Photographer Dennis Morris has been documenting cutting-edge artists in the music industry for 40 years. He visited Tokyo for an exhibition at Barneys New York Shinjuku, which runs until July 28th.
Dennis shares his memories of the late Bob Marley, his greatest inspiration for starting his career, and the Sex Pistols, the "darlings of the era."
(Continued from Vol. 1)
When we Japanese think of "discrimination against Black people," we immediately think of the civil rights movement in the United States. However, racial issues also existed in Britain. The history of African- and Caribbean-American Britons dates back to the immigration of immigrants from British colonies around the world after World War II.
"So when I was a boy, I had no one to confide in. I always thought and acted on my own. Then I met Bob Marley. He always told me, 'You can do it. Believe in yourself.' In fact, I have never met anyone before or since who believed in himself as strongly as he did. He had an unimaginable strength of conviction."
Marley's first UK tour did not attract much attention from the outset. "Marley was already popular among British Caribbeans, but no white people knew him. At one point, only about 200 people showed up to a venue that could accommodate 2,000. But Marley still played with incredible power, as if he were being watched by a full audience. He believed. If 200 people spread the word, 'Don't miss Bob Marley,' the next audience would grow to 400, then 800... and so on. And that's exactly what happened." Morris also remembers Marley's extreme sincerity in his performance. At one concert, Marley began moving around on stage between songs. The band members, thinking this was the climax of the song, suddenly increased the tempo of their performance. After the performance, Marley was said to have been furious with the band members. "Whatever I do, I never change the tempo! I'm on stage, waiting for that moment when my soul sparks. If the tension of the performance suddenly changes, I'll miss that special moment." For him, performing in front of an audience was always an expression of his soul.
That same year, Marley released his second album, "Burnin'," and the following year, in 1974, Eric Clapton covered Marley's signature song, "I Shot the Sherif." This smash hit solidified Marley's worldwide fame. Morris's photos from his first tour soon appeared in major British music magazines. He had already earned the title of professional music photographer while still in his mid-teens. Morris's photographs captivated Johnny Rotten, who would go on to shock the world as the lead singer of the Sex Pistols. Formed in 1976, the Pistols were dropped by several record companies before signing with Virgin Records the following year in 1977. Rotten asked Morris to cover the band's activities as their official photographer. "Looking back, British society was in the midst of a period of change. The Labour government was beginning to collapse, the Northern Ireland conflict was becoming increasingly tense, unemployment was flooding the streets, far-right groups were gaining strength...the atmosphere in the streets was very grim. It was at this time that the Sex Pistols appeared." (Continued in Vol. 3)
