I promised I would post all the stuff I didn't get releases for to include in the book, but having finally seen the finished version I realize how much is lost. Even the cover, which is the only color shot of the book, is cropped. This isn't my first published book, but the first to have a photo budget and stringent rules about signed forms to use pictures. Having gone through about three years of research, proposals, scaling paywalls, and outright begging to get American Standard (originally titled You'll Never Know What You'll Catch) finished, I do really appreciate how tough the photographers of the '70s had it. Their work was often printed without permission or context and then recycled in all the rock magazines of the day we all know and love.
I always wanted to focus on THE MOMENT before Cheap Trick went to Japan.
It turns out there were a bunch of reviewers and photographers at the show. The photo I chose was taken by Andre Csillag. You can see his other shots from outside the venue on Shutterstock. Chalkie Davies also took pics of the band and those appeared in the New Musical Express on the 8th. I loved this pic not only for the moment in which it was taken, but for how amazingly cool it is. Bun E. Carlos in the John Shaft trenchcoat makes it the cover all on its own. Having pored over countless photos and articles on Cheap Trick (all of which I hope to share), I know this was their off stage look for the Europe '78 tour. But this to me is the best of the bunch.
This was my second choice although I don't think it was quite as good. You can find the whole photo shoot at Shutterstock here along with Andre's shots of the band from later years. There are some great Hammersmith '79 shots as well.
What's also so interesting to me about the show is that they played "I Want You To Want Me," along with doing for the Old Grey Whistle Test, and then proceeded to tell everyone that they added it at the last second before hitting the stage. Even the Budokan! 30th anniversary boxed set reiterates this.
I did find one person who had a partial recording of the show, but they no longer had it. The Melody Maker review, however, does mention them playing it. Thanks to my niece at Vassar, I was able to read it on Rock's Backpages. Setlist.fm has the list of the show here. It's essentially the show they brought to Japan with some notable exceptions. Please Mrs. Henry, He's A Whore, and Down on the Bay weren't performed in Japan. He's a Whore showed up later again in places like Royal Oak.
This was to be the next Bun E's Basement Bootlegs (BBB) release before the series was discontinued. There is an excellent audience recording as well here. I guess someone could splice the missing part of "Southern Girls" into the soundboard. The Dead do that all the time with their archival releases. But to quote Pickford in Dazed and Confused, that is beyond me.
Anyway, I will try to post a photo for the book each week going forward. Once again, I can't control the size of the photos in the book but know they deserve to be seen in their full form. Also, if people have difficulty reading their copy I can possibly send you my pdf. I was asked about an audiobook version, which I will need to find out from Backbeat, which was recently acquired from Bloomsbury. I guess I could read the whole thing and record it, but not sure my nasally Jewish New York twang is what you want in your earbuds for hours.
Anyway, I really appreciate the support and reception to the book thus far. I know how passionate and discerning Cheap Trick fans are and it's no small honor to have people like what you do.
Party on,
RLW
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