Flower Child

There's nothing more exciting than find new and good quality pictures of Miss Pamela back when she was living a teen rock and roll dream.

all photos via pamela des barres website

Marina and the Diamonds

Isn't Marina Diamandis such a lovely name? That's one of the first things that caught my eye, or should I say ear, about Marina. Besides the amazing name, she has fabulous style, which she described as "vintage, cheerleader, and cartoon." But not only that, the girl actually has talent. I must admit that when it comes to today's female artists, I'm quite dismissive, but Marina does not disappoint. Plus she won my heart when she said in an interview that in her own diamond world she would have the Beatles constantly playing. She'll be making what I think is her first American TV appearance tonight and her album Electra Heart is finally available here in the States. The visual inspiration for Electra Heart comes from Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, and Marie Antoinette, while the amazing songs are about, what else? Love and heartbreak, mixed with sadness and arrogance, wit and charm, out of this world vocals and music you can dance to, which is quite lovely if you really thing about it. I'll be seeing her at The Fillmore this Wednesday, so expect another Marina post!

all images via electraheart tumblr

It was 55 years ago today...

‘That was the day,’ says John, ‘the day that I met Paul, that it started moving.’ - John 


Call it a simple twist of fete, but it's quite fanciful how John and Paul met. Who better than them to tell how that magical moment happened:



I remember coming into the fête and seeing all the sideshows. And also hearing all this great music wafting in from this little Tannoy system. It was John and the band. I remember I was amazed and thought, ‘Oh great’, because I was obviously into the music. I remember John singing a song called Come Go With Me. He’d heard it on the radio. He didn’t really know the verses, but he knew the chorus. The rest he just made up himself. I just thought, ‘Well, he looks good, he’s singing well and he seems like a great lead singer to me.’ Of course, he had his glasses off, so he really looked suave. I remember John was good. He was really the only outstanding member, all the rest kind of slipped away. - Paul 

“I went round to see them afterwards in the Church Hall place. I talked to them, just chatting and showing off. I showed them how to play Twenty Flight Rock and told them all the words. They didn’t know it. Then I did Be Bop A Lula which they didn't know properly either. Then I did my Little Richard bit, went through me whole repertoire in fact. I remember this beery old man getting nearer and breathing down me neck as I was playing. “What’s this old drunk doing?” I thought. Then he said Twenty Flight Rock was one of his favorites. So I knew he was a connoisseur.”It was John. He’d just had a few beers. He was sixteen and I was only fourteen, so he was a big man. I showed him a few more chords he didn’t know. … Then I left. I felt I’d made an impression, shown them how good I was.” - Paul

The scene of John and  Paul's meeting from Nowhere Boy.



“I was very impressed with Paul playing Twenty Flight Rock. He could obviously play the guitar. I half thought to myself - he’s as good as me. I’d been king pin up to then. Now, I thought, if I take him on, what will happen? It went through my head that I’d have to keep him in line, if I let him join. But he was good, so he was worth having. He also looked like Elvis. I dug him.” - John




So, John asked Pete Shotton to ask Paul to join the band. And as we all know, he accepted and this is one of the first pictures of John and Paul together in the band. The rest is beautiful rock and roll history.

What Makes A Man Stylish?

That is the question posed to Paul in a country chic shoot he did for the Observer in 1969, photographed by Barry Lategan.

The original Observer piece in which Macca enthuses about extra-wide trousers: 'I got sick of having my thighs gripped by bits of cloth'

So what does make a man fashionable? Chewing on grass and donning a cravat, if you follow Macca's advice

We can get behind the the copper-coloured cable knit jumper and pastel socks. Pairing them with grey flared trousers? Possibly too far ...

A lovely coat, and that well-known shaggy haircut. Paul McCartney not looking too bad here either...

Pin stripe trousers, shirt and shiny shoes - this is how your dad used to dress. But did he blow everyone's mind with a kiddy-coloured tank top? No. No he did not.

Photoshoot: Jane Birkin in 1965

photos via les avokittens blogspot