Picture Book Collecting Groovy Rock Books In this issue we will explore some of the fun rock and roll publications from the past that are slightly off the beaten path but worthy of seeking out.
"Dry Songs And Scribbles" by Donovan The first book we will check out is Dry Songs And Scribbles by Donovan. Published in 1971 by Doubleday, Dry songs And Scribbles features poems, song lyrics and drawings by singer Donovan Leitch. This hardback rarity also contains black and white photos of Donovan. Quite Rightly.
"Yellow Submarine" by Max Wilk This 1968 paperback by Max Wilk is a delightful and trippy hybrid of comic and text. It tells the story of The Beatles animated film of the same name. 128 pages, all in color.It does not follow the finished storyline of the film, because the final script was not ready. This originally sold for 95 cents when published. It is now valued at $15-20 in NM (near mint) condition.
"Flip's Groovy Guide To The Groops" by the editors of Flip Flip was a teen magazine popular in the late 1960’s. This 1968 paperback by the editors of Flip, is laid out in an encyclopedia-like format. It lists the majority of all major-label bands that were current at the time with a black and white picture of each one. It lists each member of the group, their hometown and birth date. A brief history of the group is given. A lot of information though leans towards group member’s fave colors or tastes in girls. This book spawned a sequel: “Flip’s Groovy Guide To The Groops 1969-70.”
“Hands Across The Water” Wings Tour USA This 1978 soft cover book was put together by Hipgnosis, the legendary team who designed iconic LP covers for Led Zeppelin, 10cc, Pink Floyd, and of course Wings. The photos are by Aubrey Powell. The book is a collection of black and white images taken during Wings’ blockbuster 1976 “Wings Over America” tour. Among the pictures are shots of people they encountered, cityscapes, fans, street vendors, roadies, policemen, hotel rooms, airplanes, dressing rooms, and of course many shots of the band traveling, rehearsing, and playing. The bottom of each page tells the city and date of each shot. It is like looking through Paul and Linda McCartney’s own scrapbook of the tour. A very enjoyable book and a must for Wings fans.
"The Longest Cocktail Party" by Richard DiLello Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to work at The Beatles’ Apple Records office in London? You can get a taste of that in this 1972 book by Richard DiLello. Richard worked as a Director of Public Relations for Apple during the heady days of the late 1960’s and recounts his amusing and often funny adventures dealing with the record industry, musicians, biker gangs, (lots of) nutcases and the affairs of his four famous employers. The paperback version published by Playboy Press contains a small selection of black and white pictures. It originally sold for $1.50.
Rock And Other Four Letter Words
The last book we will look at is a 1968 paperback published by Bantam Books. Sub-titled “Music Of The Electric Generation,” It is very much a product of the then exploding 60’s counter-culture. The graphics and photos are laid out in a psychedelic-like style. The text explains the importance of the new pop culture and covers artists like Jefferson Airplane, The Raiders, Cream, The Rolling Stones, The Mothers, Bob Dylan and many more. There are tons of photos here, all are in black and white and some pages even fold out.
 |
