COVER STORIES
A book by Robert L. Heimall
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Finally It’s A Book!
For years every day started with coffee and the drawing board. Somewhere the drawing board went and the computer took it’s place. The ceremony remained the same, coffee, hit the on switch, turn up the music and off into design land for a lap around the imagination. How to best put forth the content of what was inside the cardboard jacket on a black piece of vinyl. How could the spirit of the music be illustrated with an image the the few words of text crediting the creators of the music … the exercise was fun and really difficult at the same time. I put up this particular activity away quite a few years ago. Other ventures and interests took my time and creativity. Over the years friends and associates being familiar with my background would say, “You ought to write a book.” The idea was put aside for a long time but it kept popping up and finally, after a "Devine Appointment" in Cielo, Republica Dominicana, I sat down to write what would turn out to be much more difficult than it appeared on the surface. Just remembering the time period was hard enough but remembering where, what, and why was even harder. I also felt compelled include my "Spiritual Journey" to complete the story. Well it’s finished, represented here is my first hand account of how many of the albums you’ve come to love and some of the artists, albums and music you might have missed came to be represented at your favorite record store or on the radio or MTV. My hope is to give the reader insight into how these albums came into being, and that the artwork is the music both inspired by The Creator! Available now at Amazon.com |
Introduction
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In a time when music is downloaded and stored on MP3 playlists, and music videos are just a YouTube click away, the art of packaging music seems to be fading. But for more than fifty years, musicians relied on masterfully designed album covers to establish their images and translate their statements about music and style to the public.
From the psychedelia of The Doors' Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine to the austere beauty of Carly Simon’s No Secrets, some of the most memorable and groundbreaking images of the last five decades have graced the covers of rock albums. The creative genius behind many of these is Robert L. Heimall. For every album Bob crafted, he retains an accompanying story about the artist, the creative process, the music he loved (it was always about the music) and the industry. Cover Stories is a collection of evocative, humorous, and sentimental stories that narrate the personal odyssey of Robert L. Heimall. Each short is the story behind Robert’s greatest album covers. The memoirs include a story about Robert’s first month at Elektra Records when he walked to his office and realized Jim Morrison in his green lizard skin suit was standing in the art departments doorway, leaning against the door jam, playing a flute with his back towards Bob, waiting to discuss the The Doors new album cover. The shorts are compiled chronologically to reveal a single narrative exposing the glamour and heartbreak of the music industry and the sensationalism of rock-n-roll. Cover Stories is a story unlike any other. Never before has such an opus of insight into the rock-n-roll industry been offered in a single book. Throughout his career, Robert Heimall rubbed elbows with rock’s biggest stars. While some relationships Bob was happy to keep professional, many of these music icons were his friends. Cover Stories provides the reader with a plethora of rock anecdotes, including; Bob’s recount of giving his girlfriend’s apartment to Cyndi Lauper; Bob’s first meeting with an awkward and insecure Carly Simon, and his final project with Simon, the glamorous star; the humbling experience of sifting through old photos of John Lennon with recently widowed Yoko Ono as the two attempted to create a cover for Milk and Honey. With each page, readers will learn more-and-more about the artists they adore, the albums they love, and the man who fashioned them. |
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