John Higgs's Octannual Manual #46

Jamie Reid and the Queen's eyes

JAMIE REID 1947-2023

After sending these newsletters, I sometimes received an email from the artist Jamie Reid. It might be enthusing about an idea he found in here, or he might be spitting fire and abuse at someone I mentioned favourably, but who he viewed as a villain. It was great getting those emails. They were quite a ride. I will miss them now he is no longer with us.

A few years back I got to see the original page from the 6 February 1977 edition of the Sunday People that Jamie took, subverted, and turned into one of the most iconic British images of the late twentieth century.

It’s an image familiar to us all, but up until then I hadn’t thought about where it had come from. The original article was an opinion piece, the headline of which read: ‘On her Jubilee day, how the Queen may see us: SHE'S DONE HER JOB... HAVE WE?’ The columnist argues that the Queen is magnificent and perfect, but are we, her subjects, worthy of such a glorious queen? Is she disappointed when she looks at us, her pitiful and lowly subjects? It is a deeply unhinged piece of journalism that reveals far too much about the psychology of its author. It’s also a reminder that deranged cultural commentators are hardly a new phenomenon.

Jamie’s response to the problem of ‘how the Queen might see us’ was to just rip her eyes out. Problem solved. I see this as an act of alchemy. He took some dirt and transformed it into gold. Through an act of creative imagination, the intention of the original article was negated and subverted and turned into an era-defining icon. It became the antithesis of everything that the original article stood for. It helped redefine the image of Britain and the British people in the eyes of the world. It also helped the Sex Pistols sell a lot of records, which is no bad thing.

Jamie’s response to the Sunday People article is a prime example of the transformative power that an act of the imagination can have. Has there been another piece of late twentieth century art that has had a similar impact? You can only imagine what the writer of the original article must have thought of it.

Jamie Reid was a spiky bugger and we needed him. He will be much missed. For more on his life and work, see this tribute from his agent John Marchant.

---

BOOK NEWS

I’m delighted to report that the UK paperback of LOVE AND LET DIE is now out and waiting for you to collect it from your nearest bookshop - you can’t miss it, it’s a handsome stripey fella. That’s at least half of your Christmas shopping sorted.

And thank you for all the support that the 10th anniversary edition of The KLF has received. If you wanted a signed copy, perhaps as a present for someone deserving (ie your own good self), then City Books in Hove have a pile and will post internationally. See here for details.

And speaking of the KLF, their Blu-Ray 23 Seconds To Eternity is out on Nov 6th, complete with a screening and Q&A at the BFI - and possibly other cinema screenings too. I confess I was not expecting to ever see an official physical release of KLF product so this is a thing to celebrate.

Ebook readers, meanwhile, should know that William Blake Vs The World is currently available at the freakish price of 99p - but only for another week. It’s crazy but there you go, feel free to take advantage.

And if you’re a lover of audiobooks - I’ve finally recorded my very first book, I Have America Surrounded, a biography of Timothy Leary that came out way back in 2006(!) Going back to it after all this time was fascinating, and I might write a bit about that next time, but I surprised myself at how wild and enjoyable it was. As the title hints, it’s an outrageously funny book trying to pass itself off as a serious one. It’s out on October 5th.

Both The KLF and I Have America Surrounded will be getting proper US releases next year, including audiobooks - more news on that soon.

---

EVENTS
I’m coming to the end of a long string of public events and, if everything goes to plan, there shouldn’t be any more until 2025. I have, however, saved the best to last. On Sunday 1st October I’m at the Convenanza Festival in Carcassonne, France, where I’ll be talking KLF, Blake and much more with the author, pilgrim and king David Keenan. That should be something, shouldn’t it? Details are here - I believe the event has sold out, but there may be last minute returns.

Then on October 24th I’m at Resident Records in Brighton interviewing Ian Broudie about his much anticipated memoir Tomorrow’s Here Today. Ian’s career is amazing, from his work with bands like Echo & The Bunnymen, The Fall and The Coral, to the uplifting psychedelic pop of his own band The Lightning Seeds. Readers of my KLF book will note that Ian was part of Ken Campbell’s 1976 Illuminatus! play. Details are here - I’m really looking forward to this one, if you can make it I think it will be memorable.

Until next time!

jhx