Music memorabilia

Gmash · Jul 9, 2016

Kaat72 said:
Do you know that feeling when things fall into place, and you get goose bumps just anywhere? A dry throat? Tears in your eyes?
Today, the circle was round. Serendipity? Anywho ... Man, it feels good.

In 1974, the Southern band Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded a song in the Muscle Shoals Studios in Alabama: Sweet home Alabama. It was their response to the song Alabama, by Canadian gooder Neil Young. Young recorded it two years before that, for the album Harvest. Both songs are incredibly good.
There is a lot of philosophizing about the relationship between the two songs, and artists. The two are inextricably linked. As this gentleman extensively elaborates: http://thrasherswheat.org/jammin/lynyrd.htm

It is certain that Lynyrd Skynyrd achieved world fame with their song. In 1977 three band members and the pilot died in a plane crash (on a flight which actually was intended for Iron Maiden), and ten years later, in 1987, the remaining members of the band came together for a reunion. The youngest brother of the deceased frontman and singer Ronnie Van Zandt took the mic and the band decided to continue.
Barely two years ago, on a warm Sunday morning we were in that little studio in front of a big cemetery, on a highway road, and the air felt heavy and crickets were singing. Two weeks ago in an amphitheater in Hinckley, Minnesota amid a redneck-ish audience waving confederate flags, Johnny Van Zandt declared that he prayed for a quick resurrection of the beautiful south and we heard them play Sweet home Alabama. And tonight, two hours ago, in Amsterdam we witnessed Neil Young singing his Alabama.
I say this in all humility ... We are horrifically lucky and fortunately we realize that.
I filmed two songs:
Sweet home Alabama:

Alabama:

Enjoy the show

Interesting article, but I think it gives Skynryd far too much credit. They weren't sophisticated enough to hide messages below the surface level. Just straight up rednecks IMO.

mikedt · Jul 9, 2016

Kaat72 said:
Do you know that feeling when things fall into place, and you get goose bumps just anywhere? A dry throat? Tears in your eyes?
Today, the circle was round. Serendipity? Anywho ... Man, it feels good.

In 1974, the Southern band Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded a song in the Muscle Shoals Studios in Alabama: Sweet home Alabama. It was their response to the song Alabama, by Canadian gooder Neil Young. Young recorded it two years before that, for the album Harvest. Both songs are incredibly good.
There is a lot of philosophizing about the relationship between the two songs, and artists. The two are inextricably linked. As this gentleman extensively elaborates: http://thrasherswheat.org/jammin/lynyrd.htm

It is certain that Lynyrd Skynyrd achieved world fame with their song. In 1977 three band members and the pilot died in a plane crash (on a flight which actually was intended for Iron Maiden), and ten years later, in 1987, the remaining members of the band came together for a reunion. The youngest brother of the deceased frontman and singer Ronnie Van Zandt took the mic and the band decided to continue.
Barely two years ago, on a warm Sunday morning we were in that little studio in front of a big cemetery, on a highway road, and the air felt heavy and crickets were singing. Two weeks ago in an amphitheater in Hinckley, Minnesota amid a redneck-ish audience waving confederate flags, Johnny Van Zandt declared that he prayed for a quick resurrection of the beautiful south and we heard them play Sweet home Alabama. And tonight, two hours ago, in Amsterdam we witnessed Neil Young singing his Alabama.
I say this in all humility ... We are horrifically lucky and fortunately we realize that.
I filmed two songs:
Sweet home Alabama:

Alabama:

Enjoy the show

FWIW it was a Van Zandt CD that kicked off the Sony CD rootkit scandal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal

I'd never heard of them before that. I knew Lynyrd Skynyrd though...that's one for my students, spell "Lynyrd Skynyrd"... :thumbsupdroid:

Kaat72 · Jul 10, 2016

They named the band after a teacher in high school.

Gmash · Jul 10, 2016

basic 101 user said:
Kaat 72; I see an admirable enthusiasm which extends beyond merely "the guitar that xxxxxxx played @ xxxxxx", to a desire to share with others the (sadly fading) sense of a particular neighborhood when a cultural phenomena was occurring; It's sights and sounds, beyond just the music scene. The fashions and political / social environment, the mundane daily objects and weather that made up the background. I suspect our region of interest already covers the same phenomena, in the same neighborhood; It may be too late for us. I hope others will use this thread to turn us on to other phenomena, from other eras, in different neighborhoods; And bring that same kind of detailed enthusiasm!

One of several collections which surrounds me on a daily basis is perhaps the largest and most complete single gathering of Rock and Roll posters from the psychedelic era, SF bay area scene; The Filmore and Avalon ballroom, the big name bands, the best work by "the big five" graphic artists, etc.

It isn't bragging, as they are not my creations, nor my possesions; But I do have access to them, and a wealth of historical and trivia related information. Many, (but certainly not all) have been often reproduced, and can be viewed in books or online; Without actively seeking them out, however, most people would not be exposed to them, even if they already have a general curiosity. As with many things in life, without prior exposure, there is little motivation to actively seek out more, ongoing exposure. Unfortunately, it is often frequently true that ongoing exposure sometimes leads to casual disinterest, complacency.

If it were of interest, I would be happy to post an example occasionally, perhaps with a bit of anecdotal information. They live most of their lives in flat files, but when a particularly striking example is brought out into the light, for one reason or another, it would be a simple matter to photograph it, gather some background info, and share it here with anyone interested. Heck, it would even force me to look at them with fresh eyes, so common have they become in my day to day life. No photograph I could post could possibly capture and convey the majesty of some of this art, but if it spurs others to investigate further, then (my understanding of) the mission of a thread like this is complete; Share with others what you know a little about, learn from others a little about what you don't. Thanks.

I love the old rock posters, especially the one-off gig posters. They're an underappreciated art form. Post some pics when you get the chance.

basic 101 user · Jul 15, 2016

^^^^^^^^

Having very hard time getting my act together at the moment, hope to post some rock poster art soon, thanks for encouragement.

May recycle other music related thoughts posted elsewhere on AF, but this for now:

While I can't swear the following is true, I have heard it from multiple sources through many years, with enough consistency and detail to believe it is true.

I never really knew any of them, but there were three great uncles, on my father's side. Kurt, Sven, and Wilhelm were all from the "old world", all classically trained concert musicians. I believe it was Sven who was the viola player; He had a long and successful career in southern California, playing with the L.A. philharmonic, and doing session work for movie and record studios. He worked on many of the major Frank Sinatra records, and frequently told of just how thoroughly professional "Old Blue Eyes" was. The man would come into the studio three minutes before recording was to start, and crank out six or eight tracks in a row.....usually in a single take, bang on the money. No mistakes, no retakes, no ****ing around. The musicians who backed him up were selected precisely because they could keep up; Place a written score in front of them, and they were expected to be able to read the music, and perform it without any warm up or rehearsal.

When Frank Zappa went shopping for musicians on one of his projects, it was that very quality that led him to my great uncle. Sven was handed his sheet music for the session, and was quickly stumped. He studied it for a while, then finally had to ask......"Excuse me, Mr. Zappa......there must be some mistake, I don't believe I can play this for you; I'm a viola player, and the music you have given me appears to be something written for a flute player, perhaps a piccolo?"

And Frank Zappa said... "Oh, when I wrote it, I knew you couldn't possibly play it.....I just need you to try and play it, do your very best; That will be the sound I'm after."

Edit: WOW! Am not offended, just interested as cultural anthropologist.......I didn't *******out certain words, the software just did it for me! What an age we live in!

basic 101 user · Jul 22, 2016

It barely qualifies as memorabilia, but this is a freshly minted music related memory, I will surely never forget. Some of the thoughts are recycled from another posting, sorry to do so, but different thread, different audience. Also a good excuse to revisit a song I liked, but haven't thought about in 20+ years, hope you feel the same way.

It was the penultimate night of the RNC convention, "The Donald's" coming out party. The evening's proceedings were finished, and the public address system was playing music to round out the night, give people something to listen to while filing out of the arena. I was streaming coverage of the event over my laptop, and my jaw simply dropped when I heard the music.....Who in the world was responsible for the song selections? And this one in particular?

The featured speaker of the night had been the de-facto runner up to "Mr. Trump", Texas senator Ted Cruz, whom Donald had savaged in the course of the primary campaign in ways noteworthy even for the ugliest of American politics. His ostensible "endorsement" speech of the now party nominee was far from a rousing 'atta boy. In truth, it could have been seen as a public relations disaster, Mr. Cruz did nothing to present the candidate as a good choice for the office; The most he seemed willing to do was urge the crowd to "vote their conscience".
Why anyone would later select background music by a Canadian band, for perhaps the most red blooded of American flag waving events possible, I will never understand. But hey, Ted was born in Canada, perhaps the choice was in fact deliberate, not merely a coincidence? But when you look at the lyrics of the song, you really do have to question the choice, and believe someone just dropped the ball. The only other possible explanation was that a Stewart or a Colbert type of figure had infiltrated the event and was executing a well crafted prank, it was just that perfect.

I understand that viewed through a partisan lens, and seeking out incongruous or embarrassing connections, any well written song lyric lends its self to comic interpretations. But this was too much. They were playing Rush's "Limelight".

Beyond the ever present allusions in the song to superficiality, crafted image "trumping" reality, and hollow, staged performances, the second verse reads: "Cast in this unlikely role, ill equipped to act, with insufficient tact, one must put up barriers, to keep oneself intact". And as delicious as that was, it only got better.

Paraphrasing the fourth and fifth verses: "All the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players, performers and portrayers...Living in a fish eye lens, caught in the camera's eye...I have no heart to lie. I can't pretend a stranger is a long lost friend." Message received, and understood, Ted. Over and out.

I Goddamn nearly wet myself, it was so delightful.

basic 101 user · Aug 3, 2016

Hey, (all?). Finally got off of my arse, wanted to post a rock poster. This one has been out on loan to two museums over the past year, and just came back to the archive to roost. It was among my first choices, and when it returned, it seemed like the right thing to post.

Would like to remind.... not my creations or possessions, so don't want to come off like bragging. Just have access, want to share, and could stand to be corrected on historical facts, will do the best I can.

Half of the stuff I have a mind to share, is totally well documented, available to view online or in books. But how many out there would deliberately seek them out? And when you flip through a book filled with so much cool stuff, it's so easy to just go "Yeah, yeah, whatever......Flip, (cool), flip, (cool), flip.....Yawn, whatever."
And the other half of the stuff I'm thinking about is quite rare or odd, unlikely to be as well documented or available to all. Hope you enjoy.

My first selection is referred to as BG-23. (Bill Graham) #23, how the number sequence works I don't know.
I picked it to show first, for numerous reasons. Because it's good looking to start;
Nice colors. More there later.
Great artwork. By Wes Wilson, one of the "big 5" poster artists in the SF psychedelic scene of the day. Fluid, erotic forms.....If you don't see two lovers entwined, look again.
Great lettering; Some later posters had lettering that while super cool, was so genuinely twisted that it was nearly inscrutable, unless the reader was "in the right mood". (The "big 5" knew their target audience, and spoke "the language".) This relatively early poster has lettering that is characteristic and appealing, but still legible to most viewers.
Super band lineup; (Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead on one bill, at the Filmore, Aug. 12 / 13, 1966.

Beyond that, it is generally looked upon as the first use (in the bay area psychedelic rock scene) of photographs of band members on this kind of advertising. Notice that the picture of Airplane members shows Signe Anderson, the original lead singer; Grace Slick was still performing with "Great Society" at that time.

So the first shot is of a "pirate" version of the poster I intend to show; The original poster was printed (and re-printed) on five different production runs, (once before, and then subsequently four times after the concert.) Each of the five printings have very subtle, identifiable differences, all important to collectors. Again, the first image shows an example of an "unofficial" printing, which has it's own distinguishing characteristics.
It is slightly smaller.
The ink colors aren't quite as pure.....The purple, in particular has a distinctly "pixilated", grainy appearance, almost like looking at a photograph under a magnifying glass; Like the purple is made up of tiny little closely packed dots of red and blue, not a pure color.
Most importantly, it is printed on paper which is pure, bleached white; The original, genuine first printing was on paper stock which was not so bright, more ivory, and it gives the image a different, warmer look.

All of the other shots are of a genuine first printing, in near mint condition, as if right off the press. And some close up detail shots as well. The story which I have been told, is that the current owner purchased it at a poster expo, perhaps 20 years ago. He stood there and watched someone else discuss it with the dealer, politely waiting his turn and remaining silent. And when the first potential buyer walked away, balking at the (then crazy) $1,000 asking price, the current owner counted to three, gulped, and said "I'll take it". It has increased in value since then, and is in some ways, priceless; Very few originals in this condition remain, and this example was signed in pencil by the original artist, Wes Wilson, 10 to 15 years ago. As with many of the posters of the time, reprints are available, but to see one which was printed before the show, has all the original little details, and was never intended to be a collectible, merely a piece of advertising ephemera, to be thrown away the following week....... Is always cool.

"Pirate" reproduction:

Original, first printing

Too much? More? Cheers, all

Gmash · Aug 3, 2016

basic 101 user said:
Hey, (all?). Finally got off of my arse, wanted to post a rock poster. This one has been out on loan to two museums over the past year, and just came back to the archive to roost. It was among my first choices, and when it returned, it seemed like the right thing to post.

Would like to remind.... not my creations or possessions, so don't want to come off like bragging. Just have access, want to share, and could stand to be corrected on historical facts, will do the best I can. Half of the stuff I have a mind to share, is totally well documented, available to view online or in books. But how many out there would deliberately seek them out? And when you flip through a book filled with so much cool stuff, it's so easy to just go "Yeah, yeah, whatever......Flip, (cool), flip, (cool), flip.....Yawn, whatever."
And the other half of the stuff I'm thinking about is quite rare or odd, unlikely to be as well documented or available to all. Hope you enjoy.

My first selection is referred to as BG-23. (Bill Graham) #23, how the number sequence works I don't know.
I picked it to show first, for numerous reasons. Because it's good looking to start;
Nice colors. More there later.
Great artwork. By Wes Wilson, one of the "big 5" poster artists in the SF psychedelic scene of the day. Fluid, erotic forms.....If you don't see two lovers entwined, look again.
Great lettering; Some later posters had lettering that while super cool, was so genuinely twisted that it was nearly inscrutable, unless the reader was "in the right mood". (The "big 5" knew their target audience, and spoke "the language".) This relatively early poster has lettering that is characteristic and appealing, but still legible to most viewers.
Super band lineup; (Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead on one bill, at the Filmore, Aug. 12 / 13, 1966.

Beyond that, it is generally looked upon as the first use (in the bay area psychedelic rock scene) of photographs of band members on this kind of advertising. Notice that the picture of Airplane members shows Signe Anderson, the original lead singer; Grace Slick was still performing with "Great Society" at that time.

So the first shot is of a "pirate" version of the poster I intend to show; The original poster was printed (and re-printed) on five different production runs, (once before, and then subsequently four times after the concert.) Each of the five printings have very subtle, identifiable differences, all important to collectors. Again, the first image shows an example of an "unofficial" printing, which has it's own distinguishing characteristics.
It is slightly smaller.
The ink colors aren't quite as pure.....The purple, in particular has a distinctly "pixilated", grainy appearance, almost like looking at a photograph under a magnifying glass; Like the purple is made up of tiny little closely packed dots of red and blue, not a pure color.
Most importantly, it is printed on paper which is pure, bleached white; The original, genuine first printing was on paper stock which was not so bright, more ivory, and it gives the image a different, warmer look.

All of the other shots are of a genuine first printing, in near mint condition, as if right off the press. And some close up detail shots as well. The story which I have been told, is that the current owner purchased it at a poster expo, perhaps 20 years ago. He stood there and watched someone else discuss it with the dealer, politely waiting his turn and remaining silent. And when the first potential buyer walked away, balking at the (then crazy) $1,000 asking price, the current owner counted to three, gulped, and said "I'll take it". It has increased in value since then, and is in some ways, priceless; Very few originals in this condition remain, and this example was signed in pencil by the original artist, Wes Wilson, 10 to 15 years ago. As with many of the posters of the time, reprints are available, but to see one which was printed before the show, has all the original little details, and was never intended to be a collectible, merely a piece of advertising ephemera, to be thrown away the following week....... Is always cool.

"Pirate" reproduction:

Original, first printing

Too much? More? Cheers, all

Very cool!

Kaat72 · Aug 3, 2016

Moar!

basic 101 user · Aug 4, 2016

Hey; Had no intention of posting again so soon, but got excited when I discovered this, wanted to share.

Also, been to the 'fridge a few times tonite, forgive me. :rolleyes:

Not here to lecture others on stuff I'm only now discovering myself, happy to be corrected or shown earlier/better versions.

Not exactly memorabilia, hope you don't mind, K-72.

One of the first three "albums" I ever bought with my own money was the Grateful Dead (s') debut album, I have never been without a copy since. And no, am not as old or stinky as you might be thinking, at this point.

Have been told much of the style of that album was the effect of a lot of "speed" laid on top of the psychedelics; Don't know if true or not (although they certainly did have a close association with the Hell's Angels), that's another, darker Altamont chapter. Many will know, some may not: Methamphetamines / "speed" A.K.A "crank"; There are numerous stories of the Hell's Angels transporting significant quantities of "product" in sections of the crankcase of their bikes, but I digress.

I always wanted to believe that first album got some of its sound not from "crank", but because Warner Brothers simply put their foot down; "Boys, these 11 minute, 48 second songs of yours are cute, but they aren't going to work.....Make 'em shorter, or find the door.
Either way, much of the album contains wildly abbreviated, drag-race, 2:45 second versions of material they might otherwise have stretched out.
Among the few "extended" songs on the album, is "Viola Lee Blues". Frankly, it takes some patience to make it all the way through the GD version, (even for me), but still cool. Was by no means previously ignorant of how heavily the album leaned on old blues standards, not ignorant of portions of this particular song's history, but only today saw this version. Too cool for words, IMHO, and so clearly lives on in the GD version. The harmonica player in particular, shines.
This old recording reminds me of why we have such institutions as the Smithsonian in this country, why some people work so hard to preserve and archive the past, for future generations to enjoy.

If you can, grab a beer, close your eyes, and wade through the entire GD album version.

They did what all great artists do.....Pay close attention to what came before, respect the hell out of it, and try to take it to the next level. The electronics and pharmaceuticals of the day helped too. :cool:

. Pardon me, off to the 'fridge.

Enjoy.

Later Edit: Reminder, just how special the notion of "air mail" posting a letter was in 1920's.....Super high speed correspondence, not all that long ago in the big scheme of things.

basic 101 user · Aug 11, 2016

Cheers, all.
Standard disclaimers: My "Fractured Fairy Tales" version of history is a constant work in progress, can stand to be corrected at any time.

This stretches the definition of "memorabilia" quite a bit, but I hope I can make the case, even as I make it up while I go along. The actual linked performance may be (very) old news to everyone, hardly a lost treasure, but I keep coming back to it again and again, think it is just that cool. :cool:

I am reflexively skeptical of much old footage....Consider it all valuable, but wonder; Just how real is some of it, really? Some footage is genuinely unwatchable to me, for any number of reasons. The bad stuff makes me put a premium on, and be truly grateful for the good footage.

Did the video and audio actually come from the same performance, or (for instance) consecutive nights at the same venue? Even if the audio and video performance do appear matched and sync'd, Is it truly a "live" performance, or another "Top of the Pops" "air guitar-lip sync" performance? Heck, you see some footage that appears to be one audio performance, cut together with video from two or three other performances, different nights and venues! None of it aligns properly, you can't make the musician's actions match what the ear is hearing, no matter what. I'm grateful the footage exists, but it ruins it for me, no matter how good the individual audio and video components are. The parts should be stored separately, as audio and video, not combined and misrepresented as a "concert performance".
Finally, are the audience reaction shots, and ambient room noise sync'd to the audio? Are they even from the same night and venue, or did they just neatly compliment a film maker's agenda; Stock footage that fit in well enough to create a mood and lead the viewer to a point the director was trying to make?

The attached performance may not be perfect, but seems pretty darn good to me......And even if it fails these (or other similar) tests, I don't care, I refuse to care.....It's just that cool!
I choose to believe this clip is about as good as it gets, you can't change my mind.

And I choose to believe these kids in the audience were truly that blown away, incapable of even really comprehending what they were seeing; Like watching Marty McFly, at the "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance!

The bigger "Memorabilia" point I have in mind, however, has more to do with the capture and preservation of the footage its self. This particular clip has a very distinctive look, one characteristic of the time, and one which has always fascinated me.
Black and white, yes, but far more than just that. (And consider, in 1967 color television cameras were certainly available).....But in Europe, at that time, for a small venue show, where nobody was expecting anything spectacular to happen......The second or third teams were likely sent there, to do what they could with the old tools and equipment that were available to them; No big deal if they got it or not.

Check out the "flaring" and "haloing" that happens at various times, particularly when light is reflected directly back into the camera, off of the guitar body and pick guard. It's an interesting artifact of image capture technology of the day, one I imagine you have seen in other concert footage from the era as well.
I used to think it was "Kinescope" technology that looked like that, but now suspect I am wrong. Prior to the mid 1950's, the only way to record a television signal was by Kinescope; Quite literally, a 35MM film camera was pointed at a dedicated video tube, and film was shot of the broadcast, in real time. I assumed that in between the video output, and the film emultion, the image was somehow corrupted, leading to the signature look.
Evidently, the look actually arises from the inherent limitations of the imaging tube in the original broadcast camera its self. (Even if you don't follow the previous link, with its many branches to their ends, do yourself the favor of at least scrolling down a bit......Some great pictures of famous performers and the cameras / camera operators that captured them for us ) I am lead to believe that the "Marconi" brand "Orthicon" imaging tubes used in so many cameras at the time had inherent design limitations, some of which manifest themselves in such characteristic effects. As with all tubes of the sort, a layer of photo reactive elements on the back of the tube was exposed to light, and the intensity of the light would cause the local output signal to vary accordingly.
The phosphorus layer has a certain "refresh rate"; It can only respond to varying input intensity so rapidly, without becoming momentarily "saturated". Above a certain signal input level, (super bright) the phosphorus layer cannot fully return to a "neutral" state, and the next signal output is distorted, appearing brighter, as the new signal value is now added to the remainder of the previous one.
And under very extreme conditions, I have heard the affected regions of the phosphorus layer being described as "splashing" that local over abundance of electrons onto adjacent regions, affecting them in odd ways as well, light areas sometimes appearing dark, and vice versa.

I always wanted to see it as the visual equivalent of the electronic feedback and distortion that artists like Hendrix were learning how to bend, shape, and harness to their will......Pushing the music to the next level, by pushing the state of the art hardware and electronics to their limits...... And beyond.

"Hey Joe" is one of my all time favorites, and one of my favorite guitar solos of all time is from the studio version, on that debut album.....So sweet and distinctive, with very little of the pyrotechnics and excess drama I don't generally go in for......But I sure am glad there is footage of Jimi doing the crazy S**T that he is best known for, and doing it so stinkin' well!

basic 101 user · Aug 12, 2016

Never really thought about where he was buried. (Less than 1,000 miles from me, but still out of reach).
Never would have imagined the monument was that new.
Never would have doubted for a second that other cultures might prefer you to leave your stupid car behind and walk up to pay tribute, but whatever.
Never doubted for a second that the place was so important, for so many.
Sick to my stomach that the (cynical bastard in me) questions the "post mortem "estate management" team's" decision to erect the (new) monument.
But truly glad to see you went, for all the right reasons.

In 1995, when Jerry died, I was in the middle of (the 8 week long relationship that was the best of my life).
She called me in the shop, at work, and said....."I just heard......Are you OK?"
What could I say, other than, "Of course......If you paid attention to any of it........You gotta' know there is nothing else but to be OK with it."

Got stupid and confused.........Without context, how silly must that look?
Sorry @Kaat72

basic 101 user · Aug 24, 2016

It took me a few days, but I finally found it!!!!!!!!
It ain't mine, and I wasn't there, but this is rock and roll memorabilia at it's best, IMHO.........
(Just arrived here from @LV426 thread, "is it art?" thread, come join us, please

The history of Rock n' Roll pins is well documented in some areas, far less so in others........I wanted to tell the room that the bent and broken pin (shown here) was one of the left over ones from Europe, brought over to America, to support that first Dire Straits N.A. tour......... (but clearly it was printed by WB, in America.)

In any case, there are many, many of the all metal, enameled pins of this era to be had........But this is one of the (early,fragile) cardboard pins, handed out at the door before a show. Dad can't find his, at the moment....... This is the one Mom wore that night, and its "collector value" seems to have been significantly "compromised" in the course of the evening.

I bonded with Dad over the dinner table tonight. I remember this story from years ago, but it was good to hear it again.

('Cause that's what old farts do, right?) Tell the same tired, boring old stories, again and again? (Seriously), treasure it, let 'em run with the ball when they do, whatever the topic.

Dad and I disagree on much when it comes to music, but we also agree on quite a bit.
And one of the areas of total consensus is: That first Dire Straits album was awesome.......A life altering, game changer for both of us.

In 1979 , '80 or so........ (A little research would figure it out, but I'm feeling lazy tonight.......You Google it for me!)

Anyway, around that time Dire Straits came to America for the first time, and played at Lou Adler's LA club, The Roxy.
Mom and Dad coat-tailed in to the show (because of a friend of a friend kind of thing), got to see a "closed" performance they never would have been able to see in "real life".

Aside from it being a stellar show, they both describe it as one of the most amazing experiences of their young lives. They felt like one of the few "nobodys" in the joint; Most of the rest of the crowd consisted of "A-list" Hollywood types; Mom's pin probably got bent like that, when she bumped into Lauren Hutton at the bar.(Yes, that is what happens, even to supermodels, when they age, you young snots, still reading.)

Definite names and faces in the club, all dressed to kill, packed in like sardines, and all there to see the hottest new thing in music, since who knows what. The talk of the town, on stage and pumping it out, literally arm's length away.

At some point, Dad had to take a leak; He got up and tried to find the facilities, stumbled around and got a little lost. Innocently (and kinda' dim-wittedly) made his way through one door after another, hopping from one foot to the other, 'till he finally found the bathroom. There was one other guy standin' in the hall, waiting his turn for the room, so Dad got in queue, and patiently waited; The sound of the show still throbbing through the walls, in the dimly lit hallway. This other dude was standin' there, back to the wall, waitin' his turn for the john........But there was definitely something odd about this cat. He would occasionally, randomly mumble a short sentence to the room, then laugh to himself.......amused by what the "other him" had just said. And occasionally, he would lift his twisted arms up, crank his head back, and rip off an "air guitar" lick.
At some point, they had both been waiting way, way too f*c*in' long for whoever was already in the bathroom to finish his "business"........Dad decided to look for another restroom.

As he started to walk away, Dad suddenly figured it out...........

The door was just a utility closet, and the dude standing there, (grooving by himself), in a dimly lit hallway........... was Keith Richards. Doin' his smacked out, "alone time" thing.

And he was definitely, totally unaware that my Dad was standing next to him, that whole time.

Gmash · Aug 26, 2016

That's pretty neat, (and a great story from your dad). I can't imagine pins being given away before a show today, somebody would probably poke their eye out and sue the band for handing out sharp objects.

Kaat72 · Aug 29, 2016

I got this pin handed out at the entrance of the stadium in Hamburg, Germany in July, for the Coldplay concert.

Gmash · Aug 29, 2016

Kaat72 said:
I got this pin handed out at the entrance of the stadium in Hamburg, Germany in July, for the Coldplay concert. View attachment 109105

Well, in Europe you guys still get to be treated like adults. Due to lawyers, everyone in America is assumed to be a clumsy toddler.

basic 101 user · Sep 5, 2016

Not sure this qualifies as memorabilia, but definitely good footage.

Hard to imagine I am struggling to get my own father to take it seriously......Temporal anomaly, anyone?

I just stumbled on this footage, am digging it. Ordinarily, I can't stand footage that doesn't exactly sync up, audio to video......It drives me batty, like nails pounded into my brain.......But in this instance, the disconnect just makes it that much more powerful,............... the performance I missed.

Also very touching is this, unrelated but totally related.

To die so young, and still leave such a lasting mark on the world.

basic 101 user · Sep 7, 2016

Cheers, all; A few more posters.

My access to collections ebbs and flows; I should take it more seriously when I can get in. But some days, that's not me at all. And I wasn't feeling particularly serious this morning......This is watcha' get today.

Only half joking, (bear with me) I present some quasi-rock n' roll posters, perhaps not truly memorabilia, but maybe of some interest to others.
If not, sue me.

A pair of Spinal Tap concert posters.

It's only half a joke; There were actual concerts held, at The Warfield, and promoted by Bill Graham; The posters each carry "BG-xxx" numbers, making them part of the genuine series of recognized Bill Graham promoted events.

So yeah, it was kind of a joke, but fun none the less.

And they are in this client's pile mostly because of how they relate to the "real" posters from the day, provide a little comic relief.
That, and 'cause the movie was so darn much fun. :cool:

The first is for a pair of shows in June of 1992. You Google it for me, was that the "Break Like The Wind" tour?

Obviously, it is a tribute to the posters of the original golden era of psychedelic posters, more of which I hope to share in the future, if wanted. At first glance it could be mistaken for work by Wes Wilson, with good reason. (More there in a bit).
Obviously, the joke is that the Dead and the Airplane were the intended headliners, but they have been dropped from the lineup and crossed out, and new event information has been "tipped in" to the original artwork. Also fun is the top line reading "In Dance Concert", more to say there another day, if I can gain access to the other works that would provide context there, flesh out the point to be made.
While it is very much in the spirit of the original psychedelic posters, and certainly fun, I would hope to offer some other examples in the future; Examples for "real" shows, with "better" artwork, and better color combinations.....While this is fun, something is definitely lacking here; More to be said later, unless Kaat gives me the hook.

Since the artist who inspired the above, Wes Wilson has been mentioned, I thought it would be fun to show an example of his work; This one isn't directly rock n' roll related, speaks more to the whole field of poster art. And where the Spinal Tap poster is a bit of a joke, the following piece is one of the more treasured items in another individual's collection.

This is a one of a kind piece, original pen artwork by Wes Wilson himself, produced as an example of his famous lettering style, and used in the Leslie Cabarga book, "Logo, Font, and Lettering Bible". On page 204 this work appears......Along with an example (which Wilson acknowledges having seen) of similar work by Alfred Roller from 1902; Clearly illustrating the point that there is little new under the sun, and that most big men stand on the shoulders of giants who came before them.

Absent any color, context, or message to impart, it is a simple study of the playful nature of the individual characters.
And the collector finds it particularly amusing that it is not truly a "signed" piece of artwork; It merely carries the artist's name; Sure, in this case it was written by the artist, in his own hand at the time the work was produced......But intended as a mere component of the artwork, to be visible when printed in the book, (Just as he and other artists always included their names in the corner of their art to be then printed on every copy of a poster)......But it's not a true signature, for those who keep careful score. :rolleyes:

The previously mentioned book is readily available for anyone interested in the subject, rock poster art is a tiny, incidental part of the fun. ISBN: 978-1-58180-436-2.

Finally, is the second Spinal Tap poster; Far less to say here;

Not as interesting to me personally, but as long as I'm showing the one.......And definitely a tribute to a later era of poster / album cover art styles, a type some may fondly remember. Includes numerous sight gags which will ring a bell with anyone familiar with the movie; Not all will scale well. The "spacecraft / guitar" is badged the "USS Big Bottom", the satellite is a giant orbiting cucumber with solar arrays deployed.

[/JOKE]
G'nite.

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