Early Rock & Roll Photography

 Johnny Cash, San Quentin Prison, 1969  Gelatin silver print, by Jim Marshall

Most folks remember a time in their youth when music was the gospel truth. Music reflected social issues, revealed personal secrets, and helped countless teenagers cope with the pressures of life from both school and home.  With the explosion of rock and roll in the 50’s followed by the first British invasion in the early 60’s, music began to make a significant cultural impact that is still felt today. The biggest impact music had on society was when rock and roll evolved from blues and jazz, and later, this new rock music phenomenon surfaced from the underground with the rise of the iconic Elvis Presley. 

Elvis. The Kiss, by Alfred Wertheimer

 In England, a resurgent of the blues filtered through the country’s youth providing new avenues for kids to vent post-war miseries and sparked a new group of want-to-be musicians. Newly formed bands like The Beatles and Rolling Stones slowly began to make their mark in the youth culture by performing in dirty “underground” clubs in England, which ultimately led to professional management and record deals. Photojournalist and freelance photographers also began to take notice as these new bands rose in popularity and rock photography was born. 

Iconic Pictures by Rock Photographer Barry Feinstein.

George Harrison

All Things Must Pass cover session

The Beatles by Tom Murray, Flower Power

The intensity of the colors in shots like this one, photographed in St. Regents Park, stand in stark contrast to the iconic photos so familiar to fans of the world’s most famous band.

Rock photography, in the early years, was done by men and women who photographed with integrity, which give music its visual identity; with exclusive access to rock’s pioneers, Jim Marshall, Linda Eastman (McCartney), Guy Webster, David Bailey, and others, have captured early rock’s finest moments.  The photos that these pioneers took, tell a story with a degree of honesty. 

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, backstage (U.S. Tour, 1972) by Ethan Russell.
    

Jim Marshall had extended access to numerous musicians through the 1960s and 1970s, including being the only photographer allowed backstage at The Beatles last concert, and chief photographer at Woodstock.  Marshall's philosophy on photography is simple, "If you don’t have it in the camera, you ain’t got it” (xi). Jim goes on explaining the difference in nuances between photographing stars today, "versus shooting in the 60’s and 70’s...that there’s not the same kind of access given to photographers nowadays as there used to be. There’s a real difference between shooting someone onstage and going backstage, hanging with the band, and getting the more personal side of the subject. These days, bands demand that photographers show up and shot from a particular place on the stage only for the first three songs—before artists get sweaty—and photographing backstage doesn’t exist anymore. Or, we’re told wait an hour before going backstage, so the musicians can get cleaned up and stuff" (xii, xiii).  

Keith Moon Backstage by Annie Leibowitz.

Mick Jagger, 1960's, unknown photographer. 

The Rolling Stones was also a favorite of Marshall's; however, sometimes getting the opportunity to photograph big stars took patience. "I remember he made me wait three hours to shoot him," says Marshall of his meeting with Mick Jagger, around the time of the making of Exile on Main Street. "But fuck, I didn't mind waiting. It didn't matter to me at all."

Baron Wolman photographed The Rolling Stones in December 1969 at the legendary Altamont Racetrack show, later filmed for the documentary Gimme Shelter. Note Keith Richards at the bottom left. “For me that’s always shown the relationship between Mick and Keith from Mick’s point of view,” Wolman says.

Rolling Stones performing at Altamont Racetrack,
by Baron Wolman. 

With reports of high album sales and high-ticket prices in the weeks leading up to the event, The Stones were catching bad press including accusations of being greedy. To appease fans, they decided to throw a free concert in Golden Gate Park. That venue didn’t work out, so the concert was moved to Sears Point Raceway. However Filmways owned the track, which was a problem because concert organizers intended to film a documentary, which became Gimme Shelter. At the last minute permits fell through and they moved the site to Altamont Racetrack.

Grateful Dead had convinced the organizers to hire the Hell’s Angels to provide security. When a fight broke out, The Rolling Stones had to stop halfway through “Sympathy for the Devil” and start over.

It was lucky that they were shooting a documentary. Halfway through the show an enraged fan charged at the Hell’s Angels brandishing a revolver. He was stabbed to death and beaten by Hell’s Angels. His autopsy later showed traces of methamphetamine. Footage from the film led to the Angels’ acquittal in self-defense (http://www.rockpaperphoto.com/featured-collections/classic-rock-baron-wolman.html). 

Rolling Stones performing at Altamont Racetrack, photographer unknown.

“The photography of rock is broad, rich, transformative, and reflective of the times as well as the music,” says rock photographer Gail Buckland, "[and] music has always been the background; front and center was photography—it gave meaning and clarity to my life” (6). 

Keith Richards.  www.cultureblues.com

Bob Dylan, England, 1966, by Barry Reinstein.

 “Too much bullshit is written about photographs and music, explains Jim Marshall, "let the music move you, whether to a frenzy or a peaceful place…Let the photograph be one you remember—not for its technique but for its soul” (3).

Jimi Hendrix, Burning Guitar at Monterey Festival,
 by Ed Caraeff. 

When looking at rock photography over the years, the observer can see the subtle changes with presentation. What seemed like kids photographing kids before, has turned into professional musicians photographed by professionals. However, the shots of artists performing on stage, are real and those pictures still capture the artist's true selves--vulnerable and passionate.

As rock and roll music changes, so does the world around the industry. Record companies become more controlling and the artists become more aware of their image. In Buckland's book, rock photographer Laura Levine reiterates after putting her camera down; “Around 1994, the music industry changed; too many people were controlling access to the artists, insisting on approval of images, and focusing more on clothing the musicians were wearing than on the artists themselves” (19).

The Clash, by Pennie Smith

The cover photograph of The Clash’s Paul Simonon smashing his Fender bass guitar by Pennie Smith was once hailed the “greatest rock and roll photograph of all time” by British rock magazine Q (5).

Jim Marshall sums up rock photography best: “The kids believe in the truth of the pictures when they appear honest, taken by people who were living the life and loving the music” (19).

Amy Winehouse, Miami, Florida (May 18, 2007) by Max Vadukal.

Time was, you had to really know a celebrity to photograph her with her guard down, licking her shoulder, a la Madonna Louise Ciccone (she still had all three names) in 1980. Photograph by Mick Rock. 

Tupac Shakur, by Chi Modu. 

“Tupac was one of my favorite subjects,” says photographer Chi Modu. “He was always on time to all of the photo shoots I ever did with him and was completely cooperative and respectful.

“It's always funny when I share my experiences, photographing Tupac, with people because they expect me to share horror stories about how difficult he was. Quite the contrary.”

This image was taken during a break in the photo shoot. “It ended up being one of my most famous photographs of Tupac although I was just trying to capture a candid moment in between shots. Sometimes the best photographs happen when you least expect them” (http://www.rockpaperphoto.com/featured-collections/hip-hop-by-chi-modu.html). 

Paul McCartney, by Linda McCartney.

Bob Marley, Birmingham, UK, July 19th, 1975, by Ian Dickson.

Beastie Boys, by Ricky Powell.

Works Cited

Buckland, Gail. "Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History." New York,  Alfred A. Knopf,      
           2009.

Marshall, James. "Not Fade Away: The Rock & Roll Photography of Jim Marshall." Ed. David  
            Fahey. New York, Bulfinch Press. 1997.  

http://www.rockpaperphoto.com/featured-collections/classic-rock-baron-wolman.html

http://www.rockpaperphoto.com/featured-collections/hip-hop-by-chi-modu.html