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August 1988 - Point Dume, California Robert Sebree recalls: “I made this photograph within minutes of first meeting Tom. When I introduced myself he smiled and said with a slow, exaggerated southern draw “If there’s anything I can do for you, you just let me know”. As we carefully made our way across some jagged rocks along the beach he mentioned that if he slipped he would bleed a steady stream of the weed he had flowing through his veins. You don’t forget that kind of “Hello”. At the time I had no point of reference to base this experience on but as we continued to work together over the years I came to realize the ease with which we got on from the beginning. Shortly after shooting this image, Tom’s art director requested a meeting. Rather than deferring to the label’s art department Tom would hire his own creative team so he could oversee the art himself. The cover to Full Moon Fever had already been determined but they were interested in my images for promotion. This image was used full-bleed for the album’s back cover.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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August 1988 - Encino, California Robert Sebree explains: “I became a reoccurring occurrence in Dave Stewart’s (Eurythmics) life when I was assigned to photograph him for three different clients in a ten day period. Dave was producing a project called Beyond the Groove and asked me to shoot stills for it. I never saw a script on set, pretty sure there wasn’t one. The project had a Magical Mystery Tour vibe that cast Dave’s eclectic roster of friends in scenes featuring iconic tableaus of Southern California. Tom was interested in every aspect of his work which in 1988, for better or worse, was entwined with the film industry as the labels courted MTV. When there was a break in filming, Tom could be found holding a boom pole with the sound crew or studying how things worked from the other side of the camera.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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August 1993 - Viper Room, Hollywood, California Robert Sebree explains: “This image marks the only time I ever photographed Tom playing to a live audience. Tom had just completed the Greatest Hits package and was considering cover options when Johnny Depp asked him to play at the opening of the Viper Room on Sunset. Tom realized this would be the last time anyone would ever see the whole band playing together in a bar on a tiny stage reminiscent of how they began - the perfect Greatest Hits cover. Perfect except that Tom and Stan’s relationship was almost at the breaking point and Stan decided to remain in Florida and skip the gig. Tom called Ringo Starr and asked him to sit in for Stan. When I went to the Viper Room that night I was expecting to see Ringo on drums but evidently Ringo was just the impetus Stan needed to jump on a plane. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Greatest Hits—the band’s best selling album of all time—very nearly featured Ringo on the cover. There was a strict “no cameras" policy for the invitation-only crowd but they made an exception allowing me to photograph the first song of the set. A couple of minutes in a crowded room to capture an image to represent Tom’s entire career… what could go wrong? The light was dismal, the stage only rose a foot or two from the floor so I had to shoot through the crowd. Benmont was shoved so far stage right that he was separated from the band by his keyboards. I positioned myself directly in front of the stage to get all five band members in frame but Benmont was cast in total darkness. I decided to move stage left and shoot down the line of Howie, Tom, Mike and Benmont but the room was too cramped to get the angle I needed on Stan. From other angles either Benmont or Stan were blocked by their own instruments. All the while, there was a very excited, good-natured fan enjoying the show, apparently unaware of my plight, who was insistent on dancing with me. It was mayhem. This image and one other image from the show were briefly considered for the cover but were rightly discarded because neither of them included all of the Heartbreakers. The image used was a photo that survived the fire of Tom's basement recording studio in the house he lost to arson in 1987, inspiring the song “I Won’t Back Down.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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1994 - Sound City, Van Nuys, California. Robert Sebree recalls: “I distinctly remember this being a good day. The band worked through versions of “To Find A Friend”, “Only A Broken Heart”, “Climb That Hill”, “Honey Bee”, “You Wreck Me”, “California”, “It’s Good to be King”, “Time to Move On”, “Cabin Down Below”, “Thirteen Days” and more. I have no idea how much, if any, from this session ended up in the final mix.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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1994 - Sound City, Van Nuys, California. Robert Sebree explains: “ In July of ‘93 I was asked to photograph Tom and the band as they worked on bonus tracks for Greatest Hits. I expected the project to take a day or two. I spent much of the next two years chronicling the recording of Wildflowers at Sound City in the Valley and Ocean Way in Hollywood. This was shot during the recording of "Climb the Hill" (released on Wildflowers & All the Rest).” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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1994 - Sound City, Van Nuys, California. Robert Sebree reflects: “When I look back at my archives I see a lot of Elvis references creeping into Tom’s photos. This velvet Elvis watching over Tom’s performance during the recording of Wildflowers in the vocal booth at Sound City is among my favorite.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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1994 - Sound City, Van Nuys, California. Robert Sebree explains: “ Everyone immediately realized that Wildflowers had a special energy. It was powerful and palpable. The major changes Tom was going through, both personally and professionally, precipitated a prolific time for him. In this photograph Tom is tracking “It’s Good To Be King.” Wildflowers was his first solo album since Full Moon Fever, his first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin and his first album for his new label, Warner Brothers. Even though it was a solo album Tom leaned heavily on the musicianship of the Heartbreakers and this marked the introduction of drummer Steve Ferrone to the band. The chemistry was so good it bordered on alchemy.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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1994 - Sound City, Van Nuys, California. Robert Sebree remembers: "Tom recorded a lot of his tracks live—which was just amazing. Not a lot of bands have the chops to do that. The Heartbreakers were so tight, they made it look easy. Tom, Mike and Howie would sit in a triangle facing one another in the middle of the studio. The stool in the foreground is Mike’s. Howie was just off to Tom’s right with Benmont’s keyboards behind him. Steve was on drums off to Tom’s left." Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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July 1994 - Encino, California. Robert Sebree recalls: “I was over at Tom’s house and was playing with a cheap, plastic, toy camera. It offered none of the photographic threat of my Hasselblad. This was shot in Tom’s backyard and is an image that just wouldn’t have happened with a “real” camera. Much is made about the “decisive moment” - that instant where one chooses to expose an image. Of equal importance, but rarely discussed, is when not to expose an image. I would never lift my camera without getting a vibe for the room. If there was a chance my camera could upset the balance of the session I would abandon it in another room. This practice wasn’t lost on Tom and I am sure factors into the longevity of our relationship.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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July 1994 - Encino, California Robert Sebree recalls: “This image was shot in Tom’s home studio. When his daughter, Adria, was researching images for the Wildflowers & All The Rest project she was delighted to discover it. Adria explained to me that she was surprised to find this image as it was a private space where Tom would “disappear with his coffee” to write songs and record demos. This room could be considered the birthplace for many of Tom’s songs.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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October 1994 - Sebree Studio, Los Angeles, California Robert Sebree explains: “Tom created a vibe in the studio when he recorded that often challenged me photographically. In the pre-digital days photographing band members by candle light tested the limits of film stock. After a particularly dark session at Sound City where the the room was perhaps better suited for processing film than exposing it, Tom took note of my plight and suggested we make a few photographs at my studio—where I could actually see what I was shooting. Tom arrived in a good mood. It was the week before his 44th birthday and his guitar tech, Alan "Bugs" Weidel, drove him to my downtown studio in his pick-up truck. Tom liked to keep things organic, he didn’t want any of the trappings of a typical shoot—no groomer, wardrobe, caterer or even my assistant. As Tom noted “I like to know who’s taking the picture”. He walked in with a couple of suits thrown over his shoulder and we got right to work. We never discussed any direction before the shoot. I had four sets pre-lit and ready to go before he arrived. We shot three of them. This was the last set-up and oddly reminiscent of the recording studio that had been too dimly lit to photograph. Dark tapestries festooned the walls, and layers of Persian rugs covered the floor, illuminated by just a few candles. The first two set-ups have been widely published. This was our favorite. We shelved it for later use— but until now it was never pulled off that shelf.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
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February 1995 - Hollywood, California Robert Sebree explains: "Before a big tour Tom would rent a soundstage at one of the movie studios so they could work out all of the lighting and logistics while rehearsing. This was shot on a sound stage in Hollywood while rehearsing for the Dogs With Wings tour.” Prices are shown for unframed items, excluding VAT. VAT is added at checkout where applicable. Signed limited edition photographs are available in a choice of physical size options. Click on the size options below to see available sizes and prices. Please allow 2-3 weeks between order and delivery for an unframed photograph. If you would like a quote for framing please just ask. Framing adds 2-3 weeks.
