More than just that banana!
June 22, 2014 7:33 AM Subscribe
Very cool flapjax, thanks. I knew about some of the more celebrated covers but had no idea he had such a body of accumulated cover work. This would be a fun exhibit to see but I don't think I'll be getting to Detroit over the next year!
posted by madamjujujive at 8:07 AM on June 22, 2014
posted by madamjujujive at 8:07 AM on June 22, 2014
This is great. Most people know Warhol's brash photograph/print style, but the earlier work is what grabs me.
posted by xingcat at 8:17 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by xingcat at 8:17 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Swedish title on that RATFAB sleeve puzzled me, so I had to Google a bit, and found an interview with Tomas Alfredsson of Let The Right One In / Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy fame:
When I was about 15 I was the drummer in a band called Ratfab, Roland and the Flying Albatross Band. Our bass player, Calle Häggqvist, had a very original grandfather, Arne Häggqvist. He lived in a little two-room flat in Fruängen with his huge art collection and organised literary salons in the basement. /.../ Every summer Arne sold a painting from his art collection to finance a trip for himself and his grandson Calle. That summer they were going to New York and would meet Andy Warhol himself at The Factory. When the band got to hear of this we told Calle: “You must ask if he can make us a logo!” And when Calle sat there with Warhol, he actually asked him. “Sure I can.”
(english translation via More on how I found out about the RATFAB cover in 2008)
posted by effbot at 8:19 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
When I was about 15 I was the drummer in a band called Ratfab, Roland and the Flying Albatross Band. Our bass player, Calle Häggqvist, had a very original grandfather, Arne Häggqvist. He lived in a little two-room flat in Fruängen with his huge art collection and organised literary salons in the basement. /.../ Every summer Arne sold a painting from his art collection to finance a trip for himself and his grandson Calle. That summer they were going to New York and would meet Andy Warhol himself at The Factory. When the band got to hear of this we told Calle: “You must ask if he can make us a logo!” And when Calle sat there with Warhol, he actually asked him. “Sure I can.”
(english translation via More on how I found out about the RATFAB cover in 2008)
posted by effbot at 8:19 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
(the Alfredsson interview also includes my favourite quote this week: "So, what music do you listen to?" "We don't know each other well enough to talk about that.")
posted by effbot at 8:22 AM on June 22, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by effbot at 8:22 AM on June 22, 2014 [5 favorites]
I really dig that subtle evocative Tennessee Williams sleeve. The Julia Warhola calligraphy is exquisite.
posted by ovvl at 10:02 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ovvl at 10:02 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
I really like his early line drawing work and love those jazz covers. He was so much better before Andy Warhol became "Andy Warhol".
posted by octothorpe at 11:04 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by octothorpe at 11:04 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
He had talent. I absolutely love the covers for Count Basie, Kenny Burrell, and Tennessee Williams. (As the text indicates, he really was phoning it in for Liza Minelli's cover, though!)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 11:33 AM on June 22, 2014
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 11:33 AM on June 22, 2014
Warhol’s second most iconic fruit. The apple design references the one shot from William Tell’s head.
Walter Tell's head. William Tell was the one shooting the crossbow.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:03 PM on June 22, 2014 [4 favorites]
Walter Tell's head. William Tell was the one shooting the crossbow.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:03 PM on June 22, 2014 [4 favorites]
I've always really liked the "Love You Live" artwork. It seems to really suit the vibe of the album, which is underrated, IMHO.
posted by davebush at 3:40 PM on June 22, 2014
posted by davebush at 3:40 PM on June 22, 2014
This was worth looking at just to find out that Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor sang backing vocals on Billy Squier's Emotions In Motion. I didn't know that.
posted by wittgenstein at 5:03 PM on June 22, 2014
posted by wittgenstein at 5:03 PM on June 22, 2014
Aretha Franklin
Aretha
(1986)
Aretha’s third LP, and the home to ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T’, the cover features Warhol’s final work before his death in 1987.
Er, no. Just no.
posted by Wolof at 7:49 PM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
Aretha
(1986)
Aretha’s third LP, and the home to ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T’, the cover features Warhol’s final work before his death in 1987.
Er, no. Just no.
posted by Wolof at 7:49 PM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
So if I find one of these records at the thrift store, is it worth a lot of money?
posted by Clustercuss at 8:46 PM on June 22, 2014
posted by Clustercuss at 8:46 PM on June 22, 2014
I'ma little embarrassed to admit that I had no idea he ever actually "drew" anything. I just assumed he found his niche and based his career off of manipulating existing images. That early stuff is pretty impressive.
posted by sourwookie at 9:17 PM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by sourwookie at 9:17 PM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
So if I find one of these records at the thrift store, is it worth a lot of money?
A relatively unscathed copy of the banana album cover with an unpeeled banana is worth several hundred dollars. I don't know about the rest. (Also, fwiw, a pristine Beatles White album with a very low serial number can be worth thousands.)
posted by mrhappy at 10:12 PM on June 22, 2014
A relatively unscathed copy of the banana album cover with an unpeeled banana is worth several hundred dollars. I don't know about the rest. (Also, fwiw, a pristine Beatles White album with a very low serial number can be worth thousands.)
posted by mrhappy at 10:12 PM on June 22, 2014
the earlier work is what grabs me.
What surprised me about it is how typical it seems of the stuff from that era found in today's 99c bins. I don't know if that's a result of his influence or Warhol intentionally making record sleeves look like other contemporaneous record sleeves.
posted by Hoopo at 8:42 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
What surprised me about it is how typical it seems of the stuff from that era found in today's 99c bins. I don't know if that's a result of his influence or Warhol intentionally making record sleeves look like other contemporaneous record sleeves.
posted by Hoopo at 8:42 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
The commentary is puerile. Misspellings, superficial ("we think this is awesome!") comments, inaccuracies (William Tell SHOT the apple, dumbasses).
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:41 AM on June 23, 2014
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:41 AM on June 23, 2014
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posted by Ian A.T. at 8:01 AM on June 22, 2014 [1 favorite]