Hey Peter, Thank you for your original post. It's what prompted me to sign up here and reply. I'd no idea anyone was interested, outside of a few random emails that came to me via my website. Your post was the door I hesitantly opened, not knowing what to expect. It turned into an opportunity to remember that long ago and far away period of my life, and has been such a positive experience. So thanks.

Thanks, Reswati. I am deeply moved by the works of the northern renaissance. When I was in Amsterdam a few years back, I entered the Rijksmuseum like a pilgrim visiting a shrine. I haven't seen the new museum building yet, but I hear good things about the space and light. There was interesting art all over the city. You are so right about the remarkable achievements in science/technology. I think it was Clarke who wrote "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

If Mr Page wanted to commission a painting, and what he wanted was within the reach of my ability, sure thing. A CD cover is a complex piece of graphic art, which is a very different skill.

Actually, I grew up reading a lot of science fiction (Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury, Herbert). In my wildest dreams I would've emigrated to Mars, and my kids would be piloting intergalactic spaceships. The Peeping Ghost, on 19 May 2013 - 02:34, said:

This is funny. I am not sure it's a Wella product, but I did a campaign for Sunsilk shampoo. I was even on the packaging labels - ah, fame. Barry Lategan did the photo, very soft focus, golden and dreamy. I loved it. Never was the Helmut Newton type. When they sent me to show him my portfolio in Paris, Newton said, and I quote, "Honey, you have a face like pancake syrup, but you'll make a lot of money." To be fair, he pretty much nailed it.

There's a whole thread in Ramble On that follows the evolution of the painting, which was commissioned last year by Dan. It was a very collaborative project, and I can't say enough good things about working with him.

I've been meaning to post this. Here's the finished TSRTS-themed still life, which happily now resides in Canada: And for scale, here it is with the artist:

Hey thanks, Sam. That's a really nice shot.

Oh my goodness. Where did you find this? I look cheerful, Mr Plant looks pleased, and it's nice to see something unposed. It must've been pretty nippy on the set. Stone radiates cold and never seems to warm, if memory serves. I'd like to download it, if that's okay. Thanks for posting it.

Now that was gallant. Untrue, but very nice all the same. Self-deprecating humor is something he uses to disarm even his most hostile interviewers. I'm thinking of the Terry Gross interview on Fresh Air.

Okay, now that's funny. This just tickles me. I've gotten the impression that he's somewhat embarrassed about the film in general and the fantasy sequences in particular. Sounds like he was throwing out a humorous non-sequitur remark, a good way to deflect the topic. It worked, too.

Well, my stars. I did not know until this day that I was supposed to be Guinevere. "Guinevere's adbuction by men is a recurring theme throughout Arthurian legend, and when kidnapped, she must be saved - the epitome of the damsel in distress." I suppose that makes Plant's character Lancelot. The question would be is he rescuing her from imprisonment by Sir Meliagrance, seduction by nephew Modred, or from being burned at the stake by Arthur. It's good to be the damsel. In distress, not so much.

Someone emailed me this question "How did you manage to get the job as maiden in the film 'The Song Remains the Same'? and I thought the answer might fit in here. I was called in to the offices of Models One, my modeling agency in London for a go-see 3pm on July 15. I'd been working abroad for three years by then, doing editorials for Vogue and lots of ads for makeup and hair products, so I wasn't an unknown in that respect. It wasn't a cattle call, where hallways and rooms were packed with hopefuls. I showed up at the appointed time, handed over my portfolio to be looked over, left after a brief meet and greet with April and Josie (the two agency owners) and the director. My brief note in my journal is this: "The director's (looking for) a surrealistic, archetype woman. Love. Princess to be won." I expect all the photos in my portfolio of me with golden ringlets looking dreamy and virginal were the main selling point. I gave it no more thought, since I did go-sees every day and couldn't predict which jobs I'd get. My attitude was generally very que sera sera. Also I was on an extended journey the month of August, driving from St Tropez to Marbella to Tangiers, then looping around Morocco. A couple of weeks after I returned to London, on September 16, I got the word I'd been cast. I was driven to Mr Clifton's offices to meet Mr Plant. Looking back, Plant might have taken a liking to me because I was an American hippie. I'll never know. I wrote in my journal that he was not what I expected at all. A tall, well-built man, neither slight nor consumptive, which was the fashion with English musicians then. He looked prosperous, as though he lived well, and was much younger than I expected. What I remember of that first meeting is really a single, sharp moment. Plant was standing on the stairs as I was leaving. He had that larger-than-life, charismatic glow. He didn't blend into the environment at all. He kept tossing his hair back from his face in what seemed an unconscious, habitual gesture, and that fascinated me. It was so unlike other men I knew, both the rougher sort and the wealthy, powerful conservatives. He was singular. September 17 I was packing for a stay in a country house - a Downton Abbey sort of place, so I was excited about that - when suddenly I was picked up and driven to Wales instead. September 18 was spent on wardrobe fittings, hair and makeup. September 19, they shot the fight, Plant coming up the staircase, and the princess scene. Et voila.

A copy of No Quarter is on its way to me. Looking forward to it. Following along reading the comments about the press conference. People are certainly very passionate here. I watched some of it and listened to all of it while I was painting yesterday. As a former journalist, and having been thrown into the scrum of a celebrity press conference, I have sympathy for the devils. The marching orders given an (ethical) journalist are in direct conflict with the jobs of PR flacks. It's a cat meets dog situation. The writers are dispatched to bring back copy that their bosses think is of the most interest (aka, will sell the most) to their targeted readers. Thus the focus of the questions asked depend upon the outlet - music mag, international news, local paper, etc.. Who gets called on to ask these questions is decided by the PR guys, and chosen for 1. greatest potential media exposure 2. positive slant towards the client 3. favors owed. The flack's mandate is to provide a buffer for the client, and limit client responses to safe and preferably canned self promotion, while obtaining the widest exposure. If there is a free press, you can't tell them what to ask, but they know if they piss off the PR folks/client they will be ignored or deflected, and next time around they'll be shut out. If they don't ask what their editors want to know, they lose their jobs. A really good question is open-ended and fresh. One that engages the celebrity and provokes an interesting response, ideally with new information, without being offensive. I can tell you, that when you are in a packed house, given the opportunity for a single question to what amounts to a committee to answer, it's hard to come up with something that will accomplish that. You're stuck with a kind of 'Hail Mary pass' moment. From my perspective, the PR guys did a very credible job. They maintained control and the questions, while not what people with the breadth of knowledge might prefer, were decent while being respectful, almost worshipful. Jones, Plant, and Page acquitted themselves well, with dry wit and self-deprecating humor.

Thanks! Unledded sounds like it's exactly my cup of tea. I've seen references to it here and there, but unlike early performances and random clips like a concert by Plant in Dubhai, I saw no glimpse of it on Youtube. I'll look for it on Amazon, unless there's a better source you recommend. Struggling through When Giants Walked the Earth. Gah. Hate those fictionalized inner soliloquies. Makes me appreciate something like IMGL all the more.