Known for her experimental art, music, filmmaking, and feminism, as well as for her marriage to John Lennon, Yoko Ono was a major figure in the 1960s New York underground art scene, and she continues to produce work and make headlines today. Of several iconic conceptual and performance art pieces that Ono produced, the most famous is Cut Piece (1964), first performed in Tokyo, in which she kneeled on the floor of a stage while members of the audience gradually cut off her clothes. In the ’60s and ’70s Ono was associated with the Fluxus movement—a loose group of avant-garde Dada-inspired artists—and produced printed matter, such as a book titled Grapefruit (1964) containing instructions for musical and artistic pieces. Other works include Smoke Painting (1961), a canvas that viewers were invited to burn. John Cage was a major influence and collaborator for Ono, as was the godfather of Fluxus, George Maciunas.
Video: David Bowie’s Interview Special To Promote Stage Production Of The Elephant Man, 1980
The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance premiered at the Hampstead Theatre in London in November, 1977, and later played in repertory at the National Theatre in London. The story is based on the life of Joseph Merrick, referred to in the script as John Merrick, who lived in the Victorian era and is known for the extreme deformity of his body. The lead role of Merrick was originated by David Schofield in a definitive performance. Subsequent productions starred actors including Philip Anglim, Mark Hamill, Bruce Davison, Bradley Cooper, and David Bowie. Here’s Bowie in 1980 discussing his preparation for the role.
https://youtu.be/z8fZwM7G3P8
That time B.B. King showed his grace under fire by changing guitar strings mid-song
Is there any doubt B.B. King was the greatest blues guitarist of all time?
https://youtu.be/MXwBsxTBxGM
Video: Tony Levin on the Chapman Stick and When He Bought His First Electric Bass
The Chapman Stick is a curious instrument that few play and even fewer have mastered. Tony Levin demonstrates the possibilities of this oddball gear and his experience playing it on tracks with King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and many illustrious others.
Tony Levin discusses his youth as a bassist, desperately seeking the perfect instrument. Having looked far and wide, he met his match with Music Man basses, which he’s been devotedly using for the past few decades in legendary sessions such as John Lennon’s Double Fantasy.
Spoon’s Music Video For “Do I Have To Talk You Into It?” Shows The Art Form Is Far From Dead
The music video for Spoon’s latest single Do I Have To Talk You Into It? takes place entirely inside of the interface for Adobe Photoshop.
Check out The B-52’s rocking the soap opera The Guiding Light
Check out The B-52’s rocking the soap opera The Guiding Light. These clips, from 1982, feature performances of Throw That Beat in the Garbage Can and Private Idaho!
Throw That Beat in the Garbage Can”:
“Private Idaho”:
Photo Gallery: Shakey Graves with And The Kids at Toronto’s Massey Hall
All photos taken by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Kelly Clarkson on Artists Using Their Voice For Good
“I don’t want to be trained to talk. I’m not a puppet, I have a brain. It’s weird, but I actually came with a brain, not just vocal cords, and it would be silly to not have an opinion. It would be a disgrace if I didn’t have an opinion. It would be a cruel irony to all these people who live in different countries who don’t have an opinion, and don’t count, for me not to take full advantage of all the opportunities that are laid before us here in this nation. I don’t want to hide the fact that I am successful, strong-minded, opinionated. Sometimes I get it wrong, but I learn — but I have a voice.”
– Kelly Clarkson, in New York Times
Gary Oldman Doesn’t Like His Acting In “Sid & Nancy”
Gary Oldman initially turned down the lead in Sid and Nancy, the punk movement having passed him by without making much of a mark. “I just thought it was a lot of noise, so I was concerned who would see Sid and Nancy? Who cares?” he says of the role that put him on the map. “But I rolled up my sleeves, studied the way I’ve always done. You immerse yourself. I lost a ton of weight and made myself very ill.” To this day, it is not one of his favorites. “I don’t think I’m very good in it,” he says.
Watch David Bowie, David Gilmour & Richard Wright Perform Pink Floyd’s “Arnold Layne”
Arnold Layne, the debut single released by Pink Floyd in 1967, gets a bit of a resurgence thanks to this wonderful clip from the DVD set David Gilmour: Remember That Night – Live at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring the late David Bowie on vocals and Richard Wright on keyboards.