Recently, a beautiful book of photography was brought to my attention. “On the Brink of Fame – Pop Stars in the Swinging ‘60s” is a gorgeous collection of rare (and a few never before seen) photos of iconic individuals and groups dating from pop music’s most active decade. Done in black and white, this stunning collection features the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and dozens of other pop stars, all at the infancy of their careers.

At first, I saw no real connection between the book and our radio program; after all, how can you discuss photographs for an hour on a medium that isn’t visual? The book itself neatly answered this question.

The more time I spent perusing the photographs, the more I realized how the photos virtually sang to me. Photographer Ian Wright is also a wonderful storyteller, both lively and emotionally connected to his material, providing a potent combination that guaranteed an interesting show. Add in a few of the vintage tracks by the featured artists, and we found ourselves short on time! I’d like to thank Ian once again for his gracious manner, and also for his wonderful, timeless photographs.

Here’s a list of a few tunes featured in the program that I hope helps to convey the spirit of this book;

1) Ferry Cross the Mersey – Gerry & the Pacemakers

2) She Said Yeah – The Rolling Stones

3) Please Please Me – The Beatles

4) I Was Kaiser Bill’s Batman – Whistling Jack Smith