A Small Journey Into Hipgnosis.

A music traveler can easily see, by pressing the time machine button, that in the early years of rock ‘n’ roll history things were happening, if nothing else, at a different pace and in a different way than today. Almost every decade there were terminal curves that peaked the artistic momentum of the creators of the time, captured the pioneering ideas and formed the new expressive paths. At such a point, in 1967, music seemed to be released and from time to time mapped into countless musical paths.

Simultaneously with it, the psychedelic visual art was revolutionizing, throwing in the trash the basic principles of design and message conveyance (advertising readable). The creative use of new techniques of the time (developments in lithography, film reproduction, retouching, screen printing, the discovery of the airbrush, etc.) contribute to the creation of colorful explosions on posters and album covers and of course new creative studios open one after the other. the other in cities in America and England.

In London, the first artistic design team to lead in 1966-67 was Hapshash (responsible for the psychedelic art of England). A second one in 1967-68 was Hipgnosis (responsible for its later rock / hard rock form). Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell move from Cambridge to London to study art and film. In the apartment they rent, their roommate is Syd Barrett, they hang out with Pink Floyd and for the first time they make a living designing book covers. The band asks if they can design something “spacey and psychedelic” for their second album, “A Saucerful of Secrets”. They seize the opportunity and the release of their first cover takes place (they first completed the design of Alexis Korner’s album – “A New Generation of Blues”). It was the second time since the Beatles that EMI released an album designed by an artist outside the company.

They see the name Hipgnosis they choose by chance, on a graffiti on the front door of their apartment building (quiz: Who wrote that phrase there?). Hip is the new and fashionable, Gnosis is from Gnostic (ancient knowledge, mystery) and all together it sounded like Hypnosis (why does hypnosis express itself in such times?). Then one brings the other. Photographs and cover design for EMI and slowly other companies of the time (Liberty, Philips, Epic, Island, Harvest, Charisma, Reprise, Polydor, Vertigo etc.) and among the first musicians to collaborate are The Gods (Uriah Heep), The Pretty Things, The Nice, The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Gun, Argent, Toe Fat, Gravy Train, Tree, Audience, Birth Control, T-Rex, Electric Light Orchestra, Edgar Broughton Band, Wishbone Ash etc. As the studio got to do dozens of successful jobs, there were plenty of people knocking on the door for a cover. Among the biggest names who finally chose one were: Renaissance, Al Stewart, Humble Pie, ELP, Roy Harper, Bad Company, UFO, 10cc, Wings, The Alan Parson Project, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Steve Harley, Hawkwind, Status Quo, Styx, Todd Rundgren, XTC, Scorpions, Steve Hillage, Rainbow, Def Leppard etc.

Meanwhile, graduating in the early 1970s, the two designers stop using their home for work and the darkroom of their school to display their photographs and set up their famous studio. By studying the art of photography more, being self-taught in the graphic arts and not being able to draw or paint well, the weight of the realization falls on the photographic art. Their covers are mainly the result of photographic expression or works that process the idea photographically. They almost always worked on draft sketches of an idea which they gradually implemented. Total or individual photos were taken naturally. Experiments on repetitive exposure techniques, collage techniques, retouching, coloring and other treatments during playback, various tricks in the darkroom, etc. were made on a case by case basis and brought the final result. I NOTE, of course, there were no PCs and Photoshop, right? Everything was done with patience and love.

I dare say that their style was photo (you) realistically strictly structured at the beginning of the concept / draft relationship (concept). Taking some first elements (from the band, from the music, from the lyrics, from anywhere else) they record some first ideas, outline them, plan their development and organize their production. Naturalistic mood, humorous look, serious romance, are some of their elements. The theatrical also dimension that the whole project took is something that characterizes their work. As directors, they guided their models and freezing moments is like presenting an entire film with one or a few images.

The ventures they have tried are countless. Naked models hung next to a row of slaughtered oxen for the Edgar Broughton Band record. In “Ummagumma” they photographed the band next to a mirror and put the previous photo in the mirror again or which was constantly repeated. In “Toe Fat” they photographed three naked men and a woman on the beach, removing their heads and putting their thumbs in place, while for Hydra they put snakes. In “Cochise” they experiment for the first time with the female breasts looking like mountains before sunset (similar idea to the naked bodies in “Flash – Out of our Hands”). In “Argus” they probably influenced the design of the costumes of Dark Vader in Star Wars and “Argent – In Deep” I think it is reminiscent of “Nevermind”. In “Wish You Were Here” they set fire to one of the two models in the photo and photograph them shaking hands, while in “Animals” they throw a huge balloon-pig over a power station building in London. In “Lovedrive” they pull a huge stick of gum from a woman’s bare breasts while, stopping, in “Ashra – Correlation” they photograph the model getting ready to breastfeed a wet snake penis.

Needless to say, how many people were eventually involved in the whole production. The duo, having started working with musicians and their sentimentality, spontaneity and perhaps narcissism or paranoia as well as their surroundings (producers, managers, company people, etc.) ended up organizing a series of technicians (makeup artists, models , luminaires, graphic artists, etc.). Naturally, the studio grew and now consisted of many internal or external collaborators. One of the names who went through Hipgnosis and collaborated with her was George Hardie, graphic designer and illustrator, who before the studio had designed Led Zeppelin’s first album and is considered to have been instrumental in his work on “The Dark Side Of The Moon “and” Wish You Were Here “- also contributed to the various logos on albums and sketches in general. Other collaborators are Colin Elgie (illustrator on Yes – “Tormato”, “Tales of Mystery and Imagination”, “Year of the Cat” etc.), Richard Manning and Richard Evans.

Another key member of the group since 1974 was the great Peter Christopherson, a photographer, graphic designer and musician in his early years, a founding member of Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV and Coil. So in parallel with painting dark landscapes of British underground culture and tradition, Peter has worked extensively on commercial television and advertising as well as on tons of designs and blueprints for 70s rock iconography. His “To Each” by A Certain Ratio. He claims, and I have no reason not to believe him, that hers (or I guess I imagine his own ideas) were “Animals” (remember the dark photos in the insert), “A Nice Pair”, “Wish You Were Here” and the (amazing) first three covers of Gabriel.

Jimmy Page is said to have entered the studio with “Argus” in hand and asked for something similar. There was no music or songs yet, no lyrics or titles, no specific idea. Powell was inspired by Arthur C Clark’s book, “Childhood’s End” and worked the idea on some rocks on the British coast at Giant’s Causeway. The end result excited Jimmy!

It is also said that the finale of “Houses of the Holy” is the second version. Thorgerson first gave Jimmy Page a blueprint for a green electric tennis court with a racket on it. Jimmy took it as an insult to his music, fired Storm and hired Powell!

When Yes stopped collaborating with legendary designer-painter Roger Dean and went to Hipgnosis, Powell photographed the futuristic buildings in LA, Century City on a journey that followed the Wings. As he developed the idea of ​​putting a naked man there, when Atlantic officials saw it, they reacted because they thought people would think that Yes was a gay group!

Rubbing pressure on a Polaroid photo as it appears was the way Peter Gabriel III (aka Melt) worked. Among hundreds of photos, Peter Gabriel finally loved one!

Floyd had asked the team something very simple about “Atom Heart Mother” and in fact the original cover was just a photo of the cow without any other information. It would be the band’s attitude to space rock and their statement that their music is beyond restrictions and musical genres. Of course, the head of the company, when he first saw it, almost regretted it!

During the “Animals” photo shoot, the giant balloon flew to Heathrow Airport, disrupting police and the control tower, disrupting air traffic and canceling flights as the plastic pig could not be easily caught by radar. . It is also reported that a farmer complained to the police that a giant pink pig scares his cows!

Finally XTC is said to have gone to the studio and said they did not want their cover to be related to those of Floyd. Somewhere there they saw a text on a sheet of paper that talked about some principles of cover design and its relationship to the whole sales process. They immediately told Storm that they wanted this for a cover. Genius!

The band disbanded in 1983, leaving some of the most iconic covers in British rock music history. Thorgeston continued to compose covers (as well as videos) for many celebrities such as The Cranberries, Catherine Wheel, Audioslave, The Mars Volta, Ween, Anthrax and others. (I remind you of the “Hey Drag City” collection with wild geese hanging over the fireplace, with its head cut off, isn’t it?).

As for my favorite cover? If I had to choose one, it would be the UFO “Phenomenon” with the pop art surreal representation of a typical urban 50s house that accepts the invasion of the flying saucer. But let’s take a look at the others …

Some Floyd …

1. A Saucerful Of Secrets (1968, Columbia EMI)

2. Ummagumma (1969, Harvest EMI)

3. Atom Heart Mother (1970, Harvest EMI)

4. The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973, Harvest EMI)

5. Wish You Were Here (1974, EMI)

6. Animals (1977, EMI)

… And The Other Classics

1. T-Rex – Electric Warrior (1970, Reprise)

2. Wishbone Ash – Argus (1971, MCA)

3. Edgar Broughton Band – Same (1971, Harvest EMI)

4. Led Zeppelin – Houses Of Holy (1974, Atlantic)

5. UFO – Phenomenon (1974, Chrysalis WEA)

6. Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974, Charisma)

The myth of Hipgnosis, in addition to the very covers we have in our rooms, come to complete dozens of stories around them. Thorgerson says his studio tactic was not to have a standard amount of charge, but to ask musicians or their company to pay as much as they think is worth what they get!

7. Peter Gabriel – I aka Car (1977, Atco)

8. XTC – Go2 (1978, Virgin)

9. Peter Gabriel – II aka Scratch (1978, Charisma)

10. Scorpions – Lovedrive (1979, Harvest EMI Electrola)

11. Peter Gabriel – III aka Melt (1980, Charisma)

Give Me More

1. Ashra – Correlation (1979, Virgin)

2. Syd Barrett – The Madcap Laughs (1970, Harvest EMI)

3. Birth Control -Operation (1971, Charisma)

4. The Nice – Elegy (1971, Charisma)

5. VA – Charisma Disturbance (1973, Charisma)

6. The Broughtons – Parlez-Vous English? (1979, Babylon)

7. Bad Company – Same (1974, Island)

8. 10cc – Deceptive Bends (1976, Mercury Phonogram)

9. Pretty Things – Silk Tropedo (1974, Sole Survivors)

10. AC / DC – Dirty Deeds (1976, Atlantic)

11. Steve Harley And The Cockney Rebel – Face To Face (1977, EMI)

Tightly Known

1. The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation – Same (1968, Bam Bam Blue Thumb)

2. Trees – On The Shore (1970, CBS)

3. Quatermass – Same (1970, Harvest EMI)

4. Climax Chicago – Tightly Knit (1971, Harvest EMI)

5. Argent – In Deep (1973, Epic)

6. Uno – Same (1974, Motors)

7. Strawbs – Deadlines (1977, Artista)

8. Bethnal – Crash Landing (1978, Polygram)

9. Freeze Frame, Godley Creme – Same (1979, Polydor)

10. Billy Karloff And The Extremes – Let Your Fingers Do The Talking (1971, Warner)

11. Riff Raff – Vinyl Futures (1981, Atco Atlantic)

Do You Think I’m Sexy

1. Cochise – Same (1970, United Artists)

2. Flash – Same (1971, Sovereign)

3. East Of Eden – New Leaf (1971, Harvest EMI)

4. The Caravan – 66-67 (1973, Charisma Respective)

5. Humble Pie – Thunderbox (1973, AM)

6. Capability Brown – Voice (1974, Passport)

7. UFO – Force It (1974, Chrysalis)

8. The Greatest Show On Earth – Same (1974, Harvest EMI)

9. The Winkies – Same (1974, Harvest EMI)

10. Montrose – Jump On It (1976, Warner)

11. Scorpions – Animal Magnetism (1980, Harvest EMI)

Better Been Obscured

1. The Gods – Best Of (1968, Columbia EMI)

2. Toe Fat – II (1970, Regal Zonophone EMI)

3. Roger Cook – Minister Of Flight (1973, Kama Sutra)

4. Roy Harper – Flashes From The Archives Oblivion (1974, Harvest EMI)

5. String Driven Thing – Please Mind Your Head (1974, 10th Century)

6. Wings – Venus And Mars (1975, Capitol)

7. Jakob Magnusson – Jack Magnet (1981 Iceland,)

8. Rainbow – Bent Out Of Shape (1983, Polydor)

9. Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias – Same (1976, WSEA)

10. Keith Christmas – Brighter Day (1974, WEA)

11. David Elliott – Same (1972, Atlantic)