Sunday, 24 April 2016

Part five exploring The Beatles style from 1961 to 1970, compiled and written by guest blogger, Harrison. In this instalment the Beatles embrace colour and patterns. You can also create your very own Beatles inspired look with this guide.

'65 - '66
Here Comes the Colour 

The Beatles, 1966
The Beatles Live at Budokan 
1966


"The Beatles saved the world from boredom."
- George Harrison 

In the winter of 1965, The Beatles released Rubber Soul, their sixth studio album. The LP was met with both commercial and critical success. It also marked a departure for the lads from their poppy sound and clean cut image. The cover was shot by photographer, Robert Freeman in the backyard of John Lennon's home, Kenwood. 

Freeman was a favorite photographer of the Beatles and consecutively designed five album covers for the group from 1963 to 1966. 

The Beatles stretched image tilted at a 'dutch angle' was happenstance. Freeman was projecting photographs of the band onto an album sized piece of cardboard. It fell slightly and stretched the photograph. The group liked the distorted effect and requested Freeman duplicate that for their album cover. 

Freeman asked illustrator Charles Front to design the lettering. Front was inspired by the title and wanted to invoke an image of a thick substance being pulled downwards. This stylized font became synonymous with the 1960s and mirrored Freeman's elongated album cover image of the Beatles. 


Friday, 22 April 2016



Welcome to our new blog series showcasing some new bands, old bands and fantastic music!

The first band up is Idle Talk, a three piece Indie band from Brighton, UK. Above is one of their latest tracks, Inner Demons, which can be found on their latest EP, Reaction (released in February 2016).

Picture by Tom Little
Idle Talk are Louis May (vocals and guitar), Matt Geary (bass) and David Bishop (drums). They formed in early 2015 and immediately started making a name for themselves in and around the Brighton music scene. Influenced by elements of indie, mod and soul, the band have gone on to support bands like Secret Affair and From The Jam at sold out shows on their respective tours.

2016 has seen them release their first EP for Detour Records called Reaction. This was mixed by Andy Crofts (The Moons/Paul Weller Band) and has received great reviews. With various festival dates and support slots line up for the rest of the year, the band are going from strength to strength! Make sure to catch them at a gig near you soon.  (Find upcoming gig details below).


Would you like your band featured here? Email details to lindsey@atomretro.com and you could be the next Something For The Weekend! (All types of music, bands and artists welcome! All genres, signed, unsigned, young and old!)



Catch Idle Talk live:

10th May - The Latest Music Bar, Brighton
19th June - The Old Queen's Head, London
29th July - Music Mania 2016, Worthing
19th August - The Con Club, Lewes
24th September - The Prince Albert, Brighton (supporting The Lost Boys)
16th December - Concorde 2, Brighton (supporting From The Jam)


Find Idle Talk online: 

http://www.idletalkband.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/idletalkband
https://idletalkuk.bandcamp.com

Thursday, 21 April 2016



The Overtures in their Madcap England threads



The UK's premier Sixties tribute band, The Overtures are busy touring Holland with their excellent Bootleg Sixties show currently, but you can now enjoy your Overtures show whenever you want with the new, long awaited, Bootleg Sixties show DVD,  Live From The Playhouse!


Featuring highlights from the show and 38 songs from The Overtures extensive repertoire, including songs from The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones and many more and DVD behind the scenes and interviews extras.


The DVD is £15.00 plus P&P and can be purchased from the Bootleg Sixties website here.

Wednesday, 20 April 2016


"Built as strong and sturdy as the personalities that wore them..." 
- The Wayfarer, Ray-Ban Icons



"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses."
- The Blues Brothers, 1980

The Ray-Ban Wayfarer, possibly the most famous, iconic and instantly recognisable sunglasses style in history, and it's easy to see why. The typically black, solid frame and green G-15 lens affords the wearer the desired amount of anonymity, privacy and... well, it just instantly adds cool to any look or outfit, doesn't it?! 

The original patent , filed in 1952
Ray-Ban began selling the Wayfarer in 1956, the first of it's kind and a revolution in eyewear. It had been designed and patented in 1952 by American optical designer, Raymond Stegeman who procured lots of patents for Bausch & Lomb, Ray-Ban's parent company at the time.

The design was new and different from anything that had gone before in two respects - it was to utilise new plastic molding technology, marking a transition from wire and metal frame eyewear into plastic frame eyewear - something not available previously, and also it's intrinsic 1950s style, which reflected Atomic and Space age design and according to design critic Stephen Bayley, "Eames chairs and Cadillac tail fins."

James Dean wearing Wayfarer Sunglasses

The Wayfarer was instantly popular. James Dean wore Wayfarers in Rebel Without A Cause and the sunglasses became forever associated with rock and roll with everyone from Roy Orbison to John Lennon to Bob Dylan donning a pair throughout the fifties and sixties.




Wednesday, 13 April 2016


Premier UK Who Tribute band, Who's Next played at the legendary Cavern Club, Liverpool recently for a sold out show in the Cavern's Live Lounge.

The show was a special set from Who's Next. The first half was made up of early Who songs and R'n'B tracks the Who covered when they were first starting out, including some quite rare, and even more rarely played live songs. The second half of the show was the Who's huge hits and rock anthems.

The band wore a lot of Madcap England styles for the Cavern Club show, including guitarist Dante DiCarlo in a Madcap England Racing Jumper and Madcap England 'Casbah' Beatle Boots (because what else would you wear on your feet down at The Cavern?!) and also singer, Gary Charman in a Madcap England Pinstripe Marriott Polo.

Dante, writing on the Who's Next blog said about the show, "The gig was an absolute blast and afterwards we were informed we had sold the place out and it had been packed to capacity! We were all beyond chuffed and can’t wait to play there again!"

Check below for some fab pics from the gig.

And then check Who's Next's website for a gig near you - the band is playing all over the UK this year!

All images © Ian Hanson Photography. (Thanks guys!)