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Submitted by m3jimphoto on Thu, 06/28/2012 - 11:13pm
Life coverMick Jagger and Keith Richards

“It’s great to be here.  Great to be anywhere.”  - Keith Richards

Yes, Keef, I couldn't agree more, especially if you are talking about being featured in the newest book project from Jim Marshall Photography LLC: “The Rolling Stones 1972.” This much-anticipated Chronicle Books release features black and white and color photos taken in the studio, on tour and for publicity in 1972.  The tour shots were done in just one week on the West Coast when Jim was on assignment for Life Magazine, along with the writer Tommy Thompson, in July of 1972; the studio shots were done while the Stones finished recording "Exile on Main Street," at LA's Sunset Studios, now widely considered the band's greatest album. The book, to which veteran music journalist and SF Chronicle critic Joel Selvin contributed his usual thoughtful, thorough prose, was originally slated to hit stores in September; however, based on the strength of the online pre-orders, Chronicle Books has decided to make the book available August 1. Here's a link for the book on Amazon's pre-order page, and a blurb from Chronicle Books:

"In 1972, the Rolling Stones marked their first decade as a band with the release of Exile on Main St. and a summer concert tour of America that set new standards for magnificence in live performance. Covering the tour for Life magazine, photographer Jim Marshall captured indelible moments of the Stones in their glory onstage, as well as the camaraderie behind the scenes. Featuring a foreword by Keith Richards, this volume presents Marshall's shots alongside dozens of never-before-seen frames. Stones fans celebrating their 5oth anniversary will revel in this unprecedented look at one of the biggest rock bands of all time from the photographer who captured them best."

Right Place, Right Time

In addition to capturing the Stones at Sunset Studios putting the finishing touches on the band's greatest recording, Jim also managed to witness them producing the highest grossing tour ($4 million) to that point.  Simply put: The Stones' STP tour in 1972 set the standard for rock shows. Check out the book’s exclusive initial sneak peak on CNN and CNN photo blog (thanks for the shout out Tim Lampe!), here’s an excerpt: “Legendary rock-and-roll photographer Jim Marshall spent time with musicians in a way that journalists could only dream of today. Before his death in 2010, he captured some of the most influential and personal moments in music history, including these previously unpublished images of the Rolling Stones on tour in 1972. “Working in a different era, Marshall became friends with the musicians and gained access that other photographers could not. He was proud of the fact that ‘in his 52 years as a photojournalist he never got a complaint from any subject, manager or record company,’ he said in his first book, Not Fade Away.

“Marshall had a ‘fly on the wall’ approach during sessions with a band – sometimes they almost forgot he was in the room. ‘Once Jim was in, he was another Stone,’ Rolling Stones band member Keith Richards says in the foreword of Marshall’s posthumous book, The Rolling Stones 1972. “ ‘I get so immersed in it that I become one with the camera,’ Marshall said in Not Fade Away. ‘I’m 95 percent involved in the moment and the other five percent of me is working the camera, being the mechanic. … I want someone to see those people, not my picture of them.’ ”

Steven Kasher Gallery Exhibit Opens July 5

For those of you hungry for more of Jim’s Stones work, next week the first of several complementary exhibitions kicks off at the Steven Kasher Gallery, 521 West 23rd Street in NYC from July 5 to Sept. 8, 2012.  This not-to-be-missed show offers Estate Limited Edition prints of images from the "The Rolling Stones 1972," plus other iconic photos of the Stones.  In addition, the exhibit showcases selections from Jim’s enormous catalog of music’s greatest legends, with more than 40 photographs of jazz, country, folk, rock and blues musicians. And a rare treat: a devotional wall composed of 150 original LP covers by Jim, all from his personal collection. Stay tuned for more on upcoming JMPLLC exhibits next week!