Mirror Man-Human League
Back 1981 at that moment in time one of my photographic techniques was bouncing light off anything that was reflective, bacofoil, mirrors, metal you name it. Which I thought was pretty apt considereing the name of the Humans Leagues new single was going to be Mirror Man. I can’t remember exactly but I must of had about 12 tungsten photo lamps all around the photo studio bouncing light on to the band. I major problem apart from the electricity bill is the heat it of. I think we all lost weight that day. This perticular photographic studio was over in Chiswick and the entrance was in the high street.
Philip Oakey is very into motor bikes and BMW brought one of their monsters over for him to look at. So there we were in the high street Philip sitting on the bike with his 6 inch high heels with full make talking to the BMW sales man asking biker questions in his Shefield accent with all of Chiswick High Road looking on. Made me laugh.
Virgin Records offered me a £100 to photograph the Human League
Well ,Virgin Records offered me a £100 to photograph the Human League which I thought was great but I have to pay hiring my flash lights, photographic background paper, train fair and to process all the film which left me with about £15 quid, Still it’s only rock’n roll but I like it. Philip was still living in a squat at that time which was very cool apart from having to wash in cold water and no heating.
Can We Photograph Please
Philip had asked a local burger restaurant if we could photograph himself and Susan for the main image of the Single Bag Cover.
Also at this time Human League Album Dare had been released and selling in their bucket loads the band were the pride and joy of Sheffield.
“you were working in a restaurant in cocktail bar when I met you”photograph
So we set the shot for the centre photograph relating to the lyric “you were working in a restaurant in cocktail bar when I met you” sat down and had some lunch. The waitress had the Dare album and asked for all the bands autographs and guess what mine as well. I did say I’m only the photographer but she insisted. Which means there’s one Human League Dare Album with Philip Oakey,Joanne Catherall,Susan Sulley,Adrian Wright,Jo Callis ,Ian Burden and Simon Fowler! That’s a very special Album according to my Mum and she should know.
The Song became Number 1 in the charts and Sold over a Million Copy’s.
Don't You Want Me Baby
Way back in 1980,I first met Philip Oakey and the Girls
Way back in 1980,I first met Philip Oakey and the Girls on a photo shoot for Record Mirror. The girls of course being Joanna Catherall and Susan Sulley. Philip, Joanna and Susan were doing an interview with Record Mirror Magazine and I went along to photograph them. We all met in a pub on the corner of Portobello Road, a stones throw from Vernon Yard where Virgin Records was back then, armed with my Nikon 35mm. The Magazine wanted me to shoot colour photographs and not Black and White which was going to be a challenge as the pub was dark and dingy, yes I know that sounds good but the Magazine wants colour photos so who am I to argue. So after they finished the interview we tried some shots out side but it was a dark grey day and fucking freezing. So I asked the Press Officer Ross Stapleton if there were any colourful walls inside the Virgin offices. He said no but my toilet wall is gloss red. Sounds good to me and off we went. The photograph we needed for the poster was of Philip only;
Record Mirror wanted a double page photograph for their Poster Page
Record Mirror wanted a photograph for a poster along with the interview pictures. Well, the red glossy wall sounded great but it was shared with the end of the bath and the toilet, the room itself being about 8ft by 5ft. It really didn’t help that Philip is about 6ft plus with his shoes off and 6 feet 6 inches with his high heels on, which he was into wearing in those days. So Philip had to sit on top of the toilet while I shot a few frames with my Metz (flash) strapped to my camera. After that I said thanks and good-bye and legged it back to the colour lab to get my film developed. I really wasn’t very happy with the photograph and at the time I thought Philip is going to hate that shot. A few weeks later the interview is published with the red gloss wall photograph on a double page spead (two full pages ) with a big fat credit photograph by Simon Fowler at the bottom. About a month later I was photographing at Top Of The Pops at the BBC when I saw the Human League. I thought to myself, shit I got to hide but it was too late Philip spotted me and walked over. I thought OK take it like a man and wait for insults of”call yourself a photographer”, but no to my amazement he thought it was the best photograph he had had taken of him. I was absolutely flabbergasted. The next thing I get a call from Virgin to go to Sheffield and photograph the Human League for their single Don’t You Want Me Baby.
Here’s the photograph in question!
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