The Rolling Stones “50 Years of Satisfaction” Exhibit. Day Two, Rounding third…..

Day Two…..I spare the chatter and just show the pics. I’m kicking myself now for not shooting enough.

This is stupid cool. The original artwork for the cover of the greatest Stones album ever recorded, “Exile on Main Street.” From the collection of Jeff Gold of Recordmecca.

Original artwork by Charlie Watts.

I can’t say enough about the displays. So well done. Even the font they used for all the signage was created by hand. It’s the “Exile On Main Street” typeface. Which of course was done in Mick’s hand, so it doesn’t exist.

That was until the designers at the RNR HOF decided they wanted it. They just re-created the entire alphabet. Pretty cool I must say. Pretty cool.

Peace,

Gary Rocks

Rare Love You Live record store display. Only two known to exist.

I have been fortunate to have just picked up this rarity. To the best of my knowledge, I am aware of only two that exist. And it took a bite out of my wallet.

Ok, enough with the bad puns….

This record store display promotes the Stones 1977 live album, “Love You Live.” Artwork by the famed pop artist Andy Warhol. Stones collectors are more than familiar with this album and the promotional items produced for it. They are some of the most sought after collectibles ever produced by the Stones. They also have a strong cross over interest to Warhol and pop art collectors as well.

It is well know Warhol was less than pleased with how Mick and the Stones used his art in designing the materials to promote the album.

He in fact has stated publicly he hates Mick’s handwritten treatment of “Love You Live” that appears as the typography on the cover design. As he puts it, ruining the beautiful image and art he created.

This display holds an actual album that sits and is help supported by Mick’s teeth. The “biting” was a theme that was used in all the materials Warhol designed.

Here are a few other items that shows Andy’s obsession with teeth…

Andy and Mick hanging out at the release party for the album at Trax in NYC in 1977. The album Mick is holding is my signed album from the Art Collins collection. Art is standing in the background patiently waiting for the photographer to snap the picture, so he can get his album back.

The album.

Happy Hunting.

Gary Rocks.

….Off we go to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame for the “Rolling Stones: 50 Years Of Satisfaction” exhibit.

Suffice to say when THE Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame called me and asked if I’d be interested in putting some of my collection on loan for the upcoming “Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Satisfaction” exhibit, I was freakin’ blown away.

Let me think about it….Aaaaaah, YES! YES! YES!

So, off I went to pack up and say goodbye to my babies for the next two years. I mean seriously, how do you say no to this???

Sniff, sniff….separation anxiety is beginning to set in.

“Bye, bye kids….Call me every once in awhile and let me know you’re okay.”

“Okay?”

Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Satisfaction will be the Museum’s first ever major exhibition capturing the band’s legendary career spanning more than 50 years.  It will include personal items and extraordinary collections that have never been seen before by the public. The exhibit will be open till March 2014.

“The Rolling Stones are the epitome of rock and roll,” said Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “This first-ever exhibit gives us an opportunity to tell the story of one of the definitive rock and roll bands. The experience should be on every music fan’s destination list this summer.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum presents Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Satisfaction will be a comprehensive retrospective exhibit that chronicles the band from the mid-1960s until today.  The exhibit, which takes up two-and-a-half floors of the Museum, will celebrate the Rolling Stones’ incredible contribution to popular music from their earliest days playing small clubs, to their era-defining recordings such as “Gimme Shelter,” “Paint It Black,” “Jumping Jack Flash,” “Tumbling Dice,” “It’s Only Rock And Roll” and sold-out global tours. Through the use of artifacts, film, text and interactive technology, generations of music fans will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with rare items from nearly every aspect of the Stones’ astonishing five decades at the top.

Throughout the exhibition’s run, the Museum will host a range of free public programs that explore the significance and legacy of the Rolling Stones, including interviews, films, and special lectures.

http://rockhall.com/exhibits/rolling-stones-50-years-of-satisfaction/

These are the hand picked pieces from my collection the Hall Of Fame chose to exhibit and that will be traveling around the country.

Mick’s handwritten marketing notes for “Tattoo You.”

Keith’s Bobby Lee guitar strap used during The 1975 “Tour Of The Americas.”

Keith’s linen pirate shirt worn on tour during the mid 70′s and in the “Respectable” video.

Keith’s leopard lined leather jacket from the 70′s.

Cockroaches t-shirt and stub from the Stones secret gig at Sir Morgan’s Cove in 1981.

Mick’s handwritten selections for singles from “Tattoo You.”

Mick’s handwritten rehearsal set list for the Sir Morgan’s Cove show.

and the letter back….. pretty cool.

“Welcome To My Jungle.” Some rare Guns N’ Roses memorabilia.

I’ve been fortunate in my years in advertising to have met some pretty cool people.

Like say, Slash for instance.
I’ve always been a HUGE Guns N’ Roses and Slash fan.
Their critically acclaimed debut album “Appetite for Destruction” is still one of my top five favorite rock albums.
Most if not all critics agree it set the bar for heavy metal rock in the 80′s.

I just finished up a TV campaign for the L.A. Zoo promoting a new exhibit called The Lair in which Slash and the venerable wise cracking octogenarian, Betty White starred.
We shot 5 different TV spots over the course of a day at the zoo.
They were both a joy to work with.

And Slash is the real deal.
The rock icon you would expect him to be.
But down to earth and soft spoken.
A true gentleman.

I was completely beside myself.

I happened to have a few rare GNR items in my collection, one I brought along to the TV shoot to have Slash sign for me.
An original ticket and flyer, circa 80′s, from one of their gigs at the famed Troubadour in West Hollywood.
The band’s stomping ground and where they played several of their most memorable performances.

Here are a few pictures from the shoot, as well as some other rare items from my collection.

 

Okay…you’ve seen what I have, here’s some stuff I want.

Figured it might be time after roughly three years to maybe post some pictures and descriptions of some things I’m looking to add to my collection.
Most of what I’m looking for can be best described as what I don’t know about. It’s always more fun and exciting to stumble upon something you’ve never seen or heard of before.
But, there are some items I would love to add to my collection.
If you have any of these items or know where they are, I’m always interested in talking.

In honor of Keith Richards’ 68th birthday, some of my favorite Keith items.

Handwritten letter to a fan, circa 1965.

Keith's pirate worn in the "Respectable" video in May of 1978.

Keith's leather jacket worn in the late 70's.

Keith's Bobby Lee guitar strap used during the Tour of the Americas, 1975.

Main Offender Tour bag.

Signed rubber skull from backstage. "Who is the guy?"

Keith Richards and “The Lost Sessions” Longview Farms, 1981.

Much has been written and documented about the now infamous Keith Richards “Lost Sessions” from Longview Farms in North Brookfield, MA prior to the 1981 tour.
When Keith, Patti Hansen his wife, Jane Rose his manager and Alan Dunn and his wife visited Gil Markle’s legendary Longview Farms to check it out before the 1981 Tattoo You tour, Keith as usual made his visit memorable.

Bootlegs galore have been made of those handful of classic songs Keith played on piano along with his Screwdriver and friends sitting close by.

Here is the story written by Gil Markle. Pictured here is the actual Master Tape of that session from Art Collins former Exec. President of Rolling Stones records from 1981-1986.

An excerpt from Mojo Magazine referencing the session.

The Master Tape labeled artist Keith Richards and the songs he sang/takes etc.

The following is an account taken from Gil Markle’s incredible website, “Diary of a Studio Owner.”

http://www.studiowner.com/essays/essay.asp?books=0&pagnum=3018

I was true to the promise I made to Patti Hansen, although it took me a day or two longer than expected to deliver.
“What d’ya think, Keith,” I began. “We’ve been in here for days, it seems. I’ve got to do some things in Worcester. You’ve got to go to Rome. Why don’t I call Bill Mahoney, the pilot, and get you and Patti out of here before the front comes through?”
There really was a lot of bad weather on the way, and it’s best not to fool around with that unless you really have to.
“Sounds O.K. to me,” Keith said. “Sounds O.K. to me. Either that or you’ve got to give me a job banging nails with those lads out in the barn.”
Wouldn’t that be something, I mused. Last remaining superstar guitarist knuckles down with North Brookfield country strong hands — building a Sound Stage for the use of his band, the Rolling Stones.
That didn’t happen, of course. Instead, we called Mahoney and set up a departure out of Worcester for Teterboro at 11 AM the next morning. And I set about doing some rough mixes of the two-inch recording tape I’d made the night before. The piano demos I’d done with Keith. As luck would have it, our Chief Engineer, Jesse Henderson, had taken a week to do some engineering chores for Sha Na Na, in California. And so I had to engineer myself, leaving Reed Desplaines, Night Manager, to play assistant engineer — running back and forth to the tape library for more reels of virgin tape. This for studio buffs: we used three Neumann ’87 microphones on the Steinway, which Pat Metheny left with us two years ago. The piano, I mean. Mikes in our top-secret positions. Another Neumann ’87 on him, close up, with a pop filter; voice highly compressed using an Eleven-seventy-six limiter set at twelve-to-one. Finally, a good measure of live acoustic reverb on either side of his voice, in stereo. Lots of E.Q., on everything. I had only one shot at this, and I wanted it to be right the first time.
The live mix was great all by itself, and the best results of that extraordinary session were in fact recorded directly onto our Studer mastering deck, and not the 24-track. 30 ips; no noise reduction, very hot on AMPEX 456 tape.
“Listen to this one, Keith,” I said, just before driving him to the airport.
I selected the live stereo tape of “The Nearness of You,”1 a classic Hoagy Carmichael ballad dating from the late ’30′s. Keith Richards playing the Steinway, and singing, too.

“It’s not the pale moon, that excites me,
that thrills, and delights me;
Oh no, It’s just the nearness of you.”

“Far out, Gil. Voice sounds great. Sounds great.”
“ZIP — BUZZ . . .” There was a loud, familiar noise on the tape.
“What the hell was that?” Keith asked, with a look of anguish on his face.
“Jane Rose taking a picture of you with her Polaroid camera,” I replied.
“Bloody well ruins that take, didn’t it?”
“No, Keith,” I said. “I think I can razor it out later. We’ve got this tune about six times, anyway. So don’t worry.”
Recording enthusiasts will be interested to know that the eventual edits on these ten or so tunes — classic Keith Richards piano demos — took nearly two weeks’ work. I found the time to do it only a month after the Stones had finally gone, and performed the edits on a 7 1/2 ips dub inadvertently left behind at my house on Cape Cod. Editing at 7 1/2 ips is no fun, as you may know. Several hundred cuts were required, since Keith never really bothered to begin or end any of the tunes. He’d just keep on playing, and singing, with me scrambling to keep tape on the tape machines, late at night in the A-Control Room at Long View Farm.
Don’t
Blue Monday
Studio A at Long View is the one people travel considerable distances to use, and I think you’d hear it said at the Farm that I can make it work pretty much as well as anybody can. Mixing tape is what I like to do. I can make really good, live, super-present mixes. That’s what got me into all this, back in ’72, when I was still teaching Philosophy at Clark. I figured I needed some time off to build a studio to make some mixes in. And that’s how Long View came about.
So when I tell you that the live stereo tape of Keith Richards sounded good, you better believe me that it did.
Oh, what a feeling
Apartment Number 9
We drove Keith Richards and Patti Hansen to the airport the next day. 300-foot overcast; visibility a quarter of a mile in rain and fog. Mahoney couldn’t make it in, missing two instrument approaches in an attempt to land 75 X-Ray. So Randall Barbera, who works for me, as you may remember, offered to drive Keith and Patti over to Westfield in the Cadillac. Westfield was still operating, and only about 45 minutes away. They had a wonderful trip, I learned later. Cruising along on a light powdering, Stolni’s and orange juice, and a fantastic compilation of fifties rock ‘n’ roll classics played at high volume on those wonderful-sounding Auratones mounted on the rear deck of the car. Pete Wolf of the J. Geils Band had left this particular cassette behind. By mistake, I’m sure, because it was a real beauty. “Earth Angel,” “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” “Tears on my Pillow,” and songs like that.
“Take this and listen to it on the way to Westfield, Keith. Only remember it’s not mine but Pete Wolf’s, and he’s certain to want it back.”
“O.K.” Keith said laughing. “I’ll bring it back with me. See you.”
“See you, Keith,” I said.
“Bye, Gil,” Patti said, and then they roared off.
And you take it from here, Pete, if you want that cassette back. He won’t give it to me.
Let’s all pause for a second and note that Keith Richards said “O.K. I’ll bring it back with me.” Meaning the cassette of course. Meaning also that he intended on coming back to Long View. That this gig was going to happen, after all. It was during Randall’s trip to Westfield with Keith Richards that I figured it out all over again — that the Rolling Stones were coming to Long View Farm.

Maybe I’m just a bit slow, sometimes.

When Keith Richards uses your office as a closet, what do you do?

Keith's Black leopard lined leather jacket, worn in the late 70's.

Art Collins Vice President of Rolling Stones Records from 1981-1986,
experienced a thing or two in his time with the band, as this post and story will attest to.
Like his office being used by Keith Richards to store various items of clothing.
Specifically the black leather jacket you see pictured.
When I bought this item, I was as fascinated by the story,
as I was being able to buy such an iconic item belonging to the legend himself.

What really defines a rock star?
Many things I imagine.
Obviously their music first and foremost.
But then, a close second has to be their style.
And what describes “The Human Riff,” better than one of his many leather jackets.
In building my collection I’ve always had an eye to collecting items that truly capture the spirit and the essence of the individual.
In the case of Keith Richards, he has for me defined what Rock and Roll is.
In his music, and his lifestyle.
The true definition of Rock and Roll excess.

Here’s the letter from Art describing the circumstances in which he came upon Keith’s jacket as well as an article in a trade magazine describing the clothes Art speaks of piled up in his office on his couch.

Enjoy.

Charlie Watts is right….You Can’t Sign Drumsticks.

Concert used memorabilia in collecting is rare and difficult to find. Authenticating that the item was concert used is even more difficult and documentation is even harder to find.

Which makes the pictured item rare indeed.

Concert used and signed drumsticks belonging to Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones.

For starters, they are Ludwig drumsticks.
Charlie used and played Ludwig back in the 80′s.
He now uses Vic Firth.
Secondly they were played at a very unique concert.
December 18, 1981 Hampton, VA, the last show of the “Tattoo You” tour, Keith Richards birthday and a specially taped show for television.

Read the letter from Stones President Art Collins on how he obtained the sticks from Charlie after the show.

A few items signed by Charlie that aren’t as difficult to sign as drumsticks.

The secret gig that wasn’t a secret. The Rolling Stones play Sir Morgan’s Cove, 1981 Worcester, MA

RARE T-SHIRT, KEITH, RONNIE GUITAR PICKS AND TICKET STUB FROM THE INFAMOUS SHOW.

The Rolling Stones’ “private” jam session at Sir Morgan’s Cove was supposed to be just that — private — and also secret, with the Stones attempting to pass incognito as the Cockroaches. But as the nature of the business would have it, there was a leak. It occurred early in the day Monday after weeks of rumors. And before the day was over, the local media would claim that “history has been made in Worcester.”
Before the Stones finished their free two-hour concert early yesterday morning for 300 “randomly selected” fans, local police would arrest and charge six people with offenses ranging from drinking in public to illegally “launching missiles” (beer cans, mostly). The Worcester police department’s already depleted overtime budget would be $5,000 more in the red. And the city’s sanitation workers would be faced with a block-long layer of beer cans, bottles and trash.
But for all that, the corporate brass of the local FM radio station that helped organize, promote and execute the event at Sir Morgan’s would be more than pleased. In the intensely competitive hard-rock market surrounding Boston, WAAF-FM had scored a major coup.

Steve Stockman, 23, WAAF’s promotions director, said he kept in constant contact with members of the band, but “it wasn’t until last Friday that everything started to gel. Ian Stewart, the group’s keyboard player, told me the group wanted to make some small, private night-club appearances. They hadn’t appeared before an audience in three years, and they needed to warm up to crowds before Philadelphia.”
Stockman said Stewart had selected Sir Morgan’s on his own. He said Stewart had anonymously visited “every bar in Worcester” in search of a place that seated no more than 400, had a low ceiling and a high stage.
“All he needed was a mechanism to get tickets out to loyal fans in the area without revealing the location of the event,” Stockman said. Together, WAAF and the Stones decided that the station would start announcing on Monday morning that the Stones were giving such a performance, but that no tickets could be purchased.
Instead, the station announced, representatives of WAAF and the group would be driving the streets of Worcester throughout the day looking for people wearing WAAF T-shirts or with WAAF bumper stickers either on themselves or their cars.
They, and they alone, would get the mere 300 nontransferable, laser-etched, computer-coded tickets marked, “Blue Monday” and “The Cockroaches.”

A Boston rock station, an arch-competitor of WAAF, was leaked the information by either Worcester police or a member of the band that played before the Stones were to perform at Sir Morgan’s. And the Boston station immediately began broadcasting not only where the Stones would appear, but also that people should stay away.
“They said there’d be a riot there or something,” Stockman said. “It was awful, and the Stones were almost as furious with that station as we were. But to tell you honestly, we did get lucky. It easily could have turned into mayhem. All I can say is thank God for the rain.”

Source http://www.studiowner.com/essays/essay.asp?books=0&pagnum=3001

TICKET STUB

SET LIST FROM THE SHOW DIRECTLY FROM IAN MCLAGEN KEYBOARD PLAYER.