A long time ago I had the incredible good fortune to go on the road, playing bass guitar with a band called Let's Active. We were opening a string of concerts for R.E.M. and one particular night in Washington D.C. (after playing at George Washington University) we were a bit too amped up to just go back to our hotel rooms so we all ventured out to see a band called Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians. They were playing at a venue called the 9/30 Club. (Robyn Hitchcock is a brilliant songwriter who infuses British wit and humor into his music and art.) I had been a fan of his music even before that night. His band-mates Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor are incredibly talented themselves. I was introduced to them after they performed. A bunch of us all hung out and drank and laughed. It was a truly amazing night!
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| Robyn Hitchcock - Nov. 12, 1986 - photo by J9 |
Fast forward about five years: Robyn, Andy and Morris were recording their album,
Perspex Island in Los Angeles. I was in a band called
Pet Clarke at the time. We were invited to the studio to watch their recording session one night and I was sitting in a room watching Robyn lay down some tracks behind a soundproof glass window.
Robyn and I have something in common in that we both like to sketch and paint... Well, there on the coffee table was his sketch pad. I picked it up and looked through it, admiring all of the interesting images that he had sketched. Feeling inspired, I picked up a pen and began doodling toward the back of the sketch pad. I intended to take the page out before leaving that night so he would never know that I had invaded his art space. But as the night went on I totally forgot and left my sketches in his book.
It wasn't until about a year later when I purchased the CD that I saw one of my sketches again. It was on the back of the Perspex Island CD! Apparently, Robyn had handed over his sketch pad to the Art Director at A & M Records to go through for cover design possibilities. To say the least I was blown away, but then a bit perplexed because the photo credit said that all of the artwork was by Robyn Hitchcock. I didn't think too much of it, but the next time I saw Robyn I confessed to him and apologized too for sketching in his pad. Then I pointed out the sketch I had done, which was a Sphynx-like image of his bassist Andy. The look on Robyn's face was one of confusion. A somewhat maladroit moment occurred thereafter and then he said something like, "I didn't remember doing that sketch, but sometimes when I'm drinking I like to draw. I thought I might've forgotten that I had done that one." We actually had a good laugh about it. That sketch was even blown up and used on the back of the t-shirts created to promote that incredible album. (See photo below).
Fast forward another twenty years (crazy how time flies). I had always wanted to do a painting of that sketch and just a few months ago I finally did. (It's an acrylic on canvas -16" x 24"). It is available for sale, by the way!
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| painting by Janine Cooper Ayres - copyright 2014 |
Several years have passed since I've seen Robyn, Andy and Morris. They are some of the nicest and most talented guys I've ever met so I hope our paths cross again some day. (And if so, I'll bet Robyn won't let me anywhere near his sketch pad!)
J-9
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| J-9 and Robyn - photo by Jeff Davis |
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| photo by Jeff Davis |
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| Robyn in the studio in L.A. - photo by J-9 |
Click on the link below to listen to one of my favorite songs from Perspex Island
