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Drink Some Brew and Find a Safe Place

Album Art

Album art, or album covers if you will, have been an important component of drawing attention to, and selling, albums since their invention.

Some covers just pass by the senses with little notice, while others immediately grab your attention and make you want to explore the music inside. A very few covers are considered art in their own right and become a well-known part of the music scene.

Eric Clapton’s covers run from average to spectacular and memorable. Due to space constraints, I have limited my comments to the more interesting or unusual covers. The mundane will not be covered here but await your individual exploration should you so choose.

Finally, the 12˝ vinyl LP was more conducive to artwork than the small CDs of today but that, as they say, is progress.

Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton

The first thing that strikes me about John Mayall: Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton is not the picture but the words at the top of the cover.

John Mayall was nobody’s fool. He now had Eric Clapton as his guitarist, and they had just created one of the seminal blues albums of the era. Mayall slapped his own name right in the middle of the album’s title. It was, of course, in bigger letters than the rest of the title.

Now that he had established who the boss was, he added Eric Clapton, which would draw attention to the album and actually sell copies. He accomplished his goal, as it rose to #6 on the British charts.

The photo shows a very young Bluesbreakers comprised of John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Hughie Flint, and John McVie.

Which came first, the album or the nickname? Author’s collection

The picture is notable for Clapton reading a copy of Beano, which was a British comic book geared toward children. Why Clapton had a copy handy at the photo sessions remains unexplained.

It seemed Mr. C. was an unhappy rock star that day at being imposed upon to actually sit down for an album picture. Feeling cantankerous, he grabbed the copy of the comic and pretended to read it. What he did was create a memorable picture to adorn the album, which is still many times referred to as The Beano Cover.

Another interesting fact about the cover was the Bluesbreakers title. At this point it was the name of the album and not Mayall’s backing band. After the album’s release, it became his band’s moniker for decades.

I wonder how much that copy of Beano would bring on ebay?

Fresh Cream

Fresh Cream was released on December 9, 1966, and showed the serious side of the three musicians, at least on the cover. Given the three studio album covers that would follow, it remains their simplest by far.

Expectations for Cream at the time were exceedingly high, but the cover goes against that grain in its simplicity. The group is dressed in flight jackets and accoutrements, which may represent Cream taking off, and take off they did.

While the album is ranked as the #101 album of all time by Rolling Stone, the same cannot be said for the cover, which is solid and well thought out but not spectacular.

Disraeli Gears

Disraeli Gears, and the album that followed it, Wheels of Fire, may be the best back-to-back album covers by the same group in music history. The LP versions are suitable for framing.

To be a little repetitive, a roadie named Mick Turner named the album by calling it derailleur gears, which were used on high-tech racing bicycles; it then became Disraeli gears after the Victorian-era prime minister. Clapton and Baker had been having a serious discussion about bikes, but the comment so amused them that they used it for the title of their second album. The original working title has been simply Cream, which seems very mundane in retrospect.

The album art that adorns the cover has been synonymous with Disraeli Gears since its release. It is a perfect psychedelic rock creation and matched many posters of the day such as those being produced by the Fillmore East and West, the Jefferson Airplane, and the Grateful Dead. Cream’s advantage was that Disraeli Gears got the release into the hands of the millions of buyers, which brought it to the attention of millions more friends, family members, and acquaintances. The famous cover is still being produced to adorn countless CDs, even if it does lose something in the translation.

The cover originated from the fertile mind of Australian artist Martin Sharp, who at one time had lived in the same building as Clapton. Sharp’s artwork became eternally associated with Cream and Eric Clapton. Sharp also took his relationship with Clapton beyond just the art, as he cowrote “Tales of Brave Ulysses” and “Anyone for Tennis.”

Bob Whittaker took the photography that appears on the back cover. His greatest claim to fame was a big one, as he created the famous and controversial cover that originally adorned the Beatles’ Yesterday and Today album. The “butcher cover” was withdrawn and remains one of the supreme Beatles collectibles.

Disraeli Gears remains one of those rare albums that is a delight to both the ears and the eyes.

Wheels of Fire

The tile of Wheels of Fire may not have been the inside joke of its predecessor, but it perfectly described the music inside.

The artwork of Disraeli Gears was so well received that Martin Sharp was invited back for a second project in a row. He came through once again and created another spectacular cover that remains unique in its own right. When displayed next to the Disraeli Gears cover, they complement each other without being repetitive. Sharp won the New York Art Directors Prize for Best Album Art in 1969.

I have always thought the design would have made nice wallpaper. Just turn on a black light and have at it.

Goodbye

Goodbye has such a cheesy cover that it remains amusing four-plus decades after its release. The band members’ smiles seem genuine, making one think their happiness at the time was due to the fact their Cream journey had come to an end.

Unless they actually had those gold lamé suits in their respective closets, the cover was a planned affair. It was right out of vaudeville as they danced across the stage for one last bow.

Blind Faith

Many Americans missed the controversy surrounding the original Blind Faith album cover, as it was quickly replaced with a picture of the band and life went blissfully along.

The initial album cover carried a photo of a young girl nude from the waist up and holding a model airplane in her hands, which many people interpreted as a phallic symbol. Today, the cover would not have made it past the idea stage, if that far, and even in the liberal atmosphere of 1969 it was too tactless for release in the United States.

The photograph was courtesy of Bob Seidermann, who was another former flatmate of Clapton’s.

He originally approached a young girl in a London railway station about modeling for the cover, which today would probably have ended with a trip to a police station. Seidermann met with the girl’s parents but ultimately determined she was too old for the cover. She did have a younger sister, however.

Mariora Goschen would be immortalized on the album jacket. She originally wanted a pony for her picture but settled for a small fee. Given what happened when the album was released, she probably deserved the pony.

Rumors followed the cover for years, including that she was Ginger Baker’s daughter and that she was a young love slave of the band.

Clapton did not want to print the name of the group on the cover. Instead, it would be on the wrapper, and when it was removed, so was the name.

Interestingly Seidermann planned to sell lithographic prints of the cover (Martin Sharp, were you listening?) and even sent out advertising to publicize the event. It was straight out of the late sixties.

“I could not get my hands on the image until out of the mist a concept began to emerge. To symbolize the achievement of human creativity and its expression through technology, a spaceship was the material object. To carry this new spore into the universe, innocence would be the ideal bearer, a young girl, a girl as young as Shakespeare’s Juliet. The spaceship would be the fruit of the tree of knowledge and the girl, the tree of the fruit of life.”

Wait, there’s more!

Mark Milligan, a jeweler at the Royal College of Art, could make the spaceship. The girl was another matter. If she were too old, it would be cheesecake, too young and it would be nothing. “The beginning of the transition from girl to woman; that is what I was after. That temporal point, that singular flare of radiant innocence. Where is that girl?” So said the literature of the day.

What it all added up too was a banned album of a half-nude young girl. Today, the cover still makes many people very uncomfortable. It was definitely an attention-getter in its day, and rightly or wrongly, it served the album well.

On Tour with Eric Clapton

The album cover for Delaney and Bonnie’s On Tour with Eric Clapton was perfect for Clapton’s time with the group. It pictured a parked car with two feet sticking out of the side window. It projected a very relaxed feel. After the pressure of two high-profile bands, Cream and Blind Faith, Clapton was content to disappear into a working band for a while. It was about the relationships more than being the star.

Barry Feinstein, who was serving as the Delaney and Bonnie manager at the time, took the photo. It was shot in 1966 when he was working as a photographer covering Bob Dylan’s U.K. tour. Legend has it that those feet are actually Bob Dylan’s. Whether this is true or not, only the shoes know for sure.

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek and the Dominos came into being with a little help from Delaney and Bonnie’s backing band as Eric Clapton took three of its members with him. Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, and Bobby Whitlock would become famous for being a part of the short-lived group.

The album title, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, came from his passion for Pattie Boyd. At the time, she was still married to George Harrison, and it would still be several years before she and Clapton would come together romantically and marry.

“Layla” was one of the grand love songs of all time but was unlike just about any other love song in rock history.

The tale originated as the story of Layla and Majnun, written by the Azerbaijani poet Nizami. It was about an unavailable woman, which Clapton equated to his Pattie Boyd situation at the time. His reaction to the story was “Layla.”

The cover painting or collage was more surrealistic than psychedelic. It remains a memorable and instantly recognizable piece of art.

The artist was Frandsen De Schonberg. The liner notes attribute the art to Frandsen-de Schonberg with thanks to son Emile. Legend has it that the original artwork hung in George Harrison’s recording studio.

This Derek and the Dominos cover has a simple beauty. Author’s collection

461 Ocean Boulevard

The unassuming house on the cover of the 461 Ocean Boulevard album was the actual home where Eric Clapton and his band stayed while recording it. All the photos were taken at this house, located in Miami, Florida.

It was a simple title for an excellent album that produced such songs as “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Willie and the Hand Jive.”

The album was recorded in April–May 1974, so it was only a short-term home for Clapton and crew. The house and the album have gone down as memorable stops in Clapton history.

There’s One in Every Crowd

There is a track on the third disc of George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass titled “I Remember Jeep,” which was an eight-minute-plus improvisational piece. This jam is credited to Ginger Baker, Klaus Voormann, Billy Preston, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton. Jeep was the name of Clapton’s Weimaraner dog that was missing/stolen at the time, and the song was dedicated to his memory.

Jeep made a triumphant return, at least his picture did, when it adorned the cover of There’s One in Every Crowd. It looks like he is resting his nose on a coffin.

The inside of the gatefold sleeve contains an original sketch by Clapton. Photographer Robert Ellis took the picture on the back of the jacket.

The album was originally going to be called The Best Guitarist in the World: There’s One in Every Crowd, but his record company thought it would be taken the wrong way. They feared it would be interpreted as Clapton proclaiming himself the best guitarist in the world. In a later interview Clapton would, somewhat seriously, say that was indeed the message.

As far as the cover is concerned, I haven’t changed my mind; I still like the dog.

No Reason to Cry

The album title got it wrong. Clapton and Marcy Levy cowrote “Innocent Times,” which appeared as the eighth track on the original release. The lyrics actually say, “No Reason to Laugh, More Reason to Cry.” It seems simple and straightforward enough, but somehow it ended up on the album cover as “No Reason to Cry.”

Not a spectacular cover but on of my favorites, as it shows a relaxed Clapton. Author’s collection

Clapton is seated at a table with his back reflected in the mirror. There is booze on the table in front of him. The word “Shangri-La” is written on the mirror in back.

Backless

The title of the Backless album is said to have originated with old friend Bob Dylan.

Dylan had a habit of turning his back on the audience and facing the band when things weren’t going well at one of his concerts. Clapton always thought Dylan was so aware of what was happening onstage that he must have eyes in the back of his head. The title, Backless, emerged from those thoughts.

The cover finds Clapton still in his beard phase, calmly seated while strumming his guitar, which fits the laid-back nature of the music perfectly.

Another Ticket

The title and cover of Another Ticket grew out of another inside joke.

Countless people have asked Clapton for concert tickets through the years. He had one friend who seemed to be always scrounging tickets from him, so he named the album in his honor (sort of).

Clapton even pictured a copy of a ticket on the album cover, and only the ticket, which served to enhance the level of the joke. I wonder if it was an actual ticket given to his friend.

Money and Cigarettes

The title referred to the two most important things in his life and all he had left.

The cover pictures Clapton standing next to a melted guitar and when combined with the title, makes for a depressing scene.

The thought of a melted fender Stratocaster is still appalling. Hey, he still had Pattie Boyd, which brings us back to the money and cigarettes.

Behind the Sun

The Behind the Sun album saw the light of day title-wise from the song “Louisiana Blues” by Muddy Waters, where the phrase is used in the lyrics. Clapton is a walking encyclopedia of the blues, but to pull this partial line from such an obscure tune is impressive.

Larry Vigon drew the pictures on the front and back covers. He is a noted graphic artist who remains active in the music world.

The album contains a photo of Clapton by Pattie Boyd Harrison, and she is listed in the credits.

August

The original working title was One More Car, One More Driver, but in celebration of the birth of his son, Clapton retitled it August. The album was actually released in November.

The cover photo does not portray a happy Clapton, especially one who was celebrating the birth of a son. Happy or not, it was his biggest-selling studio album up to that point.

Crossroads

I have already gushed over Crossroads as being the best chronicle of Clapton’s career despite its advancing age.

A little-known fact is that Ronnie Wood of Faces and Rolling Stones fame drew the portrait that graces the front cover, and it is really very good. The fact should be better known as his signature appears on the bottom right side of the cover.

He found the picture in the archive of the Star File Photo Agency and used it as his model.

24 Nights

Peter Blake at the time, now Sir Peter Blake, drew the cover art for Clapton’s 24 Nights and worked with Clapton again on Me and Mr. Johnson. He contributed the artwork inside the jacket as well.

Despite his work with the high-profile Clapton, Blake’s best-known work was the Sgt. Peppers cover for the Beatles, for which he was paid a flat fee of £200 with no royalties.

While he is a noted fine artist, he designed a number of other album covers as well such as the Who’s Face Dances and Pentangle’s Sweet Child. He also designed the Band Aid picture sleeve for the single release “Do They Know Its Christmas?”

In 2002, Blake received a knighthood for his services to the arts and became Sir Peter Blake.

From the Cradle

Clapton wrote a poem that contained the phrase “from the cradle to the grave.” The “From the Cradle” part fit Clapton’s blues album perfectly and became its title. Clapton was returning to his roots and the music that inspired him and continues to do so.

He used his own photo for the cover. He snapped a shot of light coming in under his front gate. He must have been feeling very ambitious at the time as he also hand lettered the title plus the quote on the inside of the jacket.

Pilgrim

Clapton had a vision of how he wanted the cover of his new album, Pilgrim, to look. He entrusted Yushiyuki Sadamoto, who is a Japanese anime artist to bring his vision to fruition. He was the perfect choice to create the surrealistic, dreamy landscape.

Riding with the King

There was nothing terribly creative about the album cover of Riding with the King. What I did like was that it finally portrayed a smiling Clapton, chauffeuring a blues legend.

Me and Mr. Johnson

Sir Peter Blake returned to create the cover for Me and Mr. Johnson.

Blake worked exclusively from photos of Clapton in order to match the image of Robert Johnson. There are only two or three authenticated photographs of Johnson, and the most famous hangs behind Clapton. Blake painted Clapton in somewhat the same pose to create a lasting image.

Live from Madison Square Garden

The professional relationship between Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton extended back to the sixties and was solidified with their time in Blind Faith together. They were both part of the psychedelic era with the bands Cream and Traffic.

When they reunited for a series of concerts at Madison Square Garden, February 25–28, 2008, the resultant CD release cover art bore that psychedelic stamp.

The artwork was conceived and drawn by Donny Phillips, a former member of the hard-core rock group the Warriors. He is also one of the best graphic designers for WB records.