The style of Swinging London and the spirit of The Beatles has often echoed through the work of Liam Gallagher. During the Oasis years with brother Noel (1991-2009), the band's Fab covers included I Am the Walrus (The Masterplan/1998), You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (Some Might Say/1995), and Helter Skelter (Familiar to Millions/2000). Liam worked with Yoko Ono to include an excerpt of John Lennon's voice in his haunting song I'm Outta Time on the final Oasis album (Dig Out Your Soul/2009). We've seen Beatles homage throughout the Oasis catalog with many poetic references to song lyrics and titles. Liam has carried the Beatles spirit into his design company, Pretty Green, which sports some great Fab-inspired clothing. Are these guys Beatles fans? When Liam had a son in 1999, he named the boy Lennon.
But before you dismiss Liam as an obsessed fan or Austin Powers for the music/fashion scene, remember that this is a man who can walk the walk. He does mine the 1960s and the Fabs for inspiration, but his output is snarling and honest. Liam is an artist with a powerfully personal voice- the world be damned. This is true in terms of his interpretive work. I was interested to learn that the BBC announced yesterday that Liam's film company, In 1 Productions, will be teaming up with Revolution Films to adapt a Beatles book for the big screen. The book, The Longest Cocktail Party, was published by Playboy in 1973, and is Richard DiLello's look at the final years of The Beatles and the climate within the Beatles' company Apple. A spokesman for In 1 Productions said: "This will be a film with humour and affection, providing an insider's look at what it meant to be a young man caught up in the wild swirl of the music business, celebrities and the tail end of the swinging 60s in London." As Art imitates life and life imitates Art, perhaps this is Liam's way to creatively process the final unraveling of Oasis last year? Moving away from interpretation into docu-drama will be a new step. If the cameras roll as planned, I hope the film gives us honest, developed characters, as well as a stylish feast for fans of 1960s design.
