Informal Jazz (1956) by Elmo Hope Sextet.
Yesterday’s post made me realise I’d never looked to see how many album covers Ralph Steadman might have designed or illustrated. A quick delve into Discogs revealed the following haul, a couple of which I own on CD. Steadman has worked in a wide range of media but I didn’t know his album work went back into the 1950s. The style of the early sleeves is markedly different to the angry, splattery creations that made his name, and without a signature you’d be unlikely to recognise the artist.
Conception (1956) by Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins, Zoot Sims.
Artists known for their work outside the music world tend to have pre-existing art used on record sleeves but Steadman is unusual in creating so much cover art afresh. In light of this I’ve omitted the CD insert for a dramatisation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas which repeats the drawing familiar from many of the paperback editions.
4 Altos (1957) by Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Sahib Shihab, Hal Stein.
Back Country Suite For Piano, Bass And Drums (1959) by Mose Allison.
Happy Jack/I’ve Been Away (1966) by The Who.
Streetnoise (1969) by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity.
Phoenix Future (1975) by Paul Brett.
Remember Russia (1979) by Fischer-Z.
Miniatures (A Sequence Of Fifty-One Tiny Masterpieces Edited by Morgan-Fisher) (1980) by Various Artists.
A collection of one-minute songs, readings or musical works. Among the many artists there’s Steadman himself singing a song in his garden.
Road Island (1982) by Ambrosia.
John Arlott Talks Cricket (1982) by John Arlott.
Peter O’Sullevan Talks Turf (1983) by Peter O’Sullevan.
Dowie (1983) by John Dowie.
A video release on the Factory label.
Juvenile Delinquent (1984) by Alexis Korner.
A Well Kept Secret (1984) by Beaver Harris – Don Pullen 360° Experience.
Beirut (1984) by Alexis Korner.
A 7-inch single with fold-out sleeve (unfolded below).
The Last Nightingale (1984) by Various Artists.
Abuse: Artists For Animals (1986) by Various Artists.
Force Of Habit (1992) by Exodus.
Closed On Account Of Rabies: Poems And Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe (1997) by Various Artists.
Have I Offended Someone? (1997) by Frank Zappa.
Split 7 Inch (1997) by Remingtin/Balm In Gilead.
The Gonzo Tapes: The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008) by Hunter S. Thompson.
Slash (2010) by Slash.
The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent And Depraved (2012) by Hunter S. Thompson.
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The album covers archive