Walk-ons in pop history
Posted by David Hepworth on 28 February 2008 - 7:37am.
Paul Cole, the man who can be seen standing next to the police van on the cover of "Abbey Road", has died at the age of 96 in Florida. He was on holiday in London at the time and didn't realise who this "bunch of kooks" were and why they were having their picture taken on the zebra crossing until he saw a copy of the album a year later.
Only pop music, with its haphazard, magpie ways, has the power to pick out the passer-by and make them a walk-on in history. Who are the others who wandered into the frame, either literally or metaphorically?
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Don't know who this guy is...
but he plays a small but significant role in the generation of Nick Drake's mystique...
Tick. Star.
God, that's good. I've just thought of another one.
After the Goldrush
Hows about the old lady walking past Neil on the After the Goldrush cover?
This one?
This way, Hank.
The cover of Bob Dylan's "John Wesley Harding".
The guys on either side of Dylan are the Bauls of Bengal.
But the guy at the back I think is a handyman who used to work in Woodstock.
Anyone confirm?
Red and Blue Albums
This group shot, from the 'Mad Day Out' sessions was used as a centre spread for both the Red and Blue double albums
Alt. version
Does anyone know anybody who's in this picture?
Wasn't it shot at St Pancras Old Church, which appears to have survived the Eurostar re-development?
It is St Pancras Old Church & Gardens
but may be worth checking on Beatles forums and message boards for any names from the photo..
There's a feature on the 'Mad Day Out' out here
http://www.nemsworld.com/beatles/md/md.htm
The day John Lennon met Paul McCartney
http://www.shotaddict.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/0014.jpg
North West magazine programme Inside Out have just traced all the people in this famous photo for a feature. You can watch the show here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northwest/
Paul is Dead
They didn't wander into the picture by accident, but I wonder what happened to these ladies.
They'd all be sixty-ish today.
This one's not
I have a relative with a series of alternative takes from that session, framed & on the wall behind a sofa. He's also got the full story from the photographer, but I'm sure I recently read somewhere that they were all found in London clubs and got an extra pound or two for no nickers.
That approach was never successful for me, though.
errrr Mum...
is that you?
You couldn't make it up dept
Read this
and be thankful.
Dexys
I believe this lad was being moved out his house during a riot etc in Northern Ireland in the late 1960's, it's always been a striking image
EBTG
oh and this one good too!
I'd definitely have to nominate
the 'mother' that Keith Richards 'Chops down' when he invades his 'turf'. That's a brief walk on into pop history (followed by undignified and painful exit).
The Archway Tavern
The interior shot of this pub provides not so much a walk on as a sit in. It's a minor spot of pop history, but as Muswell Hillbillies where it appears is one of the Kinks best albums, it's well worth a mention.