In this past weekend’s New York Times there is an article about the new Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, OK, where all his archives are stored. The collection includes a variety of artifacts, including Bob Dylan’s notebook shown below, in which he made notes for lyrics, many of which evolved into the final version known … Continue reading Bob Dylan’s Notebook
I recently came across a mention of notebooks used by Beethoven: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is recognized the world over as a composer of musical masterpieces exhibiting heroic strength, particularly in the face of his increasing deafness from ca. 1798. By 1818, the Viennese composer had begun carrying blank booklets with him, for his acquaintances … Continue reading Beethoven’s Conversation Books
This sounds like great fun– a live music night at a bar, where a sketchbook makes the rounds so various artists can contribute drawings of each musician, with the that musician’s lyrics on the facing page. “Creative expression is alive and well in Tavern 489, a Stamford restaurant where music and visual art come together … Continue reading Sketches and Songs
“For years, Bob Dylan scholars have whispered about a tiny notebook, seen by only a few, in which the master labored over the lyrics to his classic 1975 album “Blood on the Tracks.†Rolling Stone once called it “the Maltese Falcon of Dylanology†for its promise as an interpretive key. But that notebook, it turns … Continue reading Bob Dylan’s Secret Notebooks
It’s hard to imagine a world without David Bowie… I can’t say I’d really thought of him in connection to notebooks at all, but I was happy to find this, from a 2014 review of a David Bowie exhibition in Berlin: David Bowie, original lyrics for “Ziggy Stardust†(1972) (courtesy the David Bowie Archive, image … Continue reading David Bowie’s Notebooks
What does a jailed rockstar write in his notebooks? Take a look: “Feel like dropping some cash for a personal peek into Pete Doherty’s head? Dreams can come true: Doherty’s prison notebooks are now on sale. You can pick up the Babyshambles and Libertines star’s Prison Journal for £4,250, or his Notebook for £4,750. Both instalments are … Continue reading Pete Doherty’s Prison Notebooks
This classic composition notebook belonged to Jim Morrison of the Doors: “On December 18, 2013, auction house Profiles In History sold an original Jim Morrison poetry notebook for its opening estimate of $200,000. It was a lengthy example, containing over 100 pages of handwritten material, and came from the collection of singer-songwriter Graham Nash.” Read … Continue reading Jim Morrison’s Notebook
Here’s an interesting historical notebook– one of dozens that belonged to Frances G. Spencer, who traveled around the country collecting sheet music in the mid-20th century. Her collection, one of the largest in the US, is now housed in the archives of Baylor University. “The Frances G. Spencer Collection of American Popular Sheet Music contains … Continue reading Frances G. Spencer’s Notebook
Back in 2008, Sotheby’s auctioned a private collection of various papers and memorabilia belonging to the Belgian singer Jacques Brel, who died in 1972. The notebook below, probably from the 1950s, was used by Brel for draft song lyrics, and was estimated to sell for between 50,000 and 70,000 euros. It’s a nice looking notebook– … Continue reading Jacques Brel’s Notebook
A few notebook mentions and images culled from magazines recently: First, from a New Yorker profile of playwright Annie Baker: From a New Yorker article about Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Atoms for Peace: A Smythson diary makes a cameo appearance in a fashion spread: This is truly spectacular: a collection of journal/scrapbook/sketchbooks … Continue reading Notebooks in Magazines