2015 Zac Brown Band, Jekyll + Hyde

Zac Brown Band returns with their first studio album since 2012, Jekyll + Hyde.  The album cover is pretty simple, featuring Zac Brown in his signature hat and 2 different colored eyes.

The cover features the photography of Danny Clinch, a premier photographer and director of music videos.  His work can be seen in magazines such as Esquire, GQ, The New Yorker and many others.  His work as a director earned him 3 Grammy nominations

Danny Clinch’s website can be viewed here, Danny Clinch

2010 Stone Temple Pilots

Stone Temple Pilots’ 2010 CD with artwork by Shepard Fairey. The work was titled Peace Finger Red

1962 Robert Johnson King of the Delta Blues Singers

Robert Johnson lived a short music filled life from 1911-1938.  Despite little attention by mass audiences while living, he is often considered one of the top 10 guitarist of all time.  Little is known of Johnson other than normally playing on street corners when he arrived in towns.  Much of that time he played songs people wanted to hear rather than his own compositions.  His first recorded song came in 1934 followed by 11 records in 1937.  At the time of his death his top selling record was only 5000 copies.  Then in 1962 King of the Delta Blues was released that gave Johnson an entire new audience.

With this record came the artwork of Burt Goldblatt.  Goldblatt was similar to Johnson as he honed his craft in bars and jazz clubs.  Goldblatt would take countless pictures which then were used or art from the pictures were used for album covers.

He got his cover start at CBS but became much more famous for his jazz covers for Savoy, Bethlehem and Jolly Roger records.  As rock entered more of the main stream Goldblatt ended his career as a cover artist.  Later he became a co-author on many books from novels to jazz photography.  Goldblatt passed away at the age of 82 in 2006.

2008 Fleet Foxes

1995 Robert Cray Some Rainy Morning

1979 The Cars Candy-O

The 1979 album of The Cars featured the art work of Alberto Vargas.  Vargas was well known for his works in Esquire magazine as well as the inspiration for many of the pinups on the noses of World War II aircraft.  Vargas is often credited for one f the best movie posters of all time, The Sin of Nora Moran, which depicted Zita Johann.   After Esquire Vargas worked for Playboy with the Vargas Girls and his work saw a resurgence.  The passing of his wife in 1974 resulted in him losing interest and not painting.  The release of his biography in 1978 led him to two album covers for Bernadette Peters and one for The Cars.  Vargas died in 1982.

1976 England Dan and John Ford Coley Nights are Forever

Hello, yeah, it’s been a while
Not much, how ’bout you
I’m not sure why I called
I guess I really just wanted to talk to you

Yes it has been a while so what better way to return than with England Dan and John Ford Coley’s Nights are Forever album from 1976.  The album featured the cover song as well as “I’d love to see you tonight” which has the lyrics at eh beginning of the post.  While it isnt the most artistic cover of all time it represents the mood I feel today.

I am back and hopefully more great covers to come in thenear future.

1962 Freddie Hubbard hub-tones

Today I revisit a musician with a totally different style then his first cover.  Freddie Hubbard’s 1962 release of hub-tones featured many great musicians including Herbie Hancock.  Much like any other jazz release the names intertwine between albums.  Also like the music the album covers intertwine as well.

The cover was produced by Reid Miles who worked for Blue Note Records between 1956 and the late 60’s producing more than 500 covers for the company.  Miles often worked with photographer Francis Wolff to collaborate on covers that were synonymous with Blue Note Records.

Blue Note saw both Miles and Wolf depart within a few years.  With them a style and possibly an art form maybe have left with them.

Coming Soon

Taking requests for covers people would like to see and will get back to my favorites within the week.

1985 Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark Crush

While this is a painting of Paul Slater,  the theme of an Edward Hopper influences the painting as dictated by Caz Hildebrand.  The album from my readings is full of oddities.  Hildebrand decided he wanted a car, a couple, and the Hopper type theme.  Slater did the work and assumed it went well since no alterations were needed.  The main building in the center right is almost a duplicate from Hopper’s 1930 painting Early Sunday Morning.

In another interesting twist, Paul Slater was a fan of OMD yet never heard of the album.  He did read a review that said the music wasnt up tho their usual standards but the cover deserved a second look. 

Slater is one of Britain’s top illustrators yet I cna not locate one website that is exclusively his.