You’ll either love Lisztomania (directed by Ken Russell), or you’ll hate it – I lean more towards the latter camp, but it is certainly worth giving at least a half an hour before you decide! With Roger Daltry from the Who as Franz Liszt, the world’s first pop star, and Ringo Starr as the pope, you have to at least be curious. No matter what, it is worth having on your radar …
“Guy Peellaert was to Europe what Andy Warhol was to America – except that Guy had more talent!” – Jim Steranko (American comic book artist, art historian, publisher and film production illustrator).
Guy Peellaert was a Brussels-born artist. He worked as a painter, illustrator, graphic artist and photographer, with shows around the world. Peellaert’s creations are a beautifully unique blend of comic-style illustration, American Pop Art and psychedelia. He was a bit of a pop culture junkie; the artist survived on a steady diet of music, magazines, books, rock memorabilia, and pulp literature. Peellaert’s first major success was with a comic strip published in 1966, “Les Aventures de Jodelle,” followed by “Pravda, La Survireuse” in 1968. His comics were pop art masterpieces filled with sexy heroines kicking all sorts of ass!
Then, In the late Sixties, the artist moved from Brussels to Paris, where he stayed busy doing a bit of this and a bit of that – advertising, set design for casinos and the Crazy Horse nightclub, film and television. But in his free time Peellaert continued to create art, and he quickly became a popular chronicler of rock and roll gods, painting his idols into fantasy situations come to life.
Peellaert gained such notoriety and success with his pop fantasy creations that he collaborated with British rock writer Nik Cohn to create “Rock Dreams” in 1974. In a series of 125 paintings, Peellaert painted his heroes in situations echoing their mythical status or playing on their most famous lyrics. The book was a huge success, and Peellaert became somewhat of a household name.
From there, the sky was pretty much the limit. Peelaert went on to create some pretty iconic album covers, and movie posters …
Peellaert passed away November 17th, 2008 in Paris aged 74. In 2003, Peellaert told Beaux Arts Magazine: “I’m not bothered about death. Not having any passion while you’re alive, that’s the terrible thing. That’s why “Rock Dreams” still works today. Emotions keep you alive. Rock will always represent the extravagant, the flashy, the fantasy. These pictures are a memento to that dream.” Pretty perfect.
Joe Strummer, The Clash
Joey Ramone, The Ramones David Gilmour, Pink Floyd
Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Dave Mustaine, Megadeth
Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath
Lemmy, Motorhead
John Lennon, The Beatles
Morrissey, Morrissey
Morrissey, The Smiths
George Harrison, George HarrisonD
Keith Moon, The Who
Jimmy Page, Zoso (Led Zeppelin) – love the knit!
Steven Tyler, Aerosmith
Gram Parsons, The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Fallen Angels
Granny Takes a Trip was a boutique that opened in February 1966 at 488 Kings Road in Chelsea, London by Nigel Waymouth, Sheila Cohen, and John Pearse. It is arguably the first psychedelic boutique of ‘Swinging London,’ and it is certainly one of the coolest shops of all time!
It started out as an outlet for Cohen’s collection of antique clothing, but it quickly evolved into a hangout for the rich and famous, and a place to buy totally unique, and utterly excellent clothes. Taking the gaudy upholstery, lace and brightly patterned wall coverings that typified geriatric chic, the designers at Granny’s twisted them into modern takes on the saville row tailoring tradition. And everyone that was anyone got on the Granny’s trip.
At first, the ambiance was a mixture of New Orleans bordello and futuristic fantasy. Marbled patterns papered the walls, with rails carrying an assortment of brightly-colored clothes. Lace curtains draped the doorway of its single change room, and a beaded glass curtain hung over the entrance at the top of steps, which led on into the shop. In the back room, an Art Deco Wurlitzer blasted out a selection of music.
By 1969 though, Nigel Waymouth was more interested in art and music, and John Pearse went into theatre. Freddie Hornik, a fashion entrepreneur, bought the business. He, Gene Krell, and Marty Breslau “dandified” the shop, attracting customers like Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, and Keith Richards. Branches were opened in New York and Los Angeles and sold to Elton John, Keith Moon, the New York Dolls, Todd Rundgren, and Mick Jagger.
These were closed in 1973 when it was acquired yet again by Glen Palmer who moved the location to the Sunset Strip. That closed in the early ’80s, and so did Granny Takes a Trip.
For Gene Krel! xo
Raquel! is one of those strange, pre-MTV specials that’s full of what we now call music videos that feature Raquel singing and dancing in over-the-top outfits. The year was 1970 and Welch was already a huge film star, Raquel! marked her television debut. The multi million-dollar, TV song & dance extravaganza was filmed around the world – from Paris to Mexico – and featured lavish production numbers of classic songs from the era, extravagant Bob Mackie -designed costumes and notable guest performances. Tom Jones was nearly a co-star, as he sang the long medley of Little Richard and Beatles songs with Raquel, but not before he opened the set with a solo. Even Bob Hope sang a duet, the Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon”.
Ah … the innocence of young love and adolescent naivety. To be a young girl concerned about whether the real Donny is “sweet or sexy.” To wonder “is Elton John a sex symbol?” To question if “David’s kisses mean danger.” These topics, and so many more ridiculous ones were the subject of just about every Tiger Beat magazine of the 60s and 70s (and they probably still are today, I guess). Doesn’t anyone else think it’s just a bit odd? Sort of like Playboy for 12 year-old girls …
Colgate had it all figured out with Soaky in the 60s – use up all your bubble bath, and you get an awesome rubber toy afterwards. “Take a Soaky fun bath, it’s more fun than getting dirty!”
