OCCASIONAL PICTURES NO.86

Bob Dylan's 2010 painting Opium.

More info here

MY DYLAN PAPERS IN MINNESOTA: UPDATE

Here's the link to the University of Minnesota's notice about their acquisition of my Bob Dylan Papers. It doesn't really add anything to what I posted about it before, but it places it in the context of their other recent acquisitions.

Sweet Summer Delights

It looks like the Pacific Northwest is beginning to embrace the concept of summer a little bit (knock on wood), and I say we had all better take advantage of the glorious sunshine while we can! But in what way should we express our appreciation of this generous dose of Vitamin D? Carla Emery suggests homemade popsicles for a refreshing treat on a warm day—a favorite for both the young and old!

Homemade popsicles are great because they are “cheap, easy, and even more fun for the children than going to the store. Children like strong, sweet juices like grape and cranberry for popsicles—but when kids are hot anything will do,” even popsicles made from puddings or soda pop! You can buy do-it-yourself popsicle molds from Tupperware and Back to Basics (I actually have a small one from Target, and I’ve been using it all summer, even on the cooler days) or you can make your own from regular household items. Use small sturdy bowls or cans for containers—or even the ice cube tray in your freezer—and wooden sticks or toothpicks for handles.

Using whatever popsicle-making container you prefer, pour your favorite juice into the molds without filling completely, insert your handle, and freeze. (Extra tip: if your containers and handles are makeshift rather than store-bought, you might have trouble keeping your handles completely upright. If you allow your liquid to freeze partially before you insert your handle, you’ll have a more solid consistency to hold the handle up straight.) Obviously, freezing time will vary quite a bit depending on the size and shape of your molds and the temperature of your freezer, but don’t pull on the handles “until you’re sure the center of the popsicle is solidly frozen and you have loosened the sides by running hot water over the back of the mold. Otherwise they might pull out of the container prematurely, leaving a hole that it won’t freeze back into. You don’t have to unmold all the popsicles at once. Just loosen as many as you need. Refill the emptied units and return to the freezer.”

You can use any kind of fruit juice you like for your homemade popsicles (lemonade works great and is particularly refreshing on a warm day), but of course Carla Emery has a couple of recipes working from scratch.

Basic Fruit Popsicles

Puree 1 c. any kind of fruit or a mixture of fruit, and mix with 1 c. water. Pour into your ice cube tray. When they are starting to freeze, add a wooden stick or toothpick to each section.

Pudding Popsicles

Susan Staley was in Germany when she sent me this recipe. She said, “If your children love the Fudgsicle-type popsicle, you can easily make them. Just make up a batch of pudding and freeze it in your popsicle molds. They’re delicious and you can make different kinds besides chocolate. Butterscotch is very good. In fact, any flavor of pudding your children love hot, they’re bound to like cold in hot summer weather.”

Any Fruit Ice

You could juice pomegranates or barberries or red currants, or cook and strain quinces, or grate pineapple, or boil and pulp apples or rhubarb — whatever you have. Sweeten to taste, add lemon juice if the flavor needs it, and freeze.

EILEEN AROON, JOE HEANEY, DYLAN & HANDEL

One of the snags with the way Blogger works is that if a reader of this blog sends in a Comment on an old posting, it appears only underneath that posting  -  so other readers don't see it, even though it's a fresh Comment, unless they happen to be looking at the same old posting. I often wish it were otherwise. Recently, I've wished it particularly, because lately 'Elmer Gantry' has sent in a series of interesting Comments centred around the song 'Eileen Aroon' (which Dylan performed so beautifully, and with such rigour, back in the early days of the Never-Ending Tour)  -  but he has attached them to a post I published five years ago...

So for anyone who may be interested but who checks only the most recent items on this blog, I direct you here, for Comments that say more about 'Eileen Aroon', Joe Heaney, Handel's touching comment on the song and a conjunction between George Frideric and Bob.

THE MAN WHO FINDS BOB DYLAN'S ALBUM COVER LOCATIONS

c/o Bob Egan

My thanks go to Mick Gold for e-mailing me an URL that offers Bob Egan's extraordinary, detailed account of his obsessive tracking and tracing of the locations of various key Bob Dylan album covers  -  including, for the first time, for Highway 61 Revisited. It's all here, and highly recommended.

MORE BOB DYLAN RARE PICS

Another good site for Bob pix, and bigger, is here. It includes this:

AMY WINEHOUSE, WHO DIED TODAY

STUMBLING INTO THE RAIN

I've stumbled upon this strange site, Standing In The English Rain, which carries many rare but uncredited Dylan photos. (At least, they seem rare to me.) Here's a couple:

For the Love of Cheese

Whether you are curling up by the fire on a rainy day with a wedge of baked brie and dried cranberries, toasting a Riesling with your special someone over an aged gouda, or packing your child’s lunch with an exquisite cheddar sandwich, I think we can all agree—cheese can be a pretty darn wonderful thing.

A wine-and-cheese pairing event last weekend got me thinking about the wonders of my beloved animal by-product, so naturally I consulted Carla Emery’s wisdom on the glory of cheese. Of course, she had plenty to say about cheese making for the individual as well as general information about the world of cheese.

Here are a few things any avid cheese-lover should know:

Homemade cheeses can be safe, traditional, and delicious.

As Carla Emery points out, “the importance of cheese viewed as a traditional food is that it’s the only way to preserve milk when you have no refrigeration…Milk in the form of cheese, after 60 days, is guaranteed free of bad germs because the cheese-making process kills them, so [historically,] where pasteurization was impossible and there were health problems with the milk, cheese was the safe way to eat it.” Additionally, there is no need to be concerned about attaining the expensive equipment and controlled conditions of a big factory. “The fact is, from a historic view, factories are very recent arrivals on the cheese scene,” and the Encyclopedia of Country Living is full of recipes and helpful information for the small-scale cheese producer.

Cheeses are much like people; they come in many shapes, sizes, and colors.

“There are 5 basic types of cheese: soft, semi-soft, firm, hard, and processed.

Soft cheeses are unripened, fresh ones: cottage, cream, pot, ricotta, gjetost, Neufchatel. The soft cheeses that ripen naturally in just a few days include Brie, Camembert, and the double and triple creams, which have thin white crusts and almost fluid insides.

The semi-soft cheeses are ripened using specific types of helper bacteria and yeasts or molds: Basic Swiss, Brick, Muenster; Liederkranz, Limburger, Port Salut; Roquefort and Gorgonzola. These are among the most difficult for homestead cheese-makers because of the special organism culture you need and the special “rip- ening” conditions needed to control how they grow.

Firm cheeses are Cheddars, Cheshire, Lancashire, Caciocavallo, Swiss Emmenthal, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, etc.

Hard cheeses are made like the firm cheeses but are matured to a grainy texture for grating: Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, Sapsago, etc.

Processed cheese is called “American” cheese and comes from factories, and thank God if you don’t have to eat it. It’s made of chemicals, artificial flavor and color, and a wide variety of other nondairy items with some milk thrown in. Your homemade cheese is just milk plus curdling agent.”

Try making your own!

Chevre

Stir 1⁄2 c. warm cultured buttermilk into 1-gallon still-warm-from-the-animal milk or into 1 gal. of pasteurized milk warmed to 85–90 ̊F. Stir in 6 drops of liquid rennet. Stir only 1 to 2 minutes. Cover container with a cloth. Let stand in a warm room all day. Line a colander with boiled muslin. Pour chevre into the colander. Drain off whey. Tie corners of cloth together and hang the remaining curds to drain overnight. Refrigerate. Use like cream cheese.

DYLAN: BIG EUROPEAN TOUR ANNOUNCED

While Dylan's North American tour dates continue through July and into August (with Leon Russell as support act), a list of thirty European tour dates in big arenas has now been added. The following have gone up on bobdylan.com, stretching through October and November:

OCTOBER:

6 Dublin, Ireland: O2 Arena
8 Glasgow, Scotland: Braehead Arena
9 Glasgow, Scotland: Braehead Arena
10 Manchester, England: M.E.N. Arena
11 Nottingham, England: Capital FM Arena
13 Cardiff, Wales: Motorpoint Arena
14 Bournemouth, England: Bournemouth International Centre
16 Lille, France: Zenith Arena
17 Paris, France: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
19 Antwerp, Belgium: Sportpaleis
20 Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sportpaleis Ahoy
21 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg: Rockhal
23 Oberhausen, Germany: Arena
25 Mannheim, Germany: SAP Arena
26 Munich, Germany: Olympiahalle
27 Leipzig, Germany: Leipzig Arena
29 Berlin, Germany: O2 World
31 Hamburg, Germany: O2 World

NOVEMBER:

2 Herning, Denmark, Boxen Arena
3 Malmö, Sweden: Malmö Arena

4 Stockholm, Sweden: Globe Arena

6 Hanover, Germany: TUI Arena

7 Nuremberg, Germany: Nuremberg Arena

8 Innsbruck, Austria: Olympiahalle

9 Padova, Italy: Palasport

11 Florence, Italy: Nelson Mandela Forum

12 Rome, Italy: PalaLottomatica

14 Milan, Italy: Mediolanum Forum

15 Geneva, Switzerland: Geneva Arena

16 Zurich, Switzerland: Hallenstadion

PS. I'm told that these dates will include Mark Knopfler as support.

BOB DYLAN ENCYCLOPEDIA 5 YEARS OLD TODAY

Lawdy, yes: it's already five years since publication day of the original hardback edition of The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia, with the searchable CD-ROM included inside the back cover. (The updated 2008 paperback edition is, of course, still available, as is the audio-book on CD or download: a selection of eleven readings I recorded back in February this year in North Yorkshire. For more details see my website.)

Gardening with a Philosophy

Growing my own herbs and vegetables has been a bit of a domestic fantasy of mine for some time now. I’ve been held back from realizing this dream by the semi-nomadic lifestyle of a college student, along with a potentially crippling ignorance of what Carla Emery refers to as “Garden and Farm Philosophies”—until now.

“If you think of agriculture as a religion, those who use poisons and chemical fertilizers belong to one major religion; those who don’t belong to another.” She says that “the very different and very embattled religions are chemical vs. organic growers; or heirloom, open-pollinated seed savers vs. the people who are creating, defending, and using genetically modified plants.”

Certainly there are arguments available to defend each denomination depending on the values and goals of the farmer or gardener. One farmer may value the production success of genetically modified plants in order to grow mass quantities for sale. Another may prefer to promote biodiversity and soil biological activity to enrich plants rather than chemicals designed to kill pests to their crops. Carla Emery, while identifying as “organic,” provides explanations and reference texts for a variety of gardening denominations. Here are a few, if you are garden-philosophy-shopping:

Biodynamic Gardening: “Biodynamics began with a European, Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), who taught an agriculture based on a healthy, living soil plus specific steps for a positive relationship to cosmic forces. His method works with natural life processes, supplements natural catalysts such as trace elements and enzymes, and includes unique spiritual concepts such as every grower’s property has a specific spirit presence. Their philosophical concepts are considered essential to this gardening denomination. Mainstream physical-chemical tests have demonstrated that the specialized biodynamic preparations and practices work. Biodynamic farms and farm products compete well in the organic marketplace in many countries.”

For more information, check out Biodynamic and Organic Gardening: www.biodynamic.net. Or “Biodynamic Farming & Compost Preparation” by Steve Diver of ATTRA: www.attra.org/attra-pub/biodynamic.html.

Organic Gardening: “Organic means the natural condition of living things. This gardening denomination, which refuses the use of petroleum-derived fertilizers or pest-killers, was popularized by the Rodale family’s publishing endeavors: their magazine, Organic Gardening, and the many other excellent books. Now organic agriculture is an “ecological production management system that promotes biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.” Folks who rally under the banner of “organic” are a powerhouse of resistance to chemical agriculture. The original principles of organic gardening have been embraced by most of the other denominations listed here.

As organically grown food products become increasingly competitive with mainstream products, the U.S. federal government has increased regulation. Organic farmers meeting specific qualifications must now apply for and earn certification under the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP). For more info, visit www.attra.org or the NOP’s web site at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.”

Carla Emery suggests reading The New Organic Manifesto (1986) by Lee Fryer, Profitable Organic Farming (1995) by John Newton, and Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (1997), edited by Fern Marshall Bradley and Barbara W. Ellis.

Permaculture: “During the 1980s, Bill Mollison founded the permaculture gardening denomination in Australia. It has now spread all over the world. It’s based on designing integrated systems of food production, housing, and community that are environmentally responsible. Thus it places organic agriculture in a wider context of things as they should be, both general and specific: natural gardening/farming, natural building, composting toilets, water conservation, private energy generation, etc. The audience and ambience is heavily university-style academic and scientific, but in complete opposition to mainstream chemical, corporate agriculture.

There are many good books by writers who identify with the permaculture persuasion, more than I can list here. The authors are an international assortment: Permaculture in a Nutshell (1993, UK) by Patrick Whitefield; Getting Started in Permaculture (1995, Australia); or The Future Is Abundant (1982, U.S.). That last was an early classic on permaculture by the Tilth organization, focused at the bioregional level (Pacific Northwest), now available online at www.tilthproducers.org/tfia/contents.htm. Introduction to Permaculture (1991) is by the movement’s founder, Bill Mollison with Reny Mia Slay; or read Mollison’s Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual.”

Before starting your own garden or farm, Carla Emery recommends looking into the garden philosophies that interest you. “Each gardening denomination has developed an associated array of marketers pushing soil amendments, testing services, or other products to that clientele. ATTRA warns that some products have been demonstrated by scientific testing to actually do more harm than good when applied to soil or plants. On the other hand, research has shown others to be terrific helps. Make careful choices.”

Of course, there are plenty of factors that should contribute to your choice in garden philosophy. Your budget and space available as well as personal values might serve as markers for your personal path to garden enlightenment. Once you have chosen, Carla Emery suggests you tackle the position, arrangement, timing and the many other decisions involved in laying out your garden.

NEWS: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ACQUIRES MY DYLAN PAPERS

I'm delighted to be able to announce that the University of Minnesota has acquired my papers and other material created from the late 1960s through to the late 2000s in the researching and writing of every edition of Song & Dance Man : The Art of Bob Dylan and of The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia.

The material, to be known as Michael Gray's Bob Dylan Papers, is to be held in the Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts, Upper Midwest Literary Archives, Elmer L. Andersen Library, University of Minnesota Libraries.

The institution's own announcement, to be made this weekend in the online version of the library's journal Continuum (paper copies next week), says this:

Michael Gray, a leading authority on the work of Bob Dylan, has donated his papers related to the development of his two landmark works, Song and Dance Man: The Art of Bob Dylan (1972) and The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia (2006). The collection includes all research materials, drafts of the books, publication materials, posters and flyers, and criticism, as well as other writings through multiple editions and reprintings of each work. Also included is correspondence with close associates of Dylan, including Naomi Saltzman, who was in charge of Dylan’s New York office in the early 1970s; Robert Shelton, the New York Times folk music critic who gave Dylan his first review; musician Al Kooper, who played the organ on ‘Like A Rolling Stone’; and Suze Rotolo, Dylan’s first girlfriend in New York City, who appears with him on the front cover of his second album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

They hope to have it all ready for public access in the autumn.

I am, of course, highly gratified by the fact of this acquisition, and by the knowledge that these papers will be both safe and accessible for a very long time into the future. And I'm especially happy that they're to be kept in as appropriate a place as Bob Dylan's home state of Minnesota. They've found a direction home.

DEATH OF FRED NEIL

Today is the 10th anniversary of Fred Neil's death (in Florida, aged 65). I wrote about him back in March, when it would have been his 75th birthday. That blog post is here.

 

Youknowwho, Karen Dalton & Fred Neil at the Cafe Wha, February 1961

photograph by Fred W. McDarrah

(found on http://www.hvmusic.com/article/alexander/susanwerner/index.shtml)

B - Chapter

BACK POCKET FLASHER Paper or cardboard flapped attached to the right back pocket of jeans, used as a means of commpunicating the difference between denim fabrics, finishing, shapes and sizes. A strategic marketing tool, is so expresses a jeanswear brand’s images, featuring illustrations, copy and graphics that evoke such themes as western-style, American ‘50s, eco-consciousness, romance and high-tech.

BAEYER, Adolf von *1835 (Berlin, Germany) †1917,  German chemist who developed the first synthetic indigo dye in 1879, after many years of research. He then sold the patent to German company BASF AG.

BAGGY A style of jeans, loose and very wide. Elio Fiorucci is said to have invented the first baggy jeans back in 1978, during the Safety Jeans periods. Also called carrot.

BALL *1974; Italy/Germany; by CFM International Spa/Bellini Warenvertriebsgessellschaft mbH. Conceived by Aldo Ciavatta (CFM International Spa, Italy) and very popular in the early ‘80s, The line is regarded as teenager basic. From 1974 to 1985, Dutch Henri Fetter BV acquired the production and distribution rights for Benelux and started distribution in Germany in 1977. In 1989, when Ciavatta’s company was facing bankruptcy, Stefanel, aiming at the jeanswear market, rented all of its labels. Stefanel’s newly founded Compagnia Finanziaria Moda srl kept Ball until 1991, but after CFM International Spa’s declared bankruptcy and subsequent auction, The German Bellini agency (which had tried local distribution in 1987) bought the label worldwide, together with Closed.

BALL WARPING  A step in denim making in which the individual threads formed at spinning are combined for further processing. The yarn threads are pulled together into a single continuous strand and wound onto a wooden beam called a “ball warp”.

BANDANA  A colorful printed handkerchief complementing any jeans look. From the Hindu “bandhnu”, for a primitive tie dye technique. Cowboys’ bandannas were brightly colored squares tied around the neck or face to keep out dust. In the U.S. during the ‘50s and ‘60s they resurfaced with the revival of cowboy style. The ‘80s saw another comeback thanks to mucic idols Bruce Springsteen and Little Steven, who wore bandannas, typically printed in red and white or blue and white, wrapped around their heads. Also, Milan’s Paninari liked them at the neck or wrist or as headbands, and in the early ‘90s, rappers kept them tied under their baseball caps.

BANKRUPT CLOTHING COMPANY, UK  One of the major jeans retailers to make a reputation in the late ‘80s, Bankrupt runs nine stores, mainly in the north and Midlands. A denim specialist, it claims to have more than 300 styles of jeans of 100,000 pairs of denim in stock at any time, including 25,000 pairs of Levi’s. Founder Paul Caplan used to run The Jeanery chain in the early ‘80s with his father and brother, but Bankrupt is his own venture.

BAR TACKS  Closely spaced stitched that connect to form a band or a bar that reinforces the corners and edges of pockets, seams, tucks, belt loops and buttonholes.

BASF AG, Germany. The chemical group BASF (Badische Anilin-und Soda Fabrik) owns the patent monopoly on the production of synthetic indigo. The chemical formula invented by Adolf von Baeyer in 1878 for the indigo-equivalent dyestuff was immediately acquired by BASF. A process of industrial production was developed with great financial expenditure. The first indigo produced by chemical process was launced on the market in 1887

BELT BUCKLE Indispensable complement to any wstern or jeanswear look. Though seemingly ornamental its origins are practical: The hardships of western life called for comfortable but well-fitting pants. Consequently, strong leather belts and sturdy buckles became “vital” goods. As embroidery, studs and geometrical applications were added to belts, decorations started enriching buckles with scenes of life in the fields, rodeo images and local flora and fauna. The most expensive buckles are made of silver and adorned with precious stones, especially turquoise. Several leading European jeanswear brands, such as El Charro and Chambers, have made their fortunes starting as belt and leather goods importers.

BASICOS STUDIO, France. Charles Amzallag used his experience designing for his own company Brownie to form this Paris styling office responsible for about 70 collections each year in sportswear and jeanswear for clients such as Aviatic, Setrak and Big Star France/Made Engine. Looker Graphic Concept, their seasonal jeanswear trend book, is one of the only reports created by jeanswear specialists.

BASICS Easy pieces and perennial commercial favorites, including the five-pocket jeans, the western shirt and the bib’ n’ brace.

BECKARO *1936; USA/France; by Signoles SA. Originally a U.S. brand, created in Wyoming in the ‘30s and out of circulation since the ‘60s. The name was inspired by the bucking broncos, or “buckaroos,” of the rodeo. Jean-Michel Signoles of Chipie bought the label in the late ‘80s, and in 1991, he relaunched the brand from France. The collection is based around several original models, including the “Regular,” a five-pocket in Japanese denim, woven on old, narrow looms using mother cotton.

BELL BOTTOM A jeans style born in the late “60s popular in the ‘70s. Tight at the waist (sometimes lowered) and the thights, the trousers flare out from the knee down. Threatened to make a come back at the end of the ‘80s, but didn’t quite catch on.

BELL BOTTOM *1970; Italy; by Thun Srl. Born as one of the first indigenous Italian alternatives to American jeans. Bell Bottom was conceived by Roberto Francardo (later founder of CMF Trading Company) and  Francesco Famea. The line declined with the onset of the designer jeans wave. Its historical heritage was acquired in 1989 by Thun, where it is designed by Pierpaolo Savorelli, who has supervised the product’s creative aspects since the very beginning.

BELT LOOPS  Standard feature added to jeans when the belt replaced suspenders as the preferred method of holding up pants. Regular jeans have five to seven belt loops; other have double belt loops or additional loops at the back. Wrangler boasts extra wide belt. Levi Strauss added belt loops to the 501 in 1922, though the suspender buttons remained until 1937.

BENDIX JEANS *1975 †c.1980; Germany; by Bendix & Co. Modelle. The German label was significant in the ‘70s through a permanently up-to-the-minute collection and by utilizing the then outstanding French cut. Target groups were 15-to-30-year-olds. The label was discontinued in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s.

BENETTON *1965; Italy; by Benetton Spa. World famous Italian brand that has spread around the globe with a very individual form of “franchising” and an original concept: to sell piece-dyed knits in a variety of color assortments, at very good prices and with the turnover. Started in 1965, Benetton’s knitwear was soon supported by jeans and casualwear. The original jeans brand, launched in the 1974, was called Jean’s West; it soon became an independent retail chain, then closed at the beginning of the ‘80s. In 1987 Benetton’s jeans were baptized Type De Nîmes, and featured mainly classic pieces. In 1989 they were replaced by Anthology, A line that introduced ring denim and exposed selvage, and in 1990 the denim collection came to include Blue Family, which incorporated stonewashed fabrics, treated the jeans way. With 5,000 retail outlets in 80 countries, Benetton’s jeanswear business amounts to 2,500,000 pieces a year (1991).

BENNETON, Luciano *1935 ( Treviso, Italy ) An innovator who combines a strong commercial pragmatism with a visionary market sense and a “do good” ideology. The Benetton founder embodies his company’s success story, although it is really a family business. His intelligence and charismatic appearance have been a very convincing vehicle for the company’s rise.

BENSIMON DENIM *1991; France; by S.B.S. SA. The sophisticated work-inspired collection, with a distinctive paper loop tag held by a back pocket rivet, is a complement to Serge Bensimon’s highly successful Autour Du Monde sportswear line for men and women.

BENSIMON, Serge *1953 (Oran, Algeria) As both a designer and a retailer, Serge Bensimon had a great influence on jeanswear concepts in the ‘80s, although he didn’t start his own Bensimon Denim collection until 1991. In 1989, he opened a high-end, multi-label jeanery in Paris called Denim General Store, which inspired many others to do same. Bensimon developed his fashion instinct working with his father Simon’s military surplus business where, in the early ‘80s, he pioneered the revamping and redyeing of surplus items. In 1986, He turned surplus style into a sportswear collection called Autour Du Monde for men and women with a Paris shop followed by a string of free-standing shops and corners.

BERAN, Dieter A. *1935 (Germany) An expert in the jeans industry who was prominent on the market in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Among his greatest triumphs are the successful market positioning of the U.S. label Wrangler in Germany and the built-up of the German jeans label Pioneer. At the same time he was also renowned as a retailer. After various sales activities in the industry Beran turned independent in 1965 as a trade representative an took charge of the Wrangler label, among others. Impressed by his above-average turnover, the U.S. company appointed him manager for Germany and vice president for Europe in 1967. Under his management Wrangler become one of the leaders in the German jeans market. Beran left Wrangler in 1976 in order to devote more time to the retail business he started in 1966. Beran built up the Pioneer jeans label for the German company Ahlers in 1977 and helped the label to its ultimate success. In 1982 Beran gave up his position as managing director of Pioneer to concentrate on his retailing activity for his own chain of jeans shops, Western Store Beran GmbH.

BEST BLUE/DE VILLE *1984; Italy/Germany; by Delon Consultant Handels GmbH. Originally designed as a basic-oriented denim instant range in the medium price segment. Distributing company Heinrich Dattler GmbH first presented the young Italian label from De Ville Spa to the German jeans market in the February 1988. One season later the line was separated as a Young Fashion collection, and Best Blue became a pure denim line with good fits. De Ville was discontinued in spring 1990. Distribution for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia of the reformed casualwear-oriented Best Blue line has been via German-based Delon Consultant GmbH since 1990.

BEST COMPANY *1987; Italy; by Simint Spa. Originally designed by Olmes Carretti and produced by Alfredo Saltini’s Biesseci company, Best Company started as a sweatshirt label. Its success was meteoric, thanks to Carretti’s colorful flowery patterns, embroideries and ecological messages, which started a strong future trend. The resulting jeanswear line was joint venture between Saltini and Marcello Fratini, who formed a company called United Corporation. Having bought his label back, Saltini sold it to Simint in 1990. The line has a junior extension.

BEST DIRECTION *1984; UK; by Best Direction Ltd. A menswear collection from Second Image with a strong jeans element. Originally designed to by slightly more expensive complement to the populary priced womenswear line. Since the late ‘80s, it has been marketed as a European-produced, European-styled casualwear range.

BIB ‘N’ BRACE -> Dungarees, Overalls

BIG E Period jeans by Levi’s (1936-1971), considered the quintessential 501, with exposed selvage, natural indigo and ring fabric. So-called because the Levi’s name on the tab was spelled with a capital “E” (->Collector’s Items)

BIG-E *1991; by Big-E Project. The nickname given to the famous Levi’s period 501s was registered worldwide to brand a compact range of perennial jeans pieces, all of which quote original items, focusing on their fabrics, fit, proportions and details. The collection, licensed worldwide to CMF Trading, features three pairs of jeans, two western jackets, three rodeo shirts, chino trousers and vegetable-dyed T-shirts.

BIG JOHN *1968; Japan; by Big John Japan. High-grade basic jeanswear, specialized in innovative washes. Japan’s technological lead in stonewashing substantially contributed to the label’s rapid establishment. Big John gained its first successful export experience in Sweden in 1976. In the early ‘90s the key export markets were Benelux, Germany, Spain and Sweden.

BIG MILL *1981; Germany; by Lauffenműhle GmbH. Registered trademark and division of Lauffenműhle weavers. Starting point of the Big Mill idea was the recognition that growth-promoting strategies for the jeanswear market would have the come in the future from the weavers. With Bigg Mill, Lauffenműhle was aiming to create an image of its own as supplier to the jeanswear industry on the international market. First notable triumph came in the ‘80s with stretch denim, which was jointly developed with Du Pont. Already in 1986 Lauffenműhle could be counted as one of the sportswear industry. When Big Mill had given the weaving company the required denim competence, the trademark was no longer emphasized.

BIG STAR *1975; Germany; by Big Satr Holding AG Switzerland. In the early ‘80s, Big Star was on of the best-selling jeans labels in Switzerland. The young, fashionable jeans and sportwear line is stamped with the All American image. To reinforce this, the Big Star company surrounds the label with traditional U.S. labels for which it undertakes distribution. Since 1990, Pierre Morrisset has been designing the jeanswear collection, classed in three segments: Basics, Authenctic and the U.S. Legend model.

BIG STAR FRANCE *1975; France; by Mad Engine Sarl. Jeans brand that shines particulary bright in the women’s market, where it is credited with a great fit and good quality-price ratio. Mad Engine also produces jeans for children under the Little Big Star label. Big Star’s high profile in France is the product of teamwork beetween founder Alain Knafo and his brothers and sisters.

BIP *1971 †1984; Germany; by Bierbaum-Proenen GmbH & Co. KG. One-time jeans label by the workwear manufacturer distributed only in Germany. With a pure denim trousers program for specialized jeans retailers, the family business entered the jeans market in 1971. The line was discontinued in 1984.

BISCOTE *1975; France; by Jack’ Sell Sarl. The line, with its better logo inspired by the legendary Babe Ruth, is known for its distinctive baggy overalls launched by Guy, Marcel and Jacques Zenou in 1982. The brand’s image also centers on Biscote’s successful down jackets and its strong women’s jeans. The company has its own shops in Paris and Cannes and in Okouama, Japan.

BLACK CHANGE BLUE Denim fabric made with black overdyed indigo warp yarn, it “fades” into deep blue after a number of washings.

BLACK DENIM  A denim weave using black yarn rather indigo. It fades to deep gray or to salt & pepper and has become a classic colour for jeans, preferred by tough urban guys and girls. Wrangler claims to have been the first  to introduce black denim back in 1950, producing the outfit for American TV character and rodeo hero Hopalong Cassidy.

BLACK PIZZA *1990; Italy; by Emanuel Spa. Initially designed by Tiziano Mazilli and Louise Michielsen, targeting 14-to-24-year-olds, the line started with strong styling and expensive packaging, but eventually become more commercial, with an eye to prices, while retaining a young trendy appeal.

BLEACH Essential ingredient in giving denim a faded look. Bleaching can be achieved with Hypochloride of Sodium or  Potassium Permanganate. The latter can leave a yellow tint that purists don’t like. (-> Pinto Wash Denim)

BLUE BELL INC. , USA; Original parent company of Wrangler wich was born when Blue Bell diversified into western wear in 1974. Blue Bell was acquired by VF Corp. In 1986, and Wrangler is operated as a seperate division. The history of the business that became Blue Bell goes back to 1916. To R.W. Baker and the Jellico Clothing Manufacturing Co. In Jellico, Tennesse. Through a series of expansions and mergers it became, in 1943, Blue Bell Inc. The firm was at one time considered to be “the United States Steel Co. Of the work clothes bussiness,” being largest maker of bib overalls, dungarees and work coats. Over 24 millions garments were produced by Blue Bell for the U.S. Armed Services during World War II, and after the war, Blue Bell diversified into the civilian clothes market, making pioneering efforts in sanforizing, proportioned fit and information labeling for apparel.

BLUE COLLAR A term denoting a working-class person, so-called becaouse of the shirt made of blue denim or chambray usually worn by workers.

BLUE DENIM BLIBLE  One of many non-apparel items that cashed in on the jeans craze of the early ‘70s. The King James version, in modern English, covered in denim and costing $1.95.

BLUE JEAN BY VENTILO *1988; France; by Ventilos SA. A collection of five-pocket jeans for women in indigo, colored denim and stripes which complements the heritage style for men and women. Designer Armand Ventilo and his brother, Jacques, have been active  s

Auto warranty- a finest insurance to your car

Hi friends when we buy a car we should give importance to the warranty of the vehicle. But it may expire within two years and it will be according to the mileage. What will you do after the expiration of Auto Warranty which is given by the car factory? How can you reduce the major repair cost of your vehicle? Oh… thinking… just make a call to auto warranty 411[dot]com and buy a policy from them then you feel the protection of the vehicle and relax.

In sign their policy you started to save money upto 60% through this you can escape from unexpected repair bills. Their service provides roadside assistance, bumper to bumper coverage, nationwide coverage and low monthly payments. So make your journey happy and protect your car with the help of autowarranty 411[com].

Automotive extended warranty indeed for Automobile owners

Buying a car is big investment to all and the owners are often met breakdown or major accident which will make you to spend much money. These problems lessen the life of the car. So purchasing the Car Extended Warranty from automotive extended warranty is also a good investment to extend the durability of the car.

  Car Warranty is the needy one to the owner and the car so the owner should extend the warranty when the company warranty is over.  Always you should clear about the terms and conditions of the warranty of the car purchase it will only help to extend the warranty and less your burden. Extended warranty provides you many services and the main thing is make you comfort from your repair bills.

They done it in a best rate and their policy are best policy. Moreover their only expectation from you is your car should run below 200k mileage and less than 15 years. You just make a call to them in the following number [888] 999 -1988 and clear your doubts from the agents you also get free quote from them. Buy the automotive extended warranty policy and feel relax.

Most wanted Alcatel-Lucent FemtoCell infrastructure

It is my pleasure to write about more than hundred your old most sustained company’s product in my blog for you. The current telecom world is always looking for high availability and the best quality. No users wanted to wait even a second for any application if they want to access. Alcatel-Lucent is believed to be the best high availability and quality manufacture in the world. The company is dare to dream small event with big endings..

Today, Alcatel-Lucent and its femtocell technology is the gift for this world to grow. The femtocell technology is really important to boost up the signal where you have the low signals. The residential Femtocells helps to achieve high availability and this can be used for residential or small office or the place where signal is very low. Femtocell product from Alcatel-Lucent is actually fully automatic setup which requires plug and play through internet services. It gives the five bars of signal to you and your family with better quality voice calls. But not only voice service and also high data quality is possible with the presence of Alcatel-Lucent residential femtocells product family. The spatiality feature of the Alcatel-Lucent femtocell product family is that it reduces the power consumption like other ALU products and also gives more life time to mobile battery without using anything extra resources but using the existing mobile technology. More information can also be found from Wilson-street blog of Alcatel-Lucent.

DAVE VAN RONK FILM COMING FROM THE COEN BROTHERS

Blogger Frank Beacham reports that the Coen Brothers are working on a film about Dave Van Ronk. Details here.

Two things. First, from the Grumpy Old Man In Me: even in the age of throw-any-old-unchecked-stuff-online, you'd think Mr. Beacham might bother to spell Coen just that one way in his own report; but no, he calls them Coen and Cohen in the same paragraph.

Second, when he writes that Van Ronk's story "is in the memoir 'The Mayor of MacDougal Street', which was published with the help of a collaborator after Van Ronk’s death", it seems churlish of him not to have namechecked that collaborator. It was Elijah Wald  -  author, among other things, of  "Escaping The Delta" (a book about Robert Johnson) and a very active member of the Pre-War Blues Discussion Group I belong to.

That said, what an interesting prospect such a film offers. And who should play Bob?