Proud Chelsea Exhibition

Around The World In 80 Years: Photographs by Bill Wyman

19th October - 27th November 2016



“Keith giving Mick the boot”
Mick helps Keith take his boots off during rehearsals for the filming of The Rock & Roll Circus, 11th December 1968 © 2016 Bill Wyman Archive (Bill Wyman/Ripple Productions Ltd)

Proud Galleries is excited to announce ‘Around the World in 80 Years’, a deeply candid and unique photographic exhibition by former Rolling Stones bassist, Bill Wyman. Proud Chelsea is honoured to mark Wyman’s 80th birthday with a series of iconic and many previously unpublished photographs, providing a behind the scenes look at the trailblazing band, from their early formative years to global sell-out shows and chart domination.

After being gifted with his first camera by his uncle, Wyman became interested in photography from a young age. He has expressed his fascination for photography because it “captured historical moments for me to look back on.” He became acutely aware of how others framed their shots, always preferring to take photographs of people without their knowledge, "I prefer to keep out of the way and capture candid photographs that are un-staged and natural.”

Wyman first met Keith, Mick and Brian at The Wetherby Arms on the King's Road in December 1962, close to where they shared a flat in Edith Grove, and was warmly welcomed into The Rolling Stones, bringing with him a new found electricity to the band. During his time in the Stones, Wyman captured an up-front and personal look at the band from the inside, as the rest of the world had never seen them before.

Soon his fellow band members became accustomed to Wyman and his camera, resulting in honest, natural shots of rare and private moments in their lives, whilst cutting tracks in the recording studio, barefoot during rehearsals and behind-the-scenes moments with family and friends.

This photographic retrospective of Wyman’s life on the road offers unique access to intimate moments and everyday scenes of one of the most prolific rock bands in history. Wyman has selected some of his personal favourite photographs from his extensive archive to be exhibited, including a glimpse of Brian Jones from the rear view mirror on the way to the 1967 European tour and Mick Jagger reading from the bible backstage before a concert for the blind.

Staged at Proud Chelsea where it all began, ‘Around the World in 80 Years’ will showcase Wyman’s idiosyncratic style with a rare collection of striking photographs of The Rolling Stones, disrupting the stereotypical image of the rock ‘n’ roll icons and revealing an honest portrait of Bill Wyman and his life through the lens.

[www.proudonline.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-08-12 20:27 by Cristiano Radtke.

Should be good.
For those unable to attend, lets hope he puts a book out at some point.
And not one that costs over two hundred smackers, please.

Nice.
I'll be in town for his birthday bacchanal at the o2, late october. So I will check this out.

(Wyman first met Keith, Mick and Brian at The Wetherby Arms on the King's Road in December 1962, close to where they shared a flat in Edith Grove, and was warmly welcomed into The Band)

Really?

Quote
midimannz
(Wyman first met Keith, Mick and Brian at The Wetherby Arms on the King's Road in December 1962, close to where they shared a flat in Edith Grove, and was warmly welcomed into The Band)

Really?

As they say, "if it's on internet then it must be true".

Great news! I co-produced two exhibitions for Bill here back in 2008 and 2009. Am definitely going to visit Proud at King's Rd.

I love the title. A play on Around The World In 80 Days?

An affordable book would be great, but meanwhile good on Bill for what sounds like a classy exhibition



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-08-13 19:08 by with sssoul.

Quote
midimannz
(Wyman first met Keith, Mick and Brian at The Wetherby Arms on the King's Road in December 1962, close to where they shared a flat in Edith Grove, and was warmly welcomed into The Band)

Really?

Yes! Keep reading... "...bringing with him a new found electricity to the band..."

He had an amp!

Bill Wyman looks back at his time with The Rolling Stones and the changing face of the King’s Road as he prepares to launch Around the World in 80 Years: Photographs by Bill Wyman, at Proud Chelsea

Words: Mark Kebble

When preparing for this interview with Bill Wyman, I didn’t know where to start. As he approaches the age of 80, there’s so much to look back over, not all positive. There’s his current battle against cancer – when asked how he’s feeling, he simply says ‘pretty good’ – a contentious break up from the Rolling Stones, and the controversy that swirled around him and his relationship with Mandy Smith back in the 80s.

Then there’s intriguing aspects of his life that may not be so well documented. I love the fact he created his very own metal detector to assist with his love of archaeology, there’s his restaurant empire, and also the fact he is a keen photographer who has exhibited all around the world. The latter is something we will see up close this month when Around the World in 80 Years: Photographs by Bill Wyman opens at Proud Chelsea, which will mark his birthday.

‘It should be nice,’ he remarks on that fact. ‘There should be lots of my friends turning up. The gallery have made a nice choice from my thousands of photographs.’


Perfect timing, too, for Stones fans lamenting the end of the Saatchi Gallery’s special retrospective on 50 years of the band. Wyman has mixed feelings on Exhibitionism. ‘It was a fine portrayal of the present band,’ he says, with the word ‘present’ hanging in the air. ‘I was disappointed there was nothing on Mick Taylor and there could have been more on Brian Jones, the creator of the band.’

It’s tough to detect any bitterness in his answers, but the fact Wyman is marking his 80th birthday with an extraordinarily candid portrait of the band in their early formative years perhaps highlights that he sees his time in the band as one to remember – perhaps not so when he moved on to pastures new. There doesn’t appear time to delve into his Stones’ past – ‘It was a very enjoyable 30 years and something I am proud of,’ is all he says – but maybe his photos speak more than words.

I try my best to photograph a subject while they are occupied doing something else, preferably not looking at the camera. The photography just filled in the years of hanging around between the journeys and the hotel rooms

Around the World in 80 Years shows life on the road with the Stones and catches the band, more often than not, unaware. ‘I try my best to photograph a subject while they are occupied doing something else,’ he says on his style, ‘preferably not looking at the camera. The photography just filled in the years of hanging around between the journeys and the hotel rooms.’

There are some extraordinary pictures in the exhibition: a shot of Ronnie Wood and David Bowie relaxing in LA after Wyman’s solo recording session at The Record Plant; Mick Jagger tasting something rather unpleasant during a recording session in the Bahamas; Keith Richards sporting a black eye, dished out to him by Chuck Berry, reputedly for playing too loudly at the latter’s concert; and a snap that captures how big the band had become, taken backstage before playing to 90,000 fans at the JFK Stadium.


*
It’s also rather apt that the exhibition is being staged at Proud Chelsea on the King’s Road, given it’s where it all began for Wyman and the Stones. He first met Jagger, Richards and Jones at The Wetherby Arms in 1962, close to where the band shared a flat on Edith Grove, and soon joined as their bassist.

The King’s Road is not what it was in the 60s, but it’s still a great street to walk along, for shopping, restaurants and galleries. It has so much Stones history

‘It’s in a commanding position on the King’s Road,’ he says on Proud Chelsea, ‘which has so much Stones history. The King’s Road is not what it was in the 60s, but it’s still a great street to walk along, for shopping, restaurants and galleries. I do miss the wonder of shops selling classic clothes, where we would shop for stage wear, and great children’s shops like Kids In Gear, where I bought fabulous clothes for my very young son.’

He may be about to celebrate his eighth decade, but Wyman shows no signs of slowing down. He’s about to finish a book, on Chelsea no less, as well as another publication featuring his photos of nature. Looking back, given the highs and lows of his life and career, does he have any regrets? There’s not even a pause. ‘None whatsoever… But I feel I have achieved more personally in the last 20 years since I left the Stones that I ever did while I was in the band.’

Around the World in 80 Years: Photographs by Bill Wyman will be exhibited at Proud Chelsea from 19 October-27 November 2016

[www.theresident.co.uk]

Love the pic of Keith with the black eye (said to be from a Chuck Berry punch)

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with sssoul
An affordable book would be great...

Indeed.

Hope the exhibition can manage a bit of a 'tour ' to the UK provinces.
A showing at the National Film Photography and Television Centre in Bradford for example.
(Where 'At the Max' was premiered).