A Little Gift from the Heavens

Today whilst walking home from a day out I decided that I'd visit one of my local charity shops that I had not been to for a while. Usually, the section in which they keep the records is closed off, but today it wasn't, so I decided to have a little look.
And whilst flipping through the many piles of them, I found this hiding between two records:

And if you are not too well acquainted with The Beatles, this is what it belongs to:

Yes, the psychedelic inner sleeve of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". I literally cursed aloud when I saw it. It was even more so odd that it was here as there are literally no Beatles records, or anything Beatles related really, in my area that haven't been swiped up already by collectors to be resold, or myself for that matter, let alone originals.

Designed by "The Fool", it was the first inner sleeve in history to feature a design upon it, and would only ever be released with the first original British pressing of the album in 1967. Followers of the 'Paul Is Dead' conspiracy believe that the red liquid-like pattern was designed to reminisce the blood of Paul McCartney in a supposed accident that they believe to have happened in November 1966, causing his 'death'.
Written in the bottom corner of the sleeve in white text is "Made in Great Britain, Patents Applied For".

Of course, the sleeve is not in wonderful condition. It is quite torn, folded, creased and even has what looks to be green crayon scribbled on it. But nonetheless I am so grateful for this little gift from the heavens. I do already have a copy of the album on record, but not an original British pressing. So, to think that I was holding in my hands, and now own, something from that time and place is just marvelously brilliant. What was even better was that the gentleman at the store let me have it for free - having no clue what it was from, and giving me a rather odd look for me wanting to buy a sleeve but no record.

(Images: 1. Wogew 2. Eil

Spicks and Specks

Bridget Riley, "Metamorphosis", 1964




Ringo and Maureen Starkey pictured on Febraury 12th 1965, a day after their wedding.






Brian Jones




1st January 1968, US Vogue, Penelope Tree photographed by Patrick Lichfield


February 1966, Paris Vogue, by Helmut Newton


Pattie Boyd at Trafalgar Square, London, July 27th 1969






Faye Dunaway, 1968. Photograph by Jerry Schatzberg. Dress by Jean Muir


John Lennon


Twiggy wearing a polka dot print wrap dress designed by Foale and Tuffin.


Brigitte Bardot


Seventeen Magazine, February 1967


Oh, those tights!


Harper's Bazaar, April 1965, Jean Shrimpton photographed by Richard Avedon


Peggy Moffitt in Pierre Cardin


Paris Vogue, March 1967, Ann Turkel photographed by David Bailey


Biba dolly


Spots Are In, But Not On Your Skin - New Fresh-Start by Pond's


Macshore Classics 1964


Spots Are In, But Not On Your Skin - New Fresh-Start by Pond's cleans out oil-choked pore opening, the breeding ground for blemishes. Model: Barbara Bach

(Song: "Spicks and Specks" - The Bee Gees)

(Images: 2 . TateETC 3. Cosmosonic 4. maureencoxstarkey 5. Beatlegeek 6. Via: maureensadoll 7. Brianjonesmemorialfanclub 8. Source 9. ciaovogue 10. ciaovogue 11.Child Of The Moon 12.
Fuckyeahpattieboyd 13. Fuckyeah60sfashion 14. MissDandy 15. WarmGuns 16. MissDandy 17. Source 18. Sugarpie Honeybunch 20. Ooh-Me-Likey 21. Source 22. Ciaovogue 23. Ashen Lady 24. 25. 26. What Makes The Pie Shop Tick? )

A Treat For Halloween - Killer-Diller Colours by Cutex

Send a monstrous shiver up his spine. Make his blood run hot & cold.
These are the shades to haunt him with.
Be warned.
Be wary.
But wear them!
DARE YOU!

Bewitch him by day. Make him mad for you under the moon.

Available In:
- Bewitch Him Bronze
- Gone Mad Mauve
- Turn Pale Pink
- One Step Beyond Beige
- Wicked White
- Stark Raving Pink

Also available in nail polish coordinated to these lipstick shades.

I want them all.

(Source: What Makes The Pie Shop Tick? )

Rocky

George Harrison's beloved "Rocky" is perhaps one of the music world's most well known guitars.

"Rocky" began life as a 1961/2 solid body Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster, and was bought for George second hand, as his first Fender Stratocaster, by Beatles roadie Mal Evans in 1965. He first used it for a recording on "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" from "Help!" (1965). One was also bought for John Lennon, and the two guitars as brothers were used during the recording of "Rubber Soul"(1965), uniting for the eminent solo in "Nowhere Man". "Rocky" would also be used on following albums, such as "Revolver" (1966).


John Lennon and his Fender Stratocaster - what "Rocky" had originally looked like.

In April 1967, The Beatles had just finished recording their momentous album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". At this time psychedelia was blooming, influencing music, art, fashion, and even guitars. It was during this time that George decided to transform "Rocky".

“The paint started flaking off immediately... We were painting everything at that time: our houses, our clothes, our cars, our shop. Everything. In those days day-glo orange and lime paint were very rare, but I discovered where to buy them — very thick, rubbery stuff. I got a few different colors and painted the Strat, not very artistically because the paint was just too thick. I had also found out about cellulose paint, which came in a tube with a ball tip, so I filled in the scratch plate with that and drew on the head of the guitar with [wife] Pattie’s sparkly green nail varnish.” George Harrison, The Beatles Anthology.

Also featured on the guitar were the words "Be Bop A Lula", "Go Cat Go", and the guitar's name on the headstock. Despite the strong use of colour, the back of the guitar however, would remain in its original blue.




"Rocky" featured in Guitar Player magazine, November 1987.

The new and improved "Rocky" would then be seen by the greater portion of the world on June 25th 1967, during The Beatles performance of "All You Need Is Love" in black and white on "Our World", the world's first global television link. However, it would be most remembered and more clearly seen in The Beatles' self-directed, psychedelic film "Magical Mystery Tour" (1967), being played by Harrison during the "I Am The Walrus" sequence.

"Rocky" would then remain a very special guitar to Harrison. In approximately 1969 he began playing slide on it, and would use it for many, many years to come. To name a few, it would appear on the Dark Horse Tour of 1974, feature on "Free As A Bird", and make one of its last known public appearances at the Concert for George in 2002, being played by Andy Fairweather-Low.

Andy Fairweather-Low playing "Rocky" at the Concert for George, 2002.

George Harrison discusses "Rocky".

I myself personally honored "Rocky" by naming my first electric guitar after it: "Rocky George II".

(Sources: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. )