The Disconnected Reunion

These guys were such good sports about being photographed. Stiv was a good student of rock n roll. Not just an avid listener, record collector and performer BUT he was completely into the image. He knew every record cover and promo photo of every cool band that was out there.



Our photos were homages to photographers and bands. The Doors inspired the color shot below... but just as much, so did the photographers like Joel Brodsky (who shot the most famous Jim Morrison photo), Art Kane, Henry Diltz and Ed Caraeff -- names you don't hear all that often anymore (though I sometimes cross paths with Henry Diltz at the Los Angeles photo lab we both use) but who shot some of the most memorable images of rock n roll people. Actually, if I can digress, I'm so elated to have met and made friends with Art Kane's son, Jonathan, who is a musician in New York. During the course of us working on a show about rock photography at VH1 that featured the works of his father, the late Art Kane, Jonathan gave me a fantastic print of The Who snoozing under the Union Jack. Thank you Jonathan!



This was pretty much the first thing that happened after David Quinton, George Cabaniss, Frank Secich and I first all fell over each other after not seeing one another in 25 years...we went to meet up with Jimmy Zero and it was hugs and kisses again.



A little older and grayer, but these guys did not lose a bit of musicality or sense of humor.



Here with David Quinton is Dave Swanson who is the songwriting/singing force behind Cleveland's Rainy Day Saints. They're going over the lyric cheat sheet for "Him or Me," the Raiders song that this ad hoc group of Disconnected reunitees and friends contributed to the Greg Shaw tribute album.



Jimmy Zero says that Dave Swanson is also the best tambourine shaker in all of Ohio, if not in all current rock n roll.





If that's how we all remember David as a live performer, I can tell you that he still does stand up behind his drum kit... there are Mods reunion photos to attest to that. But here, David just wanted to make sure he could get his feet and hands to work in sync.



Back in the day, George Cabaniss was one of those strong, silent types who would just let his guitar do the talking.



And he's still like Gary Cooper....





The fortnight's worth of Disconnected tribute photos may be drawing to an end, but Stiv Bators and the fine men who made this rather under-appreciated gem of a record will always be near and dear to so many people. I'm not the only person who misses Stiv.