Four Hawkwind badges and a Nik Turner badge based on designs by Barney Bubbles. From the Coulthart archives.
Readers who’ve been waiting for Reasons To Be Cheerful, Paul Gorman‘s landmark study of the life and work of artist and designer Barney Bubbles, may like to know that Paul was in touch today with the suggestion that some pages of the book be previewed here closer to the release date on November 7th. I’d be more than happy for that, of course, so thought I’d mention it now in order to whet the appetite. As mentioned earlier, the book is published by Adelita and its launch will be accompanied by an exhibition at London Print Studio opening on October 23rd. Watch, as the saying goes, this space.
Also this week, Yvonne at Nemeton picked { feuilleton } as one of her nominations for the I Love Your Blog award. While I’m going to sidestep the difficult choice of having to pass the award on (which would require nominating a new group of people) I can at least add Nemeton—described as “musings on philosophy, politics, mysticism, geeky stuff, literature, news and ideas”—to the blogroll. Thanks Yvonne!
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Arte y pico award
• Reasons To Be Cheerful: the Barney Bubbles revival
• Barney Bubbles: artist and designer
Honoured to be added to your blogroll – thanks! Like the Hawkwind badges, too.
Hy John
Hawkwind was also one of my favourite bands, in the 70’s and 80’s, I’ve became aware of your work throught their record sleeves. Today, I’m much more interested in Nik Turner’s output, but I still listen to the Hawks every once in awhile.
The Twinkle badge comes from Barney Bubbles’ design for Xitintoday, a bizarre concept album Turner made after he left Hawkwind (for the first time) in 1978. It’s a kind of prog/hippy thing produced by Steve Hillage and based on the Egyptian Book of the Dead. All the flute parts were recorded in one of the chambers of the Great Pyramid of Cheops so it has a peculiar novelty value even if it’s not the kind of thing you play very much.
You deserve countless awards, JC!
Thanks Thom. :)
Hey, John
Oh, but I do listen to the piece recorded on the Cheops tomb a lot, via Turner’s album SPHYNX. It’s good as a background when I’m drawing or painting.
I think it was 1976 when Turner left for the first time, coming back in 1982 and being sacked again in 1984. Like Michael Moorcock, I too think his presence, or rather unpresence, makes a lot of difference for the Hawkwind sound and image, but he’s solo works are alright, he shouldn’t care so much of judicially fighting with Brock, but… that’s the way things are.
And Barney Bubbles, the late great one, he’s illustrations are as important for my own output as are those of Kelley and Mouse, Roger Dean, Patrick Woodroffe, Ian Miller and yourself. You’re all great influences!
All the best, my friend.
Márcio
That solo flute track is also on the CD reissue of Xitintoday. I agree it’s a good piece of ambient music. I met him backstage once when he’d rejoined Hawkwind in the Eighties and said I liked his flute playing but he was very dismissive of it. I think he thought he was better as a sax player.
I have to agree with Turner, I also think he’s better in the sax. But I do like his flute, perhaps he overrated it a little, himself.
I couldn’t get my hands on XTINTODAY yet, these CDs are extremely rare to appear in Brazil and, when they do appear, the buccaneers who commercialize them ask your money, your pants, your eyes and, if they’re lucky, your soul for the sell! One day I’ll come across it.
All the best friend. And if you do see Nik Tuerner again, be sure to tell him he has a great fan in Brazil, i.e, myself.
brilliant news John about the BB preview her on the site- sounds good ( and yes this site deserves all awards going )
– I will be training it down to see the show in a few weeks for sure ….
a day return from manchester please sir –
The badges look mint – i think that Roadhawks logo i sent you is very nice but wonder if it is a BB or the chap who took over the roadhawks commission. Im still unclear about BBs roadhhawks version – is it the poster and not the sleeve – has nayone got a JPEG of the BB version of the skeleton thrashing that Locomotive for me to compare ?
I keep intending to clarify that Roadhawks issue myself. Laziness and inertia have so far prevented that.
Hi Mack
Yes Rick Poynor contributes to the book, as do Rebecca & Mike, though the bulk of the narrative is framed around those who knew and worked with BB.
We decided on a visual celebration. Think there are close to 600 images so the text was squeezed deliberately. 55,000 words may sound a lot but not when you’re dealing with a subject who, it seems, rarely slept, so it was job enough to address his entire output. I refrained from the Paolozzi connection since I thought that was better placed/investigated in forums such as John’s.
On EP, this may be of interest. During my research for my book/blog THE LOOK I was told by Dudley Edwards (part of the design collective Binder Edwards & Vaughan) that when they were decorating the King’s Road shop Dandy Fashions – which was owned by Tara Browne, the Guinness heir whose demise inspired Lennon to write the words to Days In The Life – they worked mainly at night and were regularly visited by a passing EP who was most interested in what they were getting up. This would have been late 66.
Browne died in a car crash in December that year racing to a meeting the BEV to discuss their design.
Dandy was run by the enigmatic Australian John Crittle about whom I wrote this a few months back: http://rockpopfashion.com/blog/?p=53
Hope you enjoy.
P