The End of Innocence: Photographs from the Decades That Defined Pop: The 1950s to the 1970s (Scalo) [Hardcover]

Scalo Publishers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1997 | ISBN-10: 3931141470 | ISBN-13: 978-3931141479 | Edition: 1

From the 1950s to the early '70s, EMI employed staff photographers to capture the vanguards of rock and roll: the Hollies, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, the Animals, Marvin Gaye, the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher, a startlingly young David Bowie, and many others. This collection of 200 photos chronicles the changes in the music industry during those critical years.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The photos are handsomely printed on heavy stock, but leave the reader longing for a bit more text, if only liner notes. -- The New York Times Book Review, Eric Nash

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Scalo Publishers; 1 edition (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3931141470
• ISBN-13: 978-3931141479
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,563,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ready, Steady, Pose! Pin-Ups of the Early Brit Pop/Rock Scene, September 20, 2007

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M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The End of Innocence: Photographs from the Decades That Defined Pop: The 1950s to the 1970s (Scalo) (Hardcover)

Liz Jobey's brief but illuminating introduction brings cohesion to thie fab book of photos of EMI pop and rock musicians of the late 1950's and the 1960's. It's EMI, and only EMI, but considering the artists who once signed with this British label, including the Beatles, Little Richard, David Bowie, Jeff Beck Group, Rod Stewart, Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, Steppenwolf, (Sir) Cliff Richards, Three Dog Night, Chubbie Checkers, Spencer Davis Group, the Yardbirds--EMI's talent pool was as rich as any label. The most only obvious omissions among the Brits (i.e., EMI never signed them) would probably be the Stones, the Who, and the Kinks.

Speaking of whom, the book is remarkable not only for the famous, but for those the Kinks called "those you never even heard of." The Cheetahs (dressed, of course, in full cheesy Cheetah costumes, the N' Betweeners, the Shadows; in fact, a whole panopoly of posers and poseurs. Their publicity shots were often taken by EMI suits at around the EMI building--most famously, the roof. As Jobey points out, and as the title suggests, photos during the early 60's showed young men in band uniforms (no one was to stand out), posing good-naturedly in stock locations and themes. The roof, of course, but also in front of the curtain where EMI groups performed for a select few entering the studio, near a Mercedes, and the obligatory shot of the band leaping into the air after signing their EMI contract.

Even the Supremes, Jobey comments, posed with hats and umbrellas, in something of a tribute to the British music hall tradition. The musicians had an abundanceof patience and a dearth of attitude, and Jobey recalls this time fondly as an age when the photographer as image maker wasn't as independent, and the musicians weren't as confident of long-lasting fame. OF course, image was always important, even in the ridiculous scenarios set up by the technically excellent but conceptually bogged-down EMI staff photographers (reminds me of the early days of MTV--and some comtemporary videos as well, where every lyric is linked to a corresponding literal referent).

The photographs are enjoyable as kitsch, as a window into period fashion and sensibilities, and, occasionally, as great photography. Probably a combination of the photographer and David Bowie's understanding of the image, his late 1960's pictures already show his angularity, and his singular relationship with the audience. The cover photo (repeated inside) shows Bowie looking distant and alienated; he looks directly into the camera, but with a blank expression, it's a startlingly prescient view of the Bowie to come. Shots of the Beatles, the "girl groups," groups that faded quickly, and what may be novelty acts are distributed in roughly chronological order throughout the book, and the last several pages feature small photos of album covers--another treat. THe book certainly needs an index, and, ideally, a discography, bibliography, and/or brief biosketches of the musicians, but EMI chose not to put out anything definitive or particularly research-friendly. YOu'll just have to GOOGLE (or A-1, ok, Amazon?) the beautifully dressed Julie Driscoll, or P. B. Proby, or the Cheetahs to find out more.

Apparently out-of-print, the book is available from several independent sellers using Amazon.com's tremendous customer base. Recommended for collectors of early rock "bibliobilia" (I'm getting one), and those who follow trend in photography and early pop/rock music. Despite the lack of text, it's an invaluable visual resource, and, really, just great fun.