RockPoP Gallery News

Cover Story - The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street", with artwork by John Van Hamersveld

Cover Story for April 25, 2008

Subject: Exile on Main Street, a 1972 release (on Atlantic Records) by The Rolling Stones, with cover artwork & design by John Van Hamersveld

When the Rolling Stones released Exile on Main Street in 1972 - a double album of songs representing the many different genres of music that shaped Stones music at the time - fans and critics found themselves having to spend a lot of time trying to “get it”. It required a number of listens to gain an appreciation of what, on the surface, often seemed to be a collection of studio out-takes and Richards/Taylor/Watts jams than a freshly-recorded musical offering.

Many critics of the era failed to appreciate the Stones’ explorations of R&B, Soul, Country and roots Rock that were spread over the 4 album sides. In fact, the record was comprised of a series of recordings done during the previous four years and, as such, they featured a variety of mixes (some better than others) and showed the band building on top of these influences in their own inimitable style to the point that, now over 35 years later, the package is considered by many to be the band’s most-authentic offering. It is always listed near the top of most of the “Best Of” and “Greatest” lists (#7 on the Rolling Stone Magazine 2003 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, #22 on VH-1’s survey, and even impressed the younger generation enough to be ranked #11 on Pitchfork’s 2003 list of Best Albums of the 1970s). 

In a similar fashion, when the buying public took their first look at the design and imagery of the sprawling record cover, most people admitted that they didn’t “get it”. Having just soaked in Warhol’s ultimately-iconic banana cover for Sticky Fingers, fans should have been ready for anything, but John Van Hamersveld’s designs seemed to confound them, asking them to digest a rough, anti-establishment, punk-before-there-was-punk collage of images that may have, initially, combined with the unfamiliar musical stylings to impact sales (don’t worry, as the record was supported by the now-famous 1972 American concert tour and songs such as “Happy” and “Tumbling Dice” got some significant radio play, the record went on to top the charts in the U.S. and the U.K.).

And so when Van Hamersveld, who’d established his industry cred via his poster and package designs for Hendrix, The Beatles (Magical Mystery Tour), Jefferson Airplane (Crown of Creation) and others, was approached by the Rolling Stones (who were in a studio in LA putting the finishing touches on this new album) to work on the graphics and packaging for a songbook project the band wanted to release, he joined in on an interesting series of events on the day of their initial meeting had a profound impact on the course of album art history. And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, on center stage, here’s today’s Cover Story…   

In the words of the artist, John Van Hamersveld (interviewed in March 2008, with additional text provided* and used with his permission) -

I had been a multimedia artist and rock promoter during my Pinnacle Rock Concerts in the 60's and I was returning from the Kings Road Scene in London to LAX in 1971 in an effort to use my music business promotions experience to connect with Hollywood again.  One day, from the new Chapman Park Studio Building on 6th Street in Los Angeles, I left to meet with a friend who would introduce me to Norman Seeff, the art director and photographer for United Artists and Blue Note Records.

Norman was an art director and photographer of personalities and had worked as the photographer for Bob Dylan's The Band package with Bob Cato, the famous art director for Columbia Records.  I had skills that I had developed in art school and I could apply them to this medium.  I could draw, do typography, illustrations and could combine design with photography. I also had printing and publishing experience from my famous rock posters of the 60's. After the meeting, Norman and I started a creative relationship built around packaging albums.

Norman had 65 projects to package over the first year, so he and I created an artistic design process for the packaging of music and band identities. We became a design team that worked hard to lead the industry by creating a professional style that was envied by all the major labels.  After each release of record packages to retail, other companies began to follow our UA style.

One day Norman and I met the Rolling Stones here in Hollywood. A beautiful girlfriend I had met earlier on “the scene” in London – Chris Odell - was now Mick Jagger's personal assistant, and so in early 1972, The Rolling Stones approached Norman and I to work on the design of a songbook with photographs for Warner Brothers. At this stage, I don’t know that I will be packaging Exile On Main Street. The Stones are in Los Angeles at Sunset Sound studios, finishing the record. Our first meeting was set to be in Bel Air, where they were staying.

As I drive to the meeting, I think about the times I am a captive to Jagger's enigmatic voice on the car radio, clarifying themes of the day with his lyrics, as if they were an advertising slogan for today's lifestyle. His words strike like an axe to my forehead. The Bel Air mansion where the Stones are living is a sumptuous Mediterranean-style villa, surrounded by lush foliage, and soon I am standing on a Persian rug, looking into the eyes of Jagger. He extends his pale, soft hand – limp from a life of wealth, decadence, and privilege.

The rest are talking at the large dining table. We greet each other and sit down in a seating plan orchestrated by Jagger. I am directed to sit next to Mick, and Marshall Chess (son of Leonard Chess of Chess Records and President of Rolling Stones Records) stands on the left. Norman is taking pictures of the band, and Keith is sitting on the couch across from me. He is looking at me in his mirrored sunglasses while smoking a joint. He looks so healthy, handsome and rested.

Then, to my surprise, Robert Frank (the photographer and film-maker well known for his late 1950's book The Americans, with a foreword by Jack Kerouac) walks into the room with a small Super 8mm Canon camera. Jagger and I smile. "This is a very hip day," I say to myself. I knew Robert from a meeting in New York in 1968. He takes Jagger to downtown Los Angeles to film him on the seedy parts of Main Street later in the day. Norman and I leave after the shooting to edit his photographs.

At the request of Marshall Chess, Norman and I arrive for a second day of meetings. We walk through the living room of the villa down to the far wall into the dining room where Mick and Keith are waiting with Marshall. As Marshall starts the meeting, Norman hands another album cover by another designer to him. The cover is passed to Jagger for approval. He rejects it. Marshall then hands me a Robert Frank front photo collage across to me. The tattoo-parlor-wall cover image is from Robert's photo documentary “The Americans”. Mick, on my right, looks on for both of us to agree, so I nod. This then becomes the famous photo-composition for the Exile On Main St. album cover. As the meeting progresses, the other pieces of the package are handed to me.

During the meeting, Marshall asks me what we will do with Norman's photos, given that Frank's are the agreed ones for the cover. Marshall has Norman's images from the late night photo shoot. They are the sequences where Keith arrives at the very last minute for the shoot. Everyone had been waiting for him to show, and then he arrives with his pants hanging off his butt. With Keith's arrival, the group is now ready to go on with Norman's session ("This is a one-time shot!" someone says). Lights, smoke, and confetti is readied, it all begins and a sequence is attempted but then, by accident, Keith began to fall all over the set, creating a disaster. All else fails and our budget has now been used up.

Suddenly Keith says from across the edge of the table, "Make some postcards," showing us with his hands an accordion-folded-style collection of postcards. He then proceeds to almost lose his balance and fall over onto the rug. I say to Mick, "Let's take that as an idea and do it." He agrees and Marshall says, "Done". Marshall and Jagger hand me a stack of photos made by Frank over the weekend. I leave with the visual “ingredients” and arrive back my place at the Chapman Park Studio Building.

In my studio, I play the song 'Sympathy For The Devil' and I think about how to design, in a "Beat style", the concept of a “pop art” package. I have to make it so it will work as an image in a competitive market place. I envisage the package as a painter's fine art print. I had been using various kinds of mediums like brushed inks, crayons, markers, paint and airbrush tools with complicated layered stripping and printing tricks to gain the effects I needed, but in this case I need just the basics - drafting tape and ripped paper.

I select the pictures from the ones Frank took. After our meeting, I organize the images as per Jagger's instructions while Marshall looks on. I am able to step back as an artist and see the opportunity in front of me. Jagger is really a pop artist, too. With all the images in place, I'm satisfied with my work. Upon the label’s approval, Exile will soon hit the streets.

 

The last step of the approval process stopped at Ahmet Ertegun’s office at Atlantic Records. He was the label’s ultimate authority and so when this kind of art and esthetic made it past his eyes, I knew that all would be okay. In the eyes of the many in the industry, they were all shocked by the ugly, rough, tuff, beat look of the package and that it was not funny or real humorous (to anyone but a Johnny Rotten).

So, as the result of Jagger and I sitting side by side in 1972 at our meeting, my arrangement of materials that would go beyond Frank’s photo style, creating an identity that would becomes the basis of the PUNK FASHION MOVEMENT. To the spectators, critics, and others in the Establishment, I had made a package that was not glamorous. It was not a friendly image to put on display in the record stores, but it was THAT image that established the anti-establishment look of PUNK.  It took years to recover from the cover’s graphic statement, with new generations of punks exploiting the graphic concept to this day - still ripping and tearing and drawing all over things with their own graffiti.

The album cover art images from the past, as part of our culture, were styled for fashion and archetype.  In 1984, my friend John Lydon said to me "The Stones’ Exile package set the image of punk in 1975 - we used that graphic feel to communicate our message graphically". 

In the 70's, I do feel that 12x12 album covers were an all-inclusive image of cultural style in the visual fashion of the sixties and the seventies.  I was, therefore, a well-known designer of cultural images which were created as reflections of that culture. These were then watched closely by other design teams and designers who copied me their pursuit to find new images. Today more than 100,000 artists are using a "Ripping and Tearing" style and graffiti in their work.

At least Johnny was nice enough to explain what his intention was then…JVH

About the artist - John Van Hamersveld -
John (b. 1941, Baltimore, MD) is an artist and designer who’s responsible for an enormous catalog of well-known music industry and pop culture-related images. From his early works on the promo poster for the soundtrack for 1966’s ground-breaking surf-culture movie The Endless Summer and his cover work for The Beatles (Magical Mystery Tour) and Jefferson Airplane (Crown of Creation), to his iconic 70’s covers for the Rolling Stones (Exile on Main Street), The Grateful Dead (Skeletons from the Closet), KISS (Hotter than Hell), and Steve Miller (The Joker and Fly Like an Eagle), and then on to his imagery that helped introduce the world to Punk Fashion, such as the cover for Blondie’s Eat to the Beat and Autoamerica and John Lydon’s post-Pistols solo efforts (This Is What You Want, This is What You Get), Van Hamersveld’s images set the path that the rest of the industry followed for style and substance.

His recent posters and graphics for the Cream Reunions in New York and London have been fan and collector favorites, and who but JVH could have so appropriately designed Led Zeppelin’s recent Mothership package?
         
Van Hamersveld also created the famous "grinning Johnny" image in 1969, a version of which is said to have been the inspiration for John Pasche’s designs for the Rolling Stones' “Lips & Tongue” logo.

To learn more about John and visit his site, please follow this link –
http://www.johnvanhamersveld.com/vhmoa/museum/index.html

To see more of John’s works in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please follow this link –
http://rockpopgallery.com/items/john-van-hamersveld/list.htm?1=1

To see all of the Rolling Stones-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection please click on this link –
http://rockpopgallery.com/items/rolling-stones/list.htm?1=1

*Adapted from the JVH interview found in book by Genesis Publications, titled EXILE: The making of EXILE ON MAIN ST. by Robert Greenfield. Copies of this book are available from the publisher on their web site at
http://www.genesis-publications.com/books/exile/green.html

About Cover Stories - Our series of interviews will give you, the music and art fan, a look at "the making of" the illustrations, photographs and designs of many of the most-recognized and influential images that have served to package and promote your all-time-favorite recordings.

In each Cover Story, we'll meet the artists, designers and photographers who produced these works of art and learn what motivated them, what processes they used, how they collaborated (or fought) with the musical acts, their management, their labels, etc. - all of the things that influenced the final product you saw then and still see today.

We hope that you enjoy these looks behind the scenes of the music-related art business and that you'll share your stories with us and fellow fans about what role these works of art - and the music they covered - played in your lives.

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1972 and 2008, John Van Hamersveld - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

Cover Story - Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming", with artwork by Catherine Kanner

Cover Story for April 11, 2008

Subject: Slow Train Coming, a 1979 release (on Columbia Records) by Bob Dylan, with cover artwork & design by Catherine Kanner

So, depending on whether you’re convinced that his born-again Christianity was just another example of Bob Dylan’s constant need for change to provide him with new-found (and, according to critics, badly-needed) inspiration, or whether his late-70’s conversion and eschewing of all things (and songs) secular was for real, his record titled Slow Train Coming certainly both brought him new fans in the Christian Music genre and served to confound and perturb his fans and the many music critics who, quite vocally, “loved the music, hated the words”.

Recorded with the help of veteran producer Jerry Wexler (who Dylan hoped would bring the soul of “the Muscle Shoals Sound” found in Wexler-produced recordings for Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge and Wilson Pickett), the Muscle Shoals horns (and MS keyboardist Berry Beckett), and both Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers (guitars and drums) from Dire Straits (who were all unaware of the nature of the material they were about to record), the album went on to sell more copies than both Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks did during the first year of their respective releases, driven by the success of the single “Gotta Serve Somebody”, which the TV-shy performer even played as part of his set on “Saturday Night Live”. The record’s cross-genre acceptance was further evidenced by its listings as #16 in the 2001 book "CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music", #38 in the Village Voice’s "Jazz & Pop Poll" for that year, and a Grammy Award in 1980 for “Best Rock Vocal Performance – Male”.

Also trying to serve somebody was the team at Columbia Records who were responsible for the record’s packaging and album cover. For the record he intended to release as a very public statement regarding his commitment to his new found faith, he was not going to accept any image that did not illustrate this appropriately. In a last-ditch effort to deliver something that Dylan would accept, the art director turned to his friend, illustrator Catherine Kanner, who he hoped would use her vast experience as an editorial illustrator to save the day (and it was the last day). I asked Catherine to describe those most-interesting 24 hours for Cover Stories readers, and being the Precious Angel that she is, she was kind enough to comply….

In the words of the artist, Catherine Kanner (interviewed in late March, 2008) -

My first job out of college was one working at a film titles company in Los Angeles (around 1980), after which I moved on to a permanent freelance illustration and design career which included regular work with the Los Angeles Times "Opinion" section. There, my editorial pen and ink illustrations appeared weekly. One morning, I received a phone call from out of the blue from one of my former co-workers at the film titles company (sorry, I don’t recall his name) who had also moved on and who had seen my editorial work in the Times. “Drop everything,” he said. “I’m coming over with an incredible job!” As it turns out, he was now working as a freelance designer and had a good connection at Columbia Records. He rushed over and let me know that this was a potential cover for a Bob Dylan album.

Apparently, Columbia Records had tried several times to come up with an image that would be acceptable to Dylan…but he had rejected them all. They were down to the wire, and my friend told me that we had this window of opportunity to get something in which he might accept…and that it had to be done and turned in that night!

The concept was very concrete as he expressed it to me. As he explained it, this album was to be Dylan’s exploration of Christian ideas through his words and music. I recall being amazed to hear this. The graphic style was meant to have an engraved look - which pen and ink (my specialty) certainly mimics. Dylan’s concepts for the illustration were clear - he requested locomotive train coming down tracks that were being laid by a crew, and there was to be a man in the foreground holding a pick-ax. The axe was meant to be a symbol of the Cross. In my original sketch, I rendered the ax as it would naturally be, but I recall my friend insisting that I extend the top of the ax so that it more resembled a cross. I thought that was too obvious and argued for a more subtle approach, but in the end the ax was extended. I did, in fact, finish the rendering that afternoon and after my friend took the piece, I never saw it again. I never met with anyone face to face at the record company, nor did I meet with Dylan.

My friend delivered the illustration to Columbia Records, and I believe it was about a week later that I heard back from him that Dylan had seen it – and he liked it! He wanted to use it as it was, however the record company wanted to give it another go, and I heard they used their own team and presented Dylan with new pieces in a style quite similar to mine (!!). He rejected them, and so, in the end, my piece was the one went to press, with no changes from my original.

Years later, my parents were sitting on the deck of their house in Malibu, and a man was walking up the beach alone. My father recognized him as Bob Dylan. My mother (who is a character) waved him down. He actually came up to their house and she announced herself as "the mom of the artist who illustrated Slow Train Coming”. She had a copy of the art on the wall, and he came in to see. She said he was “modest and interesting”.

Also, since that time, there have been a number of Dylan scholars who have analyzed my illustration – reading all sorts of mystical meanings and messages in the layout and concept. I have had a dialogue with one of these scholars (in Italy) explaining that my composition was simply designed to “tell the story”, and so it was not suffered over, or filled with deeper meaning. So many artists never get this chance...  and I relished the debunking!

About the artist, Catherine Kanner –

Catherine Kanner  is an illustrator, author and publisher. She has written, illustrated or designed more than 20 books including her own texts; The Book of the Bath, and Beauty From a Country Garden, and has designed or illustrated books for other authors including Michael Crichton’s Timeline, Fun With Ballet,  San Francisco Access, Town & County Cookbook, and Angelina's Ballet Class.

Catherine has created a line of 75 greeting cards with Michel & Company, and has designed products for The Metropolitan Opera Guild in New York.  Other clients include; Bank of America, Microsoft, Edison, Texas Instruments, Fidelity Investments, Sun Microsystems, Amtrak, Citizen, Sprint and Kraft Foods among others. She has been a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times Opinion section with her work syndicated to 2000 newspapers in the U.S. and 1,000 worldwide.  She has won numerous illustration and design awards including the Society of Newspaper Design Award, Print’s Regional Design Award, The Louie Award and the Rounce & Coffin Award for excellence in book design. She has also toured throughout the U.S. as a spokesperson for Proctor & Gamble.

In 1995 she became publisher of The Melville Press, producing limited edition, fine press books, and was creative director for Calamus Gift & Trade Editions. In addition, Kanner currently is Design Director for Los Angeles Ballet.

To see more of Catherine Kanner’s work, please visit her web site at -

http://www.kannerbook.com/

More recently, Catherine has involved herself with another Dylan – this time, author Dylan Thomas – with her works used to illustrate a limited-edition book by The Melville Press titled In the Direction of the Beginning. It is a remarkable short story, originally published in A Prospect of the Sea in 1939. This powerful prose poem is a story of love and the sea.
http://www.themelvillepress.com/dylan.html

To see all of the Bob Dylan-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection please click on this link - http://rockpopgallery.com/items/bob-dylan/list.htm?1=1

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1979 and 2008, Catherine Kanner - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

Cover Story - The Moody Blues' "In Search of the Lost Chord", with artwork by Philip Travers

Cover Story for March 28, 2008

Subject: In Search of the Lost Chord, a 1968 release (on Deram Records) by The Moody Blues, with cover artwork & design by Philip Travers

After the success of their Days of Future Passed record (featuring the memorable cover artwork by artist David Anstey) in which the band began the transformation from its original, Denny Laine-led pop songcrafting (“Go Now”) to writers of early symphonic rock masterworks such as “Forever (Tuesday) Afternoon” and “Nights in White Satin” – delivered in Decca/Deram Records’ new “Deramic Stereo Sound” – the release of 1968’s In Search of the Lost Chord delivered to fans of the band a record showcasing their new, more experimental and psychedelic leanings.

Mike Pinder’s Mellotron replaced much of the full orchestra from the previous record, and the rest of the band added the popular “psychedelic” instrumentation of the day – sitar and other stringed instruments, flutes, harpsichord, etc. – to fill out the sound and make it more possible to recreate the music in live performances. Pinder also continued introducing listeners to Graeme Edge’s wonderful poems, his readings of which set the mood for the complex and beautiful music and lyrics that would follow (although we do get to hear Edge’s own voice and maniacal laughter during his recitation of the album opener “Departure”).

Songs on this record included fan favorites such as the rocking “Ride My See Saw”, “Legend of a Mind” (a Ray Thomas trippy tribute to Timothy Leary), “Voices in the Sky”, “The Actor” and ending with “the lost chord” itself - “Om” (which went along with the tantric graphics found inside the record’s gatefold cover).

A late 60’s psychedelic record from a band like the Moodies – one that truly exemplified the notion of a long-playing sonic experience - could only be packaged in an album sleeve with a truly fantastic cover image that would only add to the overall experience. This notion required a visual artist of exceptional talents, which prompted the band to turn to artist and illustrator Phil Travers, who’d impressed them with his previous work for the label. I think that we’ll all agree that the result of Phil’s commission was an image that would send the record owner immediately on his own search for the answer to life’s existential questions (“how can I be on the outside, looking in, if I’m dead”?, for example). To find Phil Travers, all I had to do was search on Google, after which he provided me with the recollections of his efforts on this project that are outlined in today’s Cover Story…

In the words of the artist – Phil Travers (interviewed in late February, 2008)

After five years at Art College in London, I got a job in the art department at Decca Records. I spent my time there designing record sleeves, and after about two years, I left Decca to take a job as a designer/illustrator in a design office in Wimbledon. While there, I was contacted by someone I knew at Decca because, apparently, the then-manager of the Moody Blues had been at Decca to look through their catalogue of sleeve designs and he’d really liked an illustration of mine which I had done shortly before I left. Shortly thereafter, I was invited to an introductory meeting with the Moodies at a pub in London - I forget which one – and after we’d worked out the details of the commission, I was invited to listen to the soundtrack of In Search of the Lost Chord at their recording studio.

While I was listening to the music, the concept for the cover was actually given to me in some sort of subliminal way. The recording and mixing area of the studio where I was sitting was separated from the area where the band would play by a large glass window and in this glass I could see several images of myself - one above the other - almost as if I was ascending up into space.

The band wanted me primarily to illustrate the concept of meditation. This was not something that I had much personal experience of and so my initial thoughts about such an ethereal subject were, unfortunately, insubstantial, and so I wasn`t producing any cohesive visual ideas, with this lack of ideas evident in my first rough designs. In fact, as time was getting short (by the way everything was always wanted in a hurry) I was starting to panic. It was then that the image in the glass window of a figure ascending came back to me and, after that, everything just fell into place. Its impossible for me to tell you now how long it took me to produce the illustration, other than to say that, in most cases, I had days rather than weeks to complete them and submit them for approval. As for the way I painted, I used Gouache and some watercolour, and very often I employed an airbrush.

The band was a good bunch of guys and generally I got on pretty well with them. They were always fully involved in the project (this, and the next 5 records I did for them) from start to finish. Apart from the album Every Good Boy Deserves Favor - where they had come to me with their own idea on how the cover should look - there was a similar working pattern for all of the other sleeves. At the first meeting we would listen to the soundtrack together and discuss the themes and ideas behind the album. It was then left to me to produce a pencil rough which was then discussed further. Eventually a consensus would be reached and the painting would begin in earnest. Time always was of the essence, and many times I was working all day and all night to meet the printer’s deadline. But I have to say it was greatly fulfilling and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About the artist, Philip Travers –

Born in 1945, Philip studied art and design at the Sutton School of Art and the London School of Printing. After college, he spent several years working as a designer and illustrator in studios in the London area. It was at this time that he became associated with the internationally-renowned rock group - The Moody Blues - for whom he produced record sleeves in the late 1960s and early `70s, including:

- In Search of the Lost Chord (1968)
- On The Threshold of a Dream (1969)
- To Our Children’s Children’s Children (1969)
- Question of Balance (1970)
- Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971)
- Seventh Sojourn (1972)

Special Cover Story bonus image!
This is a painting from Phil's website which he painted prior to producing the cover for Seventh Sojourn. It was this painting that gave him the initial idea for it.

In addition to the images for The Moody Blues, Philip created a couple of sleeves for the band `Trapeze` (the seminal hard rock band produced by John Lodge and featuring Glenn Hughes and Dave Holland) on the Threshold label and, according to Phil, “I did do a sleeve for The Four Tops single `A Simple Game`. This was produced by Tony Clarke. However, it was never used, which is a pity because I think it was really good!”

Coming initially from London, he grew up enjoying the landscape of Surrey and the surrounding counties, and his paintings at this time were exhibited at galleries in Wimbledon, Thames Ditton, Windsor and Petersfield.

Philip moved to Cornwall in 1976 after spending several holidays in the area and then deciding that he should live there. He felt that the close proximity of the sea, and the diverse and exciting landscape that it engendered created a stimulating environment in which to work. Phil is mainly concerned to convey the mood and atmosphere of the subjects he is painting, and with his bold use of light and shade, he continues to produce highly-dramatic images. He often likes to include animals and sometimes figures in his work, as they provide not only life and a focus but also a narrative element.

To see more of Phil Travers’ current work, please visit his website at www.philiptravers.co.uk

To see all of the Moody Blues-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection please click on this link - http://rockpopgallery.com/items/moody-blues/list.htm?1=1

Moody Blues update – The Moody Blues continue to tour the world today (you’ll find their schedule on their web site – www.moodyblues.co.uk ). The soon-to-open Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, SC, will feature a ride named "Nights in White Satin - The Trip", which will include a version of the title song newly re-orchestrated by Justin Hayward. And even after the release of 25 Top 100 charting singles, the sales of countless millions of records, and sell-out tours world-wide (including a multi-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall, later this year), they have STILL not been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Very sad.

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1968, 1972 and 2008, Philip Travers - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

Cover Story - Santana's "Santana", with illustration by Lee Conklin

Cover Story for March 14, 2008

Subject: Santana, a 1969 release (on Columbia Records) by Santana, with cover art & design by Lee Conklin

The cover of Santana’s debut record was adapted (at Santana’s request) from a poster design originally done for a concert performance at Bill Graham’s legendary San Francisco venue, the Fillmore West. This iconic image done in pen and ink was certainly one of the best examples of early psychedelic art.

Both guitarist Carlos Santana and artist/illustrator Lee Conklin hit their stride in San Francisco’s mid-60’s cultural scene, with Santana finding a wide variety of music being played in the clubs (Tito Puente’s salsa, folk, Gabor Szabo’s jazz and in 1966, a concert by the great blues guitarist B.B. King at the Fillmore West that would greatly influence the development of his own personal style) and Lee Conklin meeting a number of aspiring artists – Victor Moscoso, Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, and many others – who were producing the promotional posters and related graphics for events at the Fillmore and at Family Dog’s Avalon Ballroom and other venues.

Soon after his B.B. King-inspired epiphany, Santana formed The Santana Blues Band (later shortening it to simply “Santana”) and the band made its debut at the Fillmore in June, 1968 (playing a 4-nite stand that was released in 1997 by Columbia/Legacy in a set titled Live at the Fillmore 1968). Santana impressed Bill Graham so much that the band became a regular act at the Fillmore, packing the auditorium regularly.

And then came the Summer of Love, Woodstock, and the band’s legendary performance there on 8/15/69...

Santana’s debut album was released the same month and featured great examples of what would be both “the hits” (“Evil Ways” and “Jingo”) and well-known examples of the band’s musicianship – particularly after their performance at Woodstock – such as the powerful “Soul Sacrifice” (written to be premiered at Woodstock and a particularly impressive showcase for drummer Michael Shieve, I must say). The record peaked in the Top 5, going on to remain on the charts for over two years and ultimately selling over four million copies. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the album #150 in their 2003 list of the “Greatest Albums of All Time”.

This album featured a classic line-up including Carlos Santana on guitar/vocals, Gregg Rolie on keyboards and vocals, and the awesome rhythm section consisting of David Brown on bass, Michael Shrieve on drums, and Michael Carabello and Jose “Chepito” Areas on percussion. 

Lee Conklin also became a favorite of Mr. Graham and produced a particularly trippy poster (aka "BG-134" to collectors) promoting two multi-day shows at the Fillmore (8/27-29/68 featuring Steppenwolf, the Staple Singers and Santana; 8/30-9/1/68 featuring The Grateful Dead, Sons of Champlain and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band – amazing!), with the resulting pen and ink image so impressing Santana that Lee was asked to create the cover for Santana’s debut, the details of which are presented here in today’s Cover Story. So grab a pick, practice your Sustain, and read on…

In the words of the artist, Lee Conklin – (interviewed February, 2008) – 

I didn’t start out initially to be an artist, but while I was studying History and Philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I took on the role of cartoonist for the college paper called the “Calvin College Chimes”. I met my wife Joy there, left school, got married and moved to Florida. The Army grabbed me and I cooked for a year in Korea. They let me out in 1967 and we moved to Los Angeles.

In L.A., I did some pen and ink work and some of it was published by the Los Angeles Free Press (remember “Don’t be a creep, buy a Freep”?), which was cool, and I read an article in Time about the “Summer of Love” and that San Francisco was becoming the center of the Universe for music and art and since I wanted to be a cartoonist, my wife and I decided to move up there to see what we could find.

I heard about the Fillmore and that Bill Graham was hiring artists from the area to make posters for his upcoming shows, and so one Friday night I went there with some drawings and showed them to him. He must have liked what he saw because he asked me if I could do a poster over the weekend for the following week’s show! He chose one of the drawings I had already done and I spent the weekend doing all of the lettering.

From then on for the next two years, I had a pretty steady gig doing posters for Bill and the Fillmore West (Ed. note – he did over 30 posters in 1968-69). At the same time, the Santana band was playing there pretty frequently and I was well aware of their music, both from performances and their demos, which received extensive airplay on FM radio in San Francisco. One day, Bill asked me to do a poster for a show that Santana was headlining and so, with a little inspiration from a Muse named MaryJane, I remembered seeing a picture of a lion in a book of animal picture I had and used that image as the basis of my drawing. Even then, I knew that I was making art for future generations and so even though Bill usually liked posters in color, I detailed this one in pen-and-ink. I only made one image, and the next morning he told me that he was going to print is as it was, so he must have been happy with the results.

Santana also thought that the image was really great, so afterwards he contacted me and asked me to redraw the image for the cover of his debut record. Although the drawing I created really was not inspired by Santana, I guess that the details and the nature of the images impressed him and the people at the record label. My challenge has always been to subvert the poster form to whatever my muse insists on and then to convert my psychedelic experiences to any medium I’m working in. I made it my mission to translate my psychedelic experience into paper. Later on, in the early 70’s, I took acid and when I went to art class, all I could do was sit and stare at the teacher…LSD had little to do with my most-creative efforts (as a druggy, I am over-rated)!

About the artist, Lee Conklin –

Lee Conklin was born July 24, 1941 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and grew up mostly in Monsey, New York. Lee's dad was a house builder, his mom was a nurse and he was the youngest child in a family of three brothers and three sisters. Lee graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1959 and attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan for several years, where he studied philosophy and history and met his wife Joy. In 1972, Lee and Joy had a son, Quinn, and in 1979 a daughter, Caitlin. They have lived in various parts of Northern California over the years.

Lee is now a fulltime artist working out of his home studio in Columbia, California where he continues to create his incredibly-detailed works of poster art (which, according to Lee, he calls “New Age cheesecake”!).

Conklin’s Fillmore posters remain amongst the most-popular and highly-prized with today’s poster collectors - a true testament to his prodigious talents.

To see more of Lee Conklin’s current work, please visit his website at www.leeconklin.com

To see Lee’s “Lion” print in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please click on this link -http://rockpopgallery.com/items/lee-conklin/list.htm?1=1

To see all of the Santana-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection please click on this link - http://rockpopgallery.com/items/santana/list.htm?1=1

Santana philanthropy update – Santana and his ex-wife Deborah founded their Milagro Foundation in 1998, which has distributed nearly $2 million to date to organizations that “promote the welfare of underserved children in the areas of health, education, and the arts.”

To learn more, please visit the Milago Foundation’s website at –
http://www.milagrofoundation.org/

In addition, Santana has joined the fight against AIDS in Africa through a partnership with ANSA – Artists for New South Africa (in 2003, all of the proceeds from Santana’s U.S. tour were donated to this cause).  To learn more about ANSA, please visit their web site at http://www.ansafrica.org/ .

Other organizations he has championed include Hispanic Education and Media Group, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, Childreach, Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, American Indian College Fund, Amnesty International, and the LA-based Museum of Tolerance.

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1968 and 2008, Lee Conklin - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

Cover Story - Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Are You Experienced?", with photography by Karl Ferris

Cover Story for February 22, 2008

Subject: Are You Experienced?, a 1967 release (on Reprise Records) by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, with cover photo & design by Karl Ferris

Considered by many music fans and critics as one of the (if not THE) greatest debut record from a rock-era artist, Are You Experienced (with or without the ?) also illustrated how records were produced, packaged and tailored for distribution to the world’s music marketplaces. Released in the U.K. in May, 1967, the record was a compilation of the fantastic music and performances that had been wowing crowds in London theaters up to that point. Those crowds included most of members of the leading musical acts of the time - including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Hollies, The Who (and many others) – who’d all come to watch and listen in stunned amazement to the trio’s musical magic.

In the 40+ years (yes, that long ago!) since its release, the record’s influence on both the musicians who’ve striven “to play guitar like Hendrix” and those who create “Best Of” lists continues, with EVERY top guitarist today confirming Hendrix’s influence on their playing and the record’s positions on Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” (#15) in 2003 (following up its #5 ranking in 1987’s “Best Albums of the Last 20 Years” and #5 on a similarly-titled list published in 2001 by cable net VH-1. It is now also a national treasure in that it has also been selected to be permanently preserved by the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry and archive.

The performances included on the album include many compositions that would become Hendrix’s signatures, including "Purple Haze", "Manic Depression", "Hey Joe", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire " and “Foxey Lady". After 3 of the band’s singles hit the Top 10 charts in the U.K. and the incredible buzz following their mind-boggling performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, the act’s record label rushed to release the record in the U.S. by the end of August.

While the music on the LP represented the leading edge of musical prowess and technical sophistication, the packaging in the U.K. was not what Hendrix thought accurately matched the act’s psychedelic and forward-reaching nature, and so he took this complaint to manager Chas Chandler, who then called upon well-known London photographer Karl Ferris to work with him and the artist to come up with imagery for the upcoming U.S. release that would be a better match to the music. Karl was kind enough to provide Cover Stories with excerpts from an upcoming biography and coffee table book of his most-recognized photos so that we could give you the complete story about “the making of” the universally-recognized psychedelic image that was used on the cover of this seminal record. So, if you’ll ‘scuse me….

In the words of the photographer, Karl Ferris -

The first time saw I Jimi Hendrix was at his début showcase of “The Experience” at the “The Bag O’Nails” club in London in January 1967. This was where I saw members of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Graham Nash, Eric Clapton and many other in the ‘rock elite’ watching awestruck as Jimi unleashed his powerful music on them. They were thunderstruck and completely blown away as evidenced by the awesome silence after he finished, followed by a thunderous applause, with all those jaded ‘rock stars’ going crazy over his performance. Pete Townsend turned to Clapton and said "We might as well go and work for the Post Office now". Jimi was the talk of the London after that…

Later, in May 1967, apparently Jimi saw my Hollies Evolution cover which had recently been released and said to his manager Chas Chandler that he wanted something similar - “something psychedelic” - on his Are You Experienced? album when it was to be released in the USA. He was not happy with its UK cover which, he said, ‘made him look like a fairy’, so he sent Chas off to contact me. We set up an appointment to meet at Jimi’s flat in London, and  I took my portfolio along.

He loved my work - especially the psychedelic shots - and asked me if I would create a newalbum cover design for the Reprise Records release in the U.S. I said ‘yes’ and that I would have to absorb his music for inspiration. He said that I should accompany him to Olympic studios, were he was recording his next LP, titled Axis Bold As Love.  I was totally mind-blown by what I heard there. The shear power of his psychedelic experimentation was awe inspiring, but when taking a break from playing he was a very nice, unaffected and a shy kind of a guy. He asked me where I was from and I mentioned that I had lived in Vancouver for 4 years. He was surprised and said that he also had lived in Vancouver with his grandmother for a while. We then started smoking joints and swapping Vancouver stories, and we got on famously. 

At 4am the next morning, I went home with some tapes of the session and the music from the UK Are You Experienced record to use for inspiration for the US album design. I played the music all day and raved about the music to my girlfriend Anke, saying that it sounded so “far out” that it seemed to come from outer space. This gave me the idea of the group traveling through space in a Biosphere on their way to bring their unworldly space music to earth, and so I then set about sketching some designs of this.

For the cover, I decided to use my new “infrared” technique which I had invented, which combines the photographic color reversal image with the heat signature (and, seemingly, the ability to see the Life Force of plant and human life - it even appears to capture auras !).

To create the spherical photo I decided to use a giant ‘fisheye’ lens invented by Nikon (which was much bigger than my Nikon F camera). I would shoot in Kew Botanical Gardens in London, where they had the kind of foliage that would react well to my “Infrared” technique.

Jimi loved this idea when I explained to him how this technique worked, and as I leave nothing to chance and design all the elements of my album cover shots (I had fashion and styling experience from my work in fashion photography), I wanted to pick out the clothes that the group members were going to wear in the shot.  I first went to Jimi’s flat to see what he had, and when I looked in his cupboard I saw a painted jacket that an artist had given to him, saying “I painted this for you”. It had large double-pupil eyes painted on the chest, smaller eyes circling the back and psychedelic swirls everywhere else. I said, “This is it! The eyes represent the ‘mirror to the soul’ and the psychedelic vision”. Jimi agreed and said he felt is was part of him and called it the "Gypsy Eyes" jacket.

Later that evening. when Jimi was coming out of the shower before the gig later that night, I was amazed to see his hair all knapped out, as he would normally wear it like the English guys, straightened out and lacquered down into a long ‘Beatle cut’. I said to him, ‘Why don’t you wear it like that, it looks far out’, but he said ‘it looks like shit!’ I countered ‘No man, it looks unique and spacey – it’s just what we need for the cover’. His hair just needed to be evened up and so, at my suggestion, his girlfriend trimmed it into a ball and we had what was later called an “Afro”, after the Sudanese Africans who had always worn their hair like that. The next day, when Jimi’s bandmates Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell saw his hair, they really liked it, so I suggested that they have it, too. My hair stylist Johanna permed their hair into "Afros" so they would have a uniform look and we then went shopping in Kings Road  boutiques for outfits for the guys.

When everything was ready, we hired a Rolls Royce limo and drove down to Kew Gardens, where I found the perfect tree which had foliage that reached the ground. I had the guys stand back inside the leaves and shot them through the fisheye lens from a low angle, to emphasize Jimi’s hands. We didn’t shoot long as we had arrived late and we ran out of light, but we returned the following day and shot some more. After the session, to celebrate we walked across the road to an ancient Elizabethan Pub and downed many ales and smoked joints in the garden (it was a good thing that we had a chauffer to drive us back to London!).

When I got the shots back from Kodak, I was amazed and pleased with spherical fisheye picture and the colors that had been created in it. As it turned out, the shot used on the Are You Experienced? U.S. cover was the first frame on the first roll - it was just meant to be – and another fisheye image from that session would later become the international Smash Hits photo cover.

The Kodak lab manager had great praise for the pictures when I picked them up, so when I next took them over to Jimi’s house, he was very pleased and excited and said that the shot was really psychedelic and truly represented his music. ‘You are the only photographer that is doing with photography what I am doing with music - knocking down the barriers and going far out beyond the limits’. He said that he wanted this image for the covers of his U.S. and international releases of his debut album and that I should design the whole album cover for submission to Warner/ Reprise Records. I said that I would be delighted. He then called up Mitch, Noel and Chas to come over and see the new album cover shots. Everyone was very pleased, as they were seen as the perfect images to represent “The Experience” worldwide. We planned a big celebration party that night. We took some LSD and went to the Bag O’Nails club (where Jimi jammed with Jeff Beck) and then took some groupies back to Jimi’s flat and partied all night.

The next day, I began work on designing the album cover. I started with the ‘spheres flying through space’ concept, but as this would be a very wide format, this would only work on a double gatefold cover. I found out from Chas Chandler that Reprise was being cheap and would only produce a single cover, so I had to rethink the design. I began with the approved fisheye shot, over which I placed a gold leaf matte with a hole cut to fit the circular photograph, and added purple filigree psychedelic lettering printed on the gold metallic matte, which would make the lettering also seem metallic. I had an artist friend of mine do the lettering, for which I paid 20 UK pounds to own.

I then organized a photo session in my studio for the back cover shot. I wanted to make a group portrait - emphasizing the group’s Afro hair styles – and so I shot it in black and white with their hair backlit to make ‘halos’ around their heads. The guys loved that shot also.

I then made a printer-ready ‘slick’ of the finished design and sent it to Reprise Records for printing the final cover. Unfortunately, they decided to pursue a cheaper route and not use the gold matte design layer, but to print it all together - photo, lettering and border all in one layer - using gold ink instead for the gold matte surround.

Disappointingly, by choosing this cheaper arrangement, the label’s Art Director was given the AD credit, although it was still my same design and art direction. When Jimi saw the release, he was very upset, as it lost a lot of its visual impact he wanted by using the gold ink border instead of the metallic gold matte surround layer, and also because they had claimed the Art Direction credit. He was very apologetic to me and disappointed, but as it was already out, there was nothing he could do about it, but he said that he wanted to use one of the studio portrait shots for the Axis Bold As Love album that he was currently working on. He said that although the design for that record was by someone else (featuring a Hindu poster design from India), they wanted to use my head shot of the group as an illustration to replace the Hindu god heads that were featured in the center.  And so, as it turned out, with the photos I supplied to Reprise for the cover of 1968’s Electric Ladyland album - the final 'Experience' album that was released - my images were on all three of the U.S. 'Experience' albums issued in Jimi's lifetime.

I was fortunate and am very proud of my association and friendship with Jimi. He was a prince of a man and we spent many creative hours together discussing philosophy, art, and music. I was also fortunate to have been able to watch many of his mesmerizing performances in the studio and on stage.

He was the ultimate performer - you just couldn’t take your eyes off him. He once told me that “the music played him”, but he played the guitar with total mastery, with every inspiration that came into his mind instantly transmitted through his fingers to caress, slide, strum, beat and squeeze the music out of his guitar. Like a wizard, he would move around his instrument concocting musical magic that would entrance everyone who heard it. He had perfect pitch and timing. He would first play the melody and then go further out in his improvisation than anyone else could, and all the while you could still hear the melody, he could immerse himself deeply in a psychedelic, electronic improvisation and then suddenly, on the beat, he’d bring it back to the melody of the tune. He was the perfect combination of soul and technique - a total genius, an Amadeus Mozart for the Twentieth Century.

Here is a recreation ("AYX Alternate Bubbles") of the very first double-gatefold cover design that Jimi's new US record company (Reprise) did not want to do, allowing him only a conventional single-cover design.

About the photographer, Karl Ferris -

 

Karl Ferris is known as "the Innovator of Psychedelic Photography". A photographer to the “British Rock Elite” - Eric Clapton, Cream, Donovan, The Hollies and Jimi Hendrix - Ferris was invited as their personal photographer to create their “Images”. He was given an insider access to the “Experience” that defined the 60’s and the world.

As a World War II baby, who grew up in Hastings, England in the 50’s, Ferris learned two things that would later affect his life, the first being the history of Hastings, conquered by the Normans in 1066. This peaked an interest in this medieval period of history and he would bicycle around Norman castles and fantasize about battles, knights, chivalry and heraldry. The second thing he learned was an appreciation of art, having a showing of his early paintings at the Hastings Museum. He later went on to study at Hastings College of Art focusing on the Pre-Raphaelite style of painting which would later influence his psychedelic photography of the 60’s.

After school and with dreams of traveling to India, Ferris signed up as a steward on a P&O liner that went to Australia via India.  After returning to England he served two years with the Royal Air Force for his National Service (Conscription) as an aerial photographer. During this period he became friends with a fellow conscriptee, who was a member of a Liverpool Mersey Beat group, and he was introduced for the first time to this type of music.

He was invited back to Liverpool to see a new group - The Beatles - who were appearing at the Cavern Club and was introduced to them. He was then hooked on “Beat” music from which the Beatles took their name. After his military service, Ferris immigrated to Vancouver, Canada working as an assistant to master photographer Harold Nygard. From him Karl learned the skills of composition, form and texture. He also began an involvement in the “Beatnik” lifestyle and began hanging out in “coffee bars” listening to poetry readings and progressive jazz of such artists as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Coletrane and Ornette Coleman. He shot his first music subjects at these gatherings  for local newspapers and magazines. He also began to take fashion shots of girl friends and models, building up a Portfolio. Nygard told him that he had a real talent in this, but should return to London where the Mod Fashion scene was going on.

In 1964 Karl returned to England and the happening Beat scene.  Ferris received commissioned work as a fashion photographer for Teen magazine “19” and later Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, French Mode and Marie Claire. These commissions brought him to such locations as Paris, Cannes, Munich, Ibiza and Morocco. When he wasn’t working he would join into the “Scene”, after meeting up (and eventually dating) Denmark’s Top Superstar model of the time, Karl was introduced to a Pop group called the “ The King Bees” who invited him to sing “Rolling Stones” cover songs with them, so he began touring in and around Copenhagen doing this.

He eventually returned to England for a “shoot” offer with Vogue. The Beatles had just released “ Rubber Soul” and Karl had the chance to meet up with their official photographer, Robert Freeman, who encouraged Ferris to experiment with different styles of images - which he promptly did - in his unique psychedelic style. On a trip to the Spanish island of “Ibiza” he met and began shooting the “Fool” - Simon and Marijke’s Innovative Psychedelic Fashion designs. They were eventually printed in the fashion section of the London times. This was the first time such psychedelic photography and fashions had been seen anywhere. He and the Fool were invited to come to London to shoot some more “Psychedelic” fashion features.

From this Ferris received many commissions. He also began working on “Psychedelic Happening shows” combining projections of colored liquid and photographs over freeform dancers. The likes of Paul McCartney, Graham Nash, Eric Clapton, T Rex, Pink Floyd and John Lennon dropped by and began participating, by playing music, with these shows. Ferris was also invited to do a stage light show for Pink Floyd, which is believed to be the first one ever done in England in 1966.

Ferris met with Jimi Hendrix in 1967 through Chas Chandler, who “discovered” Hendrix.  Karl received the compliment of a lifetime when Hendrix remarked to him, on seeing his portfolio, “You‘re doing with photography what I’m doing with music - going far out beyond the limits”.

Karl also created the Album cover images for Donovan’s “Gift From A Flower To A Garden”, “Wear Your Love Like Heaven”, For The Little Ones” and “Hurdy Gurdy Donovan” and for The Hollies’ “Evolution”. He was also instrumental in creating their “Images” for the shoots, which then became their recognized public image. During the years 1967-69, Karl Ferris was one of the preferred photographers to the British Rock elite, shooting also many PR photos for them.

In 2003 Ferris began his quest to re-visit a time in music that defined a generation with, “The Ferris Experience” Happening. Exhibiting the famous Record Album cover photographs and a Psychedelic multimedia video and slide show, opening in Vancouver, Canada at The Exhibitions Gallery . It was be the first time in 35 years that such an exhibition had been unveiled. In 2005, Karl’s Happening show and photo gallery exhibit began a tour of major cities in the USA starting with the San Francisco Art Exchange (continuing in Toronto and other cities in 2006). Also in 2006, a filmed documentary called "Psychedelic Revolution - The Karl Ferris Experience" went into production (to coincide with the 40th anniversary of "the Summer of Love"). To watch this 17-minute documentary on YouTube, please click on the following link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp54sT9qGQk. In 2008, books of his Hendrix and Donovan photographs (including DVDs) will be published.

To see all of the Karl Ferris items available at RockPoP Gallery, please click on the following link - http://rockpopgallery.easystorecreator.com/items/karl-ferris/list.htm?1=1

To see all of the Jimi Hendrix-related items available at RockPoP Gallery, please click on the following link - http://rockpopgallery.easystorecreator.com/items/jimi-hendrix-experience/list.htm?1=1

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1967 and 2008, Karl Ferris and Karl Ferris Photography - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved

Cover Story - Ozzy Osbourne's "Down To Earth", with photography by Nitin Vadukul

Cover Story for February 8, 2008

Subject – Down to Earth, a 2001 record released by Ozzy Osbourne on Epic Records, with cover/insert images by Nitin Vadukul

Metal fans waited impatiently for 6 years for a follow-up to Ozzy Osbourne’s 1995 hit album Ozzmosis, being rewarded in late 2001 with a new studio recording titled Down To Earth.

Of course, during that period, Ozzy was far from inactive, focusing a lot of time and energy on shepherding the successful Ozzfest tours. Beginning in 1996, Osbourne’s traveling show has introduced fans of all subsets of metal/hard rock music to a wide range of acts, including Godsmack, Slipknot, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, System of a Down and Velvet Revolver (until 2006, Ozzy typically headlined either as a solo performer or as part of a reunited Black Sabbath, sharing the Main Stage with other top acts such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Pantera, Marilyn Manson and Megadeth.)

Working for the first time on a solo project without the aid of Black Sabbath cohort Geezer Butler, he surrounded himself with a supergroup of supporters, including Zakk Wylde on guitar, Suicidal Tendencies’ (and, after, Metallica’s) Rob Trujillo on bass and Faith No More’s drummer Mike Bordin on drums. The resulting recording highlighted all aspects of Ozzy’s songwriting expertise, serving up fine examples of what keeps fans happy – from straight-up metal in songs like “Gets Me Through” and “Facing Hell” to introspective ballads such as “You Know” and “Dreamer”.

And so, when Sony Records and Sharon Osbourne asked photographer Nitin Vadukul to come up with an image for the cover of Ozzy’s upcoming record release, the guidance he was given was to “think dark” (he is the Master of Darkness, isn’t he?). Having photographed a wide range of other artists (from Radiohead and Moby to Mudvayne and Korn, as well as Dr. Dre and Eminem), you would think that Nitin would have been prepared do deal with the imagined extremes of such a photo session, but as you’ll read in today’s Cover Story, he found himself caught off guard by one aspect of Ozzy’s personality that shaped the entire creative process. So, cue up the maniacal laughter from “Crazy Train” and read on…
             
In the words of the photographer, Nitin Vadukul (interviewed Nov./Dec. 2007) –

“I was very pleased to get a call from Sharon Osbourne asking me to come up with ideas for Ozzy’s upcoming record, which was going to be called Down to Earth. I had never photographed Ozzy before, but was always a huge Black Sabbath fan. Sony Records had actually recommended me for the shoot, as I had worked with them many times. The ideas I was to develop would create an image that would possibly be used for the cover, but there was no guarantee. I would have 3 days to work with Ozzy and develop several ideas.

The label and arist management people who were involved with the project were truly amazing - they gave me total freedom to create , and then just picked the ideas they liked that I came up with. I feel that this is the best kind of working relationship because you get to use all of your creativity, and the input from the featured subjects will often go on to inspire your final designs and, ultimately, the final product. The only specific direction I got was from Sharon , who said, 'think dark'.

The initial inspiration came from my first meeting with Ozzy, because I had never seen a human being with so many tattoos and amazing gothic jewelry in my entire life!! That introduction made me think of the person behind all that – I wanted to know what was inside him.

I submitted 5-6 different ideas before my clients chose the 'X-rayed Ozzy' one. One of the ideas was to make up Ozzy as Nosferatu, who was the first Dracula in the movies. As you can see on the accompanying photo (below, left), the make up by Screaming Mad George was amazing. We both liked this idea as it allowed Ozzy to play someone truly dark in broad daylight and get away with it. Another image we shot in New York’s Meatpacking district – we seemed to have found the stairway to Hell (see photo below, right). Some of these shots were also used in the booklet as well.

 

The CD cover is actually the final image in a sequence that begins inside the CD booklet. It shows a multi-step transformation from Ozzy standing on a path in a forest and then some sort of force or beam hits him to begin the transformation. The transformation idea came from someone at the record label, and I loved it without question. We created 'the forest' totally indoors, in the studio.

The entire process - from project approval to the delivery of the final image - took about 8 weeks. I used only a 10x8 PLATE camera, sheet film and my own eyes to shoot the initial images. The only other equipment we used was an X-ray machine and then Photoshop. Sharon had really let me do my thing and suggested some tweaks in the final image - let's not forget, she did OK the ideas to begin with.

I know that they were very happy with the results. I should say they were completely shocked in a good way, because no-one expected what they finally saw. They must have liked my work during this session as they came back to me to license another image for use on the cover of 2003’s Essential Ozzy Osbourne, which was part of Sony Music's 'Essential' series of limited-edition two-disc compilations of major artists.

I have to tell you that Ozzy is an amazing professional. He was on time, did everything I asked of him and at the same time taught me a great deal about believing in yourself and being the best you can be. I also think that, in my life so far anyway, he is the only person that has managed to keep me laughing for 72 hours non-stop (yes, even in my sleep)!

On top of that, he’s 'fit as a fiddle'. I know that because before anyone showed up for the second day of shooting, I found him doing 100 push ups in the studio. He was up for just about anything, but on the day we were going to use the X-ray machine he was in the x-ray room and as he started to take his clothes off I burst out laughing. He then asked me if the procedure was going to be harmful and I said 'no', but then told him that I needed to leave the room while they did the x-ray. He looked at me and smiled -'Not bloody dangerous, eh?!?!?'"

About the photographer, Nitin Vadukul –

Photographer Nitin Vadukul was born in 1965 in Nariobi , Kenya. At the age of 4, his family moved to London, England where he grew up. His photography career started at the age of 14 and he lived in London and Paris before settling in New York City in 1994, where he now lives.

Nitin’s photographs are truly one of a kind. He creates an individual voice for each subject. His style and sensibility along with his strong technical yet artistic flair make him a true visionary and talent. For publications such as Rolling Stone, Esquire, Vogue and Detour he has photographed well know musicians, actors and celebrities including Donald Sutherland, Tommy Lee Jones, Tim Roth, Radiohead and many others. Nitin has been behind the lens for a diverse group of advertising clients including IBM, Nike, Credit Suisse and Peugeot.

For music clients, he has created groundbreaking CD and publicity packages for musicians such as Radiohead , Mudvayne , Korn, Moby , Iggy Pop, The Secret Machines, Wyclef , Missy Elliott, DMX, Eve, Dr.Dre , Eminem, Herbie Hancock and Ozzy Osbourne.

His solo exhibitions include shows for BBH  Advertising (New York City – 2007) and the Richard Sena Gallery (Hudson, N.Y. – 2006), and he’s participated in recent group exhibitions including  Art Miami (Miami, FL – 2007), Photo Miami (Miami,FL - 2006), the Vaknin Gallery (Atlanta,GA – 2006), Hudson Arts Walk (2006), the Hardcore Art Contemporary Space (Miami, FL – 2006), the “HIP HOP IMMORTALS” showing at Galerie Patricia Dorfmann (Paris, France – 2004), the Govinda Gallery (Washington, D.C – 2004), the Proud Gallery (London, UK – 2003), the Adidas Store (NYC, NY – 2003), the Plus 81 Gallery (Tokyo, Japan – 2002) and the Festival R’encontre (Arles, France – 1998).

His works are also on display at The Saatchi Gallery site - www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk – and he is currently working on a series of  images for a project called “ The Art of War”, depicting an epic journey of  warriors in worlds unknown. You can see more on this project at his Web site - www.nitinvadukul.com/aow

See more of Nitin’s work on his website, which can be found at www.nitinvadukul.com

To see all of the Ozzy-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please click here -http://rockpopgallery.easystorecreator.com/items/ozzy-osbourne/list.htm?1=1

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 2001 and 2008, Nitin Vadukul and Nitin Vadukul Photography - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved

Cover Story - The Grateful Dead's "Dick's Picks Vol. 25-30", with design/photography by Bob Minkin

Cover Story for January 11, 2008

Subject – Dick’s Picks, a series of CD releases by The Grateful Dead on Grateful Dead Records, with cover images by Bob Minkin

In these days of declining record sales, many people who report on the music business wonder aloud how it is that musicians are supposed to be able to survive (and, even, make a good living) without selling millions of CDs or digital downloads. Throughout the short history of Rock and Roll music, there have been a few great examples of musical acts that have connected with their fan bases in such as deep way that they have been able to build and support their careers (and their families) on the sales of the wide range of related enterprises, with touring being the most obvious (and, done right, a very profitable) method.

The consummate touring band, The Grateful Dead is a great example of such an act. For 30 years, from 1965 to 1995, the band played almost constantly, traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe and, in 1978, in Giza, Egypt, near the Great Pyramids. All during this time, the band lived in an open marriage with its fans, allowing them to record and share their music and, in some cases, providing the throngs of Deadheads who traveled with them from show to show with the necessities of life (free food, shelter, first aid and, quite often, music).

And while this didn’t translate into commercial success in a traditionally-measured way (for example, it took nearly 30 years for American Beauty and Europe ’72 to go Double Platinum, with only one recording – Skeletons from the Closet – going 3X Platinum, and that after 20 years!), the band made a VERY good living from touring and merchandise, and they were very wise to record (on audio and, when possible, video tape) nearly every concert to be put into a vault for use later on. 

Beginning in the early 1990s and continuing to this day, the band made good use of their archives by releasing three series of live concert recordings. Two of these series use the multi-track recordings made, remixed using the newer technologies now available. The third series, titled Dick’s Picks, were based on more rudimentary 2-track recordings – more like what would have been recorded by fans at these shows. The series was launched in 1993 and was named for Grateful Dead archivist Dick Latvala, who personally worked with the band members to select the shows for the series and then oversaw production until his death in 1999, after which the new archivist, David Lemieux, took over these responsibilities until the series was completed in 2005.

And although the Dead has fairly-well fully-embraced the new Digital Age – offering their new, internet-only “Grateful Dead Download Series” both on their www.gdstore.com site and through iTunes – the packaging of “traditional” products in high style continues to be a priority for the band. While early records featured the artwork of some of the leading artists of the San Francisco psychedelic and underground scene – Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, John Van Hamersveld, Gilbert Shelton, Philip Garris and others – they chose a long-time fan, artist & photographer Bob Minkin, to create the look of the last 11 volumes of the Dicks Picks series. How this opportunity for a Deadhead to leave a lasting mark on the products for his favorite band is the subject of today’s Cover Story. Read on, dudes… 

In the words of the artist, Bob Minkin –

According to Bob - "As a long-time Deadhead, I began photographing the Grateful Dead for fun. In 1977, I had the opportunity to show my work to the publisher of Relix Magazine in NYC. From then on, my photography and artwork was published in almost every issue of Relix - even to this day.

My relationship with the magazine allowed me to get credentials to photograph many artists, and so in the 1980's, I contacted Grateful Dead Productions directly and they began using my photography for calendars, books and, later, the internet. Although I was also graphic designer with my own business, The Dead's organization primarily knew me as a photographer.

That all changed in 2000 when they were looking for a new packaging designer. A friend who works for Grateful Dead Productions recommended me to fill that role. I made a presentation and they were impressed and hired me to create a new look for the CD cover and other packaging for the 25th Dick's Picks. Dick's Picks is a numbered series of live concert releases that were hand picked by the Dead's archivist, Dick Latvala, and so the criteria was that the design had to lend itself to a numbered series.

Number 25 was a stand-alone design, but my client was so pleased with that package that they hired me to design and produce all of their subsequent CD, DVD and box set releases. The artist's management provided me with no visual direction at all. It was wide open for me to come up with an array of possibilities for them to consider.

The next 11 releases that I created were divided into two series with different designs. For Numbers 26-30, I created the 'stamp' series. As a fan of the band, I was already immersed in their imagery. Their song lyrics conjure up visions of the Wild West, trains, hobos, poker games, dancing bears, roses, outer space and so on, and since these were live concert recordings, microphones, tape reels, the venue and location could all play a part in the visuals.

I had proposed a few different themes for the series – a 'road case' theme, a 'space' theme, and a theme based on postage stamps. Here are some comps of the designs I had proposed -

My client ultimately chose the 'stamp' design. The idea was to make the CD look like a mailed package, complete with stamp and postmark. The postmark would reflect the date of the concert recording and the stamp would be evocative of the Dead's imagery.

I looked through my childhood postage stamp collection and found beautiful stamps form South America dating from the 1930s-40s. When I scanned and enlarged the stamps, the detail was incredible. Working in Photoshop, I manipulated the images to make the postage value conform to the series number of the Dick's Picks. Then I replaced the central image and merged it seamlessly into the original stamp design. Two of the central images were from photographs I shot - the skeletons on #26 were taken in Mexico, while the rose on #30 was taken in my garden. The others I found in my collection of 'old stuff'.

I scanned wrapping paper for the background and created a 'postmark' in Adobe Illustrator. I imported the postmark into Photoshop and incorporated it into the paper scan and added shadows and de-bossing effects to make it look real. In the end, everyone was extremely pleased with the results, so much so that they hired me as their principal designer for their new releases over the next five-year period. Nothing wild took place during the development process - it was all very business-like - but it was and still is thrilling for me to work with my favorite band."

About the artist & photographer, Bob Minkin –

In 1974, when Bob brought his Kodak Instamatic camera to a New Riders Of The Purple Sage concert at New York City’s Academy Of Music, he had no idea he was about to embark on a lifetime journey.

A graduate of New York City's School Of Visual Arts, Bob earned his BFA in graphic design and photography. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and currently lives with his family in Marin County, CA. He is a partner in Minkin Design, a full-service web design and graphic studio.

His photographs have appeared internationally on CDs and DVDs, and on the covers and insides of many magazines and books. Clients have included Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Guitar World and Grateful Dead Productions.

As Bob tells it – “When I was 13 years old, I fell in with a clique who turned me on to the music I still love today. By 1974, I was going to concerts by Eric Clapton, Grateful Dead, Johnny Winter, Mountain, NRPS, and others. Greatly impressed with this new world, I wanted to capture a memory or keepsake for myself. I began taking my camera to almost all the concerts I attended.

Living in NYC afforded me the opportunity to hear plenty of live music. It became a hobby, an obsession and I went to many shows, seeing not only bands that I was familar with, but exploring new bands that were unfamilar to me - The Plasmatics, Todd Rundgren, Ramones, B-52s, Talking Heads, etc.

By 1977, I had already amassed a considerable portfolio. At that time - through a chance encounter - I hooked up with Relix Magazine, then a Grateful Dead fanzine. My photos were published in Relix and I began gaining official access, that is, photo passes to many concerts. I continue to work with Relix to this day.

<- Bob and his favorite guitarist

As time went on, I expanded my contacts in the music industry. Working with Monarch Entertainment in the Northeast, later Bill Graham Presents when I moved to San Francisco. During the 1980's I began a close relationship with Grateful Dead Productions which continues to this day in the form of my role as their package designer for most of their CD and DVD releases.

I still do a lot of photography, of course. When shooting, I like the beauty of natural light and try to be as unobtrusive as possible, allowing my subjects to be their natural selves. Capturing the definitive peak moments of an event is what I strive for.”

Bob’s design studio - Minkin Design - opened shop in 1990, the year Bob and Anne Minkin escaped from New York and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. The two talented designers met at Manhattan's School of Visual Arts, graduating with BFAs in Graphic Design and designs on a future together.

Their entrepreneurial start in California after stints in the NY corporate world netted them clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500's. In addition to many long-term client relationships, they developed a full network of support people and services, along with the ability to successfully manage any marketing communications project, no matter the size or complexity.

Their Philosophy
1. Listen and learn
2. Respond creatively with clarity, function, usability and good looks.

To see more of Bob Minkin’s current work, please visit his site at -
http://www.minkindesign.com/cd-dvd.html

To see more of his work as a photographer, please follow this link -
http://www.minkindesign.com/photo/

To see Bob’s work available through RockPoP Gallery, please follow this link –
http://rockpopgallery.easystorecreator.com/items/bob-minkin/list.htm

To see all of the Grateful Dead-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please click here - http://rockpopgallery.easystorecreator.com/items/grateful-dead/list.htm?1=1

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1993-2005 and 2006, Robert Minkin and Minkin Designs - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

Cover Story 2007 Year In Review

Cover Story for December 21, 2007

Subject: Cover Story 2007 Year-End Recap – 35 articles/interviews on the best in LP/CD cover artwork and photography

Looking back on the year’s archive of articles and interviews, a couple of things struck me right off the bat –

1) “Boy, there are a LOT of talented people who’ve worked on record covers!”
2) “How many other artists, designers and photographers have had literally MILLIONS of copies of their works bought and seen by fans around the world?”

If you think about it, there are only a handful of “traditional” graphic artists and photographers who’ve been able to get their works in front of such a mass audience – Picasso, DaVinci, Van Gogh, the person who designed the kinetic swirl on the Coke can, and just a few others. And yet, other than a few – Warhol, Roger Dean and Annie Leibovitz come to mind – the names of the people who’ve created these internationally-recognized images – and the stories behind their works - are mostly unknown to the public and the “serious” modern art collector.

What a shame!

It is through the ongoing efforts of creating these Cover Stories that I hope to do some small part in changing this situation, and the feedback I’ve received both from readers and the featured subjects themselves tells me that these stories will continually emerge and will need to be told.

As I dug through the list of subjects – 35 in all, with 15 on illustrations/illustrators and 20 on photographs/photographer – I found that I’ve covered some Grammy winners (Gail Marowitz & Aimee Mann’s The Forgotten Arm and Kosh’s Hotel California), covers that inspired music videos (Queen’s Queen II by Mick Rock and Mick Haggerty’s work for the Go-Go’s Vacation), spoofs of other covers (Zappa’s We’re Only In It For The Money by Jerry Schatzberg) and covers that have both entertained many and at the same time have drawn criticism from “moral authorities” (Maryanne Bilham’s God Bless the Go-Go’s, Stephen Stickler’s Korn and Winston Smith’s works for Green Day and the Dead Kennedys).

Some of the works reflected the emerging art/fashions and  of the 1960’s (The Hollies’ Evolution by Karl Ferris and Vic Singh’s shot for Pink Floyd’s Piper at the Gates of Dawn) and 1970s (Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust by Terry Pastor, James Fortune’s image of Iggy Pop and George DuBose’s pictures of a leather-clad pack of Ramones), while others documented the rise and success of uniquely American talent (Drew Carolan’s picture of hip-hop stars Eric B. & Rakim, Bob Jones’ work with Elvis, Mr. DuBose’s images of a 19-year-old Notorious B.I.G. and Howie Green’s more-recent work on the same subject).

I’ve covered a wide variety of genres – from classic rock iconography (John Pasche’s Tongue and Lips for the Rolling Stones, Gerald Scarfe’s illustrations for Floyd’s The Wall, Richard E. Aaron’s Frampton Comes Alive, David Juniper’s Led Zeppelin II, Elliott Landy’s Nashville Skyline photo for Bob Dylan, Mike McInnerney’s Tommy for The Who and - the biggest seller of them all – Storm Thorgerson’s prismatic cover for Dark Side of the Moon) to “prog rock” (Paul Whitehead’s work for Genesis) and metal/”loud” rock  (AC/DC’s logo by Gerard Huerta, IOMMI’s Fused cover by Hugh Gilmour and Neil Zlozower’s Shot To Hell for BLS).

I have touched a bit on R&B/Jazz (Nina Simone Let It Be Me by Sherry Rayn Barnett), Southern Rock (Michael Cartellone’s work for Lynyrd Skynyrd), a “Guitar God” (with 2 stories on Stevie Ray Vaughan covers – one by W.A. Williams and the other by Robert M. Knight) and a Guitar God-turned-minstrel with Blackmore’s Night (photo by George Chin). I’ve even featured the back-story of artwork created by a minister inspired to create thousands of works to spread his message (Rev. Howard Finster’s covers for R.E.M. and the Talking Heads).

Anyway, with your support and the support of the people that create these works for a living, I’ll keep working hard to tell their stories, beginning in early January with two new Cover Stories. Also, if any of you have been involved in the making of a record cover or have a personal story about what this art has meant to you, please send me a note at info@rockpopgallery.com . If I can (i.e., if you promise not to include too much nasty language!), I’ll include it in an upcoming Cover Stories article.

Here’s hoping that all of you are enjoying what’s left of your Holiday season and that you and yours have a Happy and Prosperous 2008.
    
Mike Goldstein – RockPoP Gallery – Huntington, NY, USA

Links to previous articles - 2007 - in order from latest to Cover Story #1 -

http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2007/12/cover-story---e.html
Eric B. & Rakim’s Follow the Leader by photographer Drew Carolan

http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2007/11/cover-story---k.html
Korn’s Korn by photographer Stephen Stickler

http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2007/11/cover-story---a.html
Aimee Mann’s The Forgotten Arm, artwork by Gail Marowitz & Aimee Mann

http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2007/11/cover-story---t.html
The Go-Gos God Bless the Go-Gos by photographer Maryanne Bilham

http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2007/11/cover-story---b.html
Blackmore’s