Unseen letters from Ian Fleming to his Kemsley Newspapers colleague Denis Hamilton were recently made public in a sale publicized by the Daily Express. The correspondences from the James Bond author include intimate references to his affair and marriage to Ann Rothermere, his heart attack, and to efforts to bring the 007 magic into their newspaper features. The lot also includes concerned letters from Ann about their son Caspar, who suffered from depression and later took his life (fleming died on Caspar's 12th birthday). Denis Hamilton's son Nigel wrote a piece for the Huffington Post in May 2012 about working on his dad's memoirs and about the Bloomsbury auction of his father's complete (and inscribed) collection of Fleming's books. More info at the Daily Mail and Huffington Post. Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive on Pinterest here. Andrew Lycett's excellent Fleming biography was recently republished in October in hardback and Kindle editions.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy,Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Martin H. Miller (1917-2005) worked as a Treasury Department official to revitalize the savings bond program during the post-war era. He also had an eye for topographical details and embarked on a personal quest to correct errors in government maps- a mission that included updating CIA maps to reflect the outcome of the 1967 Six-Day-War in the Middle East. He told a reporter at the time that he presented his case in a "factual rather than ideological" manner. "If I were trying to peddle my views, I wouldn't have gotten very far." [Washington Post]. Miller's crusade for accuracy even extended to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
In addition to his Treasury and editorial work, Miller also pursued a passion for Photography. From what little I can find on-line, it appears that he was an award-winning photographer who taught a course at the Agricultural Department graduate school and was active as a lecturer and competition judge. He joined the Photographic Society of America in 1953, and was among the top 50 most-exhibited amateur black-and-white photographers in the world by the 1960s. He is remembered for his exquisite nude images, especially the "Striped Light Nude" series. These images have such a wonderful Op Art quality, with shadows defining contour and surface in an almost topographical manner. To my eyes, the series shares the erotic language of Maurice Binder's James Bond title sequences. Live Auctioneers covered the sale of his estate, which included a number of prints. A current eBay auction for a Miller original appeared on our radar, thanks to Batman designer Shane Glines (Spy Vibe interview here). Examples from the "Striped Light Nude" series below from Live Auctioneers and eBay. Enjoy!
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy,Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Deal Alert: Amazon is offering a lightning deal today on Mission Impossible: The Complete Series. The sale starts at 8:20pm (pacific). The box set, designed as a stick of dynamite in reference to the show's burning-fuse opening, includes all seven seasons of the Emmy-Award winning spy series, the two-season revival from the 1980s, and a special-features disc. Mission Impossible has always been one of my favorite shows. The style of MI storytelling was typically built around eye contact and silent tension between the agents, rather than heavy dialog and gunplay. What made this show so awesome was the effort of the team to get and out of enemy territory unnoticed, and derailing the enemy efforts in such a way that the baddies were left blaming each other. With the MI Team's use of disguises, stage craft, and technology, they were the masters of sabotage and manipulation. The collection usually sells for $126 and up, so this may be a great chance to add it to your library for a reasonable price. Your mission, should you choose to accept it. Happy hunting! Product page here.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy,Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Mystery Wednesday: Congratulations to Aunt Agatha's bookshop in Ann Arbor for their 2014 Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Aunt Agatha's is a haven for mystery lovers, with its collection of 25,000 new and used books and a retail space packed to the rafters with intrigue. The National Raven award is giving to non-writers and institutions. Past winners include Alfred Hitchcock and the Edgar Allan Poe Society. Find out more at the Aunt Agatha's and Mystery Writers of America websites. More coverage of this event by the Detroit News here.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy, Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, HMV returns to Oxford st w Beatles promo, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Beatles fans rejoice today as an official collection of unreleased session tapes and live performances from 1963 became available on iTunes. The compilation includes rare session takes, unreleased BBC performances, and even Demo recordings of early songs! Collectors have heard much of this material through the bootleg market, but none of these recordings have ever been officially released in this pure form from the original tapes. I'm listening to the tracks now and they sound fantastic. It's fun to hear songs taking shape in the studio, and the live shows sound especially energetic! The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963 project was created to secure copyrights that would have expired at the 50-year mark, a strategy already seen in action with Bob Dylan's catalog since last year. Many are speculating that the album will only be available for a brief time, so Spy Vibers are encouraged to move quickly. Feels like a Beatles Holiday- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy, Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, HMV returns to Oxford st w Beatles promo, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Okay Spy Vibers, let's get this week moving. The Art of Noise was an experimental pop project that fused early avant-garde ideas with 1983-era sampling technology. Gary Langan, J.J. Jeczalik, Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn, and Paul Morley were the original sound alchemists, who crafted a proto-Gorillaz anonymous band packaged in graphics. Spy Vibers may recall their innovative adaptation of Peter Gunn. I will never forget picking up their first album. Not only was it my introduction to "found sound" in pop music (The Beatles' use of found sounds had been too subtle for me to notice as a kid), but also my introduction to the kind of primal electronic beat that would be a genesis for techno music. One of their early songs used the sound of a car engine starting as the foundation beat, an idea that blew me away at the time. The group has produced projects with various members over the years, including an interesting sound-bio of composer Claude Debussy in 1999 and a reunion on November 30th, 2013 with Dudley and Morely and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Official website here. Below is the Art of Noise versions of James Bond (1989) and Peter Gunn (1986). And just for fun, I will include their Max Headroom video, Paranoimia (1986). Enjoy!
Recent Spy Vibe posts: The Goldfinger Variations, Jane & Serge, Dylan at Newport, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy, Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, HMV returns to Oxford st w Beatles promo, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Step back in time with Spy Vibe to to the early 1960s, where a young folk singer channeling Woody Guthrie took the Newport Folk Festival by storm. 1963 was Bob Dylan's first visit to the event, and under the wing of Time cover-star Joan Baez, Dylan, with his gift for poetry, was adopted as the voice of the new generation. Coming from the cafe scene in Greenwich Village, Dylan was swept into a busy year performing at festivals, on television, and at major events like the March on Washington. Although he seemed to arrive as a star, his journey as an artist was just beginning. Two years later at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, he famously plugged in a Fender Stratocaster and launched a new branch of popular music. In related news, that very same guitar (photo below) just sold on December 6th at Christie's for $965,000! Scroll down to see the live auction footage.
History through Bob Dylan's set-lists from Newport via the Examiner (some songs repeated over a few days each year). Image below from the Morrison Hotel Gallery.
1963: With God On Our Side, North Country Blues, Talkin' World War III Blues, Only a Pawn in Their Game, Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues, A Hard Rain's-A-Gonna Fall, Blowin' in the Wind, We Shall Overcome, Who Killed Davy Moore?, Masters of War, Playboys and Playgirls, With God On Our Side
1964: It Ain't Me Babe, Mr. Tambourine Man, All I Really Want to Do, To Romona, Chimes of Freedom, With God On Our Side
1965: Mr. Tambourine Man, Love Minus Zero, All I Really Want To Do, Maggie's Farm, Like a Rolling Stone, It Takes a Lot to Laugh it Takes a Train to Cry, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, Mr. Tambourine Man
Here is a collection of video clips about Dylan's at Newport, including a short interview with Pete Seeger about what really happened behind the scenes in those first moments of electricity in 1965. You can learn more with Suze Rotolo's memoir, A Freewheelin' Time, Martin Scorsese's No Direction Home, and the documentary The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965. Follow photographer Rowland Scherman as he walks NPR through his portfolio of images from the 1963 festival here. Bob Dylan recently put out a series of unreleased recordings from his career (The Bootleg Series, Side Tracks), and an iPad APP for his Another Self Portrait set. A 41-album box set, The Complete Album Collection vol. 1, was just released in November. Spy Vibers might also enjoy the new Cohen Brothers film called Inside Lleyn Davis, about a musician struggling in the Greenwich Village folk scene in 1961. Smithsonian Folkways just released a Dave Van Ronk box set called Down on Washington Square. Also check out the many books and CDs by John Cohen (New Lost City Ramblers), including a collection of early Dylan portraits. Photographs from the era by John Byrne Cooke here.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy, Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, HMV returns to Oxford st w Beatles promo, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Have a Mod Hi-Fi party with Jane & Serge today! You can see this futuristic bubble-turntable in action in the video below, and be sure to check out Friday's post about the new Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg art book. Happy Saturday!
Recent Spy Vibe posts: The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy, Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, HMV returns to Oxford st w Beatles promo, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
