Famous Album Covers Shot in London
August 18, 2024 | Tagged: United Kingdom
I made a day trip to London to search out the places where the covers of some of the most iconic albums were shot (updated August 2024).
|
|
|
|
6 Famous Album Covers that were shot in London:
- Absolutely - Madness
- The Clash - The Clash
- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie
- (What's the Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
- Abbey Road - The Beatles
- Animals - Pink Floyd
1. Absolutely - Madness
While not a fan of Ska per se, their biggest and perhaps most popular hit, and also my favourite, Baggy Trousers which reached No. 3 in the charts was released in 1980, the year I went to senior school.
Baggy Trousers was a track on the Absolutely album, the cover of which, was shot outside Chalk Farm underground station in Camden. The members of Madness were from Camden.
Absolutely reached No. 2 in the UK album charts.
Baggy Trousers was a track on the Absolutely album, the cover of which, was shot outside Chalk Farm underground station in Camden. The members of Madness were from Camden.
Absolutely reached No. 2 in the UK album charts.
2. The Clash - The Clash
Debut studio album by The Clash, released in 1977.
The album cover was taken by Kate Simon on what is now known as The Clash Steps in Camden Market and features Joe Strummer, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon.
Back then the steps were just a ramp.
The Clash reached No.12 in the charts in the UK.
I didn't follow The Clash but my favourite song and also, I found out, on the way back from London, is Miss CDMXs favourite too, is London Calling, which is on their 3rd studio album "London Calling"
The album cover was taken by Kate Simon on what is now known as The Clash Steps in Camden Market and features Joe Strummer, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon.
Back then the steps were just a ramp.
The Clash reached No.12 in the charts in the UK.
I didn't follow The Clash but my favourite song and also, I found out, on the way back from London, is Miss CDMXs favourite too, is London Calling, which is on their 3rd studio album "London Calling"
3. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie
This is my favourite album from David Bowie and if I had to choose 'My Top 5 Albums', this would definitely be up there. Back in the day, I had it on cassette tape.
The album cover is taken outside his studio on Heddon Street.
The album cover is taken outside his studio on Heddon Street.
Last week I backpacked Aylesbury.
The opening track on the album is "5 Years" and the opening line, 'Pushing through the market square', is inspired by the market square in Aylesbury.
Bowie had performed in Aylesbury 2 weeks before he wrote that song.
A statue, entitled Earthly Messenger, was erected in 2018, just off the market square, dedicated to David Bowie who passed in 2016.
The opening track on the album is "5 Years" and the opening line, 'Pushing through the market square', is inspired by the market square in Aylesbury.
Bowie had performed in Aylesbury 2 weeks before he wrote that song.
A statue, entitled Earthly Messenger, was erected in 2018, just off the market square, dedicated to David Bowie who passed in 2016.
Back to Heddon Street, I took a meal in a glass, Guinness at The Starman, another track on the Ziggy Stardust album.
A second pint of the infamous Guinness and the words started to flow. 30 minutes later and the blog post was drafted.
A second pint of the infamous Guinness and the words started to flow. 30 minutes later and the blog post was drafted.
4. (What's the Story) Morning Glory - Oasis
Can't say I am a huge fan of Oasis but their songs are classic, and the lyrics absolutely genius.
Having grown up in the 80s listening to The Rolling Stones, Status Quo, The Who, Pink Floyd and other such bands who will be forever remembered, I found much of the stuff produced in the mid-90s and beyond, to be little more than one-hit wonders. Here today, literally forgotten tomorrow.
But Oasis left their mark.
(What's the Story) Morning Glory was the second studio album by Oasis. The album features hits including 'Wonderwall', 'Roll With It' and 'Don't Look Back in Anger'.
Released on 2 October 1995, the album cover was shot at 5 am on Berwick Street:
Having grown up in the 80s listening to The Rolling Stones, Status Quo, The Who, Pink Floyd and other such bands who will be forever remembered, I found much of the stuff produced in the mid-90s and beyond, to be little more than one-hit wonders. Here today, literally forgotten tomorrow.
But Oasis left their mark.
(What's the Story) Morning Glory was the second studio album by Oasis. The album features hits including 'Wonderwall', 'Roll With It' and 'Don't Look Back in Anger'.
Released on 2 October 1995, the album cover was shot at 5 am on Berwick Street:
Around the corner from Berwick Street, I snuck into a record shop and found 2 of the albums featured here: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars and The Clash:
|
|
The 4 albums featured above were done in one day, March 2023.
My final '5 Album Covers Shot in London' was from when I backpacked London, back in January:
My final '5 Album Covers Shot in London' was from when I backpacked London, back in January:
5. Abbey Road - The Beatles
The Abbey Road album was released on 26 September 1969 and recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
The album cover features George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon on the Abbey Road Crosswalk outside the Abbey Road Studios.
My favourite track from this album is Harrisons' "Here comes the sun".
I couldn't find the album to take a photo but am sure you all know what the original looks like ;)
The album cover features George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon on the Abbey Road Crosswalk outside the Abbey Road Studios.
My favourite track from this album is Harrisons' "Here comes the sun".
I couldn't find the album to take a photo but am sure you all know what the original looks like ;)
6. Animals - Pink Floyd
This blog post has been updated to include Animals by Pink Floyd where an inflatable pig was hung from the 2 southern towers of Battersea Power Station. It is now impossible to replicate the shot as the building from where the photo was taken is long gone and the view is blocked by new developments.
And here, is a sneaky music-related addition as it's not an Album Cover but a video that was shot in London.
Bonus. Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
Am a huge fan of Bob Dylan. My Favourite track is a hard one to choose from such a catalogue. But if I have to choose, it's a toss-up between Rolling Stone or Hurricane but Subterranean Homesick Blues is definitely a good one too.
Subterranean Homesick Blues appeared on the Bringing It All Back Home album.
Subterranean Homesick Blues appeared on the Bringing It All Back Home album.
The video for which was taken in an alleyway behind the Savoy hotel in London where Dylan was staying.