Back To The Book

I've been a little lax lately on all things that are my book and rock'n'roll. Which doesn't mean it hasn't been on my mind.

I've been mulling layout ideas in my head and am now ready to take a crack at actually putting these ideas to paper. Get them out of my head. Of course, this requires a modicum of effort...something I've been adverse to of late. But that is all going to change. Now. Right this minute. No more thinking...just doing. As some long lost relative used to say, "It's time to shit, or get off the pot."

Up to now, I've been using a traditional book proposal to show around. It consists of a Synopsis, About the Author, Market and Promotion, Competition, Sample Writing and four or five Sample Photographs. It's thirteen typed pages plus the photos, and fits neatly into a three-hole report folder. Ugh! Not exactly what I want for this book. It's a bunch of words on white bond paper and a few glossy pictures. It doesn't speak to what's special about the book.

And that just reminds me to go back to my roots. When I came up with the concept of Starart (my coffee table book of artwork by six rock stars), I put together mock-ups. Fortunately, I met George "Commander Cody" Frayne who agreed to be my guinea pig. I took photographs of all his work, did an audio interview and took photos of him. Then I put his whole chapter together - typing the text and pasting up prints from the photos - so he could see my vision.

This is a spread from the interview portion of the mock-up.

This is a spread from the art portion of the mock-up.

This is from the actual book.

And this is how that above art spread looks in the book.

I also used Commander Cody's chapter mock-up to attract other artists. First, John Mayall and then Klaus Voormann. I used those three to get Cat Stevens. Then, Ron Wood.

This was an interview spread in Ron Wood's chapter mock-up.

This is an art spread from Ronnie's chapter mock-up.
And that's his hand-written comment that he added
for his John Baldry album cover.

And here's how the mock-up spreads look in the finished book.

Finally, after Ron Wood, I met Joni Mitchell. She immediately agreed to be in the book. I did the same with her -- took photos of her art, did interviews and then put together her mock-up. But for Joni I did something completely different. I didn't use the photographs of her art. I did color-pencil drawings of her work. Either I was nuts or out of money to get all the prints made. Maybe a little bit of both. Here's what I did:

Yup. These are my drawings of Joni Mitchell's drawings.

As are these.

Here are the finished spreads of the above mock-ups.
Joni's drawings, not mine.

I remember when I showed her the mock-up. I was nervous. Considering the gall I had to reproduce her work with my own hand. At first, with the pen & inks, she didn't realize they were frauds. When she finished looking at it, she complimented my work and said I should reprint my drawings in the book...they were better.

Anyway, the point is, I need to do the same thing with Everybody I Shot Is Dead. I need to excite people with my vision. So, it's time to put together mock-ups of a couple of my dead rock stars. I'm thinking Michael Bloomfield and John Bonham.