delayed in adelaide

Hey,

Saw this Martin Sharpe screen print at the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide on Sunday, big fan of this artist and this piece of work, great to finally see it for real.

Was in Adelaide to see the Stones, although the tour is postponed due to tragic circumstances, had a great weekend, saw an awesome Stones photo exhibition, saw Stones sax player Bobby Keys with his band the Suffering Bastards, who were friggin' AWESOME (goin' to see 'em again tomorra night).

So not too much progress on the Robert Johnson painting this week, done about 15 hrs or so...about at the 30% mark, but you'll see the finished work next week.


The GREAT Bobby Keys!!

Blood brothers...Born on the same day. 18th December 43'...

Tombstones and Hellhounds

 Hey!!!!

Here's the finished "Tombstone Blues". 15 of the characters from the song are all there, Gypsy Davy with the blow torch and his faithful slave Pedro, the reincarnation of Paul Revere's Horse, The hysterical bride, Beethoven and Ma Rainey, Delilah, the Medicine Man, Cecil B. DeMille, John the Baptist, the Commander in Chief, Jezebel the Nun and Jack the Ripper, the Tuba players around the Flag pole, the king of the Philistines and Brother Bill in Chains.

And here's the layout sketch for "Hellhound on my Trail", after debating in my stupid head about what song to do again I settled on my original idea...10 friggin' hours inta the painting and all I've half (well a little more than half I guess...90%) achieved so far is the top title....some come easy, some don't, another 20-30hrs to go I reckon...

So after this, Chuck Berry's "School days" and then from the same era, another of my all time favourites Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love", what a fuckin' AWESOME song...Check these for some lyrics....I could listen to 50s rock'n'Roll forever and could just base a series of work on these Dudes....Chuck, Buddy, Bo, Eddie, Gene, Carl...and the list could go on...Such damn originals!
 

WHO DO YOU LOVE?-By Bo Diddley

I walk 47 miles of barbed wire,
I use a cobra-snake for a necktie,
I got a brand new house on the roadside,
Made from rattlesnake hide,
I got a brand new chimney made on top,
Made out of a human skull,
Now come on take a walk with me, arlene,
And tell me, who do you love?

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Tombstone hand and a graveyard mine,
Just 22 and I don't mind dying.

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

I rode a lion to town, use a rattlesnake whip,
Take it easy arlene, don't give me no lip,

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Night was dark, but the sky was blue,
Down the alley, the ice-wagon flew,
Heard a bump, and somebody screamed,
You should have heard just what I seen.

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Arlene took me by my hand,
And she said ooowee bo, you know I understand.

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prLQSAXJCeg

Then I guess I really gotta tackle a female gee-tar picker next up...Dolly first up? Bobby Gentry??? Loretta?? "Coat of many Colours"? M-I-SS-I-SS-I-PP-I?? "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl"????

Tombstone Blues-which song next?

hey.

Finished Bob's "Tombstone Blues" again 30+ hours of painting...Flat out! Been listenin' to Highway 61 again and again (Mike Bloomfield-GENIUS!), and also the outtakes from the record and the outstanding, probably "best" live album of all time, Live at Manchester Trade Hall show from 66'. Intense shit. So damn powerful and angst ridden, "Play it Fuckin' LOUD man!!" How good is Garth Hudson?? And Robbie Robertson?? Sheesh...

Scanner ain't a workin' at the moment, so hafta post it next week...

Started lay out sketches for the Robert Johnson piece last night, and yet again kinda undecided and torn between 2 songs...Do I do "Hellhound on my Trail" or do I do "Stop Breakin' Down"????? One has a killer chorus, the other imagery that goes with the Robert Johnson myth. So far I like the direction of the lay outs for both...

Next I'm gunna tackle Chuck Berry..."School Days"? or a car song "You Can't Catch Me"? Rockin' out on the Jukebox after school, or hittin' the ole' highway...Two kinds of classic Rock'n'Roll song imagery. Chuck sure has done some great car songs, but at I'm thinkin' down the line I'm gunna do the Boss's "Thunder Road" maybe I've got the classic American car song right there...

SCHOOL DAYS by CHUCK BERRY

Up in the mornin' and out to school
The teacher is teachin' the Golden Rule
American history and practical math
You studyin' hard and hopin' to pass
Workin' your fingers right down to the bone
And the guy behind you won't leave you alone

Ring, ring goes the bell
The cook in the lunch room's ready to sell
You're lucky if you can find a seat
You're fortunate if you have time to eat
Back in the classroom, open your books
Gee but the teacher don't know how mean she looks

Soon as three o'clock rolls around
You finally lay your burden down
Close up your books, get out of your seat
Down the halls and into the street
Up to the corner and 'round the bend
Right to the juke joint, you go in

Drop the coin right into the slot
You're gotta hear somethin' that's really hot
With the one you love, you're makin' romance
All day long you been wantin' to dance,
Feeling the music from head to toe
Round and round and round we go

Hail, hail rock and roll
Deliver me from the days of old
Long live rock and roll
The beat of the drum is loud and bold
Rock, rock, rock and roll
The feelin' is there, body and soul.

2 Roberts

Hey Ya'll.

Below is my sketch for Bob's "Tombstone Blues", painting should be done early next week, round 'bout at 50% mark...Mostly finished background, done 'round 20 odd hrs so far...

"The sun's not yellow it's Chicken..."

 I'll post up the final next week.

Next one up is Robert Johnson's "Hellhound On My Trail" it came down to this song or "Stop Breaking Down"...

Here's a Robert Crumb tribute to the same song...

HELLHOUND ON MY TRAIL

By Robert Johnson

I got to keep moving, I got to keep moving
Blues falling down like hail, blues falling down like hail
Mmm, blues falling down like hail, blues falling down like hail
And the day keeps on remindin' me, there's a hellhound on my trail
Hellhound on my trail, hellhound on my trail

If today was Christmas eve, if today was Christmas eve
And tomorrow was Christmas day
If today was Christmas eve and tomorrow was Christmas day
All I would need is my little sweet rider
Just to pass the time away, to pass the time away

You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm, around my door
All around my door
You sprinkled hot foot powder, all around your daddy's door
It keeps me with ramblin' mind rider
Every old place I go, every old place I go

I can tell the wind is risin', the leaves tremblin' on the tree
Tremblin' on the tree
I can tell the wind is risin', leaves tremblin' on the tree
All I need is my little sweet woman
And to keep my company, hey, hey, hey, hey, my company

Hopefully if I have some more time next week I'll detail a little more on my inspiration for the series...Words jest ain't my specialty...