More Rolling Stones pictures and striking Oasis artwork

Rock and roll art is really taking off, with new shows following each other in rapid succession.

Smart Gallery, in Harrogate, North Yorks, is now selling a set of Stones photographs from 1963. Rolling Stones – 1st Photo Sessions by Philip Townsend comprises six images retailing as a giclee signed limited edition boxed set of mounted images (£895) or individually framed at £275 each.

www.smartgallery.co.uk

Meanwhile, Snap Galleries, which mounts an exciting programme of rock photography exhibitions at its Birmingham HQ, is showing the London-centric art market just what it’s missing with a temporary taster exhibition in the basement of a clothes retailer in London’s Covent Garden.

In the run-up to Xmas, Snap/Covent Garden has a lovely show of Oasis artwork with Michael Spencer Jones’s portfolio of album and singles cover photography.

While Oasis are not really musicians for grown-ups, the Out Of The Blue collection, on sale as limited edition photographs, box sets and a beautiful limited edition book, are striking artifacts which will excite many younger rock music lovers.

www.snapgalleries.com

Gerry Smith

Exquisite Rolling Stones exhibition

Fans of the Rolling Stones, especially the masterpiece album Beggars Banquet, will want to catch the exhibition currently showing at Blink Gallery, 11 Poland St., London W1.

It has full-size iconic colour shots from Michael Joseph’s two-day photo-shoot in London (interiors) and Derbyshire (exteriors). A few of the photos were used the Beggars Banquet LP artwork.

There are a dozen large format interior shots – exquisite, varied tableaux of signature Stones louche debauchery – plus six from the outside shots, including the most chemically enhanced game of cricket ever staged.

All the work is for sale in limited editions of 20 (interiors) and 30 (outside shots), with prices ranging from £1700 to £5500 + VAT.

This fine exhibition runs to 6 December. Highly recommended.

Gerry Smith

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EARLER RELATED ARTICLE

Classic rock photographs in London gallery

I must have walked within 50 yards of Blink Gallery, at 11 Poland St London W1, a thousand times without ever realising it was there. Then, for some reason last week, I headed down Poland St, south off Oxford Street, opposite HMV Oxford Circus branch, for the first time.

And there it was – a fabulous small gallery of two floors of framed, signed limited edition rock musician photos.

Pride of place goes to two Dylan pics by Jerry Schatzberg:

* Bob Dylan Pliers 1965 5/20 £2k + VAT 16” x 20” Silver Gelatin print, and

* Bob Dylan 1965 8/30 £2k + VAT 16” x 20” Silver Gelatin print.

Most readers would recognise both from the Blonde On Blonde cover shoot.

The Dylan pics are surrounded by other iconic shots documenting the best of Brit rock, from the Stones to Paul Weller. My favourite is is a wonderful tableau from the Beggars Banquet shoot, and there’s Hendrix, Oasis, Bob Marley et al, if jokey Stones debauchery isn’t your bag.

If you’re in London’s West End with a spare fifteen minutes, a visit to Blink Gallery is highly recommended. It’s free to look, and if you have a couple of thousand pounds to spare, you can buy, too.

(aficionados of soft porn: please brace yourself for a pleasant surprise after clicking the link below)

www.blinkgallery.com

Gerry Smith

Shine A Light, the new Rolling Stones film & album: encore

The Rolling Stones are the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band – and self-promo specialists – in the world.  No doubt about that.  Whenever new Stones product is about to hit the streets, boy do you know about it! 

With a few weeks to the launch of Shine A Light, the new film/double live album, the Stones are everywhere once again – in the mag racks (on the covers of current issues of both major heritage rock monthlies, UNCUT and MOJO); on the radio; in newspaper and magazine website advertising; and, I’d bet my life on it, TV/radio programmes, ads and interviews will be lined up ready to roll nearer the release dates. 

Some people disdain the Stones’s strong commercial impulse.  I applaud it – great musicians, great self-promoters; rich men, satisfied customers.    

Gerry Smith    

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EARLIER RELATED ARTICLE:

Shine A Light, the new live Rolling Stones 2CD, recorded at the Beacon, New York City in late 2006, is set for UK release on Monday 7 April.  (Tracklist below.)

 It’s followed on Friday 11 April by the nationwide UK release of the film of the same name, directed by Martin Scorsese.  And preceded on Wednesday 2 April by the film’s UK premiere – in London, but also to be shown in 100 cinemas nationwide: tickets cost £12.50.  

Album tracks:

Jumping Jack Flash

Shattered

She Was Hot

All Down The Line

Loving Cup (with Jack White)

As Tears Go By

Some Girls

Just My Imagination

Faraway Eyes

Champagne And Reefer

Tumbling Dice

You Got The Silver

Connection

Sympathy For The Devil

Live With Me 

Start Me Up

Brown Sugar

Satisfaction

Paint It, Black

Little T and A

I’m Free

Shine A Light

I’ll be passing on the CD and the cinema show, but waiting to buy the DVD in about three months – unless it’s as ludicrously overpriced as the last two Stones concert DVDs – Forty Licks and The Biggest Bang – which, combined, cost a cool £100 – about £75 too much – when I last looked in HMV!   

Gerry Smith

Shine A Light – new 2CD and concert film from the Rolling Stones

Shine A Light, the new live Rolling Stones 2CD, recorded at the Beacon, New York City in late 2006, is set for UK release on Monday 7 April.  (Tracklist below.)

It’s followed on Friday 11 April by the nationwide UK release of the film of the same name, directed by Martin Scorsese.  And preceded on Wednesday 2 April by the film’s UK premiere – in London, but also to be shown in 100 cinemas nationwide: tickets cost £12.50. 

Album tracks:

Jumping Jack Flash

Shattered

She Was Hot

All Down The Line

Loving Cup (with Jack White)

As Tears Go By

Some Girls

Just My Imagination

Faraway Eyes

Champagne And Reefer

Tumbling Dice

You Got The Silver

Connection

Sympathy For The Devil

Live With Me 

Start Me Up

Brown Sugar

Satisfaction

Paint It, Black

Little T and A

I’m Free

Shine A Light

 

I’ll be passing on the CD and the cinema show, but waiting to buy the DVD in about three months – unless it’s as ludicrously overpriced as the last two Stones concert DVDs – Forty Licks and The Biggest Bang – which, combined, cost a cool £100 – about £75 too much – when I last looked in HMV! 

Gerry Smith