Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Pretty self-explanatory
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johnfoyle
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Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by johnfoyle »

Image


This image from 1977 , outside the Stiff offices in London , is regularly used in profiles. The actual photographer doesn't seem to have been identified. I've looked back through my cuttings and I can't find a credit. ' PHOTO: HULTON-DEUTSCH COLLECTION/CORBIS ' is all that most 'net sources say. Does anyone here know ?


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This one, by Barry Plummer, features the same location but Elvis is wearing different clothes so it seems unlikely Barry took both photos.
Azmuda
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Re: Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by Azmuda »

Used recently in Rolling Stone (Oct 2015) too. No photographer credited though.

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johnfoyle
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Re: Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by johnfoyle »

Chris Gabrin just told me,via email, that he doesn't recognise it or know who took it.
erey
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Re: Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by erey »

I can't seem to embed pictures here, but surely this photo, also by Barry Plummer, is from the same session as the two above:

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _01_bp.jpg

Note the shirt and comb from the first photo, but the jacket from the second.

So, your photographer is very likely Barry Plummer after all.
johnfoyle
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Re: Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by johnfoyle »

Chalkie Davies says - I think it was taken by one of the Nationals. It's not by me, Pennie, Gabrin, Morris, Plummer or Boot.


Barry Plummer undoubtedly took the photos of Elvis at that bench wearing the tweed jacket. The clothes in the head scratching one are different. It seems unlikely that Elvis did a change of clothes to create additional looks.


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Elvis is wearing the same shirt in this other uncredited photo from the period. A photo site say it's original from 'Mirrorpix' and is dated August 10 1977. Bruce Thomas's tour diary from then says Elvis & The Attractions were in 'Eden' that day , Eden Studios , I presume.
erey
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Re: Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by erey »

The door he's standing in front of in the pic (by Plummer) that I posted the link to appears to be the same one behind him in the head-scratching pic we are trying to identify. So you're suggesting EC was photographed at the same location, wearing different combinations of the same clothes, with the same prop (the comb), and looking almost exactly the same (let's stipulate the same day), but by different photographers?

Seems like an overly complicated hypothesis, but it's certainly possible. The easiest way to solve it would seem to be to ask Barry Plummer. He seems to be contactable through his website. Maybe he's missed out on some royalties on this one of late.
johnfoyle
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Re: Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by johnfoyle »

The easiest way to solve it would seem to be to ask Barry Plummer.
I did that earlier today , thank you. I await his reply.

Chalkie seems sure it was from a time, maybe after Presley's demise (Aug 16 '77) , when the tabloids were briefly tolerated by Jake & co.
johnfoyle
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Re: Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by johnfoyle »

Barry Plummer (via email)

hello John nice pic but sorry it’s not mine Best Barry
erey
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Re: Who took this photo of Elvis from 1977?

Post by erey »

Well, sometimes the more complicated hypothesis turns out to be the correct one. I'm still sticking with the idea that all three photos were taken on the same day. Unless EC carried that little white comb with him everywhere in those days.
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