Album Cover Hall of Fame News Update and Link Summary for March 2021
Posted March 1, 2021 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com
Hello again from Chicagoland, where we’ve finally seemed to throw off the worst of Winter and can stop referring to where we live as “the frozen tundra”. While my wife and I are still avoiding having to go out for anything other than food, we have been able to take some walks around the neighborhood and, even better for our senses, our birds (cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and the occasional woodpecker or two) have returned to our feeder. It’s calming to see that the parts of nature that Man hasn’t yet totally mucked up are still out there and free to travel and interact to their heart’s content. Maybe some day we’ll figure out how to do that as well.
On the album cover artist/art front, I have been working gathering materials for a paper I’m writing about a topic that I’ve never fully researched and hadn’t truly committed to doing so until just recently – that being the broad range of “deluxe” packages of recorded music better known as “box sets” or “special/limited-edition packages”. After seeing – and being thoroughly impressed by – what was offered up for consideration by both consumers/collectors and the judges reviewing such work for the various organizations that honor the people who’ve created them over the past year or so, I knew that it was time to devote some serious time to this effort. Reaching out to the best-known and most-respected practitioners in the field – labels, design studios, marketing execs and serious collectors of such goods – I’ve been able to collect enough materials that I think I’ll soon be able to deliver something that will serve to explain how these packages are conceived, produced and collected, so I hope you’ll stay tuned to this site (and my various news feeds on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter) for news of when this article has been published.
This past month, there were several items of interest that I think you’ll want to read and look more into, and as this was a short month, this month’s summary will be as brief and to the point as I can make it. Much work is still being done in the world of music industry-related visual design, production and the collecting of these works, so it continues to be my pleasure to report on – and promote – this work and the people who do it. So, let’s get down to it, OK?…
Special Award Show updates:
UPDATE) The final voting for the two other “big time” album cover-related award competitions we’ve been following – the Grammy Awards and the Making Vinyl Packaging Awards here in the U.S. – has been completed and, as you may have read in my special bonus release in late February (https://albumcoverhalloffame.wordpress.com/2021/02/24/achof-breaking-news-update-for-february-24-2021/, which includes several images shot from my monitor screen during the live show), at a ceremony hosted on Zoom by renowned album cover art director Craig Braun, the producers and judges for the 4th annual Making Vinyl Packaging Awards announced the winners in each of the 16 categories included in the competition, with the top prize – the “Best In Show” award (formerly known as the “Alex Steinweiss Award”, named after the legendary “father of the modern album cover”) – going to Matt D’Amico (VP of Global Marketing and Product Development for Universal Music Enterprises – UME) and his team for their work on the humongous Flaming Pie Archive Collection Collector’s Edition box set for Paul McCartney.
Here’s the official press release from the group, to which I’ve sprinkled in some pix shot off my monitor during the live event that took place on Wednesday, the 24th of February –
ORLANDO / NEW YORK– The best in vinyl records packaging was celebrated today at the Making Vinyl Packaging Awards Virtual Ceremony. The video replay of the ceremony is available at http://makingvinyl.com.
Now in its 4th year, the ‘Making Vinyl Packaging Awards’ garnered more than 219 entries in 15-categories that were then reviewed by more than 21 judges on both sides of the Atlantic.
The ceremony was hosted virtually by renowned packaging legend Craig Braun (the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers and Alice Cooper’s School’s Out) who’s been an actor for the past two decades.
The final round judges (Gail Marowitz; The Visual Strategist, Brian Schuman; Concord Music, Scott Pollack; A to Z Media; Sean Mosher-Smith, Echo Designlab, & Bryan Ekus; Making Vinyl) took turns announcing the winners and runners up.
The awards are part of Making Vinyl, the first B2B conference dedicated to the rebirth of the vinyl record industry, and produced by Colonial Manufacturing Cooperative, a buying collective among media manufacturers.
For more info about the awards: https://makingvinyl.com/packaging-awards/
LIST OF WINNERS & RUNNER-UPS, FOLLOWED BY SUBMITTING PARTY
BEST RECORD ART
Why Me? Why Not. – LIAM GALLAGHER – WINNER – Warner Music
Hollow Knight Piano Collections – David Peacock & Augustine Mayuga Gonzales – RUNNER-UP – Materia Collective LLC
BEST VINYL ALBUM LP COVER (ILLUSTRATION)
Serpentine Prison – MATT BERNINGER – WINNER – Concord
Warren Zevon’s Greatest Hits (According To Judd Apatow) – WARREN ZEVON – RUNNER-UP – Rhino Entertainment
BEST VINYL ALBUM LP COVER (PHOTOGRAPH)
KiCk i – ARCA – WINNER – XL Recordings
Metz – Atlas Vending – METZ – RUNNER-UP – Sub Pop Records
BEST VINYL DELUXE SET
Prequelle Exalted – GHOST – WINNER – Concord
Flaming Pie Archive Collection – PAUL MCCARTNEY – RUNNER-UP – Universal Music Enterprises (UMe)
BEST VINYL GATEFOLD
Battletoads: Smash Hits 2xLP – HOUSDEN & WISE – WINNER – iam8bit
Kush & Orange Juice – WIZ KHALIFA – RUNNER-UP – Rostrum Records
BEST VINYL REISSUE PACKAGE
The Legendary Riverside Albums – CHET BAKER – WINNER – Concord
Bachelor No. 2 (or the last remains of the dodo) – AIMEE MANN – RUNNER-UP – The Visual Strategist
BEST JAZZ, CLASSICAL or SPOKEN-WORD VINYL (NON-DELUXE) LP PACKAGE
We’re New Again – A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven – GIL SCOTT -HERON / MAKAYA MCCRAVEN – WINNER – XL Recordings
Untitled Goose Game Vinyl Soundtrack – GOLDING – RUNNER-UP – iam8bit
RECORD STORE DAY (VINYL)
Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987 – VARIOUS ARTISTS – WINNER – Captured Tracks
Heart of Batman OST – MAKEUP & VANITY SET – RUNNER-UP – Sound Machine Records
BEST BOOK + MEDIA PACKAGE
Conversation Piece – DAVID BOWIE – WINNER – Warner Music
Lament (Deluxe Edition) – Touché Amoré – RUNNER-UP – Touché Amoré
SAVE THE EARTH AND HUMANITY (VINYL)
McCartney III (333 Edition) – PAUL MCCARTNEY – WINNER – Third Man Records
Silence Is Not an Option (turn this up) – VARIOUS ARTISTS – RUNNER-UP – ATO Records / A to Z Media
THEY SAID IT COULDN’T BE DONE (VINYL)
Spirit World Field Guide – AESOP ROCK – WINNER – Rhymesayers Entertainment & A TO Z MEDIA
Amends (Deluxe Edition) – GREY DAZE – RUNNER-UP – Concord
BEST CD DELUXE SET
GIANTS STADIUM: 1987, 1989, 1991 – GRATEFUL DEAD – WINNER – Rhino Entertainment
The Divine Comedy – THE DIVINE COMEDY -RUNNER UP – Key Production
BEST CASSETTE PACKAGE
Iconic Groove DCC Media Box – LIEBRAND – WINNER – DCC Museum
Juicy Sonic Magic – THE NATIONAL – RUNNER-UP – The Collected Works
BEST 45-RPM (SINGLE) COVER
It’s Bugsnax! 7″ Single – Kero Kero Bonito –WINNER – iam8bit
Limelight – Touché Amoré – RUNNER-UP – Touché Amoré
THE ALEX STEINWEISS AWARD (BEST IN SHOW)
Flaming Pie Archive Collection – PAUL MCCARTNEY – WINNER – Universal Music Enterprises (UMe)
You can learn more about this particular product at https://www.flaming-pie.com/products/collectors-edition/ and watch an “unboxing video” hosted at https://youtu.be/eJIFTsmlsv8
If you’d like to watch a replay of the entire ceremony, the Making Vinyl folks have been kind enough to post a link to the approx. 18-minute video hosted on the Vimeo site – https://vimeo.com/516369641
Once again, congratulations to all of the winners, runners-up, nominees and everyone else who worked so hard over the past year to keep the field of record packaging alive and well.
The Grammy Awards, having been delayed until March 14th due to the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles, are almost upon us, and the awards in the Packaging category will be presented in a ceremony scheduled to take place earlier in the day (with the televised award show still scheduled that evening), so here’s a recap of the nominations in each of the three categories:
In the “Best Recording Package” category:
Pilar Zeta, art director, for Coldplay’s EVERYDAY LIFE; Kyle Goen, art director, for Lil Wayne’s FUNERAL; Julian Gross & Hannah Hooper, art directors, for HEALER by Grouplove; Jordan Butcher, art director, for ON CIRCLES by Caspian and Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors for Desert Sessions’ VOLS. 11 & 12
In the “Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package” category:
Linn Wie Andersen, Simon Earith, Paul McCartney and James Musgrave, art directors, for Paul McCartney’s FLAMING PIE (COLLECTOR’S EDITION); Lisa Glines & Doran Tyson, art directors, for the Grateful Dead’s GIANTS STADIUM 1987, 1989, 1991; Jeff Schulz, art director, for MODE by Depeche Mode; Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors, for Wilco’s ODE TO JOY and Michael Cina & Molly Smith, art directors, for VMP ANTHOLOGY: THE STORY OF GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL, with music by various artists
And although this category is not regularly covered by the ACHOF, the nominees in the “Best Album Notes” category are:
Tim Brooks, album notes writer, for AT THE MINSTREL SHOW: MINSTREL ROUTINES FROM THE STUDIO, 1894-1926 (Various Artists); Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer, for THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND: COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WEST, 1940-1974 (Various Artists); Bob Mehr, album notes writer for DEAD MAN’S POP by The Replacements; Colin Hancock, album notes writer, for THE MISSING LINK: HOW GUS HAENSCHEN GOT US FROM JOPLIN TO JAZZ AND SHAPED THE MUSIC BUSINESS (Various Artists) and David Sager, album notes writer, for Nat Brusiloff’s OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY.
If you’d like to see the complete list of Grammy Award nominees in all categories, click on over to the Grammy.com site at https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2021-grammys-complete-nominees-list
Of course, you can rely on the ACHOF to deliver the news of the winners in each category as soon as they’re announced, so please watch this space for the exciting news.
Exhibitions and Gallery Show Info:
a) My regular readers will recall that, over the years, I’ve presented the stories told to me by several artists, designers and art directors who each have laid claim to having originated what’s perhaps the most-iconic band logo of the rock music era, that being the “Lips & Tongue” image found on many of the albums, t-shirts, belt buckles, posters and other items sold by the Rolling Stones. Having generated millions of dollars of sales and licensing revenue for the band, to be associated in any way with the creation and propagation of this image would certainly be a source of pride, whoever is truly responsible. One of those artists – Maui, Hawaii-based Ruby Mazur, who rose quickly through the ranks of record label art directors (having been the AD for Paramount Records at the age of 21!) – recently announced a new exhibit at the Holle Fine Art gallery on the island that will include some updated images of his work, including (per the details provided in this recent article on the ArtDaily site – https://artdaily.cc/news/133417/Pop-art-legend-Ruby-Mazur-debuts-new–Rock-n-Roll-Last-Supper–at-top-Hawaii-gallery#.YDvNa2hKg7M – “original paintings and prints of Freddie Mercury, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Cher, Paul McCartney, Elton John/Billy Joel (Diptych), David Bowie, Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen and the first new painting of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Mouth & Tongue’ since Mazur’s original was done in the early 1970’s. He is also offering the ‘Rock-n-Roll Last Supper’, which was three years in the making, as signed/numbered limited-edition prints on museum parchment paper.”
While I don’t think that we’ll ever get to the bottom of the “who did what when” questions that remain regarding the famed Rolling Stones logo, we can all rest assured that the band will continue to offer more and more iterations of it on collectibles for years to come.
b) While Black History Month might be shorted 2-3 calendar days each year here in the U.S., many outside the country have worked to focus their efforts on proudly representing the talent – and their subjects – who’ve documented and honored the many talented artists who’ve shaped Black History here. Famed Italian photographer/gallerist Guido Harari recently shared a portfolio of images he’s gathered to help celebrate Black History month here in the U.S., and here’s how he’s doing it –
“As February is Black History Month, the annual celebration of the lives, work and influence of Black Americans to U.S. history, culture and more specifically to the world of music, we are very excited to present “Move On Up!”, a new virtual exhibition that features a wide and varied selection of 80 historic photos (many presented here for the first time) to honor this special month.
“Move On Up!” covers over 60 years of Black music, featuring some of the giants of Blues, Folk, Jazz, Soul, Funk, Rock, Pop and Rap, portrayed (some photographed in different eras) by a unique group of photographers from various generations.
Have a look now at the exhibition brochure (free download) and enjoy. We suggest you do this spinning your favorite Blues, Folk, Jazz, Soul, Funk, Rock, Pop or Rap LP’s on your turntable!
c) The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston re-opened on February 3rd with a special event highlighting the re-opening of their show (co-curated by Liz Munsell and Greg Tate) called Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation.
https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/writing-the-future
The show originally was to have opened in April, 2020, and was then delayed until October 18. It opened, and then COVID reared its ugly head again, forcing them to close once more on December 14th. Local broadcaster WBUR posted an interview article – https://www.wbur.org/artery/2020/10/13/museum-fine-arts-basquiat-art-exhibit-future during which the team discusses the trials, tribulations and having to find new ways to think of things when a major exhibition like this is put on hold (and hold again).
I’d also missed several other Basquiat-related items, which I do hope you’ll take a look at now – a) The estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat collaborates on Basquiat Barbie with Mattel in April; Dr. Marten’s x Jean-Michel Basquiat boots and shoes for men, women, and children in July; Coach x Jean-Michel Basquiat collection of purses, accessories, t-shirts, and outerwear in September (with campaign photographed by Micaiah Carter); and new uniforms with NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. | Video by Coach https://youtu.be/RBNJ88BxpP4
One thing I must repeat again about the effects of this pandemic on art displays – there have been some very impressive online alternatives (to being there in person) and, with the number of regularly-scheduled live and recorded “meet the artist” events increasing and, usually, offering more intimacy than some of the in-person events I’ve attended, I think that this type of presentation is here to stay.
I continue to urge you to realize that while many public/retail galleries and museums continue to be closed to the public, some have recently re-opened or announced plans to either/both re-open soon (e.g., Chicago’s Art Institute’s limited re-opening in early February), making sure that they’re doing all they can to keep customers and their employees safe and/or continuing on in their efforts to create digital/online content. The Grammy Museum in LA, Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the new Universal Hip-Hop Museum in New York (www.uhhm.org) have all produced prodigious amounts of multi-media product for their respective web sites, and many retail galleries – in addition to the online portfolios they’ve created – are also available to help by appointment, so if you’re looking to learn more about what’s taking place in art spaces in your area, I’d invite you to look through the list of sellers I’m maintaining on the ACHOF site – https://albumcoverhalloffame.wordpress.com/achof-buying-and-selling-resources-page/ – and then visit their sites to see who is doing what.
Artist News and Interviews:
a) To follow-up on the news I gave you last month about two-time ACHOF inductee Hugh Syme’s series of three exhibits built around his work that’s been organized by the Fishers Arts Council in the town of Fishers, Indiana, here’s a new news video interview by WISH-TV (Indianapolis, Indiana) reporter Randall Newsome with Mr. Syme (formerly from Toronto, now living near Indianapolis – close to where his children now live – where he was able “to build a house for the price of a driveway in Toronto”) – https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/album-cover-artist-featured-in-fishers-city-hall-exhibit/
There will be a special virtual reception for the artist, hosted by the city’s arts council on March 19th from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT at the Art Gallery at City Hall, 1 Municipal Dr, Fishers, IN 46038, USA
Register to participate in “Hugh Syme: The World At Large” at https://www.fishersartscouncil.org/event-info/special-reception-hugh-syme
b) Sometimes, all I can do is point….there’s an interview with designer Leif Podhajsky interview in Creative Review and on their site – https://www.creativereview.co.uk/leif-podhajsky-new-psychedelia/? (subscription required) – I wish I could tell you more, but this is the designer of modern psychedelic imagery responsible for notable album covers including – Tame Impala – Innerspeaker and Lonerism; Kylie Minogue – Golden and Golden Live In Concert; The Vines – Future Primitive; Foals – Holy Fire; Kelis – Food; Boy & Bear – Suck On Light; Duke Dumont – Duality and many others. Leif was a Grammy nominee in 2016 (the 58th Grammy Awards) in the box set/ltd edition category for his work on Beneath The Skin (Deluxe Box Set) by Of Monsters And Men (on Republic Records).
He’s got a new book, titled New Psychedelia just published by Thames & Hudson and you can read more about his on his web site at – https://leifpodhajsky.com/About
c) To follow up on one of the items included in my last monthly news update, I’d like to share some info on the film that Kevin Hosmann recently completed that will be an important addition to record album history. Called The Album, the documentary looks at the history of recorded music “from the perspective of the art department” (some of our favorite people!). The interview-packed production features interviews with – and stories told by – some of the music industry’s best known art directors, designers and photographers, and so while Kevin continues his work to find a distributor for his film, he has set up an Instagram site that you can visit at https://www.instagram.com/thealbumdocumentary/ On this page, you’ll find a link to a trailer (2:25 running time) for the film (hosted on the Vimeo site), along with individual items on some of the covers and people featured in the film. Please join me in supporting Kevin in his efforts to bring his film to the masses and, in the meantime, learn more about his work on his new Instagram page.
d) Noted album cover designer Spencer Drate is featured in a new interview on a new site I hadn’t seen until just now (but which I’m happy to have been introduced to) called Vinyl Writer which, according to the site’s founder and editor-in-chief Andrew Daly “is dedicated to providing passionate music journalism by music addicts, for music addicts. Our site features countless interviews with artists and key individuals in the music industry, as well as many interesting and unique guest columns. Come dig in! “
The interview covers a lot of territory – Drate’s album cover designs, his work as a publisher and writer of several books on design for the music business and even his own recent participation on a couple of web-based video blogs we’ve covered in the past. Take it all in at https://vinylwritermusic.com/an-interview-with-spencer-drate/
e) Although February was a short month, it did nothing to stunt the output of the team behind the ongoing Art of the Album series of articles that’s been a regular feature on the Muse by Clio site. The month kicked off with an inspired “Top 12” list put together by designer, artist and writer Karl Heitmueller, Jr. – https://musebycl.io/art-album/12-great-album-covers-chosen-karl-heitmueller-jr
followed by the Top 10 list of music industry exec David Chavez – https://musebycl.io/art-album/10-great-album-covers-chosen-david-chavez
which lead in to a themed article titled “10 Great Album Covers Driven by Powerful Photography” put lovingly put together by LA-based entertainment ad agency founder Andrew Irving of the Rhubarb Agency – https://musebycl.io/art-album/10-great-album-covers-driven-powerful-photography – with the month ending with CPB’s Creative Director Jason Van Pierce sharing his list of 10 Great Album Covers (from Coltrane to Diana Ross to Nirvana and to Nipsey Hussle) – https://musebycl.io/art-album/10-great-album-covers-chosen-jason-van-pierce-cpb
Items for Sale and/or at Auction”
Sorry, gotta rush through these:
a) An original street sign from Abbey Road – home of EMI Studios and featured prominently on The Beatles album by the same name – is up for auction – Here’s an intro article on the ArtDaily site that gives us the basics (except for a link to the auction!) – https://artdaily.cc/news/133106/Abbey-Road-among-London-street-signs-on-sale-at-auction
Here’s that link – https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/timed/catherine-southon/catalogue-id-srcat10032
The auction for this enameled iron street sign – along with 274 others up for bid by the City of Westminster – runs thru the 3rd of March (thru 20:00 GMT) at the Catherine Southon Auctioneers & Valuers location in Kent, U.K. A previous auction back in 2013 for another Abbey Road sign realized over $14,000 for the Bonham’s auction house, so it’ll be interesting to see where this one ends up.
b) Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer and visual artist extraordinaire Michael Cartellone is auctioning off a portrait he did of the late Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant to raise money/awareness for the Concert Support Community charity (“the largest professionally led nonprofit network of cancer support worldwide”) – https://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/ronnie-van-zant-portrait-by-lynyrd-skynyrd-drummer-michael-cartellone-set-for-auction
Bid on this work through March 8th at https://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/item-detail.cfm?auctionID=25571&ItemID=956345&viewType=1&style=1&font=0&catName=Antiques%20and%20Art
I had the pleasure of working with Michael very early on in my art career and he was kind enough to work with me on two of my early album art-related interviews (one back in 2006 and the second the next year) during which we talked about the artwork he created while on the road with the band, released as a series of prints known as The Road Series, which were featured on a special LS compilation in the UK (Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Greatest Hits) – https://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2006/10/index.html, followed by https://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2007/05/cover_story_lyn.html
UPDATE) At Bonham’s London outpost in late February, collectors found a new themed auction titled “British Cool” (“a curated auction showcasing the best of British Art and Culture”, so says their site) which included several lots of iconic music-related imagery up for bid. Highlights of the sale included two photos by the late photographer Iain Macmillan (one of his shots from his iconic walk across Abbey Road session with The Beatles sold for a tad over $11,500, while a beautiful B&W photo of John and Yoko taken in 1969 fetched $1242); a band-autographed promo slick for Depeche Mode’s Violator album was purchased for $1331 while a giant-sized, limited-edition (1/3) print of Art Kane’s great 1968 shot of The Who, sitting in front of a monument in NYC draped by a Union Jack Flag (originally shot for a magazine but then used on the cover of the soundtrack to The Kids Are Alright), sold for a cool $24,716. Two Sgt. Pepper’s-related items – a Paul McCartney-signed record package and a Peter Blake-signed limited-edition screenprint (113/500) of the album art found new owners after receiving bids for $3905 and $19,494, respectively.
The company posted a nice 2-part intro to the exhibition and auction that steps you through examples of how British creative-types produced memorable examples of art, photography, music and more from the 1960s to the present – https://www.bonhams.com/video/31178/, followed by https://www.bonhams.com/video/31179/?
You can review the auction’s catalog now on their site – https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26709/, and our congratulations go out to both the winning bidders (who will remain nameless) and to the auction’s organizer, specialist Claire Toll-Moir, for having put together such a fascinating collection.
d) There’s a new book by writer Rick Poynor about designer/art director David King (Hendrix, The Who, etc.) that chronicles his career which includes his efforts, while he was the art director for The Sunday Times Magazine (U.K.), to illustrate the often washed-over truths about Stalinist Russia
https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/02/17/the-designer-who-unmasked-stalinism/
e) Take a look at the new Cradle of Filth comic books and action figures based on album cover art – https://loudwire.com/cradle-of-filth-comic-book-series-action-figures-2021/
f) With puzzle-solving becoming “a thing” (a BIG thing) during COVID, here’s a story about some new additions to a rock album cover jigsaw line highlighting their addition of more Iron Maiden-based products – https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/more-iron-maiden-jigsaw-puzzles-to-be-released-in-april/
g) Flood Gallery artist Godmachine releases a new print that offers a slightly-macabre take on the original album art found on Revolver by The Beatles – https://www.thefloodgallery.com/products/revolution-will-not-be-digitised?variant=38023302086826
h) Just a head’s up – Heritage Auction house will be auctioning off some really rare art this coming June in Dallas, inc. based around a collection– The David Swartz collection – of some “banned” covers– with an intro to the collection now available for viewing in their Intelligent Collector magazine – https://intelligentcollector.com/the-swartz-archive/? Catalog online at https://entertainment.ha.com/c/auction-home.zx?saleNo=7233&type=surl-7233a
More on this soon – just got my copy of Ramon Oscuro Martes’ latest edition of his extremely well-crafted tome that shares the stories behind many of your favorite hard rock and heavy metal album covers – …And Justice For Art – and I’ll be working to share more info about the book and the stories featured in it ASAP. In the meantime, just happy to share a photo of me with my new book – it’s a beaut!
ACHOF’s Mike G with his new copy of …And Justice For Art
Miscellaneous Items:
Going to have to keep these short-and-sweet:
OBITS) Another month without losing anyone. Thank goodness!
a) Dinosaur Jr. released what they’re calling a “visualizer” for their new single “I Ran Away” which is, from what I can tell, another word for a “music video”, this one featuring the artwork of the German multi-media artist/painter responsible for the cover for the band’s soon-to-be-released new album (Sweep Into Space) cover, Andy Hope (AKA “Andy Hope 1930”). The single is also notable as it features American singer/songwriter/producer Kurt Vile playing 12-string acoustic guitar.
NME article with visualizer embed – https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/dinosaur-jr-announce-new-album-with-single-i-ran-away-featuring-kurt-vile-2887592
b) To help celebrate Black History month, writer Panama Jackson, Senior Editor for the “Very Smart Brothas” section on The Root website, has previously created several month-long series on themes including “28 Days of Literary Blackness” (2019), “30 Days of Musical Blackness” (also in 2019) and, last year, “30 Days of Music Video Blackness”. This year, a topic was chosen that was near and dear to our hearts here at the ACHOF, that being “28 Days of Album Cover Blackness” in which, during the entire month of February, each day’s column highlighted “album covers that represent Blackness in some form or fashion”. Kicking off with Al Green’s I’m Still In Love With You (released in 1972 and ranked #286 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 2012 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list) which, if you’ll recall, features the singer sitting on an all-white wicker throne (with matching side table) and wearing an all-white suit (adding black socks which, according to the writer, “keep the G in it”).
Rev. Green recalled, in his 2000 autobiography, Take Me to the River, “In my white turtleneck, white patent leather shoes with the stacked heels and just a touch of diamond and gold, I was as cool and in control as the music between that cover.”
To embark on a recounting of the journey – beginning at the top of the month, click here https://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/28-days-of-album-cover-blackness-with-vsb-day-1-al-gr-1846161026
c) 2020 ACHOF inductee Raymond Pettibon is sadly finding himself a victim of art forgery – https://news.artnet.com/art-world/wet-paint-christian-rosa-raymond-pettibon-1940051?
d) Own a piece of album art production history – The London space (now, a ritzy apartment) where the Sgt. Pepper’s cover for The Beatles was shot is up for sale – https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9219731/Apartment-Beatles-shot-Sgt-Peppers-Lonely-Hearts-Club-Band-album-cover-sale-1-15m.html
While the realtors were eager to share some basic info on the site – then known as Chelsea Manor Studios – I reached out to someone who’d been on-site (since she was on the team that created the cover) – that being artist Jann Haworth – who confirmed that “this will be Michael Cooper’s studio site unless they are making false representations!! Flood St is right and the last shots of the place that were sent to me showed a ‘white-out’ like this… so probably it is Michael’s old studio, but tarted up radically. Jann”
As of this writing, the 2 Bedroom apartment is still available for sale, with an asking price of £1,150,000 (a bit over $2 million).
https://www.johndwood.co.uk/buy/property/-ref-4994300/
That’s all for now – stay tuned and be on the lookout for timely news alerts on our news feed – https://www.facebook.com/AlbumCoverHallOfFame – and, with any luck, we’ll return right after the first of the year (good bye 2020, and good riddance!) with another monthly summary for you. Peace and Love to you all.
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