Tommy Bolin

Tommy Bolin. The Ultimate Photograph Collection.
At last – the Ultimate guitarist gets the Ultimate Photo Book….

In a relatively short but intense career, guitarist Tommy Bolin drew acclaim and attention wherever he went and whatever he did. His work both on-stage and in the studio continues to influence generations of musicians and inspire the devotion of fans in America and round the world.

Tommy certainly lived the rock and roll lifestyle at times, but he also had a gentler nature which endeared him to many. On top of this Tommy simply looked the part; with his long streaked hair, an individual sense of style and a magnetic on-stage presence, it would be hard to imagine him ever doing anything else for a living. And it is this side of Tommy which this new book plans to focus on. For while the archive CDs continue to appear, and text-heavy biographies exist, there has never before been a book which fully celebrates Tommy Bolin’s life and work in pictures.

Tommy Bolin: The Ultimate Photograph Collection brings together an unrivalled collection of photographs. Hundreds of images, many rare and unpublished, taken both on and off stage, in public and in private, fill the book. Some you may recognise, most you will not have seen before, all printed in superb high quality. Supporting and adding context to the photographs are the words of friends and musicians who worked with Tommy.

The photographs aim to capture his early teenage bands, through his days with Energy and Zephyr, the move into hard rock with The James Gang and of course his ground-breaking jazz rock playing with musicians like Billy Cobham and Alphonse Mouzon. Tommy’s rise to the very top with Deep Purple and the subsequent solo albums and tours are also comprehensively represented.

We’ll level with you. We are all huge Tommy Bolin fans at Stereo33Books and this title will be produced to the highest printing and publication standards, with real attention paid to the design and layout. The aim is to deliver a book which we would want to buy ourselves. In large format, it will be published as a limited edition, available worldwide via mail-order only. It won’t be the cheapest book around, but we aim to make it the best.

Tommy Bolin: The Ultimate Photograph Collection is authorised by Johnnie Bolin and the Bolin Estate, with the input of many professional photographers, long time friends, fans and collectors. Research and production is already underway with publication due in 2015, fittingly marking what is perhaps one of the most important dates in Tommy’s life, the release of his first solo album Teaser.

The first announcement of the book was made at the 2014 Bolin Festival (July 31-Aug 2) held each year in Tommy’s home town of Sioux City.

PRODUCERS : This title is being co-ordinated and designed by Simon Robinson, who has written about Tommy over the years in British publications (and helped with a number of archive CDs). Rock writer and radio presenter Jon Kirkman has spoken to many of the musicians involved with Tommy over the years and is talking to a number of them afresh specially for this new book.

CONTRIBUTE : as with all our titles, we are happy to have contributions from fans – photographs, memorabilia or recollections of seeing Tommy. Please contact us through the website first before sending anything.

NEWSLETTER : You will be able to keep up to date with news and progress on this title via a dedicated newsletter service, along with early publication information and pre-publication offers. This will keep you in the loop over the coming months and guarantee you get the news before anyone else. You will be asked to confirm your email address and can unjoin at any time.

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