New book on 1969 Chicago sessions
 

Dear folks,

this info has just come my way and I thought you might be similarly excited about it as me:

https://schifferbooks.com/products/f...kX19OMMlZmFTQU

Looks absolutely fascinating!

Thanks :thumbsup:

As this is my favorite Green-era record (yes, even more so than TPO) I think I’ll be buying this book.

. . . available now for pre-order (from Target, at least):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rll__fSqzH4
Update: Just pre-ordered it from the big A.

This was the first album of the Green lineup I bought (cutout bin at Camelot Records), not counting one of the million Boston Tea Party tapes. I had no idea who was on it and knew nothing about their history, and the cassette didn’t have liner notes. I wasn’t really into the blues at that point (only 13), but I instantly fell in love with that guitar tone on “Watch Out.” It was also funny listening to the black guys being skeptical at first but coming around as they played on, especially Otis Span.

Steve, I used to confuse Otis Spann with Steeleye Span. Thoughts?

Now, that's a good 'un, David! :laugh: :thumbsup: That lengthens that lineage to Steely Dan - Steeleye Span - Otis Spann . . . what else have we got there?! Dannykir Wan?! :D

As confirmed by Robert Schaffner the release date has been postponed to December 6 for the US and - even worse - sometime in January for the rest of the world. :( ("The waiting is the hardest part" - Tom Petty)

Now here's a - TRUE - little story of me having tried to order the book from the big A(.de):

On August 15 I placed the pre-order for slightly under 20 €. And I thought I'd be on the safe side . . . first come first serve, and for a great price at that. Time went by and - as we all know - the release date was postponed from November into December . . . plus the price rose to over the double amount, but my order was placed for the given price guarantee. And then the release was postponed once more into "sometime" in January - a little disappointing, but not really worrying.

Until yesterday that is: F*#°ing Amazon sent me a message that they'd cancelled my order because of "lacking availability" . . . I was completely dumbstruck! At the same time I was made aware that I might order the book from another seller . . . for a now whopping 50 (in words: FIFTY) €! !!! That's what "reputable" business companies can do for you! You bet I could've puked all over the place . . .

Meanwhile I ordered the book anew somewhere else - for a better price, but still doubling what I'd paid in the first place. Apart from that, the German delivery date has again been POSTPONED TO MID-FEBRUARY - now, let's see how this story might develop further down the line . . . WHAT A BUMMER! :eek: :shocked: :mad:

Here's the somewhat conciliatory finale to my story:

Having decided that I didn't want to wait until sometime in February (or maybe even later), I cancelled my second order with a German seller and ordered anew once more from the States. And just a few minutes ago it was actually delivered . . . WHAT A FANTASTIC BOOK! I never thought that such a ton of pics were taken on that January date in 1969, and this'll keep me indulging for quite some time now while listening to the sessions again . . . ! :]:blob1::blob2::thumbsup:

Now with a closer look at the book there's yet something I have to criticise - why some pics are featured twice or even three times is quite beyond me. Apart from that, the sheer mass of photographs is truly amazing. And there's actually the odd one out where John "Grumpy" McVie even raises a hint of a smile!

But while some pics are inexplicably shown repeatedly, there are others that can only be seen in the small b&w contact sheets "bookending" the 160 pages. Just one example: There are some photographs of J.T. Brown and Jeremy Spencer shaking hands on that historical meeting - and not one of those is featured in the book! Now that's what I call a glaring omission. And there are more . . . that's a pity!

Nevertheless - all in all - it's a great book. . . hardcover, dust jacket, good paper and a topic I never dreamed of to be presented with in a book at all (let alone that extensively). There's the odd interviewee / contributor where I can hardly see something like competence. But forget it - I can't help loving it!

yes i got mine 2 days ago and there do seem to be repeats of some pics. but it's really a beautiful book!! better than what i was expecting, to be honest.

and yes john does look sad, bored or grumpy in most pictures lol. i recall in some old interview he said he didn't really feel comfortable there because he felt as if the older blues guys had the attitude of 'whitey playing the blues' towards these young British boys. and they really were all so young, i think john was the oldest at 23, right? i guess eventually their talent won the older guys over... but John personally may have felt insecure, and nervous, and not especially happy to be there...and that kind of is evident in the pictures.

but the book is gorgeous!!

Also here's a link to article about the photographer and sessions
..kind of interesting.

https://music.newcity.com/2023/01/20...thing-on-film/


--Lis