That was close it was almost to the day that this post tied in with the date on The Sunday Times supplement, missed it by a day.
The photographer Red Saunders is a fellow Hackney boy and worked with The Sunday Times for 2 years, he was a founder of Rock Against Racism in 1976 (The movement that saw The Clash play in Victoria Park Hackney in 1978). Red devastatingly had his photographic archive destroyed by an arson attack and so these magazines should be appreciated and used in even more flyers and zines.
Considering its only one page the impact of this image made quite an impression on youth across the country, it has been used on flyers, zines and era defining fashion tomes for years. But perhaps most importantly it made its way onto kids bedroom walls as a guide.
But back in 1971 on a Sunday don't forget the shops were closed, the pubs were not open until late afternoon, telephones were hearing aid beige and affixed to the kitchen wall or sheep poop green in the hallway on a teak, mock velvet cushioned bench console thing. Neither room giving you privacy to have a chat with your underground society of choice.
There was no surfing the web - so one would focus on the glossies for domestic down time. Things moved pretty slowly in the 1970's the fact that there is a Christmas tree on the cover of a March issue clearly illustrates that. Going out on a limb here; I'd say the 1970's were pretty dire style wise, we were there and have kodak instamatics to prove it.
Recent French titles like; Mirage Magazine that aspire to this heightened luxury 1970's look are great but a million miles from the vast majority of the planets memory of this style proof decade.
To this end the 'Crombie Boys' (maybe Suedehead answers on a postcard) look was bold and to the point. The film Bronco Bullfrog 1969 was a warm up to this much sharper look. Stanley Kubriks A Clock Work Orange was released in 1972 and this double page shoot is a decent balance between the 1969-1972. Its a brilliant sharp look, clearly not a summer look but theres a 3 month delay on 1971 stories!
