{"id":2957,"date":"2010-10-13T08:12:00","date_gmt":"2010-10-13T12:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/index.php\/rock-s-unfulfilled-fashion-ideas-capes\/"},"modified":"2010-10-13T13:17:03","modified_gmt":"2010-10-13T17:17:03","slug":"rock-s-unfulfilled-fashion-ideas-capes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/rock-s-unfulfilled-fashion-ideas-capes\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock\u2019s Unfulfilled Fashion Ideas: The Cape"},"content":{"rendered":"<iframe class='youtube-player youtuber' type='text\/html' width='425' height='355' src='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xsaXZOuxONY?rel=0&amp;fs=1&amp;ap=%252526fmt%253D18' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen frameborder='0'><\/iframe><p>In the above clip, one of Prog-Rock&#8217;s Sexiest Men, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/index.php\/making-the-case-for-the-sexiest-man-in-prog-rock\/\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Squire<\/a><\/strong>, and Yes bandmates <strong>Steve Howe<\/strong> and <strong>Alan White<\/strong>, humorously discuss the halcyon days of rock cape-wear. It&#8217;s fitting that they should have the first word on the matter because, along with their bandmate <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com\/images02\/89\/l_70ad671014c044669faa25aae0053ac8.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Rick Wakeman<\/a><\/strong>, they took The Cape about as far as it has gone in rock &#8216;n roll history to date. The Cape is our latest subject in an ongoing series assessing of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/index.php\/category\/rocks-unfulfilled-fashion\/\" target=\"_blank\">Rock&#8217;s Unfulfilled Fashion Ideas<\/a>. Maybe you can help us better understand the cape&#8217;s appeal and possible resurgence in rock &#8216;n roll style.<!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3407\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3407\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3407\" title=\"Screamin-Jay\" src=\"http:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Screamin-Jay-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Screamin-Jay-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Screamin-Jay.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3407\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rock&#39;s first caped crusader?<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Would the first cape in rock have been worn by <strong>Screamin&#8217; Jay Hawkins<\/strong>? I think he beat <strong>James Brown<\/strong> to the punch, and although I&#8217;ve seen another &#8217;50s contemporary, <strong>Little Richard<\/strong>, flash a cape, <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.tilos.hu\/malestripshow\/quasar.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">his cape-wearing days<\/a> may not have started until the late-&#8217;60s\/early &#8217;70s, as part of the age of the Funk Cape, which we&#8217;ll cover in a bit.<!--nextpage--><\/p><iframe class='youtube-player youtuber' type='text\/html' width='425' height='355' src='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BKNCySAvY5Y?rel=0&amp;fs=1&amp;ap=%252526fmt%253D18' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen frameborder='0'><\/iframe><p>Of course Brown made The Cape an integral part of his show, having it placed on him like a boxer who&#8217;s run out of gas, only to shrug it off and heroically\u00a0answer the bell for the final round.<\/p>\n<p>Was there ever a proto-Vampire Rock\u00a0<strong>Garage Cape<\/strong> movement? I expected to find some band member in <strong>The Seeds<\/strong> or <strong>Sam Sham and the Pharoahs<\/strong> in a cape, but no dice. Am I forgetting someone obvious? Man, wouldn&#8217;t Jim Morrison would have looked great in a Count Rockula cape?<\/p>\n<p>The recently deceased <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/msnbcmedia2.msn.com\/j\/MSNBC\/Components\/Photo\/_new\/101010_solomonburke.grid-6x2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Solomon Burke<\/a><\/strong> was known to don a long monarch&#8217;s velvet cape, or robe, for photoshoots, but did he ever perform in The Cape? (BTW, is there a length at which a cape is known as a robe or by some other name? I was never into King Arthur and all that jazz as a kid.)<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of King Arthur, capes rarely pop up in <a href=\"http:\/\/userserve-ak.last.fm\/serve\/500\/38720669\/The+Crazy+World+of+Arthur+Brown+Arthur+Brown+1968.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">still photos<\/a> of the <strong>The Crazy World of Arthur Brown<\/strong>. In fact, until prog-rock came along, I find much less capes in UK psych bands than I would have expected. I seem to recall the appearance of a cape or two in <strong>The Rolling Stones<\/strong>&#8216; <em>Rock &amp; Roll Circus<\/em> movie, but other than the <a href=\"http:\/\/18kt.files.wordpress.com\/2008\/05\/caratulas_the_beatles-help-frontal.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">cape-like rain gear<\/a> worn in <em>Help!<\/em>, am I forgetting a cape in any of the thousands of iconic photos of <strong>The Beatles<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of rock royalty, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/img.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2008\/04_02\/elvis11004_468x320.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">The King<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/media.knoxnews.com\/media\/img\/photos\/2010\/01\/07\/010810elvis1_t607.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Elvis Presley<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0would not be denied <a href=\"http:\/\/www.retroplanet.com\/mm5\/graphics\/00000001\/Elvis-White-Cape.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">ecstatic<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2008\/04\/10\/article-1013661-00DC011B00000578-245_468x609_popup.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">onstage performances<\/a> in The Cape!<!--nextpage--><\/p><iframe class='youtube-player youtuber' type='text\/html' width='425' height='355' src='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cp4pgMOugbo?rel=0&amp;fs=1&amp;ap=%252526fmt%253D18' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen frameborder='0'><\/iframe><p>At this point, in the early &#8217;70s, we can see The Cape in Rock beginning to divide into two camps: the <strong>Arthurian Cape<\/strong> of Screamin&#8217; Jay and Solomon Burke, which would be the path taken by the cape-wearing faction of Yes, and the aforementioned <strong>Funk Cape<\/strong>, the roots of which lie in the capes of James Brown and Elvis Presley. The Funk Cape was less about the mythical powers of some Rock Roundtable or Count Rockula and more about taunting others in the music world with the question, <em>Who&#8217;s Your Daddy?<\/em> You can see the difference in purpose as worn by the likes of Funk Cape pioneer <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/A1Q5ohxV-FL._SL600_.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Sly Stone<\/a><\/strong>, members of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/originalfunkmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/Funkadelic.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Funkadelic<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_KqndcpjQSek\/SXHwg_E9yPI\/AAAAAAAALzQ\/lMiFSKnns5Y\/s400\/Isley+Brothers,+The+%E2%80%93+Showdown.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">The Isley Brothers<\/a><\/strong>, and other street-smart hustlers. I believe <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/wp.goldminemag.com\/upload\/contents\/290\/field_1742\/DavidBowieZiggyRCA.JPG\" target=\"_blank\">David Bowie<\/a><\/strong>&#8216;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.blogcdn.com\/www.spinner.com\/media\/2007\/07\/david-bowie-neal-preston.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">occasional use<\/a> of The Cape was indebted to the Funk Cape more than the Arthurian version, although for <a href=\"http:\/\/film.virtual-history.com\/photo\/m01\/large\/00417.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">acting roles<\/a> he&#8217;s been known to let his cape swing both ways. I would bet that <strong>Prince<\/strong> has swung a cape.<\/p>\n<p>Along with prog rockers, didn&#8217;t early heavy metal practitioners, like members of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, throw on a cape as a show of solidarity with the black magic? I don&#8217;t know if <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dennishanna.com\/ritchie_2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Ritchie Blackmore<\/a><\/strong> ever wore a cape on stage, but clearly he&#8217;s shopped for one.<\/p>\n<p>By the late-&#8217;70s, as prog-rock capewear became out of vogue and heavy metal began sowing the seeds for\u00a0the coming\u00a0decade of <a href=\"http:\/\/80srewind.net\/80s\/images\/poison_80sbighair.JPG\" target=\"_blank\">hair farming<\/a>, the would-be Garage Cape movement merged with the Count Rockula faction of Arthurian capewear to spawn The Dammed&#8217;s <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_st8EreMocyU\/S64uYezeUGI\/AAAAAAAAAeI\/wM07rz11__w\/s1600\/9-damn-fashionable.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Dave Vanian<\/a><\/strong>, also known as The Count of Vampire Rock. <em>Yuck!<\/em> to that whole scene.<\/p>\n<p>Does anyone wear The Cape today? I could swear <a href=\"http:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4154\/4953619970_d28cd2e899_z.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">the big man<\/a> who sings lead in <strong>The Soundtrack of Our Lives<\/strong> has donned a cape on stage, but maybe I confused the cape I thought I saw with one of his patented <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wedolists.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/top-5-swedish-bands-soundtrack-of-our-lives.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">caftans<\/a>, or whatever you&#8217;d call those monk-like robes he drapes around his substantial girth. If he has not yet worn a cape, I bet he could pull it off.<\/p>\n<nav class=\"page-links\"><strong>Pages:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/rock-s-unfulfilled-fashion-ideas-capes\/\" class=\"post-page-numbers\"><span class=\"page-num\">1<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/rock-s-unfulfilled-fashion-ideas-capes\/2\/\" class=\"post-page-numbers\"><span class=\"page-num\">2<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/rock-s-unfulfilled-fashion-ideas-capes\/3\/\" class=\"post-page-numbers\"><span class=\"page-num\">3<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/rock-s-unfulfilled-fashion-ideas-capes\/4\/\" class=\"post-page-numbers\"><span class=\"page-num\">4<\/span><\/a><\/nav>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the above clip, one of Prog-Rock&#8217;s Sexiest Men, Chris Squire, and Yes bandmates Steve Howe and Alan White, humorously discuss the halcyon days of rock cape-wear. It&#8217;s fitting that they should have the first word on the matter because, along with their bandmate Rick Wakeman, they took The Cape about as far as it <a href='https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/rock-s-unfulfilled-fashion-ideas-capes\/' class='excerpt-more'>[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[342,344],"tags":[182,192,96,77],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2957"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2957\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}