Seeking back-in-the-day band photos for a book

[Alan Lenhoff]

For the past few years, I've been working with David Robertson ("OZDOC" on this forum) on a coffee table-style book about keyboard instruments from the 1950s through the mid-1980s.  Rhodes, Wurlis, Hammonds, combo organs, Clavinets, Pianets, early synths and other classic instruments.

To add to the vintage feel of the book, we'd like to include a collage of photos of bands from that era that used keyboards.  I'm wondering whether some of you might be willing to search through old photo albums and send me some scans. I'm looking for photos that show you playing any keyboard instrument of 1950s through the mid-1980s. They can be on stage or practicing in your garage. (You get extra credit if you're wearing clothes you'd be embarrassed to wear today: Bell bottom pants, Spandex, Paul Revere and the Raiders-style Colonial uniforms, etc.)

The only rule is that you must own the rights to the photos and be willing to grant us permission to publish them. (No photos taken by newspapers, for example, since it might be impossible for us to chase down permission to publish them.)

I can't answer many questions about this project until it's closer to publication.  But it will be a carefully researched, beautifully illustrated, large format book, and I think you would be pleased to have your band photo included.  You can send your photos to me at alan.lenhoff AT GmailDOTcom.

Thanks,

Alan Lenhoff

[Alan Lenhoff]

Still looking for more back-in-the-day band photos.  It's going to be a beautiful book, and you could be in it.

Thanks,

Alan

For the past few years, I've been working with David Robertson ("OZDOC" on this forum) on a coffee table-style book about keyboard instruments from the 1950s through the mid-1980s.  Rhodes, Wurlis, Hammonds, combo organs, Clavinets, Pianets, early synths and other classic instruments.

To add to the vintage feel of the book, we'd like to include a collage of photos of bands from that era that used keyboards.  I'm wondering whether some of you might be willing to search through old photo albums and send me some scans. I'm looking for photos that show you playing any keyboard instrument of 1950s through the mid-1980s. They can be on stage or practicing in your garage. (You get extra credit if you're wearing clothes you'd be embarrassed to wear today: Bell bottom pants, Spandex, Paul Revere and the Raiders-style Colonial uniforms, etc.)

The only rule is that you must own the rights to the photos and be willing to grant us permission to publish them. (No photos taken by newspapers, for example, since it might be impossible for us to chase down permission to publish them.)

I can't answer many questions about this project until it's closer to publication.  But it will be a carefully researched, beautifully illustrated, large format book, and I think you would be pleased to have your band photo included.  You can send your photos to me at alan.lenhoff AT GmailDOTcom.

Thanks,

Alan Lenhoff

[David Aubke]

Wish I could supply you with something. I did play a Fifty Four in the eighties but know nothing of these "photo albums" of which you speak. How many gigabytes could they store?

[Alan Lenhoff]

First of all David, I would gladly take the photo of you playing a 54 if you want to pass that along.

For younger list members, I can explain the technology of "photo albums" with this personal story:  In my home, photo albums were a new concept we embraced in the 1980s, after our primary source of photo storage -- shoe boxes -- had exhausted the shelf space allotted to them in my closet. The albums were a great step forward, until we discovered years later that many of the plastic sheets that held the photos  in place in the albums stuck to the prints.  Ugh!

On a related note, last week I bought a new computer with a two terabyte hard drive.  That's the equivalent of a lot of shoe boxes for photos, right?  Well, I'm still trying to figure out why I need that storage in an age in which most of my music and photos reside quite happily on a "cloud."  Where was that massive amount of storage when I really needed it?

Class dismissed...  ;-)

Alan

[David Aubke]

OK, I found a Photo Album. Nothing featuring my Fifty Four. Best I can do is me on a Magnus, circa 1976.

[David Aubke]

And here are the pants.

[Alan Lenhoff]

OK, I found a Photo Album. Nothing featuring my Fifty Four. Best I can do is me on a Magnus, circa 1976.

You look quite determined in your task!  (It must have been important to you: You can see a collection of still-wrapped Christmas gifts that apparently had to wait their turn while you were learning to play Jingle Bells.)

Alan

[David Aubke]

And here are the pants.

Boy, I was pack-a-day before I was ten.




I just noticed it looks like I was taking a drag off a cigarette.