Savage life album cover series#

Freeman reflected on that period, commenting, вЂњBeing with The Beatles was being in the center of crazy activity, the eye of a hurricaneвЂ¦ It was an altogether lively and amusing time.вЂќ Designed to look like reels of film, the sleeve design nods to the scene where the individual band members are bombarded by journalistsвЂ™ questions and photographersвЂ™ flashes. The 20 portraits (including one of the back of GeorgeвЂ™s head) were again taken by Robert Freeman, but this time, the shoot took place in the photographerвЂ™s London studio.Д«y now, The Fab Four had become friends with Freeman вЂ“ he and Lennon lived in the same apartment block.

Savage life album cover series#

Only now they are playing up to the camera, each pulling a series of faces. The Beatles вЂ“ A Hard DayвЂ™s Night (1964, cover art photograph by Robert Freeman)ДЄs with their previous LP, the cover art for 1964вЂ™s A Hard DayвЂ™s Night (the accompanying album to The BeatlesвЂ™ first feature film) consists of black and white portraits of each Beatle in matching polo necks and haircuts. As George Harrison said, вЂњThat cover was the beginning of us being actively involved in The BeatlesвЂ™ artwork.вЂќ

And he just sat us, вЂYou sit in front, thereвЂ¦вЂ™вЂќ The result is a truly iconic image four young men in matching haircuts and polo-necks, half-lit in black and white, and unsmiling вЂ“ itself a considerable departure for a pop act. found the end of a corridor, a little window where natural light spilled in at about 11 oвЂ™clock. As Paul McCartney recalled, the shoot on Augwas вЂњOne hour in a hotel. Taking inspiration from photos by their friend Astrid Kirchherr, Robert Freeman shot the album cover not in a studio, but the corridor of the Palace Court Hotel, Bournemouth, while The Beatles were on tour. While their first LP was rushed out to capitalize on their initial success, by the time of their follow up, With The Beatles, released on Novem(a date that goes down in American history for another reason), it was becoming clear that The Fab Four were no flash-in-the-pan. The Beatles вЂ“ With the Beatles (1963, cover art photograph by Robert Freeman) I took some shots, and I said, вЂThatвЂ™ll do.вЂ™вЂќ The shot that graced the cover art features the fresh-faced Fab Four grinning down at McBean from a balcony several floors above the lensman: вЂњI only had my ordinary portrait lens, so to get the picture, I had to lie flat on my back in the entrance. вЂњIt was done in an almighty rush, like the music,вЂќ recalled Martin. That same day, the group recorded вЂњFrom Me to You.вЂќ The zoo rejected the idea and, eventually, the location of EMI House in LondonвЂ™s Manchester Square was chosen, with a shoot arranged for March 5, 1963. (Martin and McBean had previously already worked on several comedy record covers.) The photo shoot was initially planned for outside the insect house at the London Zoo. At the time, as well as being the groupвЂ™s record producer, he was also the head of Parlophone Records. The album cover photo introducing The BeatlesвЂ™ 1963 debut album Please Please Me was shot by Angus McBean. The Beatles вЂ“ Please Please Me (1963, cover art photograph by Angus McBean) Looking to build your record collection with vinyl from The Beatles? The Sound Of Vinyl is offering a special discount for all readers that click this link.

Here are the stories behind some of The BeatlesвЂ™ iconic album covers. PepperвЂ™s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the simplicity of crossing Abbey Road rank as some of the most influential and enduring art of the 20th century, clearing the way for others like The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and countless others to go even further. Images such as the half-lit heads on With The Beatles, the psychedelic nostalgia of Sgt. But within a few short years, The Beatles album covers were works of art in their own right. Photography, illustration, graphic design вЂ“ Beatles album covers changed them all.Д«efore The Beatles, album art was designed to sell the contents вЂ“ song titles and sales messages on top of the artistвЂ™s bright image. And nowhere was this reflected more consistently than on their record covers. How they presented themselves was vital to what made them soвЂ¦ different. When they first emerged, the press was obsessed with their mop-top haircuts, their matching Cuban-heeled boots, their collarless jackets. Unlike their contemporaries on the music scene, whose style reflected the times, The Beatles invariably helped to establish fashion.вЂќ From their pre-fame days, they always had a look вЂ“ uniform, in every sense. In his book The Art of The Beatles, Mike Evans explained, вЂњtheir image was always unique. From the very beginning, a big part of The Beatles appeal was visual.