Rock Album Cover Photography
Nov 28, 2022 21:26:12 #
Over the past few months, I've been watching several different series on the music business of the 1960s and '70s. It all started with an audio podcast I heard where OWC, the Mac accessory people in Woodstock, IL, recorded with Henry Diltz, one of the most prolific rock band personality photographers of the L.A. Music scene. That led to watching several different documentaries of Laurel Canyon, the most highly concentrated place where West Coast rock stars lived and worked.
If you know of any obscure videos or books or documentaries that highlight album cover creation, rock star photography, etc., please reply below. I'd love to see some more. I took one artist's album cover photo back in the day, which is below. It is the image on the cover of Carolina 12-String, by John Stanfield, a friend at Davidson College in the mid-70s. An alternate of that is below it.
If you know of any obscure videos or books or documentaries that highlight album cover creation, rock star photography, etc., please reply below. I'd love to see some more. I took one artist's album cover photo back in the day, which is below. It is the image on the cover of Carolina 12-String, by John Stanfield, a friend at Davidson College in the mid-70s. An alternate of that is below it.
Nov 28, 2022 21:56:08 #
https://youtu.be/7OcJYCMTAio is a long documentary film about Gary Burden and Henry Diltz' journey through the evolution of rock and rock photography. It is FULL of great images and great stories, including one about how Henry was riding in a glider with a young genius composer when they crashed into some trees. Also included is a story of how The Doors inspired the creation of the Hard Rock Cafe chain by going to the real one — a dive bar in L.A. — featured on the back of The Morrison Hotel album.
Nov 29, 2022 00:33:16 #
burkphoto wrote:
Over the past few months, I've been watching sever... (show quote)
Years ago I had a very thick book of album covers, but I don’t remember the name of it. One of my favorite album covers is Mystery To Me by Fleetwood Mac.
I miss cover art and liner notes.
Nov 29, 2022 00:56:21 #
Mac wrote:
Years ago I had a very thick book of album covers, but I don’t remember the name of it. One of my favorite album covers is Mystery To Me by Fleetwood Mac.
I miss cover art and liner notes.
I miss cover art and liner notes.
An early Fleetwood Mac album I liked was Bare Trees. The cover was a photo of bare trees in a thick fog. The scene looked a lot like our college campus late at night in December.
Record companies hated to spend money on covers! They had no idea how important the cover was to both musicians and fans. The video I linked stresses that several times. Those early CSN and CSNY covers were classy designs and sold LOTS of albums for them. I still have an original pressing of the Crosby, Stills, and Nash album that Diltz photographed.
I just got done watching a Dick Cavett show episode titled, "The Day After Woodstock." It features Jefferson Airplane, Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills, and David Crosby, and is mostly music. Find it on YouTube if you remember that era. It'll take you back. The lyrics to the Airplane songs were pretty radical, and probably still shock people. Joni Mitchell, on the other hand, is amazingly insightful about human relationships and inner peace. I still marvel at her "Blue" album, a true masterpiece.
Nov 29, 2022 04:43:43 #
Mac wrote:
I miss cover art and liner notes.
I miss cover art and liner notes.
As do I. I have album cover frames that display some of the stellar artwork of the time. I rotate some in and out because I have too many good ones.
Nov 29, 2022 08:15:31 #
Neil Young's coming out with a Making of the Harvest album with some different take on some songs should be good.
Nov 29, 2022 09:58:56 #
burkphoto wrote:
Over the past few months, I've been watching sever... (show quote)
Rock album cover creation is truly an art. I have many favorites, but there are many that are not so equally inspiring.
The Blind Faith cover was truly unique. Bare Trees another great cover. Dark Side of the Moon, although not a picture of the band, is timeless.
Your alternate cover suggestion of Carolina 12-String is better in my opinion.
Nov 29, 2022 10:37:31 #
burkphoto wrote:
Over the past few months, I've been watching sever... (show quote)
One of the best album covers was Herb Alberts' "Whipped Cream & Other Delights." The music was the "Wrecking Crew" but Alpert took the credit.
Nov 29, 2022 10:56:45 #
Kmgw9v wrote:
Your alternate cover suggestion of Carolina 12-String is better in my opinion.
Your alternate cover suggestion of Carolina 12-String is better in my opinion.
THANKS. That's why I posted it. John didn't like it because he was looking away. But the scene is more evocative of the mood of his music. (It can be found on YouTube, here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIqGFurMs3WlH00ehVU5KAQviw6vYh2KG
The audio quality on this YouTube post isn't the greatest. The album sounds great when played on a good turntable through a tube preamp.
Nov 29, 2022 10:59:17 #
davidrb wrote:
One of the best album covers was Herb Alberts' "Whipped Cream & Other Delights." The music was the "Wrecking Crew" but Alpert took the credit.
My Dad bought that album. My Mom hated the cover. She thought it was pornographic, but she liked the music. I liked the cover AND the music.
Nov 29, 2022 11:04:41 #
burkphoto wrote:
An early Fleetwood Mac album I liked was Bare Tree... (show quote)
Yes Bill, Bare Trees, Future Games and others. Fleetwood Mac stuff when Bob Welch was with them is under appreciated. Another great album cover is Spitfire by Jefferson Starship, I bought that album based on the cover. I think that was the first time they used Starship instead of Airplane. I got out of the Navy in 1969 right around the time the first CSN album was released. I was a big Doors fan and the album Strange Days is another good cover.
I will watch that Dick Cavett show, thanks for mentioning it.
Nov 29, 2022 11:11:56 #
Just Fred wrote:
As do I. I have album cover frames that display some of the stellar artwork of the time. I rotate some in and out because I have too many good ones.
Many years ago (the 1960s) I dated a girl whose father had all of Frank Sinatra’s albums framed and hung on the wall. I only have one framed and hanging, Spitfire by Jefferson Starship. It must be a wonderful memory journey to be able to reflect on all those great albums.
Nov 29, 2022 11:29:44 #
Mac wrote:
Yes Bill, Bare Trees, Future Games and others. Fle... (show quote)
I was a big fan of Fleetwood Mac in the early days. I also love the Buckingham-Nicks album that got Lindsay and Stevie their gig with Fleetwood Mac. However, the pop-rock that ensued from their union of talents was less inspiring than their roots. It was destined for commercial success, but had that, "Play me too much 'cause I'm a safe and sure top 40 hit" quality. I saw the Rumours tour, in Greensboro, NC, but found it disappointing. I missed Bob Welch and Peter Green.
There is another great video, actually a lengthy series on Laurel Canyon, that has a lot of great Doors stories in it for those who like rock trivia. It's quite lengthy, but if you're a rock trivia fan, it's worth a few evenings. However, there is no original music and there are no performance film clips of the artists... just a lot of great stills and the creator of the series wandering around the Canyon telling bizarre stories of their lives. https://youtu.be/Dh4DUhhXfvM
Nov 29, 2022 11:47:42 #
burkphoto wrote:
I was a big fan of Fleetwood Mac in the early days... (show quote)
I liked Rhiannon and I’m So Afraid from the first Buckingham/Nicks Fleetwood Mac album and I really liked Gold Dust Woman from Rumours and Sisters Of The Moon from Tusk (I think), but neither one was an “airplay” song. Many people are unaware that Black Magic Woman was written by Peter Green and first recorded by Fleetwood Mac.
Nov 29, 2022 16:13:36 #
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