Album Cover Art.key

45 Pages·2017·76.83 MB·English

by  Melissa Buckner

ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
San Francisco Art Exchange LLC (SFAE) is proud to present Art of the Album Cover: An exhibition of over 100 works of art
created for use as album covers during the latter have of the 20th Century - a most vibrant period in which this particular
medium enjoyed a wide range of styles, methods and materials. This collection showcases this variety of media and features
works in the form of photographs, limited edition & one-of-a-kind prints, alongside original drawings, paintings & mixed-media
objects.
one of the most beloved and sought-after categories in the genre of Pop Culture Fine Art.
This exhibition showcases the many varieties of images that were created to grace the covers of some of the most popular
albums of all time.
One-of-a-kind artworks featured include hand-painted photographs, handmade collages, drawings & graphic designs along
with full-color paintings.
What started as mere packaging and a medium to communicate essentials like production credits and record label logos,
quickly became a secondary and extremely powerful means for bands to market themselves and share a deeper message
which allowed them to create a multi-layered connection with their fans. At the same time, artists, photographers, and graphic
designers discovered that a whole new stream of projects had been created that gave them a unique outlet for their
creativity, and in many cases led to long careers in the business.
Many of the most famous album covers gained a particular boost from the creative partners enlisted to create the artwork.
More often than not, it was a friend of the band - someone who knew them personally and understood the visual
representation they preferred - that became the go-to artists to create these works of art.
Due to our long-standing history with these artists, we have had the good fortune to have a front-row seat to this market and
we have been enlisted to represent some of the most important and valuable artworks in this genre. Many of these are
featured in these pages and represent what could be your only remaining chance to own them!
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE
LLC
ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
The Beatles, With the Beatles Album Cover, Bournemouth, 1963
by ROBERT FREEMAN (b.1936)
20 x 24 inches
Signed Limited edition, silver gelatin photograph
SOLD OUT EDITION - ONE AVAILABLE
#52 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Album Covers (1991)
The Beatles, Beatles For Sale Album Cover, Hyde Park, 1964
by ROBERT FREEMAN (b.1936)
16 x 20 inches
Signed Limited edition, R-print photograph
SOLD OUT EDITION - ONE AVAILABLE
The Beatles on a Wall - Long Tall Sally Single Front Cover, Stockholm, 1963
by ROBERT FREEMAN (b.1936)
16 x 20 inches
Signed Limited edition, silver gelatin photograph
VERY FEW AVAILABLE
The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album Cover, 1967
by PETER BLAKE (b.1932)
26.75 x 27 inches
Signed limited edition, serigraph print
SOLD OUT EDITION - ONE AVAILABLE
#1 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Album Covers (1991)
GRAMMY© WINNER 1968 - Best Recording Package - Graphic Design
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840
ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
The Beatles, Rubber Soul Album Cover (Sepia), Weybridge, 1965
by ROBERT FREEMAN (b.1936)
16 x 20 inches
Signed Limited edition C-print photograph
SOLD OUT EDITION - ONE AVAILABLE
The Beatles, Rubber Soul Album Cover, Weybridge, 1965
by ROBERT FREEMAN (b.1936)
16 x 20 inches
Signed Limited edition, C-print photograph
SOLD OUT EDITION - ONE AVAILABLE
The Beatles, Rubber Soul Album Cover, Weybridge, 1965
by ROBERT FREEMAN (b.1936)
16 x 19 inches
Signed Artist’s proof, Dye-transfer photograph
SOLD OUT - ONE AVAILABLE
George Harrison, All Things Must Pass Album Cover, Friar Park, 1970
by BARRY FEINSTEIN (1931-2011)
14 x 14 inches
Signed Limited edition, silver gelatin photograph
SOLD OUT EDITION - ONE AVAILABLE
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840
ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
The Beatles, Abbey Road Album Cover
Shoot, Complete Suite, London, 1969
by IAIN MACMILLAN (1938-2006)
24 x 20 inches (x7)
Signed Limited edition R-print photographs
SOLD OUT EDITION - ONE AVAILABLE
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840
ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
The Beatles, Abbey Road Album Cover Shoot, Complete Suite, London, 1969
The legendary status of the Abbey Road album cover and outtakes is derived from myriad sources, namely the
everlasting fame of The Beatles, and the incredible public reaction to each of their album releases. When it was
released in September 1969, this simple image of four men walking a zebra crossing became an instant icon. The
symmetry of their positions demonstrated their synchronicity while their individual appearances belied their divergent
paths. It poignantly captured the end of an era and more importantly the end of The Beatles, as it was the last album
the beloved band recorded together.
The photographer Iain Macmillan needed only 6 attempts to capture this timeless image. He once told The Guardian
about the shoot:
’I remember we hired a policeman to hold up traffic while I was up on the ladder taking the pictures. The whole idea, I
must say, was Paul McCartney's. A few days before the shoot, he drew a sketch of how he imagined the cover, which
we executed almost exactly that day. I took a couple of shots of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road one way. We let
some of the traffic go by and then they walked across the road the other way, and I took a few more shots. The one
eventually chosen for the cover was number five of six.'
At the end of 2004, through a special agreement with Apple Corps, he created the Abbey Road Suite. Each suite
includes all 6 cover shots and the back cover image taken later the same day. The photographs are signed and
numbered by Iain and were produced directly from his original negatives. These are without a doubt, among the most
important collectibles we have represented.
Sadly, Iain passed away in May of 2006 so we are incredibly thankful that he was able to work out this arrangement to
release these prized images. The fact that Iain is no longer with us immediately and permanently altered in a significant
way for collectors, the value and availability of this artwork and all of the pieces have been sold since they were
released. We are now well into the secondary market - only rarely having the opportunity to offer these pieces from
willing sellers, who run very few and far between.
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840
ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
Wings, Back to the Egg Handwritten Album Cover Liner Notes and Sketch, 1979 Wings, Back to the Egg,
PAUL MCCARTNEY (b.1942) Little Lyric Checkers Drawing, 1979
PAUL MCCARTNEY (b.1942)
9 x 13.5 inches
Original drawing with extensive handwriting 16.5 x 12 inches
Original drawing
Transcript of Paul McCartney’s writing detailed on the price list.
Paul McCartney collaborated with Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis on the album During the same design and planning session,
design for Wings' Back to the Egg. During the planning process, Paul and Po when Paul and Po were nearly done and while
were working side by side, and Paul humorously sketched a “portrait” of Po and reviewing the lyrics, Paul noticed some errors in
below it, wrote out the the titles of the songs that would appear on the album. the text copy for the lyrics.  He said to Po “We
should have some little lyric checkers to look over
On the right-hand side of the same sheet, he began to write the liner notes the lyrics to see that they’re correct.”
including all of those involved in the making of the album…he got a bit funny as
he went on.   He then drew nine “little lyric checkers” and put
that title below the drawings.  This work is also not
ALL of the artwork and handwriting on the front of the folded sheet is by Paul signed, but Paul McCartney did draw them and
McCartney.  And, even though the work is not technically signed, he did write the title is in his handwriting.
his own name in the content - which is tantamount to having signed it….twice!
 The opposite side of this page contains notes in Po’s handwriting.  
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840
ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
John Lennon, Imagine Album Cover, 1971 John Lennon, Imagine Album Back Cover, 1971
by ANDY WARHOL/YOKO ONO (1928-1987)/(b.1933) by YOKO ONO (b.1933)
16.75 x 12.5 inches 13.25 x 12 inches
Shooting copy, one-of-a-kind artwork Shooting copy, one-of-a-kind artwork
The front and back covers featured here are the “final shooting copy” artworks prepared for the album sleeve printing.
They are each color photographs affixed to board.
A “final shooting copy” is the last step in the process of taking multiple layers of imagery and combining them into one.
This final version is the one used by the printers to mass produce the album sleeves.
To achieve this look for the front cover, the process involved combining at least three separate layers of content. The
base is a polaroid portrait of John Lennon taken by Andy Warhol. Over this was likely a clear acetate layer on which is
printed a photograph of clouds. When these two layers are photographed together, the result is a single “flattened"
image of the two layers combined. The final layer is the title copy, which is likely to have been either printed on another
clear acetate sheet, or cut and applied directly to the flattened photograph before being rephotographed and
printed to create this “final shooting copy“.
The back cover imagery is a reproduction of photograph of John Lennon believed to be taken by Yoko Ono, which was
layered with the same photograph of a cloud used on the front cover. Ono is credited with designing both artworks.
These pieces are not signed, but they are authenticated by the original owner who was involved with the production of
this album cover. A letter of provenance will accompany this sale.
SOLD AS A SET
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840
ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde Album Cover, NYC, 1966
by JERRY SCHATZBERG (b.1927)
24 x 20 inches
Signed Limited edition, C-print photograph
VERY FEW LEFT*
Bob Dylan, Greatest Hits Album Cover, Washington DC, 1965
by ROWLAND SCHERMAN (b.1937)
24 x 18 inches
Signed Limited edition, Vibrachrome photograph
EXTREMELY RARE*
GRAMMY© WINNER 1968 - Best Recording Package - Photography
Bob Dylan, Nashville Skyline Album Cover, 1969
by ELLIOTT LANDY (b.1942)
16 x 20 inches
Signed, C-print photograph*
Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash Performance, The Dylan Cash Session Album Cover,
1969
by JIM MARSHALL (b.1936 - d.2010)
16 x 20 inches
Estate Limited edition, archival pigment print photograph
ONE SIZE ONLY
*Available in additional sizes/media contact for details
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840
ART OF THE ALBUM COVER
SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC
Johnny Cash, Hymns from the Heart Album Cover Outtake, 1962
by LEIGH WEINER (1929-1993)
24 x 24 inches
Estate Limited edition, archival pigment print photograph*
Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison Album Cover, Folsom, CA, 1968
by JIM MARSHALL (1936-2010)
20 x 20 inches
Estate Limited edition, archival pigment print photograph
ONE SIZE ONLY
Joni Mitchell Skating, Hejira Album Gatefold, Lake Mendota, WI, 1976
by JOEL BERNSTEIN (b.1952)
30 x 40 inches
Signed Limited edition, archival pigment print photograph*
Neil Young, After the Gold Rush Album Cover, New York City, 1970
by JOEL BERNSTEIN (b.1952)
20 x 24 inches
Signed Limited edition, silver gelatin photograph*
*Available in additional sizes/media contact for details
458 GEARY STREET • SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102 • SFAE.COM • 415.441.8840