007 PARIS SUITE

Spy Vibers with a taste for adventure might enjoy a stay in the 007 suite at the 7 Hotel in Paris. In addition to this ultra-cool lounge area, the suite includes a large glass shower, modern furniture, and a golden gun-style lamp. Some of their suites have rotating design features, and I have seen two backgrounds for this lounge on-line. Reservations start at 447 euros. More info at the hotel website. This style of lit-alcove design reminds me of some of the 1960s-inspired interiors at the Mirage in Las Vegas.

NEIL ARMSTRONG: ONE LAST STEP

Spy Vibe is dedicated to a time when new technology, space-age vision, and a young generation with playful flair, independence (and pocket money), combined to ignite a revolution in the Arts. Although the space program, for some, became a symbol of the nationalistic and militaristic culture of the older generation- and an extension of the Cold War, I believe that there was a forward-reaching spirit of science and exploration at its heart. One of the fearless pioneers in that program, Neil Armstrong, has passed away at the age of 82. The first human being to set foot on the moon on July 20th, 1969, Armstrong was never at ease being in the public eye and chose to lead a private life. You can read his obituary in the Washington Post.

The development of space suits had a large impact on fashion in the 1960s. New synthetic fabrics designed to withstand the cosmos found their way into the hands of young artists and designers, who molded it into space-age dresses, boots, hats, and eyewear. The fashion, as embraced by youth, symbolized a futuristic attitude, and according to Jane Pavitt (Royal College of Art/V&A Museum), it also reflected the deeper anxieties that people had about the dangers of new technology and radioactive fallout.

Neil Armstrong's suit is in the collection of the Smithsonian. Manufactured by ILC Industries, it was made from beta cloth, rubber, nylon, plastic, aluminum, brass, and neoprene. From the Smithsonian: "The lunar spacesuits were designed to provide a life sustaining environment for the astronaut during periods of extra vehicular activity or during unpressurized spacecraft operation. They permitted maximum mobility and were designed to be worn with relative comfort for up to 115 hours in conjunction with the liquid cooling garment. If necessary, they were also capable of being worn for 14 days in an unpressurized mode. 

The spacesuit has the designation A-7L, and was constructed in the Extra-vehicular or EV configuration.

 NASA transferred the spacesuit to the National Air and Space Museum in 1971." I have not read any of the Armstrong biographies, but I wonder if such a private man might have found comfort in the singularity of one's task and in the isolation of the cockpit- or encased in the mobile environment below. Rest in peace. For more on space fashion, check out the many books in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon store.

JAMES BOND-A-THON IN NYC

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films, IFC in NYC is screening a BOND-A-THON of every Sean Connery 007 film- including Never Say Never Again (1983)! The series will run between Aug. 26th and Sept. 1st. "Outfitted with the coolest gadgets, the driest martinis (shaken, not stirred) and the curviest co-stars, Sean Connery created one of the screen’s most indelible and iconic characters. Although succeeded by other actors, he’s never been surpassed, and, on his golden anniversary, Connery’s effortlessly suave superspy remains the gold standard. After all, you never forget your first Bond." IFC is located at 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. See the complete schedule at the IFC website. NY Times announcement here.

MI6 CONFIDENTIAL: DOUBLE 007 SPECIAL

MI6 Confidential is releasing two new issues of their illustrated magazine and are offering a special that will save readers some shipping costs from the UK. Issue #16 celebrates the 50th anniversary of "Dr. No". As nobody knew quite what an international sensation Ian Fleming's spy would become on the silver screen, this issue is a fascinating snapshot in time just before Bond Fever hit. 

Issue #16:

His Name Is Bond - Sean Connery: from milkman to spy

Being Bond - In his own words, Connery reveals his approach to playing 007

The Man With The Platinum Hands - Meet 007's first megalomaniacal foe

The Girl Who Has Everything - Swiss beauty Ursula Andress makes a splash

Danger Man - When the action heats up, veteran stuntman Bob Simmons stands in

The Women Of 007 - Meet the other ladies vying for Bond's attention

Commander Jamaica - The "Dr. No" crew discuss shooting on location

Hero Number One - Realising Ian Fleming's imagination on the silver screen

Issue #17 previews the new adventure "Skyfall" including an exclusive interview with stunt coordinator Gary Powell about the stunts, spills & thrills of Daniel Craig's third outing as 007. Other features cover the new Bond Girls, the Barbican exhibition, inside the EON archive, and much more. More info at MI6Confidential. 

Issue #17:

Skyfall Action - Exclusive interview with stunt coordinator Gary Powell

Entente Cordiale - Bérénice Marlohe joins a long list of French Bond Girls

All About Eve - Naomie Harris plays an MI6 field agent in "Skyfall"

007 Legends - Activision lift the lid on their ambitious new videogame

50 Years Of Bond Style At The Barbican - Take a tour of the new exhibition

Inside The EON Archive - Exclusive interview with Archive Director Meg Simmonds

Sunspel In 007 Heaven - Recreating James Bond's iconic shorts

The Bond Connection - Ex-Special Ops agent Aaron Cohen reveals the secrets of "Haywire"

PERSUADERS INTERVIEW

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Persuaders, Sir Roger Moore added a special interview video to his website. I've been meaning to put this on everyone's radar. Sir Roger has also been doing some interviews and Q&A sessions to promote his new book, Bond On Bond. Please visit his website for more info. Enjoy! 

007 BLU-RAY TRAILER

This fantastic trailer has been released for Bond 50: the Complete James Bond Blu-ray collection. In addition to montages of classic 007 conventions through the years, we also get a look at some of the 120 hours of bonus material, including Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style, Being Bond (Interviews with all Bond actors), World of Bond (5 decades of unforgettable moments), and Behind the Scenes from Skyfall. The Blu-ray collection is available for pre-order in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Store and hits the streets on Sept. 25th.

RINGO JOINS BEATLES

It was 50 years ago today that Ringo Starr joined The Beatles, adding the last crucial ingredient to the band's alchemy and cementing their historic journey. Before becoming a Beatle, Ringo played in one of the top bands in Liverpool, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. A rare 1960 live recording of the band with Ringo on drums has been unearthed and will be released soon on CD by Rockstar Records. Beatles historian, Spencer Leigh, will play some tracks from the the concert on his radio show tonight, BBC's On the Beat, starting at 1800 London time. Fans can then hear the show streaming on Listen Again. Leigh told the Examiner, “It's a live concert professionally recorded in March 1960, so (it's) quite a find,” he says. “The band is ragged but they sound really exciting.” The CD cover photo of the Hurricanes below shows a bearded Ringo playing guitar at Rory's left.

JAMES BOND AUCTION

Breaking news for collectors: a major auction of original items from Eon Productions will be sold by Christies this fall. From the official auction website: "To celebrate the 50th anniversary of James Bond on film, Christie’s announces 50 Years of James Bond – The Auction which will present a unique opportunity to acquire a piece of Bond memorabilia direct from the archives of EON Productions as well as donations from the Bond cast. Forty lots will be offered at an online-only auction from 28th September to 8th October 2012, with 10 further lots to highlight an invitation-only auction at Christie’s South Kensington on 5th October – marking the 50th anniversary of the first screening of Dr. No. These 10 further lots will also be accessible to both internet and live, real-time bids. All items offered for sale will be on public exhibition at Christie’s South Kensington saleroom, 85 Old Brompton Road from 11am on Saturday, 29 September until 5pm on Friday, 5 October 2012; admittance free. All proceeds of the auction will benefit UNICEF’s work for children and other charitable causes. Further details of all individual lots will be available upon the publication of the catalogue in September 2012." The auction begins on September 28th with viewing times listed on-line. Bidding will close on October 8th. I'm sure that all of you book and prop collectors out there will be interested in the catalog! I'll post more information as soon as it is available.

450,000 VISITORS & RECENT OPS

Summer is winding down and I'm now preparing for another school year. I've been an Art teacher since the early 1990s, specializing in Film, Photo, and Drawing. This summer break offered our Spy Vibe community a chance to collaborate more regularly, something that I really enjoy! 

Recent Ops: I was able to post a number of new interview projects. Our chat with Jon Gilbert about his upcoming book, Ian Fleming: The Bibliography, inspired a new series on Spy Vibe called For Your Shelf Only. The series continues to draw people from around the world to share their collections and stories. Stay tuned for new installments! Most recently, I also had a long chat with Bunny Deana, who worked at the London Playboy Club in the late 1960s. It has also been a great season for exhibitions, including major retrospectives of 007 Design, Bond cars, British Design at the V&A, the 1968 Exhibit in Oakland, and Eurospy poster and lecture events. 

As of this week, Spy Vibe has reached 450,000 visitors. Not bad for the first 3.5 years. Thank you to all Spy Vibers, it's fun to explore this groovy world with you! On top of all that, we are now full into the 50th anniversary of two major cultural icons of the 20th Century- James Bond and The Beatles. I expect that we will be able to look at a lot of cool releases and news items this Fall, and I look forward to doing more interviews with collectors (contact me if you haven't yet) and others who define our mission: 1960s Style in Action!

You can scrool down for more recent OPs. For Your Shelf Only Series links so far: Jon Gilbert, Raymond Benson, Jeremy Duns, Peter Lorenz, David Foster, Rob Mallows, Roger Langley, Craig Arthur, Fleming Short, Matt Sherman. 

JACO GOLDFINGER

It's Music Monday! Today we look at a clip of Jaco Pastorius, the maestro of the fretless bass, who was known to occasionally quote the Goldfinger theme. Video from a December 12th concert in 1986. During his career, Jaco played as a solo artist, as well as with with Pat Matheny, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and as a member of Weather Report. He passed away in September 1987 at the age of 35. Jaco was known for his singing bass and it's very cool to hear his take on this James Bond classic. Enjoy!