As he hits the floor he sighs “What a morning”…
Despite my fears, the hoary old pro got to Camden on time. Yes, Mick Rock appeared on Channel4’s Big Breakfast this morning to plug his excellent new photographic record of the Glam Rock movement, ‘Blood and Glitter’. Initially finding it hard to conceal his disappointment at being interviewed by Paul Tonkinson: “I thought I was gonna get one of the birds, not get stuck with you…”. But Mick soon warmed, and led us through an astonishing series of images.
Starting with that infamous “fellatio” shot of Ziggy and Ronno (you can just make it out behind Mick in the pic below) from Oxford Town Hall in June ’72, Mick, (remembering that Big Breakfast is an early morning family show) gingerly tried to steer the visual information in another direction: “What are they doing?…I think he’s plucking away at the guitar strings with his teeth isn’t he?” and then agreeing that yes, this probably was the photograph that launched his career.
Mr Rock then talked us through a tour of some of Rock’s defining moments, continuing with the legendary limbo shot of Iggy from Kings Cross in ’72 and the shot of David Bowie with Lou Reed at Ziggy’s ‘Last Supper’…the one where they are whispering to each other. Pressed further, Mick explained: “Well they’re puckering up, aren’t they?”
Warhol and Jagger were next up, followed by that classic Queen picture that flavoured the video for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. An exciting live shot of a very young Sex Pistols at the 100 Club in ’76 concluded the piece and symbolically signalled the end of Glam Rock.
We’ll be posting details of how to purchase ‘Blood and Glitter’ online with a 25% discount in advance of the publishing date of April 11th. And look out for details of how to get your hands on a very limited, signed, hardback slipcase edition.
Total Blam Blam (European Correspondent)