Cover Story – Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Are You Experienced?”, with photography by Karl Ferris
February 25, 2009 by Sugartune
Copyright ©1967 and 2008 by Karl Ferris – All rights reserved.
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.
Cover Story – Santana’s “Santana”, with illustration by Lee Conklin
March 17, 2008 by Sugartune
Copyright ©1968 and 2008 by Lee Conklin – All rights reserved.
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…
Cover Story – Ozzy Osbourne’s “Down To Earth”, with photography by Nitin Vadukul
February 11, 2008 by Sugartune
Copyright 2001 and 2008 by Nitin Vadukul Photography – All rights reserved.
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.
Cover Story – The Grateful Dead’s “Dick’s Picks Vol. 25-30?, with design/photography by Robert Minkin
January 14, 2008 by Sugartune
Copyright 1993-2005 and 2006, Robert Minkin and Minkin Designs – All rights reserved.
Subject – Dick’s Picks, a series of CD releases by The Grateful Dead on Grateful Dead Records, with cover images by Robert 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).
Cover Story – Eric B. & Rakims “Follow the Leader”, with photography by Drew Carolan
December 10, 2007 by Sugartune
Subject – Follow the Leader, a 1988 release by Eric B. & Rakim on Uni/MCA records, with cover image by Drew Carolan
For a guy who thinks that he has a fairly open mind when it comes to music appreciation and thinks that he’s kept abreast of most major musical revolutions of the past 40 years, I must honestly say that I missed the beginnings of organized rap & hip-hop. I do remember Deborah Harry’s rap on “Rapture”, and thought that that was kinda cool, but I entered the rap world only after being exposed to Ice-T’s Body Count. As a music fan with hard rock/heavy metal leanings, I heard that album, was thoroughly impressed, and then wanted to know more.
Copyright 1988 and 2007 – Drew Carolan Photography – www.drewcarolan.com
In my quest for knowledge, I consulted a friend and co-worker at the time who had been involved in the late 80’s rap/hip-hop scene in NYC, which eventually led to the production/promotion world and his own label. He helped me understand who was who, who came first, who was popular, etc., but it may have been too little, too late (thanks, Rocky, for trying). However, when I started the gallery, it became clear that the imagery used to package and promote records in this genre was really compelling, with the talents and artistry of the photographers and illustrators well-represented in the major “world’s best record cover” lists. More than what was typically found in the rock and pop genres, these photographs and illustrations were a vital part of the artists’ image, with these images the keys to the record-buying public’s acceptance of an artist’s “street cred”. The better an artist’s credibility, the more likely it was that the lyrics represented a rapper’s actual life story, and the more that the public believed, the larger the artist’s loyal fan base would grow.
Cover Story – Korn’s “Korn”, with photography by Stephen Stickler
December 3, 2007 by Sugartune
Copyright 1994 and 2007 – Stephen Stickler Photography – www.stephenstickler.com
Subject – Ko?n – Korn, a 1994 release on Immortal/Epic Records, with cover photography by Stephen Stickler
With “grunge” music filling the airwaves and dominating music television, Bakersfield, California’s Ko?n was a band that stood out from everyone else in a number of different ways. They weren’t full of angst – they were an angry band of metalheads who had discovered hip-hop beats and had a lead singer that also played the bagpipes! After being discovered by an A&R exec while playing in a nightclub, they worked on their unique musical and lyrical stylings until late 1994, when they released their self-titled debut Korn on Immortal/Epic Records.
Cover Story – Aimee Mann’s “The Forgotten Arm”, with art direction by Gail Marowitz
November 19, 2007 by Sugartune
Subject – Aimee Mann – The Forgotten Arm, a 2005 release on SuperEgo Records, with cover art direction by Aimee Mann & Gail Marowitz
Based on a story about the relationship between a small-time boxer who’s a Vietnam vet who returned with a LOT of emotional baggage and his small-town girlfriend – who both simply want to run away from their problems – singer/songwriter Aimee Mann’s concept album and her band take the listener on a cross-country musical tour that ends with our two young lovers breaking up, facing their demons and, ultimately, getting back together – well, sort of…
Aimee Mann’s career – from her beginnings in Virginia and Boston at the Berklee College of Music, to her musical travels through punk (The Young Snakes) to New Wave success (and an MTV Video Award for “Best New Artist”) in the mid-80s with ‘Til Tuesday (Voices Carry) and then finally as a well-regarded solo artist, independent label owner and an Academy Award nominated songwriter (in 1999, for music and songs written for the film Magnolia) – has also had its share of heavyweight successes and the sucker punches that only an independent-minded artist suffers in the music business, but in the end, she’s found true love (with singer Michael Penn, whom she married in 1997) and keeps delivering her music to her fans, her way.
Cover Story – The Go-Gos “God Bless The Go-Gos”, with cover photograph by Maryanne Bilham
November 12, 2007 by Sugartune
All images Copyright 2001 and 2007 – Maryanne Bilham Photography – www.maryannebilham.com
Subject – The Go-Gos God Bless The Go-Gos – a 2001 release on Beyond Records (Re-released in the U.S. in 2004 on Sony/Legacy/Eagle Records), with cover photography by Maryanne Bilham
Having released 3 albums in the early 1980s (including 1982’s huge Vacation, previously discussed in our 9/14 Cover Story) that coincided with the path that took them from bar band to opening act for the Police to superstardom on their own, the Go-Gos disintegrated within a year after releasing 1984’s Talk Show, and the members went their separate ways.
Cover Story – Blackmore’s Night “Fires At Midnight”, cover by George Chin
November 6, 2007 by Sugartune
All images Copyright 2001 and 2007 – George Chin Photography – www.georgechin.com
Subject – Blackmore’s Night Fires At Midnight – A 2001 recording, released on Steamhammer Us/SPV records, with cover photography by George Chin.
One of rock music’s Renaissance men, guitarist Richie Blackmore is the one who has taken the term most literally, having played for the past 10 years in Blackmore’s Night, a band that brings his amazing talents and prog-rock sensibilities to a mix of music that includes Renaissance-era melodies, English folk and recreations of more current folk/rock tunes. Joined in this effort by Long Island’s own Candice Night on vocals and a backing band of squires, lords and bards playing a broad range of medieval and modern instruments, the band has released a series of well-received records and toured regularly, appearing at Renaissance-themed fairs, festivals and unique concert events in castles all over the world, charming audiences wherever they appear.
Cover Story – “A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan”, cover by W.A. Williams
October 29, 2007 by Sugartune
All images Copyright 1988-90, 1998 and 2007 W.A. Williams – www.wawilliams.com
Subject – A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan – a 1996 CD & DVD release from Sony Music Entertainment, with cover photography by W.A. Williams
A short while ago, I wrote a Cover Story based on an interview with photographer Robert M. Knight and his photos of guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughan. The response to this article was astounding – although SRV’s been gone 17 years, his fan base is a DEDICATED one and his music brings great joy to them (and to anyone else lucky enough to be within earshot).
