the rantin’ & ravin’ of a crackpot artist
PHOTOFLEX lighting gear is posting a tutorial I made for them on how to shoot a Hot Rod Pin-up. This one includes a video of a shoot with the lovely Amber Dawn. Now the world will know my secrets…
Hot Rod Pin-up tutorial video
(Sir) Jay Landsford and I grew up together in Arcadia, California. We met in Jr. high and played music with the same people during high school. His band the Simpletones recorded a song I wrote with my partner Eric Kiertzner titled TIGER BEAT TWIST. It was on the Beach Blvd. LP. Posh Boy records never paid us a penny in royalties. I learned the way of the entertainment business early. Well, at least my name was spelled correct. Great to see Sir Jay still rockin.
Nadar (1820-1910)
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Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879)
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Eugène Atget (1857 -1927)
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E J Bellocq (1873-1949)
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August Sander (1876-1964)
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Alfred Cheney Johnston (1885-1971)
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Edward Weston (1886-1958)
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Brassaï (1899-1984)
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Weegee Arthur Fellig (1899-1964)
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Walker Evans (1903-1975)
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George Hurrell (1904-1992)
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Irving Klaw (1911-1970)
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Helmut Newton (1920-2004)
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Richard Avedon (1923-2004)
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Garry Winogrand (1928-1984)
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Robert Frank
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Danny Lyon
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Bruce Davidson
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Joel-Peter Witkin
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Nick Knight
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Javier Vallhonrat
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Toni Meneguzzo
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Matthew Rolston
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David Hockney
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Hipgnosis
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23 Envelope
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Barriemore Barlow - Jethro Tull
Bill Ward - Black Sabbath
Clem Burke - Blondie
Gene Krupa
John Bonham - Led Zeppelin
Keith Moon - the Who
Ringo Starr - the Beatles
Warren Cann - Ultravox
Stuart Copeland - the Police
Simon Phillips - Judas Priest
The guitar is one of our great inventions. A plank of wood with 6 strings, but dare to pick it up!
As a young, impressionable boy, nothing got me more that a dude on a stage with his band, (and it usually was his band) stepping out from the shadows into the spotlight and tearing the room down with his axe.
In 1972, at my first junior high dance at Foothills Jr. High school in Arcadia, California, I saw my first live band up close. Four dudes, not much older than me, wielding that power and coolness over me with loud, hard rock music.
I worship the guitar gods, sitting at their feet and staring up in wonder, stealing chords and riffs, maybe a move- trying to learn their skills and powers.
Guitar god requirements.
TONE. The ability to be recognized in one note.
Tasty licks and lots of ‘em in the right places. A guitar solo is like a great conversation between the god and his audience.
If you can sing well, BONUS. Playing and singing has got to be difficult. (Billy, Brian, Pete, Chris, Willie, Robert, Fred, Buck, Paul, Peter, Midge)
Great look, moves, hair and guitar face.
You play music I can still listen to.
He’s a bully, and he’s gonna grab you by the balls and not let go. He may stab at you 1000 times, or drop the hammer of the gods upon you.
“3000 guitars they seem to cry, my ears will melt, and then my eyes.”*
Rock is dead they say - Long Live Rock!
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Angus Young - AC/DC
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Jeff Beck
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Martin Barre- Jethro Tull
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Billy F Gibbons - ZZ Top
Billy is my MAN. He’s got it all. Probably more hits, money, glamour and recognition than any other guitar god. He’s a hot rod freak and a personal friend of mine. The rev is # 1.
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Blind Willie Johnson
His music makes me cry. Probably the most soulful man i’ve ever heard. Played slide with a pocket knife.
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Brian Setzer - Stray Cats
Brian and the Stray Cats turned me on to rockabilly in 1980. Awesome technique, great songs, looks cool as fuck, digs hot rods. Never saw stray cats, but caught early Brian Setzer Orchestra at the Roxy. Suave.
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Django Rienhardt
Belgian gypsy god who played with 2 fingers.
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Eddie Van Halen
I didn’t follow them after they signed with WB and Doobie Bros. producer Ted Templeton, BUT, in 1973, when I was a sophmore at Arcadia High School, Van Halen played at our homecoming dance, and they blew my mind. They were DARK. I followed them at van happenings, bowling alley’s and finally the Whiskey a Go-Go. At that dance, after their set, I went up to Eddie and said something like, “Hi. Your as good as Richie Blackmore” …he paused, and said “thanks.”
He wore a blue velvet suit and played a gold top Les Paul.
I stole this shot of VH for my own band, Asylum, and ripped it for our flyer. I tried to one up them with the flash pots. Eddie’s god status shows even in a cruddy little picture on a xeroxed band flyer.
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Toni Iommi - Black Sabbath
First concert I ever saw was Black Sabbath, Gentle Giant (boring prog rock), and Captain Beyond (Ruled!). Black Sabbath only played 20 minutes, because Toni was puking backstage and couldn’t finish the show.
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Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin
Ok, it took me years to appreciate Jimmy and Zep. My high school girlfriend, Kim Brannon, LOVED Robert “Percy” Plant, and I guess I was a bit jealous of his bulge, and besides, in 1976, EVERYONE loved Zep. Too obvious for me. It took years later, when hearing the Black Crows with Jimmy Page on the radio, did by interest perk up. I bought the CD, and then proceeded to listen to every Zep LP, read Hammer of the Gods (Great book!) and become a convert.
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Pete Townsend - The Who
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John Entwhistle - The Who
MONSTER player.
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Mick Ronson - David Bowie and The Spiders From Mars
Great guitar face.
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Richie Blackmore - Deep Purple
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Robert Johnson
Sold his soul to the devil, and I believe it. Zep ripped him big.
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Zal Cleminson - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Their used to be a show called IN CONCERT, simulcast on KLOS FM is stereo in Friday nights in the mid 70’s. My brother and I would put mom’s speakers by the TV and watch live concerts. Wow, I caught the Sensational Alex Harvey band on this show and was blown away. Later my bass player Paul Oesterle and I bonded over SAHB music, and shock rock has always been one of my favs.
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Frank Zappa
My guitar nemesis in high school was Brian Zibas, a way better technical guitar player than I. He loved Zappa and turned me on to his great and funny music.
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Uli Roth - Scorpions
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Rhino - Captain Beyond
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Robin Trower
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Chris Spedding - Robert Gordon & Bryan Ferry
Probably my ALL TIME FAVORITE GUITAR GOD. Cool as fuck.
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Scotty Moore - Elvis Presley
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Ry Cooder
Paris, Texas.
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Michael Schenker - UFO
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Les Paul
This dude perfected the electric guitar AND invented multi track recording.
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Johnny Marr - The Smiths
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Cliff Gallup - Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps
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Rick Nielson - Cheap Trick
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Buck Dharma - Blue Oyster Cult
Cities on Fire
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Matthew Ashman (1960-1995) - Bow Wow Wow & Adam and the Ants (Dirk Wears White Sox)
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KK Downing & Glenn Tipton - Judas Priest
I caught them at the Whiskey a Go Go, when Sad Wings Of Destiny was released. Best of the dark metal bands.
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Paul Weller - The Jam & the Style Council
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Midge Ure- Ultravox
One of the only 80’s bands with a guitar player I liked.
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Bill Nelson - Be Bop Deluxe
Fair Exchange.
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Brian May - Queen
Queen II. Built his own guitar, Saw Queen at the Forum, LA, 1976.
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Slash - Guns ‘N Roses
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Elliot Easton - the Cars
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Mississippi Fred McDowell
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Prince
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Peter Frampton
Humble Pie, plus caught him right before the live album hit.
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John Fahey (1939-2001)
The Red Pony
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check out Air Guitar Nation
I’m off this weekend to Morris, IL, for the Hunnert Car Pile-up, to do a book signing. Look for me with the Wizz on Saturday. I’ll bring my cameras just in case something catches my eye.
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I’ve posted a “Be a David Perry Pin-up” page on my web site, for those gals interested in commissioning a Hot Rod Pin-up for yourself or as a gift.
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AutoMoto Wines in Napa, California feature my Hot Rod book cover ‘40 Coupe at Takeoff as the label for 4 choice wines- a Cab, Merlot, Riesling and Chardonnay.
They make a 3 liter. Dig!
