the doors photographed by yale joel 1968

Some brilliant pictures of The Doors, taken by Yale Joel for Life Magazine in 1968.  The black and white ones are atmospheric, but l prefer the colour one at the top with the light show behind Jim Morrison (or Jimbo as l call him).  It's also astounding to see the lack of security present at the concert (The Fillmore East).  Bloody hippies.

toodle pip

the word has ceased to be

The Word staff

 Richard Hawley in his local

 Seasick Steve in his mobile

 Marco Pirroni at home

Nick Cave emoting

The Word magazine, my favourite of them all, has ceased to be.  The magazine's last edition was the August one (which l managed to drop in the bath), and the website is no more. It was also the only magazine l have ever subscribed to.   Luckily the 'Massive' who frequented the website have started an alternate one, which is splendid, so l can now get me fix there.  I've changed the 'Word' link  (on the right hand side) to 'The Afterword' link, but if it doesn't work, try here.
The above photos are all by Muir Vidler, and are of the Word team, plus some shots he took for the Word itself (and his site has some interesting stuff).
Adios old chums, it's been a blast.

toodle pip

the rolling stones getting old

There's been a lot of fuss about The Rolling Stones celebrating the 50th anniversary since their first gig, with a new book in conjunction with The Daily Mirror featuring old photographs of the band. It's strange to think that they will no longer be around soon, as all of the old time greats are getting older and dying off. The trouble is, who the hell is going to replace them? X Factor and Brit school illuminati? I really don't think so.
Anyway, l digress. I really like this cover featuring Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as Chelsea pensioners. Rather sadly, this was done 17 years ago. They seemed really old when l saw them on the 1982 tour, but Keef was still only 39 at the time. I still have difficulty getting my head around that, and l don't like to dwell on how young The Beatles were when they split up (and what ages they were when they were conquering the world) . Time is certainly flying by.

toodle pip

this weeks nme stone roses cover

Nothing to say really, apart from l really like this weeks old school  NME Stone Roses cover, advertising their gigs at Heaton Park this weekend. It's raining now, and it's set to continue (bloody British summers)  so pack your wellies.

toodle pip

martin keown in time magazine

I admit l have been pretty slow on the uptake of this (and many other things), but it is still brilliant. A Time magazine cover from a 2003 about our early ancestors, and who should the cover picture look like?
Non other than the simian twat himself, Martin Keown.
Scarily accurate, and l still haven't forgiven Keown for screaming into Ruud Van Nistelrooy's face after Ruud had missed a penalty against the Arse.

toodle pip

going on the the jetty of death in liverpool with keith richards

When l was but a young whipper snapper, l used to put together comics and magazines. This resulted in me following bands around, either selling stuff, or taping / bootlegging them.
At the time, l didn't have a driving licence, so l had to get people to drive me around and give me a hand, and in about 1991, that lucky individual was called Martin Evans.
Now l have known Martin for a few years, and after he moved down south, we sporadically kept in touch, and when he eventually got married a couple of years ago, l went to his wedding in Cambridge, so we are still on friendly terms.
I have had some fine times with that young man, and we share a similar sense of humour, but there are two incidents l have had with him that stand out (no, not the acid at Glastonbury).
Why these two specific incidents you may well ask?
Because on both occasions, he could have died when l was being my usual, idiot 'rock and roll' self.
We crashed in a car l was driving (illegally) while arguing about who we would be in The Rolling Stones (as you do). After me saying he would be Bill Wyman (taking the piss), l turned to him and declared "I am Keith Richards", only to look up and then crash into a roundabout at full speed, writing off the car and leaving it steaming in the middle of the roundabout (OK, l know it's not big or clever, so don't bother bugging me about it). We both managed to get out and we laugh about it now, especially as neither of us were injured and no charges were made (and the car sure looked good in the middle of it the next day).
On the other occasion, we had been in Liverpool selling magazines and getting drunk, when l suggested going down to the river, which meant walking on an old jetty which was falling apart. That jetty may well have been the one above, but as it was the middle of the night, and we were very (very) drunk, l can't really be certain. One thing that is definite though, is that when we approached the end of the jetty, it gave way underneath Martin and he fell through the hole. Luckily for him, his elbows came out and prevented him going straight down into the dark and murky waters of the Mersey, from which there is no way he would have been able to escape. We managed to get him back onto the jetty (admittedly a little shaken and sobered up), and we then walked back to where we were staying (with him leaving a trail of poo behind him).
Happy days indeed, but for some reason the wild nights out with him seemed to come to an abrupt end.
I reckon he is scared of incident no 3, whatever that might entail.
As for me - indestructible.

toodle pip

we'll take manhattan - bbc 2012

It's David and Jean! (not really)

It's Jean! (not really)

It's a pretty young Bailey! (not really)

It's an iconic shot (really)

Gor blimey guvn'r, this was a right old carry on, and no mistake.
We'll Take Manhattan follows the young David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton, as they travel to Manhattan in 1962 for a Vogue photographic assignment, with the Vogue old guard  in tow to keep an eye on them.
Of course Bailey ignores instructions, demands Shrimpton is used, shoots the pictures his own way (Whaat! No tripod!) and is applauded as a genius on his return.
It's a love story between Bailey and Shrimpton, and a clash of the old and new, but it was like watching Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, just totally unbelievable.
The cockerneee was either over the top, hardly there at all, or the rhyming slang just weren't right (Surely it should have been 'Eartha's', not 'Eartha Kitt's').
Although Karen Gillian is attractive, she is not in the same class as 'The Shrimp', as there is just some magical element missing that is (admittedly) hard to define. They should have put a wig on Aneurin Barnard (who played Bailey) and used him as the model instead, the handsome young self confident tyke.
A right old cockernee knees up laugh out loud and slap your thighs program, but not in the way the makers would have wanted it to be.
Bailey even gets to slag of the Beatles who he hears singing 'Love Me Do' on the flight home (he doesn't like skiffle). That was ironically shoehorned in to represent the new world coming.
Slapped wrists all round (and cancel the pearl necklace's).
Alright guv' (Now jog on).

toodle pip

men magazine fashion

What the stylish man about town should be wearing, according to Men Magazine, back in the day.
Nice - keep it sweet.

toodle pip

life magazine beatles covers

I still have not crumbled and started collecting Life Magazines (see earlier post), but here are some more that l would want stashed away once l do eventually crumble.

What can l say? I'm from Liverpool, l love The Beatles and l love collecting comics and magazines, especially ones l consider historic.

Methinks l will have to crack on and do some overtime to fund my addiction.

toodle pip

more life magazines

After the last post - here are some more Life mags that l wouldn't mind. I think l had better stop looking at them before l crumble and start hitting the telephone and paypal.

toodle pip

life magazine muhammed ali covers

Now l certainly enjoy collecting things (some would say junk), and l certainly have a lot of crap already, but there is soooooooo much more out there that l would also like to get my stinking mitts on. Take these Life Magazines with the Ali covers. Mmmmm, methinks l may have to crumble and add them to the collection. Then again, where will it all end? There are plenty more Life mags where these little beauties came from, and there are plenty more little beauties that l would also like to have. There's the Beatles ones, the wacky ones, the historical ones, the comedy ones................................AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

toodle pip

noel gallagher in word magazine

Noel Gallagher is always a great interviewee, and this months The Word magazine interview is no exception. However, the cover illustration by Howard McWilliam is even better. Rather sadly, l think l am turning into him (Noel, not Howard, and without the money).

toodle pip

the word magazine amy winehouse cover

The Word is my favourite magazine, and has been for a while.

I have loved the magazine since the first issue, and always look forward to the start of a new month, and the magazine plopping through my letter box (that sounds disgusting).

Although there are sometimes drops in standards, it is always well worth the money, and there is always a free CD with it, containing tracks l have never heard before.

This is the new edition that plopped through earlier in the week (as l am a subscriber), and whatever your views on Amy Winehouse, this is a great photograph and layout.

The issues for sale in the shops will have extra writing on the cover, plus a CD stuck to it, which is a shame, as the work that has gone into this will not be on open display for all to admire.

So....

The solution is.....

Get a subscription here.

(and no, l don't get anything from recommending the mag)

toodle pip

bob harris and his cd shelves

There is a feature in this months Word magazine about collecting records, and storing them if you have loads. It featured (amongst others) Bob Harris, who stores his CDs in a portakabin in his garden. It may well be a mightily secure and alarmed portakabin, but it is a portakabin non the less. It is also full of shelves and CDs. To say l was envious looking at the pictures is an understatement, l was so outrageously jealous it was unbelievable. It is not even the amount of CDs he has, as l have the same amount, if not more. It's the shelves. Those beautiful wooden shelves. I think l am becoming addicted to them (and very, very sad). Time for a lie down methinks, it's getting late and l am going giddy.

toodle pip

john lennon playboy interview

It was 30 years ago this month (8th or 9th, depending on your time zone).

Here's an interesting interview John and Yoko did for playboy just before.

http://www.john-lennon.com/playboyinterviewwithjohnlennonandyokoono.htm

toodle pip

the mighty status quo

I heard a couple of old Status Quo songs when l had my ipod on shuffle recently, and by jove and Jimmy me lad, they were still pretty darn good.

Obviously they have now become some kind of British institution and also a bit of a joke, but back in the day they were pretty much the alternative rock scene (and sound). It was either them or the progessive sound of Pink Floyd, ELP, The Moody Blues, Tangerine Dream ad infinitum.

I know it is now hard to believe, but l present before your baffled and bemused eyes some visual proof and representation of how highly they were regarded.

Now if only l had some kind of time machine to take me back to those days......... (which some people would say l have never really left anyway).

O Happy Days!! (and l still had a 28" waist)

toodle pip

torres is bruno

I finished reading this four four two magazine this evening, one that I liberated from the doctors a couple of weeks ago. What I want to know is who on earth took the cover photo and persuaded Torres that he looks mean and cool in it. The person who did is a genius and probably a Manchester United fan, as Torres looks very gay (nothing wrong with that) and remarkably like Sacha Cohen's Bruno. I really hope Torres keeps that hairstyle, it's priceless! Marvellous stuff.

toodle pip

danny dyer and zoo

I do not think for one minute that Danny Dyer will write his own column for Zoo, but he is going to take a lot of shit for this. Zoo have said it was a "production error". What a flimsy and stupid statement. If they are going to be printing stuff like this, at least have the bottle to go with it and say that it is not meant to be taken seriously, it was all done tongue in cheek, it is aimed at a specific lads market etc etc. They may be wrong in their stance, but they obviously had no problems with printing it in the first place, and probably found it funny. If they are not going to back it up, they should just apologise, admit it was out of order, a mistake has been made, and it is was in bad taste. Go for it one way or the other, instead of being such spineless bastards. "Production error" Bah!

toodle pip

cool keith

Finished reading this magazine this morning. Once again, Keith is a star.