PDN Legends Online: David Bailey

Wasn't your first commercial banned?

BAILEY: Yes. It was for Cadbury chocolate. It was Sue Murray putting a chocolate into her mouth, and they said it was pornographic. They obviously had dirty minds. But then my second commercial won a prize—a Clio or something—in New York. I thought, "This is easy." I don't think I won another award for 20 years. In a way, I regret doing commercials. I made some money out of it, but it was almost ten years of my life where I just made commercials. But I was fortunate because I worked a lot for Chiat-Day in Los Angeles.

What period was this?

Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski
January 1969
Goodbye Baby & Amen
© David Bailey

(17 of 20)

BAILEY: I guess it was the '80s.

What did you do with Chiat-Day?

BAILEY: Oh, everything: Reebok, American Express, Drexel-Burhnam,... loads and loads and loads.

So you shifted gears from fashion?

BAILEY: Well, I've done commercials since '66, so it wasn't like a sudden thing. Until recently, I've never made less than five or six commercials a year. But in the '80s I was making two a month.

How did you hook up with Jay Chiat?

BAILEY: I don't know. I think he liked an anti-fur commercial I made for Greenpeace. Chiat was great. He was kind of a maverick. He was the sort of guy who'd just say, "Get Bailey, don't argue. Do it." And that's great. Now, corporate life in America has become, "My indecision is final."

It seems like this particular moment is a good time for you.

BAILEY: Well, it's always a good time. Time is what you make of it. I had an idea yesterday about death. And I said, "Well, I don't want to be told I'm dead until 20 years later. Then it won't be such a shock because it happened 20 years ago." It's a good time when you wake up and you're enthusiastic about the day. It's a good time when you don't know which way your life's going. I've got the most beautiful wife in the world and monstrous children, so it's great.

And your wife now... how did you meet?

BAILEY: I met Catherine Bailey—she's the only one who changed her name—on a shoot. I was doing Avon, a Christmas calendar or something for Avon, and this girl walked in, and I turned to my assistant and I said, "My God, I think I'm in love." I didn't really see her for another six months. Then we just hit it off great. And it's been great ever since.

And these are your first children?

BAILEY: Yes. I never had children with anyone else... guess I was doing it wrong. But Catherine is wonderful.

How long?

BAILEY: Over 16 years, I reckon. She's a lot younger. But she's catching up now. In French hotels, they used to say, "Are you sharing a room with your daughter, sir?" They don't say that anymore. Which is a relief.

Is this the best time of your life?

BAILEY: For sure. But then yesterday was the best time of my life, and tomorrow's going to be even better.

How old are you?

BAILEY: I'm 62, I think. My age and waist seem to go together.

Everything still operational?

BAILEY: Everything's working great. I don't need Viagra, thank you. But if I did I'd certainly take it.

What do you think your contribution has been?

BAILEY: I've made a lot of women very happy.

Your photographic contribution.

BAILEY: Oh. I think I helped lighten things up. I had to fight some barriers that photographers now don't have to fight with magazines.

Like?

BAILEY: Well, I'm the bad guy, really. I was sent in first. I was out on the little motorbike, up front, sort of getting a bad reputation for being difficult. And then it makes the next lot not seem so difficult.

Why haven't you lost your vitality?

BAILEY: The reason I haven't lost my vitality, as you call it, is because I'm never satisfied with what I do.

Why doesn't that depress you, demoralize you?

BAILEY: I think it would demoralize and depress me if I thought I had to have done something perfect. But because it's always so imperfect, it's a challenge to try and make it better. And it makes the next one exciting. It's just to keep going on, keep trying to make... I don't do it for other people. I do it for myself. I'm quite selfish. I want the pictures to be better for me. Because at the end of the day, I don't really care much what other people think.