Style Innovator: Michael Nesmith (30 December 1942)

To most people he’s recognised as the ‘quiet’ Monkee; surly, irreverent, with a good ol’ southern drawl, boy. But while Michael Nesmith may indeed have auditioned for stardom along with Davey Jones and the other members of the group, musically he seemed one or three steps ahead of the rest. Nesmith penned my favourite Monkees songs ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’, ‘You Just May Be the One’, and ‘Listen to the Band’, and, in my opinion, he recorded one of the best ever gigs – The Amazing ZigZag Concert, Roundhouse, 28 April 1974.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC8s_GvMccM

Style Icon: The Hamilton 'Nordon' Wristwatch

A life-long fascination with watches has led me to become a bit of collector. I must confess I am no horologist, preferring the aesthetic over the mechanics - though the fact that most of my watches date from the 1950s and all keep excellent time, appeals to my appreciation of longevity.

One of my favourite watches is the ‘Nordon’ bubbleback, which was manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company in the United States between 1949 and 1952. The ‘Nordon’ had an innovative case design for the time that prevented dust and moisture from entering the case and damaging the movement, so was one of the first watches to be marketed as fully waterproof.

I hope to graduate in 2015 – I wonder if I’ll get presented with a ‘Nordon’?

Style Innovator: King Curtis (7 February 1934 – 13 August 1971)

The events that led to King Curtis’ death in 1971 are well documented; he was fatally wounded after challenging a couple of junkies who were using his door step to ply their trade. But this saxophone colossus left us with an amazingly varied and fascinating archive spanning almost every genre of music. It is for this reason, and for his many inspired collaborations – from Aretha to Duane Allman – that King Curtis sits alongside the greats in my personal pantheon of style innovators.

 Copyright unknown

Yakety Yak - The Coasters - featuring King Curtis (1958)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXgzQQ5XsHc

Memphis Soul Stew - King Curtis and the Kingpins (1969)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Loy55z4GpA

Whiter Shade of Pale - King Curtis and the Kingpins (1971)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBnXT225VLk

Style Icon: Bert Stern (3 October 1929)

Bert Stern is primarily a stills and fashion photographer and perhaps best known for the iconic images of a semi nude Marilyn Monroe whom he shot for Vogue in 1962. However, he was also responsible for directing Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1960), which was filmed during the 1958 Newport Jazz festival in Rhode Island, USA. Originally the festival was chosen as a backdrop against which Bert Stern’s own story and script would be set. However, for a number of reasons (including a missing cat!?) this project never quite got off the ground and what eventually emerged was a unique and candid portrayal of the jazz artists, their music, and the  ‘in’ crowd attending the jazz festival. One doesn't have to like jazz to appreciate this film - indeed Bert Stern himself knew very little about jazz, apparently, when he decided to shoot the film - but what is apparent is Stern’s eye for a good shot so it flows from morning to evening to night as series of stills. However, I watch JoaSD regularly; I think Stern's film captures the essence and energy of jazz, a certain romanticism and naivety of a period long gone, and a time when people (well, those who could afford to live in Rhode Island!) knew how to wear clothes and listen to the best music!

 

 Copyright of images is not known

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfLsEH4csQ4

Style Icon: The Alden Shoe Company - founded 1884

The Alden Shoe Company of New England certainly needs no introduction. As the maker of classic shoes, boots, and moccasins since 1884, there aren't enough superlatives to describe this brand. Indeed, I recently invested part of my 5 year old son's inheritance in a pair of Indy 403 boots, justifying to myself that they are so well made he will one day inherit them, and who knows maybe pass them down to his own children!

Another particular favourite of mine is the Alden Arguello Ranger Moc, shown below. As with many of Alden's shoes the Aguello is made from sturdy Horween Shell Cordovan horse leather (the fibrous flat muscle - or shell - beneath the hide on the rump of the horse). However, these mocs feature Goodyear welted plantation crepe soles with leather toe sections. The pair shown below are brown but I have seen them in burgundy and they look great!

http://www.endclothing.co.uk/alden-arguello-ranger-moc.html

Style Icon: Roy Brown (10 September 1925 — 25 May 1981)

My passion for music extends across many genres including rockabilly. In my teens I used to go to a ‘Rockin’ Club’ off Grafton Road in Camden Town. It was one of those places where everyone dressed up to the nines and at times could easily have resembled main street USA, 1956. There was one track I loved called Hip Shakin’ Baby, a genuine bopper, by Roy Brown. I remember at the time being both enthralled and amazed to discover Roy Brown was black because to me it sounded pure rockabilly. Of course, clubs like the one in Grafton Road played plenty of black artists, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Louis Jordon, but in my musical naivety I assumed rockabilly to be recorded only by white artists; after all wasn’t it white artists that copied black artists? From that point I very quickly learned my error and that the roots of great music are, excitingly, never straight forward. However, what Roy Brown and ‘Hip Shakin’ Baby’ did for me is light the long fuse of musical enlightenment, which continues to smoulder to this day.

                                                                                              Copyright unknown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wc0nZ7f4rQ

Style Innovator: Clarence White (7 June 1944 – 15 July 1973)

The more discerning music lover will already be familiar with Clarence White. As an innovator, his unique finger picking guitar style was honed from years of playing traditional acoustic country, bluegrass, and folk music with a number of bands, most notably The Kentucky Colonels, and working on high profile studio sessions during the mid to late 1960s. However, it was his move from acoustic to almost wholly electric guitar where Clarence White makes his greatest impact and the perceived wisdom is that he found his greatest creativity and freedom playing electric. So, in my humble opinion Clarence White did much more than introduce breath taking guitar playing to a rock audience, but he managed to influence and move forward two entire genres of music simultaneously.

Recording-wise Clarence White is probably best known for his work with The Byrds (Dr Byrd & Mr Hyde’, 1969 – and the aforementioned studio sessions), who he joined in 1967, and of course The Kentucky Colonels (1961-1965). However, for me any of his collaborations with Gib Guilbeau and Gene Parsons stand out; the Nashville West sessions (1967) remains on my list of desert island discs, and one record I recommend you listen to if you have not already done so.

                                    The Reasons (from left to right): Clarence White, Wayne Moore, Gene Parsons,Gib Guilbeau
                                                                  Photo courtesy of Alec Palao

CW - Grandma Funderbunk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3tl3APQtyo

Nashville West - Ode To Billie Joe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLTMu6uaqHI

Gosdin Brothers - Tell Me (listen to CW guitar at end)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDUKKaRw9wE