Ten UK album cover locations
October 9, 2013 5:33 PM Subscribe
Bob Egan identifies the locations of ten UK album covers
- David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
- Ian Dury, New Boots and Panties!!
- Pink Floyd, The Division Bell
- Oasis, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
- The Beatles, Abbey Road
- Richard Thompson, Hand of Kindness
- The Beatles, 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 (and The Sex Pistols, 1976-1977)
- Carly Simon, Anticipation
- The Clash, The Clash
- Pink Floyd, Animals
Yeah, the Storm Thorgerson philosophy of album covers: "Why do it artificially when you can, with far, far more effort, do it for real?"
The funny thing is: It doesn't matter how many times I look at the Animals album cover, knowing it's a photo - it still looks like a painting to me.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 5:45 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
The funny thing is: It doesn't matter how many times I look at the Animals album cover, knowing it's a photo - it still looks like a painting to me.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 5:45 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Lovely stuff.
I walked past the Abbey Road crossing many times when I was living near St. Johns Wood.
posted by Artw at 5:54 PM on October 9, 2013
I walked past the Abbey Road crossing many times when I was living near St. Johns Wood.
posted by Artw at 5:54 PM on October 9, 2013
They moved the original Abbey Road crossing several metres, more than 30 years ago, according to the Beeb, but no one can find the exact details. Not much, but these things matter :)
posted by bookbook at 5:54 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by bookbook at 5:54 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is terrific. The Ziggy Stardust location was actually one of the few places me and my wife aimed to go when we visited London, as the article notes, the phone booth is back!
posted by arrjay at 6:16 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by arrjay at 6:16 PM on October 9, 2013
This didn't make the list?
My assumption is that the Closer album cover was shot in a studio somewhere - so not really relevant in this case.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 6:17 PM on October 9, 2013
My assumption is that the Closer album cover was shot in a studio somewhere - so not really relevant in this case.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 6:17 PM on October 9, 2013
I'm having a really tough time making the supposed location of the Clash cover work. In the original the floor under them looks like a floor, not like stairs. There is an open doorway behind them. The setting looks like a hallway, not an exterior staircase. (Though it is difficult to explain the angle that the floor makes intersecting with the brick wall on the right.) The merged shot looks persuasive mainly because it's a transparency rather than an insert. Where is the doorway that's behind them in the cover to be found in the present day shot? Why do the steps in the present day shot look completely different from the floor in the cover shot?
posted by George_Spiggott at 6:34 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by George_Spiggott at 6:34 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
I thought this was a double as I am sure I have seen this recently and thought it was here; alas my google-fu is weak tonight.
posted by marienbad at 6:41 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by marienbad at 6:41 PM on October 9, 2013
Wiki says the Closer album cover is the "Appiani family tomb in the Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno in Genoa, Italy"
posted by superna at 7:08 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by superna at 7:08 PM on October 9, 2013
Ah. So, not in the UK. Hence not on the list.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 7:16 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 7:16 PM on October 9, 2013
That was wonderful.
posted by marxchivist at 7:24 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by marxchivist at 7:24 PM on October 9, 2013
Salford Lads Club.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 7:42 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 7:42 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
Salford Lads Club.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 7:42 PM on October 9 [+] [!]
I thought of this one as well, but maybe it got left off because it was used as a sleeve (for The Queen is Dead) instead of an album cover.
posted by 4ster at 7:48 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 7:42 PM on October 9 [+] [!]
I thought of this one as well, but maybe it got left off because it was used as a sleeve (for The Queen is Dead) instead of an album cover.
posted by 4ster at 7:48 PM on October 9, 2013
Ah, you're right, 4ster. My Proust gland just glossed completely over that fact.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 7:52 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 7:52 PM on October 9, 2013
Huh, I was at that gate at Queen Mary's Garden two days ago, and I'm named after Carly Simon. Go figure.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 9:30 PM on October 9, 2013
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 9:30 PM on October 9, 2013
"Here's a photo of a sink, with the album cover superimposed over the top. See?!?"
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 10:27 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 10:27 PM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
Why do the steps in the present day [Clash cover] shot look completely different from the floor in the cover shot?
There are a bunch of these slopes around the Camden Stables Market, they were designed to lead horses up to the upper level. The steps are just wooden treads added later to the original slope.
I can't explain the doorway, though. He doesn't say how he decided this was the exact place. It's a bit adorable that he's done the whole post based on a trip to London in 1987, Google Street View and Flickr. (The "pig in the sky photo shoot" he found on Flickr Commons is pretty clearly not from 1977: the apartment blocks at bottom right are less than 15 years old)
posted by doiheartwentyone at 2:17 AM on October 10, 2013
There are a bunch of these slopes around the Camden Stables Market, they were designed to lead horses up to the upper level. The steps are just wooden treads added later to the original slope.
I can't explain the doorway, though. He doesn't say how he decided this was the exact place. It's a bit adorable that he's done the whole post based on a trip to London in 1987, Google Street View and Flickr. (The "pig in the sky photo shoot" he found on Flickr Commons is pretty clearly not from 1977: the apartment blocks at bottom right are less than 15 years old)
posted by doiheartwentyone at 2:17 AM on October 10, 2013
You can rent and stay in Swarkestone Pavilion, used for the Rolling Stones' Beggar's Banquet photo shoot, and subsequently used for the cover of their Hot Rocks LP.
posted by MuffinMan at 3:01 AM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MuffinMan at 3:01 AM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Storm Thorgerson did everything for real. All the beds on the cover of A Momentary Lapse of Reason are really on the beach, 800 of them.
posted by colie at 3:32 AM on October 10, 2013
posted by colie at 3:32 AM on October 10, 2013
Wikipedia says "The album's front cover photo, shot by Kate Simon, was taken in the alleyway directly opposite the front door of the band's 'Rehearsal Rehearsals' building in Camden Market."
Alleyway. Not stairs. The "merged" shot seems convincing because he's made much of the cover transparent to let the stairs shot dominate. I'm looking at the cover of the physical record right now and they are not standing on stairs but on a sloping brick/paved surface. There are other clear differences too.
posted by Decani at 3:51 AM on October 10, 2013
Alleyway. Not stairs. The "merged" shot seems convincing because he's made much of the cover transparent to let the stairs shot dominate. I'm looking at the cover of the physical record right now and they are not standing on stairs but on a sloping brick/paved surface. There are other clear differences too.
posted by Decani at 3:51 AM on October 10, 2013
You can rent and stay in Swarkestone Pavilion, used for the Rolling Stones' Beggar's Banquet photo shoot
I've done so! It's really amazing and I highly recommend it.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:43 AM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've done so! It's really amazing and I highly recommend it.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:43 AM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
doiheartwentyone: I strongly suspect the pig in the photo was the one flown to publicise The Simpsons Movie at the back end of 2007 as a nod to the original Floyd icon. I worked just a few hundred yards away at the time but couldn't get a decent photo.
posted by Boggins at 5:29 AM on October 10, 2013
posted by Boggins at 5:29 AM on October 10, 2013
Me too! I got the recommendation here a few years back. It's awesome.
posted by MuffinMan at 5:44 AM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MuffinMan at 5:44 AM on October 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
MuffinMan: I got the recommendation here a few years back.
Probably from me. Basically anytime someone asks for UK lodging advice, I am ringing the Landmark Trust gong.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:50 AM on October 10, 2013
Probably from me. Basically anytime someone asks for UK lodging advice, I am ringing the Landmark Trust gong.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:50 AM on October 10, 2013
Yes, it might well have been this recommendation of yours, because I booked it sooner after and went to eat at the Mileburne, which I also loved. In which case, thank you Rock Steady.
posted by MuffinMan at 11:01 AM on October 10, 2013
posted by MuffinMan at 11:01 AM on October 10, 2013
That's fantastic! Glad you liked it. We'll have to compare Cuttle Shuttle times. The Mileburne was indeed amazing. We happened to walk past it just a few minutes after they had seated their Sunday lunch and they were gracious enough to allow a couple of slightly scruffy Americans to take their empty table. Best roast I've ever had.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:56 AM on October 11, 2013
posted by Rock Steady at 5:56 AM on October 11, 2013
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posted by dng at 5:39 PM on October 9, 2013 [4 favorites]