A Chapter in Rock History Auringer’S Photos, Design Work Featured in CREEM Tribute Book
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LapeerArea Thursday, December 13, 2007 VIEW Section C A chapter in rock history Auringer’s photos, design work featured in CREEM tribute book BY MIKE ARNHOLT from view. VIEW Editor CREEM has now been LAPEER — The resurrected publication this on a new month of a tribute website www. to the “golden age” creem maga- of rock ‘n’ roll, zine. com and Detroit style CREEM: with the new America’s Only Rock HarperCollins ‘n’ Roll Magazine, hit book by another bookstores across the former CREEM country with a strong photographer, local connection. Robert Matheu, Hadley native, Lapeer look of CREEM, and his along with Brian High 1964 grad and now J. Bowe. This col- VIEW Production Manager orfull hardcover Charlie Auringer was an coffeetable book integral part of CREEM for features historical its first 17 years. and I was reprints of stories, In 1964, Charlie left always too tired to party with covers and photos Lapeer and headed off to the the band.” from its beginning with com- Detroit to college at Wayne legendary Grande The years he spent at mentary from the editors and State. Ballroom, Olympia Stadium CREEM are a slice of history artists who were in CREEM He was caught up in the and Cobo Hall, including Jeff today, but at the time “We over the years. energy and excitement of Beck with Rod Stewart, Elvis were just having a lot of Charlie’s passion for design concerts by Bob Dylan, The and Cream, among others. fun,” Charlie says. remained, and he moved on Beatles and others. CREEM went national in His concert photos were to design Detroit’s alternative “It was the music that 1971 and Charlie pho- Auringer and two of his pho- electric, but he had fun with newspaper, Metro Times. hooked me on rock photogra- tographed David Bowie, Led tos, Mick Jagger and Steven some of the off-stage shots. And then after 40 years phy,” says Charlie. Zeppelin, The Who, Rolling Tyler of Aerosmith, featured in The book includes his shots away he headed back to He took classes in photog- Stones, Kiss, Alice Cooper CREEM from the early ’70s. of Kiss putting on their Lapeer in 2003 to design and raphy at WSU and hung out and many others while work- makeup at the magazine’s help launch the all new LA at a local head shop/record ing with rock writers/editors stamp made an indelible Birmingham office, “in a VIEW, giving something back store, meeting other artists Dave Marsh, Lester Bangs mark on the look of the bathroom down the hall to his hometown. and writers, including Barry (characters featured in the monthly magazine. He shared with the dentist office Charlie still keeps his hand Kramer and Tony Reay, with movie Almost Famous) and designed most of the maga- whose patients were very in music, remaining current whom he started CREEM, the others. His photos of rock zine’s over 200 covers in his surprised when they used the by designing the bi-monthly irreverent and gritty self-pro- legends Mick Jagger, Elton 17 years at CREEM. bathroom.” He was the sole Big City Rhythm & Blues claimed “America’s Only John and Leon Russell are Charlie also took his inter- photographer to get shots of Magazine, (www.bigcity Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine.” among those that graced the est in music even further to the group “unmasked.” They bluesmag.com), websites, CD The magazine was the covers of the magazine in its get a close and personal look were not published back covers (www.jdlamb.com, voice of, by and for rock ‘n’ early years. at rock ‘n’ roll. He signed on then; “Kiss management www.springfed.org) and the roll in Detroit from 1969-88. Along with his gift with a as a roadie with Mitch Ryder strongly urged that we keep occasional opportunity to As one of the founders with camera, Charlie had an eye and the Detroit Wheels in the mystery behind the shoot a photo for his musical a strong eye on graphics, for design, and by 1975 he 1970-71. makeup,” Charlie says. friends. Charlie shot photos: from had shifted his talents exclu- “I traveled — by truck — CREEM left Charlie and Some of Charlie’s classic backstage, on stage, in the sively to the design, publish- to one-nighters all across the Detroit in 1985 after the mag- rock photos will be soon crowd and from — we can ing and photo editing of “the country,” Charlie says. The azine went bankrupt, was available on a new website say — other vantage points. best rock photographers in pace was hectic, “and I had a sold and then headed to the offering art quality framed He shot local bands includ- the USA.” Just as he does lot of fun, but it was the West Coast. After a few years photos to music fans at ing the MC-5 and Mitch here each week at the VIEW, physically hardest work I of attempting to bring it www.backstagegallery.com. Ryder and national bands at Charlie crafted the distinctive have ever done in my life, back, the publication faded.