
RIP Peter Weibel (1944 – 2023)

Jeff Beck werd tot de beste gitaristen van zijn generatie gerekend. Geboren in Londen, kwam hij voor het eerst in de schijnwerpers als lid van The Yardbirds met wie hij op zijn tweeëntwintigste “Shapes of Things” (1966) uitbracht. Datzelfde jaar – maar solo – bracht hij “Beck’s Bolero” uit.
“Shapes of Things” is samen met “Eight Miles High” (1966) van The Byrds een van de eerste successen van de psychedelische rock en zijn plaat Truth waarop hij “Shapes of Things” herwerkte haalt vaak ‘de beste platen ooit’ lijstjes.
Je kan Beck aan de zijde van Jimmy Page zien in het Yardbirds concert in de film Blowup (1966) van Antonioni, een erg knullige scène.
Na die beginperiode had Beck geen echte hits meer maar hij genoot het grootste respect van zijn collega muzikanten. Je zou hem een muzikantenmusicus kunnen noemen. A musician’s musician zoals de Engelsen zeggen.
Timmy Thomas was an American singer-songwriter best known for his composition “Why Can’t We Live Together” (1972).
“Why Can’t We Live Together” is known for its early use of drum machine technology.
That drum machine appears to be the mambo preset from the Lowrey AR-4 (Automatic Rhythm) drum machine built in to the Lowrey organ.
“Hotline Bling” (2015) by Drake heavily samples the song.
Veronica Carlson was a British actress best known for playing in Hammer horror films.
Above she takes refuge behind a cross in Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968).
The publicity shot is from the cover of Midi Minuit Fantastique 21 (1970).
Betty Davis was an American composer and singer working in the funk and soul idioms.
She is known for such songs as “Anti Love Song “.
Via fellow erotomaniac Hans-Jürgen Döpp it came to my attention that German art historian and curator Peter Weiermair has died. He is the author of such books as The Nude. Ideal and Reality.
What was interesting, just after he died, I googled him and I switched to Google images. I found photo books of Ann Mandelbaum and one of Roger Ballen. The one by Mandelbaum had a human with a vegetable in his or her mouth.
The one by Ballen was called Outland, and the cover photo depicted two very dirty feet with a hand stuck between them which is holding a puppy it seems.
Ballen’s photo is called “Puppy between Feet”, I learn afterwards.
Carl Bean was an American singer and activist known for interpreting “I Was Born This Way” in 1977.
That song is very much reminiscent of “I Am What I Am” (1983).
Both songs hint at the biological origin of homosexuality.
Jean-François Stévenin was a French actor known for many things and not so much for playing Dolmancé in La philosophie dans le boudoir (1991) by Olivier Smolders.
Christian Boltanski was a French artist working in sculpture, photography, painting, and filmmaking, known for such works as Personnes (2010).
James Purify was an American singer.
He is best known for singing “I’m Your Puppet” (1966) with his brother. This song mixes well with “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” (1964).