Guns N’ Roses set lists. Another collecting obsession, thanks in part to Marc Canter.

I must admit after collecting RNR memorabilia for almost 15 years, I really had no deep interest in collecting set lists.

I assumed most were all copies, there were dozens and dozens made for each show, and they had no real value.

That was until I bought Reckless Road by Marc Canter.

http://www.recklessroad.com/

When I saw Marc’s incredible collection of early GNR set lists and flyers, I quickly changed my tune. I found them fascinating. The different styles of writing, the various notes on them and the condition they were found in. These crumpled, torn, taped, beer and sweat stained, handwritten and copied concert gems often duck taped to the stage by guitar techs, were pieces I had to add to my collection.

Slash appears to have written most, if not all of the GNR set lists. His handwriting style or printing is very distinctive and he has a very specific style to certain letters. Check out the G’s. They are usually all written the same way. He approached writing the way an artist would. And he IS an accomplished artist.

In the early days Slash was the driving force behind the design of the band’s gig flyers. Often creating the original art and handwriting for them. He has an incredible ability to create intricate and interesting hand lettering.

*Check out Marc’s book to see early examples of his handiwork for his own bands, Tidus Sloan and Roadcrew.

The “Welcome To The Jungle” video set list. As verified by Marc and Slash through Matt Sorum. This is THE original written in black marker by Slash himself. My only original, and not a bad one to have.

http://garyrocks.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/yup-its-the-welcome-to-the-jungle-video-set-list-and-the-mystery-is-finally-uncovered/

Also in Slash’s hand this set list from the 1988 show at the Celebrity Theatre. A cool little drawing by Slash on the bottom. He liked this little guy. You can find him wearing a shirt with this face on it in many early GNR photos. Here’s the shirt on the front of Kerrang! magazine in 1988. I imagine the shirt came first, then the drawing.

The Paradise Club Boston set list, Oct 27, 1987.

Here’s the original.

The Orpheum Theatre Boston set list, May 11, 1988.

Tickets to the shows the set lists come from are also cool to collect. Makes a nice grouping to frame up together.

Here’s the stub from the show with the Boston Globe review.

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.

Rare original art produced for a billboard promoting The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed found.

The Rolling Stones are certainly not strangers when it comes to the art of self promotion.

They rule. Plain and simple.

There has been no other band in the history of rock n’ roll that knows how to stir up controversy and buzz over what they are doing or about to do, better than Mick and company.

And Sunset Blvd in LA is where we saw a lot of their ideas come to life.

Shown here are several examples of billboard advertising, an all but dying medium these days, where the Stones strutted their stuff.

Usually the Stones used billboard advertising to promote a new album.

The LA scene is where you can find about every artist during the 70′s and 80′s using this larger than life opportunity to deliver their message.

And as we know the Stones didn’t shy away from imagery that would infuriate and disturb anyone who looked at it. The infamous “Black and Blue” board whose image of a bound and beaten woman eventually had to be pulled down.

Even in announcing their upcoming “50 And Counting” tour, the Stones took to the streets to create anticipation and buzz around the announcement.

The above original art was recently found looks to be created to promote the Stones new London album “Let It Bleed.” It is unknown if in fact the art was ever used or made it’s way to a billboard. This is first major introduction of Mick Taylor as well.

As you can see from the recognizable clothing, Mick is his iconic omega shirt and scarf, this is clearly from the 1969 Ya Ya’s period.

I’m thrilled to now own this incredible never before seen rarity, coming from my good friend Jeff Gold of Recordmecca.

Thanks Jeff.

This one is a keeper.

Happy Hunting.

Gary Rocks

The Rolling Stones autographs. The “real deals” are there, you just have to do your homework.

Probably the one question I’m asked constantly by those who know I collect or have seen my collection is, “How do you know it’s real?”
My answer is usually, “I just know.”
As easy as that sounds, it’s not that easy.
But with a little work you will know, and you can protect yourself and your collection.

Start with the simple notion that 95% of autographs sold on eBay and through memorabilia sites are fakes.
Yup, 95%.
Why is that?
Easy.
These alleged reputable dealers are looking for people who don’t know what they’re are looking at.
People that want to believe at that price, it’s too good to be true.
Want to believe that the dealer is reputable.
And to borrow a quote, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

Check out this link to find out who really said this.

http://www.historybuff.com/library/refbarnum.html

So how do you know if a set of signatures you’re buying is fake?
If there’s a certificate of authenticity offered, it’s fake.

Any a-hole can print up a impressive looking “certificate”, sign it, offer a lifetime guarantee, and sell pretty much anything.
People think this is their protection.
Sorry, it don’t mean shit.
You need to know your stuff. Buy from the right people. Get knowledgeable.
Read up.
Study.
It’s work.
But like anything else, you want to make good decisions, you do your homework.
I own many signed Stones items.
Frankly it’s easier to buy a legit set of vintage autographs from the Brian Jones era, than a set from today.

Begin at the beginning.
Familiarize yourself with the earliest signatures of the band.
What did they sign like in the 60′s say. Gather images you find online and through eBay and compare them.
Try to think of the circumstances in which they might have signed these items, how much time they had, what they were signing. A card, paper, magazine.
All bands in the 60′s signed in ballpoint pen.
There were no sharpies.
Study how their styles changed throughout the years.
Usually over the years, not unlike us all, our signatures deteriorate and get sloppy.
We get lazy.
No different for rock stars.
Look at Charlie Watts today, barely understandable or readable.
A large C and B.
Stands for “Charlie Boy”, the way he used to originally sign his name back in the 60′s.
A signature reduced to letters.

I found on eBay a year or so ago a signed album.
It was a “Get your Ya Ya’s Out,” signed by all the original Stones, including Brian Jones.
The album as recorded in 1969 and released in September of 1970.
See where I’m going with this?
How could this be signed by Brian Jones if he died in July of 69 and the album was released in 1970?
This is the kind of crap that goes on all the time.

Of course it came with a certificate of authenticity.

Buy from reputable dealers. If you do your homework and ask around you can find them.
I buy from Recordmecca in LA, and Tracks in the UK.
These guys know their shit.
They give a lifetime guarantee and it means something.

Some examples I own are shown here. Bought from the dealers listed above.

Beautiful exmaple from Recordmecca

1966 The Rolling Stones Tour of Britain. And another great signed program.

The Rolling Stones‘ 1966 British Tour was a concert tour by the band. The tour commenced on September 23 and concluded on October 9, 1966.

I’ve been fortunate to have been able to pick up my second signed program from the 1966 tour, the first being the American tour seen below.

The newest is from the 1966 British tour with a beautiful clean set of signatures on the “A Biography By Charlie Watts” page inside the program. Artwork by of course, Charlie Watts.

I usually end up buying another program to frame up with the one I have signed. I was attracted to this set and example because of the page they decided to sign on. The signatures are large and super clean.

It’s hard to find items from the early days signed on white background, lighter paper or album. Most of the Stones early album covers were all pretty much dark and black making it difficult for them to sign in pen on the covers. It was also hard to sign over the dark photos.

So most of the early signed Stones albums you see are usually signed on the back.

Depending on much text was on the reverse of the album, usually a lot, will often effects how appealing the signatures are and how clean they appear to be. This can also be a huge factor in determining value. It’s why signed albums are the most rare of all signed items. Really great ones are just super hard to find.

Remember, there were no sharpies in the 60′s.

Peace and happy hunting.

Gary Rocks

Right now, Slash is probably wearing a t-shirt that’s going to piss someone off.

There’s is actually a blog dedicated to Slash’s fine collection of vintage offensive t-shirts.

http://fuckyeahslashshirts.tumblr.com/

Check it out. Pretty funny….

I have always been interested in collecting artist and stage worn clothing. Recently I was fortunate to be able to buy two of Slash’s t-shirts. Both were part of the sale of his incredible personal collection that went up for auction at Julien’s in Los Angeles back in 2011.

http://www.juliensauctions.com/auctions/2011/slash/index.html

There were literally hundreds of t-shirts in this auction. Not sure where I was, or what I was into at the time, but I missed this amazing opportunity.

Luckily, I found someone who was there and bought plenty.

The t-shirt pictured above is one of my recent buys. It has solid photo reference from the “Use Your Illusion” tour book, shot by tour and well known GNR photographer and historian, Robert John. It’s also signed by Slash.

This next shirt has plenty of photo reference, as well as being one of Slash’s favorite bands, Metallica. He owned several Metallica shirts that can all be seen in the auction catalog. This one got plenty of stage time. It has faded from a dark black to a soft, well worn grey.

Their logo as well as the line “Metal Up Your Ass” is sprawled across the chest of this now infamous shirt. Slash liked cutting the collar and sleeves off his  t’s.

I was able to track down rock icon photographer Paul Natkin, who shot this show and had tons of photos for me to choose from. It was The Monsters Of Rock show I believe.

It doesn’t hurt when the photos are published as well. This shirt was seen on the cover of Revolver Magazine’s Legends issue. These early shots by Paul have been seen in various music and metal magazines as pin ups and posters as well.

A picture of slash wearing his “High On Life And Glue!” shirt before he hacked the crap out of it.

In the first photo Slash can be seen in the studio wearing his “Chicks In Chains” t-shirt. This photo was the inside spread of the Julien’s auction catalog. The second photo spread is from a Japanese music magazine.

So remember, a picture is worth a thousand…..dollars.

Maybe more.

Peace.

Gary Rocks

Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood’s other band.

Here is a rare group of very hard to find New Barbarians memorabilia from my collection. Included is various Crew, Guest and VIP backstage passes and laminates with artwork by Ronnie Wood himself.

Included in this rare lot is paperwork from a huge PR file on the band that documents the various press interviews and the band’s itinerary during the tour.

Here’s a little background on the band.

The New Barbarians played two concerts in Canada and eighteen shows across the United States in April and May 1979; in August 1979, the band also supported Led Zeppelin at the Knebworth Festival 1979.

The group was formed and led by Rolling Stones and Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood, primarily to promote his latest LP Gimme Some Neck. The line-up included Rolling Stones member Keith Richards, bassist Stanley Clarke, former Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, Rolling Stones confederate and saxophonist Bobby Keys and drummer Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste of The Meters. For the Knebworth show Clarke was replaced on short notice by bassist Phillip Chen, who had to learn all the songs in one day.

The band played a mix of classic rock & roll, R&B, blues and country music, along with Ron Wood solo material and Jagger/Richards songs. Wood sang lead on most numbers (with Richards, McLagan and Clarke providing back-up vocals), as well as playing guitar, pedal steel, harmonica and saxophone.

The New Barbarians debuted as the Rolling Stones’ support act at two charity concerts to benefit the CNIB at the Oshawa Civic Auditorium near Toronto, Ontario on 22 April 1979, fulfilling one of the conditions of Richards’ 1978 sentence for possession of heroin. The band’s eighteen-gig US tour followed. They made news in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when fans rioted, apparently due to their expectation that the show would feature “special guests”, who did not appear.Another line-up of the New Barbarians – with Andy Newmark, Reggie McBride, MacKenzie Phillips and Johnnie Lee Schell replacing Clarke, Modeliste and Richards – played a “make-up date” in Milwaukee in January 1980 to help the promoter recoup the cost of the damages caused by the riot.

In October 2006 Ronnie Wood’s record label, Wooden Records, released a two-disc CD (followed a few months later by a triple LP set) of a New Barbarians concert at the (now former) Capital Center Arena in Largo, Maryland, entitled Buried Alive: Live in Maryland.

Keith and Les. A match made in heaven.

A rare in-store poster featuring Keith, 1975. Size 22″ x 29″.

With a music career that has now hit 50 years (The Rolling Stones performed their first gig on July 12, 1962), Keith (Keef) Richards has played just about every guitar under the sun. He puts his collection at “about 500”, which, amazingly, means he’s acquired a guitar every five weeks, on average, since 1962. Many of these have been Gibson guitars, some with legendary status. Here are just a few of the Gibson guitars Richards has riffed on.

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard Sunburst

Even some ardent Gibson Les Paul fans forget this, but Keith Richards was the first big-name guitarist to tote a Sunburst Les Paul. His most fabled was an original 1959 Les Paul Standard. The guitar was bought new in 1961 from Farmers Music Store in Luton (U.K.) by John Bowen, who played with aspiring English popsters Mike Dean & The Kinsmen. Bowen had a Bigsby vibrato fitted at Selmer’s music store in London before trading it for another guitar in 1962. Soon after, a young Keith Richards, playing guitar in a little-known band called The Rolling Stones, walked in to Selmer’s and bought it.

Richards used the ’Burst extensively in the Stones’ early days. It was seen regularly from 1964 to 1966 when Keith began to favor Les Paul Customs. Appearances on TV show Ready Steady Go and classic songs like “The Last Time” and “Satisfaction” were all played on this ’59 ’Burst.

Keef sold the guitar to Mick Taylor in 1967 – the future Stone had replaced fellow Les Paul maestros Peter Green (and before him, Eric Clapton) in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

There are photos of Mick Jagger with the ’59 Burst at some 1970 recording sessions – by which time Taylor was in The Stones – but it then disappeared. Rumor has it that the guitar was stolen in 1971, either from London’s Marquee Club after a gig, or from Nellcote in southern France during the recording of Exile on Main St. Whatever the truth, it did end up in the hands of Cosmo Verrico of the Heavy Metal Kids who were signed to Atlantic Records (alongside The Stones).

Verrico owned the ’59 until 1974, when he then sold it to Bernie Marsden (later of Whitesnake). Marsden kept the guitar for a little over a week before, perhaps rashly; he sold it to a U.K. collector. The fabled ’59 was sold again to another collector in 2006, “somewhere in Europe” according to auctioneers.

The 1975 catalog featured Keith on the cover.

Gibson Hummingbirds

Keef loved acoustics in the late ’60s. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Street Fighting Man” were both written on his favored Gibson Hummingbird (vintage unconfirmed). Says Keef: “I tuned to open D, six string. Open D or open E, which is the same thing – same intervals – but it would be slackened down some for D. Then there was a capo on it, to get that really tight sound. And there was another guitar over the top of that, but tuned to Nashville tuning. Both acoustics were put through a Phillips cassette recorder. Just jam the mic right in the guitar and play it back through an extension speaker.” In his Life autobiography, Richards reveals, “There are no electric instruments on ‘Street Fighting Man’ at all… All acoustic guitars. ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ the same.”

Gibson Les Paul Customs

By 1966, Richards was using three-pickup Les Paul Customs (the so-called “Black Beauty”). He had four, at least. He first used one in ’66, but that was stolen on tour in 1967. He purchased a new one in London, and this one was later painted by himself and then-partner Anita Pallenberg. It is now apparently owned by a U.K. guitar collector.

So why did that one go? Various stories say Keef gave it away or forgetfully left it in a Canadian guitar shop. He bought two new Les Paul Customs for the Stones’ 1969 tour, and used one for open-G tuning on “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Street Fighting Man” (live), the other in standard tuning. Both these Black Beauties were reportedly stolen from Nellcote in July 1971. Bad luck or simple carelessness? By ’73, Keef was still using a ’54 Custom for “Midnight Rambler” on The Stones’ ’72-73 tours. The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus film shows Keith rocking one of his early LP Customs.

His black 1959 ES-355 has been used for live versions of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Oh No Not You Again,” “She’s So Cold,” “Little T&A” and others.

Of course, there was also Keith’s Flying V (played at The Stones’ Hyde Park performance in 1969), his numerous Epiphones, and the Gibson L-5S guitars built specially for Richards and Ronnie Wood in the ’80s. Oh, and his Gibson Maestro fuzz pedal that birthed “Satisfaction.”

All information provided by the Gibson website.

http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/keith-richards-0502-2011.aspx

Hiro and The Rolling Stones. The Black and Blue Album cover.

Check out one of the finest Rolling Stones items in existence–the original album cover artwork for the Stones 1976 album Black and Blue.   This is the actual photograph used to produce the album cover, taken by the legendary Japanese fashion photographer Hiro.

As former Atlantic Records Vice President/Creative Director, Graphics Bob Defrin explains in his letter of authenticity, “Many years ago, before digital print production, artwork for printing was prepared on boards which would then be sent out to be converted to printing films.  This would include typography and photographs, whether prints or transparencies.  This would entail the need for storage once the material was returned.

At Atlantic Records we had a large area which was used for this purpose and was called the art file room.  When material was returned, the art production department would then store it alphabetically in bins.  Because of space consideration these bins would, periodically, have to be cleared of material that was no longer needed.  As I was leaving the office one evening I passed a large pile of boards left in the hallway ready to be discarded. I decided to rummage through the pile to see if there was anything I wanted to hang on my wall at home or in the office.  There I came across the original color print used for the front and back covers of the Rolling Stones Black and Blue album.  I decided that rather than have this go in the trash, I would take it home.”

An excellent decision.

The photographer, Hiro, is a highly respected and very collectible photographer in his own right.  He has printed this image only once, in an edition of 10, and these sold out many years ago at $10,000 .

He hasn’t never sold prints of this photograph otherwise.  As this is the original artwork used to produce this famous album cover, however, this print is truly unique and historically important.   The images Hiro’s studio stamp on the bottom right edge of the mount board.

The print measures 27 3/4″ x 18 7/8″, and the art board measures 31 1/2″ x 21.”   A truly museum-quality piece of rock history.

Price on request. Please contact Jeff Gold at Recordmecca.com

Guns N’ Roses vs. Poison. Welcome To Their Jungle.

Here’s an incredible rare and never before seen piece of Guns N’ Roses memorabilia. A postcard from 1987 sent by the boys to their publicist, Bryn Bridenthal at Geffen Records.

This postcard sends support to Bridenthal who had been involved in a well publicized fight with some members of Poison backstage at the L.A. Forum.

Axl Rose had called Poison a “bunch of poseurs” who represent “everything bad about rock and roll” and Poison’s Bobby Dahl and Bret Michaels retaliated at a Motley Crue afterparty by throwing beer on Bridenthal and then dumping a bucket of ice water on her head.

She later sued the Poison members which resulted in an out of court settlement.

*Click on the L.A. Times photos to enlarge it and read about the lawsuit.

Here are some additional photos from a HUGE PR file on GNR from 1986. Photocopies of almost every one of their appearances, phone messages, letters and correspondence with various Rock publications and magazines. A handwritten letter from Slash regarding the “Crucible” interview. Very cool lot from the very early days.

These rarities all came from my buddy Jeff Gold at Recordmecca. Check out his site for amazing rare vinyl and insane memorabilia. http://recordmecca.com/

This magazine cover from the 1988 tour of Japan with Poison on it, “embellished” by Slash, shows there was definitely was no love between these two bands.