10.04.2011

RETROKIMMER: BARON WOLMAN THE ROLLING STONE YEARS


Rolling Stone Magazine's first chief photographer collects his classic photos and inside stories in a dramatic new Coffee Table Book.

LONDON ― Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Baron Wolman – Rolling Stone magazine’s original chief photographer during its first three years (1967-70) – is bringing his “Cosmic World Book Tour” back to America this autumn to promote his wildly popular new coffee table book, THE ROLLING STONE YEARS (UK’s Omnibus Press) as it enters its 2nd printing.


A two-time Amazon #1 Best Seller on two separate Arts & Photography lists, the new 176-page volume is the perfect holiday gift for music fans of all ages. Filled with photos and text, THE ROLLING STONE YEARS is illustrated throughout with “some of the most memorable unguarded images of the era” (Rolling Stone), ranging from iconic to rare to never-before-seen.

This “gorgeous” (The Morton Report) collection covers some of the most significant artists and events from rock’s most fertile period, visualizing the music through images of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Who, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Santana, and dozens more!


Since mid-summer, on promotional swings through Russia, the U.S., and most recently, an extended jaunt through Australia, Wolman has presided over sold-out book signings, ecstatically received lectures and glorious exhibitions honoring his lovingly assembled tome -- featuring both classic rock & roll photographs and the inside stories behind them.

Worldwide media coverage includes CNN American Morning, ABC News Australia, Rolling Stone (Russia, Mexico, Spain, Australia and the U.S.), Newsweek’s The Daily Beast, Mojo, The Independent (UK), London Times, Boston Globe, and much more.


“The reception everywhere of me, of my photographs and now, my book, has been astonishing,” says Baron. “Over the years I’ve always been amazed how my much my early rock photography has meant to so many people, but experiencing it first-hand throughout the world has been an eye-opener. I am blessed to have been able to record such a significant moment in history.”

Wolman returns to the U.S. with scheduled appearances in Austin, TX (Texas Book Festival, Oct. 22-23), and his native San Francisco (Dec. 4), where he not only witnessed so much of what is doubtless the most important period of change in popular music and popular culture, but helped shape it through his iconic shots from rock’s most fertile era. Wolman also is scheduled to visit Europe in November to sign books and exhibit his rock photography in London and Rotterdam. More dates will be announced soon.


Rolling Stone magazine encapsulated and distilled the most noteworthy events and changes as they were taking place. Each issue would speak to this evolving youth culture in a language that was all its own.

For years Wolman has been asked to talk about the photos, how they came to be, and what happened on assignment at the various shoots. This book answers those questions and more. Grateful that he and his camera were around at a seminal time in the history of the music business and popular culture, THE ROLLING STONE YEARS is his “thank you” for the privilege.


“This is more than a photo book,” says Wolman. “I hope people spend some time reading the text. We look at pictures and wonder how they came to be. Or we speculate a bit about the life of a photographer, especially one who has been on the front lines, the front lines of any subject, be it music, war, politics, etc. In my book I tried to provide a small window into that photographer’s life and offer a few words about the origin of the photos.”

Among the more than 200 images are a rail-thin, T-shirted Pete Townshend recording parts of Tommy at the piano; Frank Zappa posing on a tractor at an abandoned construction site near his home; and Pink Floyd (with Syd Barrett, who pretended to drop an acid sugar cube) posing on a Sausalito hotel fire escape on their first American visit.


“You can’t plan for a career like mine,” he says. “Yes, I chose to be a professional photographer but my tour of duty with Rolling Stone was a fortunate accident, a gift from the photo gods.”

ABOUT BARON WOLMAN:

Baron Wolman was the first-ever photographer for Rolling Stone magazine. During his three year tenure at the magazine he captured some of the biggest names in music. Since leaving Rolling Stone in 1970 he has focused on such diverse subjects as authors, fashionistas, professional sports, airplanes and bridges. A qualified pilot, he has also published several widely-praised collections of aerial photography and continues to exhibit his work around the world today.

TOUR INFORMATION

THE 2011 “COSMIC WORLD BOOK TOUR”

Saturday, Oct. 22-Sunday, Oct. 23
Texas Book Festival
1st United Methodist Church
1201 Lavaca St. Austin, TX

Sunday, November 6
V!P’s Gallery
Van Vollenhovenstraat 15, 3016 BE
Rotterdam, Netherlands

Sunday, November 11
Lumas Gallery
50 Coduit Street
London, W1S 2YT

Sunday, December 4th, 7 pm.
Book Passage
1 Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94111

MORE DATES TO COME …

For author interviews, review copies and further press info, please contact …

Scott Segelbaum / Right Brain Agency


Randy Alexander / Randex Communications

856.596.1410 / randex@randexpr.com

Online press kits with downloadable jpegs at www.randexpr.com

1 comment:

ian said...

Listen to classic rock is one thing, browsing the old pictures of classic rock musician is also one interesting idea to understand our music history. Nice blog, I will visit this blog more often then.

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