To most people he’s recognised as the ‘quiet’ Monkee; surly,
irreverent, with a good ol’ southern drawl, boy. But while Michael Nesmith may indeed
have auditioned for stardom along with Davey Jones and the other members of the
group, musically he seemed one or three steps ahead of the rest. Nesmith penned
my favourite Monkees songs ‘The Girl I Knew
Somewhere’, ‘You Just May Be the One’,
and ‘Listen to the Band’, and, in my opinion, he recorded one of the best ever
gigs – The Amazing ZigZag Concert, Roundhouse, 28 April 1974.
PEP Talk
PEP Clothing Ltd: a conversation about clean cut classic clothes, icons of style, and exponents of cool.
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Saturday, 30 March 2013
Style Icon: The Hamilton 'Nordon' Wristwatch
A life-long fascination with watches has led me to become a
bit of collector. I must confess I am no horologist, preferring the aesthetic
over the mechanics - though the fact that most of my watches date from the
1950s and all keep excellent time, appeals to my appreciation of longevity.
One of my favourite watches is the ‘Nordon’ bubbleback, which
was manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company in the United States between
1949 and 1952. The ‘Nordon’ had an innovative case design for the time that prevented
dust and moisture from entering the case and damaging the movement, so was one
of the first watches to be marketed as fully waterproof.
I hope to graduate in 2015 – I wonder if I’ll get presented
with a ‘Nordon’?
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Style Innovator: King Curtis (7 February 1934 – 13 August 1971)
The events that led to King Curtis’ death in 1971 are well
documented; he was fatally wounded after challenging a couple of junkies who
were using his door step to ply their trade. But this saxophone colossus left us
with an amazingly varied and fascinating archive spanning almost every genre of
music. It is for this reason, and for his many inspired collaborations – from Aretha
to Duane Allman – that King Curtis sits alongside the greats in my personal pantheon
of style innovators.
Yakety Yak - The Coasters - featuring King Curtis (1958)
Memphis Soul Stew - King Curtis and the Kingpins (1969)
Copyright unknown
Memphis Soul Stew - King Curtis and the Kingpins (1969)
Whiter Shade of Pale - King Curtis and the Kingpins (1971)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBnXT225VLkSaturday, 3 November 2012
Style Icon: Bert Stern (3 October 1929)
Bert Stern is primarily a stills and fashion photographer and perhaps best known for the iconic images of a semi nude Marilyn Monroe whom he shot for Vogue in 1962.
However, he was also responsible for directing Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1960), which was filmed during the 1958 Newport Jazz
festival in Rhode Island, USA. Originally the festival was chosen as a backdrop
against which Bert Stern’s own story and script would be set. However, for a
number of reasons (including a missing cat!?) this project never quite got off the
ground and what eventually emerged was a unique and candid portrayal of the jazz artists,
their music, and the ‘in’ crowd attending the jazz festival. One doesn't have to like jazz to appreciate this film - indeed Bert Stern himself knew very little about jazz, apparently, when he decided to shoot the film - but what is apparent is Stern’s eye for a
good shot so it flows from morning to evening to night as
series of stills. However, I watch JoaSD regularly; I think Stern's film captures the essence and energy of jazz,
a certain romanticism and naivety of a period long
gone, and a time when people (well, those who could afford to live in
Rhode Island!) knew how to wear clothes and listen to the best music!
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Style Icon: The Alden Shoe Company - founded 1884
The Alden Shoe Company of New England certainly needs no introduction. As the maker of classic shoes, boots, and moccasins since 1884, there aren't enough superlatives to describe this brand. Indeed, I recently invested part of my 5 year old son's inheritance in a pair of Indy 403 boots, justifying to myself that they are so well made he will one day inherit them, and who knows maybe pass them down to his own children!
Another particular favourite of mine is the Alden Arguello Ranger Moc, shown below. As with many of Alden's shoes the Aguello is made from sturdy Horween Shell Cordovan horse leather (the fibrous flat muscle - or shell - beneath the hide on the rump of the horse). However, these mocs feature Goodyear welted plantation crepe soles with leather toe sections. The pair shown below are brown but I have seen them in burgundy and they look great!
http://www.endclothing.co.uk/alden-arguello-ranger-moc.html
Another particular favourite of mine is the Alden Arguello Ranger Moc, shown below. As with many of Alden's shoes the Aguello is made from sturdy Horween Shell Cordovan horse leather (the fibrous flat muscle - or shell - beneath the hide on the rump of the horse). However, these mocs feature Goodyear welted plantation crepe soles with leather toe sections. The pair shown below are brown but I have seen them in burgundy and they look great!
http://www.endclothing.co.uk/alden-arguello-ranger-moc.html
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Style Icon: Roy Brown (10 September 1925 — 25 May 1981)
My passion for music extends across many genres including
rockabilly. In my teens I used to go to a ‘Rockin’ Club’ off Grafton Road in
Camden Town. It was one of those places where everyone dressed up to the nines
and at times could easily have resembled main street USA, 1956. There was one
track I loved called Hip Shakin’ Baby,
a genuine bopper, by Roy Brown. I remember at the time being both enthralled
and amazed to discover Roy Brown was black because to me it sounded pure
rockabilly. Of course, clubs like the one in Grafton Road played plenty of
black artists, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Louis Jordon, but in my musical
naivety I assumed rockabilly to be recorded only by white artists; after all
wasn’t it white artists that copied black artists? From that point I very
quickly learned my error and that the roots of great music are, excitingly,
never straight forward. However, what Roy Brown and ‘Hip Shakin’ Baby’ did for me is light the long fuse of musical
enlightenment, which continues to smoulder to this day.
Copyright unknown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wc0nZ7f4rQ
Copyright unknown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wc0nZ7f4rQ
Sunday, 16 September 2012
Style Innovator: Clarence White (7 June 1944 – 15 July 1973)
The more discerning music lover will already be familiar
with Clarence White. As an innovator, his unique finger picking guitar style
was honed from years of playing traditional acoustic country, bluegrass, and
folk music with a number of bands, most notably The Kentucky Colonels, and
working on high profile studio sessions during the mid to late 1960s.
However, it was his move from acoustic to almost wholly electric guitar where
Clarence White makes his greatest impact and the perceived wisdom is that he found
his greatest creativity and freedom playing electric. So, in my humble opinion Clarence White
did much more than introduce breath taking guitar playing to a rock audience,
but he managed to influence and move forward two entire genres of music simultaneously.
The Reasons (from left to right): Clarence White, Wayne Moore, Gene Parsons,Gib Guilbeau
Photo courtesy of Alec Palao
Recording-wise Clarence White is probably best known for his
work with The Byrds (Dr Byrd & Mr
Hyde’, 1969 – and the aforementioned studio sessions), who he joined in
1967, and of course The Kentucky Colonels (1961-1965). However, for me any of
his collaborations with Gib Guilbeau and Gene Parsons stand out; the Nashville West sessions (1967) remains on
my list of desert island discs, and one record I recommend you listen to if you
have not already done so.
The Reasons (from left to right): Clarence White, Wayne Moore, Gene Parsons,Gib Guilbeau
Photo courtesy of Alec Palao
CW - Grandma Funderbunk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3tl3APQtyo
Nashville West - Ode To Billie Joe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLTMu6uaqHI
Gosdin Brothers - Tell Me (listen to CW guitar at end)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDUKKaRw9wE
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