Old School
01.25.10
The New York Rocker
The New York Rocker was the definitive music and culture publication in NYC in the early 1980s. With art direction by Elizabeth van Itallie and photos and photo editing by Laura Levine, it was also very cool-looking. There's no central online archive for Rocker covers, although editor/publisher Andy Schwartz has started a blog of music writing here. But thanks to Elizabeth van Itallie, we've got some Rocker covers on the SPD site, and you can see even more here.(Above): June 1980, The Pretenders, photograph by Ebet Roberts, design by Chris Nelson.
(Left): Pylon, March 1981, photograph by Teri Bloom. (Right): Human Switchboard, April 1982, photograph by Laura Levine, design by Richard Yeend.
For more information on the history and background of the New York Rocker, take a look at this three-part interview with chief photographer and photo editor Laura Levine. Many art directors today are probably more familiar with Laura Levine's illustration and paintings.
(Left): X, September 1980, photograph by Laura Levine. (Right): Gun Club, March 1982, photograph by Deborah Feingold.
For an more extensive collection of New York Rocker covers, go here.
This stuff is really amazing. Makes me think how cool it would have been to be young and living in New York back then.
Robert, Thanks for the NY Rocker post.
Tom, it was cool, and the Rocker was a must read, at least for me. I do remember buying my copy at a record store near SVA from Peter Holsapple of the dBs who was clerking there at the time.
The early 80s were a great time for alternative publishing in NYC. In addition to the NY Rocker there was the Soho Weekly News, East Village Eye, and Paper, which was just starting up, and was being published in all black and white as a giant fold-out. And also NYTalk, which must have started back then as well. I'm sure there were more, too, that folks will remember.
This is great. But please, for the luv of mike, stop it with those awful, awful Facebook pages. I shouldn't have to log into Facebook to see great content like this, just as I shouldn't need to drive to the f**kin mall to see a great exhibition.
One of the problems we have with the blogging software (Moveable Type) on the SPD site is that it's difficult to post galleries of images. Even putting two next to each other involves a three-step process. Jumping people to a gallery on Facebook is a quick and easy way to display many more images than we'd otherwise be able to post. If anyone has suggestions for a way that we can move the display more effectively directly to this site, we'd be glad to hear and implement them!
I may be wrong, but my understanding is that you don't actually have to log into Facebook to see images displayed on "fan" pages, which is where we're sending folks from SPD. I think you can see the images, just can't comment or interact with the pages.
Yes. Better galleries is on the list of improvements for SPD.org
I'm with Tom: let's get our Flux Capacitors fixed and get back to this New York. These are fantastic.
Thanks so much for sharing these, Bob! Ah, the memories. Now that you mention it, I also shot a lot for the Soho Weekly News and Paper, and yes, Details too which was pretty happening back in the day and part of that whole scene.
Wow, how sad. didn't know the founder, lead singer, guitarist, creator was a felon who hired hookers and ended up in prison for wiretapping... sad... drugs apparently got the guy.
http://HumanSwitchboard.com
Wow Bob! Thanks for the memories! Sadly http://HumanSwitchboard.com (see link) went from garage band with an edge to convicted felon (founder guitarist lead vocalist Bob Pfeifer) after wiretapping a hooker and going to JAIL. A crazy sordid story. So sad he went from rags to riches to RAGS.
wow Bob c'mon you wouldn't censor my post when people want to find out the truth about Bob Pfeifer the lead singer (photo aboved) and founder/lead guitarist/writer of http://HumanSwitchboard.com would you?
Click the link to find out about the felonies and awful demise of Human Switchboard
Julian