Candid – Page 2 – The Rolling Stone Years

Country Joe McDonald Prints

Scanned, original print showing signatures (click to enlarge)

A few weeks ago I obtained these amazing photographs from Country Joe McDonald. The first was taken at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967, the second at the equally legendary Woodstock Music and Art Festival in August of 1969. As you can see, both photos were signed by Country Joe and my friend Super Star photographer, Jim Marshall. Not only that, both men signed both the print as well as the matt board. Very rare and hugely collectable. I’ve got a couple of each; if anybody is interested in adding one to his/her collection, shoot me an email and we’ll start a conversation.

Scanned original print showing signatures on matt board, and label on back

Scanned original print showing signatures (click to enlarge)

Scanned original print showing signatures on matt board, and label on back

The Allman Brothers Are Born

L to R: Berry Oakley, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, Jaimoe Johanson, Gregg Allman, Phil Walden

Baron recently received a phone call from a picture editor asking about his 1969 panoramic photograph of the Allman Brothers in a Macon, Georgia, recording studio. In March of that year while on assignment for Rolling Stone, Baron had indeed photographed the band during its first week of rehearsals together as the six piece group that manager/promoter Phil Walden helped launch. But Baron didn’t even have a panoramic camera at the time. It turned out that Phil Walden had created his own ‘panoramic’ by framing together the two prints Baron had given him. In March 2012, more than forty years later, this rendition of the Allman Brothers panoramic photo was created, a very limited edition, historically significant, print which you now have the opportunity to own.

Editions are available as follows:
24×16 inches, edition of 75
44×24 inches, edition of 15

Click here to inquire.

Photo Review

Jimi Hendrix, New York City, 1970

Australian magazine Photo Review just published an interview they recorded during the Antipodean leg of the Rolling Stone Years Cosmic World Tour. Some of the highlights:

PR: You’ve said that often you’d come away from shooting a concert and remember almost nothing of what had happened. Why is that?

BW: You had to be totally involved in the photographic moment. There was no autofocus, no auto-exposure, no auto-winders. Everything was done manually and you had to think it out in advance before you did anything. On stage the lights were always changing, and that meant the correct exposure was always changing too. I had a spot meter that looked like a machine-gun almost. I’d point it at the musician hoping that the reading I got then would kind of stay that way for awhile, you know. That was before there ever was a meter in the camera itself.

PR: So your mind is filled with the technical challenges while you’re shooting, then you come out of it and discover what you’ve done?

BW: Well, I knew that I could turn it on and off. I had to actually stop thinking actively about what I was doing and just let it come to me. You know, I felt like I was a conduit for these images to come through – wherever they were coming from – through me to the camera. I felt like I didn’t play a major role in it – obviously I did – but I felt somehow disconnected… I didn’t feel like I was responsible for the pictures; although obviously I was.

Govinda Gallery & Columbus Museum

Director of Development Donna Atkins, Curator of Education Abbie Edens, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Kristen Miller Zohn, and Guest Curator Chris Murray with Baron’s photograph of Janis Joplin.

‘Sound and Vision: Monumental Rock & Roll Photography’ just opened in Columbus, Georgia. Our friends at Govinda Gallery “…have been working for several years developing this touring exhibition with the Columbus Museum. This exhibition represents much of our work championing significant photographs documenting rock & roll, hip hop, and blues music.”

Baron has photographs of Janis Joplin and Mick Jagger in the show and says “it is a really terrific and unpretentious exhibit which celebrates the power and quality of the images, an exhibit of which I’m very proud to be a part.” See Govinda for details.

ABC Takes Baron to the Haight

So if YOU were in San Francisco and Baron Wolman was coming to town promote his book, wouldn’t YOU interview him at the site of Baron’s first-ever assignment for Rolling Stone and where he made his famous photograph of the Grateful Dead, the one he calls “Dead on the Steps?”

Live in San Francisco

Baron went home to the land of Joplin and the Dead this past weekend to celebrate his book. Here’s a great little interview about whom he shot and where.

We recommend buying your own copy in order to enjoy all the stories – it’s much more than just a picture book, it’s the stories behind the photos, the story of the very beginning of Rolling Stone Magazine, and, we are running low so please, place your order.

London Book Signings

The Fotobaron at a book signing, Fopps, London, November 2011 © Dave Brolan

Demand is met during the Baron Wolman Cosmic World Book Tour! There is no shortage of fans around the globe who want to get their book signed. But if you can’t make it to one of Baron’s appearances, you can still purchase an affordable premium edition and receive your personalized copy. Says one fan, “Your book would be the best Christmas present ever…….I will always cherish my copy of the book :-)”

London Rocks

Always has, always will!

“My few days in London this November have been “absolutely fabulous.” Everybody has been extraordinarily hospitable with many memorable moments, not the least of which was receiving the Classic Rock Magazine VIP award for the contribution my photography has made to the music industry. It was terrific to chat briefly at the awards ceremony with a couple of the musicians I had photographed “back in the day” – Pete Townshend and Jeff Beck. The Gibson-sponsored master class at the O2 was well attended and enthusiastically received. The Dave Brolan-curated exhibit of extraordinary photographs of musicians with their Gibson guitars was a moving visual experience. This morning’s appearance on Sky News was worth the early wake-up call; I was even served a full breakfast to assure I was fueled for my appearance on national TV. I love this city and cannot wait to return, to continue mixing business with pleasure.”

British Music Experience

Baron gave a masterclass at the official opening of the Gibson Through The Lens exhibition tonight, hosted by the British Music Experience at London’s O2 arena. The exhibition, curated by Dave Brolan, will be on show through January, but Baron is only in London for a few more days. So get over to one of his book signings: Friday, November 11th at Lumas Gallery, 50 Conduit St.; or Fopp, 1 Earlham Street in Covent Garden.

Classic Rock Award

We are unbelievably proud to announce that Baron Wolman received a VIP Award at Classic Rock Mag’s annual ceremony tonight. Baron received his award from fellow rock photographer and old pal, Ross Halfin.

According to Dave Brolan, with whom Baron has had a wonderful long working friendship, in his acceptance speech Baron said he couldn’t understand how Pete could smash his guitar, but saw how great he looked and that he’s always wanted to do it. So he threw a camera onto the stage and it smashed… the place went wild, Pete came over and said “Well done!” and that he’d always liked his photos. They hugged & posed for pictures. This is how rock history is made!

Round-up of the winners on the BBC.