Rob Cea and 2000’s The Day the Ponies Come Back with Burt Young and Guillaume Canet. He’s been nominated for 4 Golden Palm Awards at Cannes (winning one for “Scarecrow” in 1973 and serving on the jury in 2004) and continues to work on projects – writing books and screenplays – to this day.

Ed. note – I’d like to extend a special “thank you” to Florence Annequin, Assistant to Jerry Schatzberg, for her help with this article.

To see more examples of Jerry Schatzberg’s work, please visit his Web site at:
http://www.jerryschatzberg.com

To see more examples of psychedelic artwork in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please visit
http://www.rockpopgallery.com

About “Cover Stories” - Our weekly series will give you, the music and art fan, a look at “the making of” the illustrations, photographs and designs of many of the most-recognized and influential images that have served to package and promote your all-time-favorite recordings.

Every Friday and syndicated the following week on The Rock and Roll Report, we’ll meet the artists, designers and photographers who produced these works of art and learn what motivated them, what processes they used, how they collaborated (or fought) with the musical acts, their management, their labels, etc. - all of the things that influenced the final product you saw then and still see today.

We hope that you enjoy these looks behind the scenes of the music-related art business and that you’ll share your stories with us and fellow fans about what role these works of art - and the music they covered - played in your lives.

All images Copyright 1967 & 2007 Jerry Schatzberg www.jerryschatzberg.com

Except as noted, All other text Copyright 2007 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

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Track List
1. Back In The Saddle (Tyler,Perry)
2. Last Child (Tyler, Whitford)
3. Rats In the Cellar (Tyler, Perry)
4. Combination (Perry)
5. Sick As A Dog (Tyler, Hamilton)
6. Nobody’s Fault (Tyler, Whitford)
7.Get The Lead Out (Tyler, Perry)
8. Lick and A Promise (Tyler, Perry)
9. Home Tonight (Tyler)

Released May, 1976 Columbia Records
Produced by Jack Douglas and Aerosmith
Band members:
Steven Tyler-vocals, Joe Perry-guitars, six string bass, lap steel guitar, Brad Whitford-guitars, Tom Hamilton-bass, Joey Kramer-drums

The first track on “Rocks” starts off with a slow-building intro, then Steven Tyler screams “I’m back!”, and you are sucked in. This is Aerosmith’s hardest album…the blues are still evident, but the metal is dominate. Having been dismissed as “the American Rolling Stones” by many critics, this album showcases the band’s true essence. Bluesy, ballsy American rock that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.
“We were doing a lot of drugs by then, but you can hear that whatever we were doing was still working for us”-Joe Perry
This is NOT the “We-have-a-ballad-on-the-soundtrack-of-a-cheesy-action-movie” Aerosmith. Were they a better band before they got sober? Hmmm…you tell me. Buy this album. Now.

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Patti Smith is one of the keynote speakers and performers at Pop Montreal, a huge music festival/conference that kicked off here yesterday. When questioned about what rock and roll meant to her and what she felt rock and roll represented she said that “It’s an idea of common expression.” She elaborated by saying that wherever she tours around the world, rock and roll acts as a common expression, a form of universal language. From people wearing their CBGB’s T shirts on the floors of a club in Munich to crowds of strangers singing along to her songs by heart in Montreal, rock and roll is truly a universal form of expression.

How many times have you encountered a stranger and when you learn that the music that inspires them is the same that floats your boat? It’s like you know that person despite the fact that you have never met them before. Rock and Roll can forge a common bond amongst disparate groups of people; it is one of the amazing things about this particular form of music. Just think of all those weddings you attended where the songs that really got people out of their seats, and I mean everybody were old classics like the Beatles where everyone knows the lyrics to the songs regardless of their personal listening habits. You might hate “Twist and Shout” but dammit you will probably sing along to it whether you want to or not.

I don’t want to get all clichéd about this but you know that buzz you get when you are at a show and hundreds or thousands of people are passionately singing along to the music coming from the stage? In this day and age of death and destruction, it truly is a wonderful place to be. Rock and Roll might not be able to save lives but it certainly makes living the life you are leading worthwhile. Pretty cool huh?

Later.

Mark

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