PHOTORECORD | THE HARLOW

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PHOTORECORD NR. 8, BEAUTIFUL SON/20 YEARS IN THE DAKOTA/OLD AGE

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Teresa Cannata'

Released in April 1993 on the Berlin-based record label City Slang, Beautiful Son is the 4th single of the American band Hole, which included frontwoman Courtney Love, drummer Patty Schemel, bassist Leslie Hardy (at the time of the release she had just left the band) and guitarist Eric Erlandson. The cd and 12” formats also contain 20 Years in the Dakota (a song about post-Lennon Yoko Ono) and Old Age.

“You look good in my dress,” sang Love in Beautiful Son, referring to her own husband Kurt Cobain, who liked crossdressing since he was a child. The picture of 7-year-old Cobain, wearing a blue turtleneck, mischievous look in his eyes, is on the cover, surrounded by a number of gift bows, a girly touch personally designed by Love.

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PHOTORECORD NR. 7, MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Editorial Staff

Released on October 24, 1995 on Virgin Records, “Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness” is the third album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. In explaining what he wanted for this album cover Billy Corgan said : “ This is psychedelic music by a heavy metal band from the 1920s.” The illustrations, typography, and papers used for the artwork all reflect this 20’ies mood. Designed by Frank Olinsky’s Design Firm, art directed by Billy Corgan and Olinsky himself, with illustrations by John Carig and photos by Andrea Giacobbe, this is one of the best Album Covers we ever seen. It was just ahead, many years ahead. And last but not least, we adore typefaces used: Gill Sans, Glorietta and Le Petit Trottin were used. Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, literally the spec of an entire generation.

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PHOTO RECORD NR. 6, CULTURE CLUB

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Editorial Staff

The second album by the British new wave band Culture Club,Colours by Number was released in October 1983. Preceded by the hit single Karma Chameleon, it reached number one in several countries. In the UK it sold more than 10 million copies. Cover photo by photographer David Levine.

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PHOTORECORD NR. 5, MAXWELL

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Editorial Staff

One of the sexiest Albums ever produced. “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” was the debut album of American singer Maxwell. Released on April 2 1996, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite was a tribute to the modernization of classical R&B and featured songs focused on adult romances from first encounter to its dramatic conclusion examining the concept of love, sex and spirituality. The album’s cover artwork features a picture of a pair of golden women’s shoes on the floor of a hotel room, with the bar coding prominently displayed. Maxwell didn’t want to appear on the cover and had to fight with record label for his ideas. “I wanted people to have the facts: the title, the selections and the fact that you had to basically buy it. I wanted people to come to the music and not base any opinion on the image”. Columbia Records reached a compromise and used a promotional shot of him as the back cover, taken by photographer Eric Johnson, while the beautiful photo of golden shoes remained uncredited.

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PHOTORECORD N.6, BJoRK

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Editorial Staff

Released in July 1993, Debut was the second studio album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Bjork. Recorded in the United Kingdom, Björk worked on the album with producer Nellee Hooper. The album mostly consisted of love songs relating to subjects such as her boyfriend Dominic Thrupp, her producer Nellee Hooper and to love of life itself. The Amazing cover photo was shot by photographer Jean Baptiste Mondino.

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PHOTO RECORD NR.5, JANET JACKSON

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Editorial Staff

Releasing date: 22 September 1997. “Got ‘Till It’s Gone” written by Janet Jackson, featuring Q-Tip and Joni Mitchell, was the anticipation single taken from Jackson’s sixth album, The Velvet Rope. Despite being a risk, it was a totally out of the mainstream sound, this song received very warm critics and a very well deserved Grammy Award for “Best Short Form Music Video”. “Got ‘Till It’s Gone” reached number one in several countries and marked the return of Jackson to the scene after a period of struggle with depression and intimacy. Considered a fusion of Jackson’s pop style with “harder-edged hip-hop” this song remains an excellent work and a must listen for new generations. The video for “Got ’til It’s Gone” was directed by Mark Romanek and filmed at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Jackson portrays a lounge singer in the video, which takes place during the time of apartheid in South Africa. Inspired by a blend of ’60s and ’70s African culture and the work of photographer Malick Sidibé it won many prizes and certainly fashion oriented people’s heart. The cover of “Got ‘Till It’s Gone” was released during the filming and was shooted by rock-pop superstars photographer Eddie Wolfl. Joni Mitchell never lies.

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PHOTORECORD NR.4, CAROLE KING

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Editorial Staff

Tapestry by Carole King was released in 1971 and was one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. The cover had been shot by photographer Jim McCray who was on the verge of shooting one of his most famous images when he stopped to ask singer Carole King if the cat sleeping across the room could be part of the tableau. He remembered the results of a Kodak survey that found “after children, the most popular thing people photographed was their own cats”. King assured him that her pet was docile, he carried the tabby and its pillow to the window ledge and into the frame. By the third click of his camera, the cat had slipped away but McCrary had what he needed: a picture of both the barefoot songstress and her whiskered feline that became the cover of King’s landmark.

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PHOTORECORD NR. 3

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Editorial Staff

The French wonder girl comes back with a new record after many years, and Joe Le Taxi, with a brand new look and a more International approach. In a relationship with Lenny Kratvitz, that produced this little pop gem, Vanessa is maturing and looking, more and more, as the brunette Brigitte Bardot. Remarkable songs : Sunday Mondays, The Future Song.

Title: Vanessa Paradis

Photo cover: Jean Baptiste Mondino

Relasing year: 1992

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PHOTORECORD NR. 2, THE SMITHS

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Editorial Staff

Hand in Glove. The very first single of The Smiths, 13 May 1983.

Great care was given by the Smiths for their album covers. A unique visual style, able to establish a consistent visual aesthetic. The Smiths covers were immediately identifiable. The band never appeared on their covers. Glamourous, erotic, iconographical, nostalgic and gender ambiguous. Images depicted cinema stars and pop culture in general. Morrissey chose all the covers, under the artistic direction of his personal assistant Jo Slee. ” The covers were an integral part of the group”- according to Geoff Travis (Rough Trade) – ” And Morrissey was the best to create them. We never made suggestions to make it better.”

” The rest of the band had no involvement in the creation of the covers ,” said Johnny Marr “I was more than happy to go that way. Because every time I saw the artwork I’ve always been happy, impressed and surprised. What Morrissey did was to take all these influences that meant something to him, coming from very different places , and give them continuity . fans of The Smiths could identify immediately. “

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PHOTORECORD NR. 1, SUEDE

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Editorial Staff

Introduction to Photorecord.

Every Friday The Harlow will make some space to historical-beautiful record covers that marked a phase of our lives. Record Covers are often real works of art but most of all, they encapsulate an epoch and revamp our memories even before listening the music they were created to help in selling. The importance of these images is doubtless and fundamental in everybody’s life.

This week’s

Title: Suede

Relasing year: 1993

Photo work is a gender-ambiguous cover art that provoked controversy. The kissing couple was taken from the 1991 book Stolen Glances: Lesbians Take Photographs edited by Tessa Boffin and Jean Fraser. The photograph was taken by Tee Corinne and it shows a woman kissing an acquaintance in a wheelchair.