Soul R&B Funk 1972 - 1982

"Taking a photograph of a singer onstage is the easy part. The hard part is gaining their trust", introduces photographer Bruce W. Talamon Soul R&B Funk Photographs 1972 - 1982. And he adds: "This is a book about R&B, funk, and soul music, as seen through the lens of a young African American photographer at the start of his career. From 1972 to 1982, I was documenting the rehearsals and sound checks, the recording sessions and costume fitting, the TV shows, life on tour, and, of course, the wild photo sessions and memorable performances."

"I've always thought of my photographs as documents that went beyond screaming into a microphone. My body of work has been about the whole unvarnished process, as opposed to just that portion that publicity machines and record companies want you to see. I chased that fleeting visual record for 10 glorious years."

AL GREEN

Soul Train, Los Angeles, 1974

"Can I get an Amen?" is the conversation between Pearl Cleage and Bruce W. Talamon entitled. When asked what the biggest difference in the music business now is, he responds: "Access is gone. Publicists used to let you shoot. They didn't snatch the Jack Daniels' out of the artists hand or dare to take the spliff out of Bob Marley's mouth. Now someone's at the door saying, 'Wait until they change out of those wet clothes and wipe the sweat off.' There was a spontaneity at concerts. Someone could come in unannounced and sit in, and you could photograph the whole time. But now they say you can only shoot the first song and you've got 15 seconds. Fifteen seconds ...".

Glancing through the pages of this book you're about to make surprising discoveries. For instance, you get to see Muhammad Ali and Gil Scott-Heron at The Roxy in Los Angeles. Or Elton John at Soul Train in Los Angeles. Or, one of my favourite shots, Patti Labelle sitting on a table in the CBS Records conference room in Century City, California.

ARETHA FRANKLIN

Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California, 1974

@taschen

The photographs come in black and white and in colour and offer the opportunity to travel back in time. Many of the pics radiate a joy that I rarely sense today. Soul R&B Funk documents passion, dedication and a somewhat innocent time.

Diana Ross; Earth, Wind and Fire; Donna Summer; Barry White; Smokey Robinson; The Temptations; Stevie Wonder and and and ... "I want people to look at these pictures", says photographer Talamon, "and remember how badass James Brown. Michael Jackson, B.B. King, Natalie Cole, and Maurice White were, and what they looked like when they were being badass. And I want them to be seduced by Chaka Khan like I was. I want them to think about where they were when they first heard 'Love and Happiness'. I want people to remember it all. And Smile." So be it!

THE JACKSON 5

Motown company basketball game, Los Angeles, 1974

Katherine, Janet, Michael, and Randy Jackson with Bill Bray.

Bray was a retired police officer when he began working as 

security chief for the J5 in the early 1970s. Her worked with

Michael during his iconic Thriller days and beyond.

@taschen

This tome is a grandiose document! I'd definitely suggest to listen to the music of one of the artists when spending time with these pictures.

Bruce W. Talamon

Soul R&B Funk 

Photographs 1972 - 1982

Taschen, Cologne 2018

Mexico between Life and Death

Man and Long Shadow from Above, Taxco, 2009

When thinking of Mexico, Yona, who hails from Havana, comes to mind for Mexico was the land of her dreams. That was before she set foot on Mexican soil, for the Mexico on her Cuban television screen and the real Mexico were not even remotely comparable. Mexicans, as far as she was concerned, were tall, wearing moustaches, sported gel in their hair, and were gentlemen; the real Mexicans however were constantly whistling after her so that she felt she couldn't cross a street without being bothered. By the way, she loved being whistled after (she missed it in Switzerland) but in Mexico (this was in Oaxaca) it was simply too much.

What I also relate to Mexico is Malcolm Lowry's novel „Under the Volcano“ (the story of an alcoholic British consul in a small Mexican town on the Day of the Dead in the late 1930s) and quite often pictures of that movie appear in my mind when looking at Harvey Stein's photographs.

And then, there's Octavio Paz's „Labyrinth of Solitude“: „The word death is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it: it is one of his favourite toys and his most steadfast love. True, there is perhaps as much fear in his attitude as in that of others, but at least death is not hidden away: he looks at it face to face, with impatience, disdain or irony.“

For the full review, see here

Verão em Santa Cruz do Sul

Fevereiro 2018, Santa Cruz do Sul

Framing Egersund

Egersund is a small town on the coast, an hour and ten minutes by local train from Stavanger (in the South of Norway).