Marcus Chen
The cover art of Pink Floyd's ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here, released on 12 September 1975, features a photograph of two men shaking hands, one of whom is on fire. The image, designed by Aubrey Powell, is based on the band's relationship with major businesses and their record label, Harvest/EMI. The photograph was taken by Hipgnosis, who hired Hollywood stuntmen Ronnie Rondell Jr. and Danny Rogers to pose for the image. The album's songs contain lyrical criticism of the rock music industry and mainstream perception of the band at the time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Storm Thorgerson |
| Designer | Aubrey Powell |
| Album | Wish You Were Here |
| Band | Pink Floyd |
| Album Release Date | 12 September 1975 |
| Album Label | Harvest Records (UK), Columbia Records (US) |
| Themes | Longing, alienation, criticism of the music industry |
| Front Cover | Two men shaking hands, one of whom is on fire |
| Back Cover | Invisible man in a business suit |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The cover art was designed by Hipgnosis, a design team
The cover art for Pink Floyd's album "Wish You Were Here" was designed by Hipgnosis, a design team. The album, released in 1975, is the ninth studio album by the English rock band. The cover art features two men shaking hands, with one of them on fire. The concept for the cover art started with the Hipgnosis team listening to Pink Floyd's music and discussing the feelings it evoked, the intention of the lyrics, and the potential meaning of the album.
According to designer Aubrey Powell, the images are based on the band's relationship with major businesses, specifically their record label. The two men on the front cover represent one person getting burned by doing a business deal with the other. The back cover features an invisible man in a business suit, representing a salesman trying to sell a product, but the buyer doesn't know who the salesman really is.
The cover art was photographed at EMI Studios in London, where the album was recorded. The two men in the photograph are Hollywood stuntmen Ronnie Rondell Jr. and Danny Rogers, hired by Hipgnosis. Rondell, the man on fire, wore a special suit to protect him from the flames.
The themes of the cover art, including absence and the void of meaning, reflect the lyrical content of the album, which includes criticism of the rock music industry and mainstream perception of the band. The album also explores themes of longing, alienation, greed, and ambition. "Wish You Were Here" is now considered one of the greatest albums of all time, appearing on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums.
Setting Up Tiling Materials in Substance Painter: A Quick Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The cover photo was taken in 1975
The cover photo for Pink Floyd's ninth studio album, "Wish You Were Here", was taken in 1975. The album was released on 12 September 1975, through Harvest Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US. The photo features two men, both film stuntmen, shaking hands, with one of them on fire. The concept for the image was based on the band's complex relationship with major businesses and their record label, Harvest/EMI, in particular. The designer, Aubrey Powell, intended to capture the feeling of being burned by a business deal.
The stuntmen hired for the photo were Ronnie Rondell Jr. and Danny Rogers. Rondell took on the more challenging role of being set on fire, for which he wore a special suit. The photo was taken during the album's recording sessions, which took place at EMI's Studio Three (now Abbey Road Studios) from January to July 1975. The recording process was emotionally draining for the band, as they struggled to devise new material after the success of their previous album, "The Dark Side of the Moon".
The "Wish You Were Here" cover art has become iconic, with its themes of absence and void of meaning, reflecting the band's critical perspective on the rock music industry at the time. The album itself initially received mixed reviews but has since been acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time, appearing on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums.
Avoid a Mess: Wash Shirts Before Painting
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The two men on the cover are film stuntmen
The cover of Pink Floyd's album "Wish You Were Here" features two men, one of whom is on fire, shaking hands. The two men are film stuntmen Ronnie Rondell Jr. and Danny Rogers. Rondell was set on fire for the photograph, a process that presented challenges. Rondell had been doing a lot of fire-related work at the time and had the necessary equipment, including a special suit.
The album cover was designed by Hipgnosis, a design team, and Aubrey Powell. The concept for the cover was based on the band's relationship with major businesses and their record label, Harvest/EMI. The two men represent one person getting burned by doing a business deal with the other. This theme is reflected in the lyrics of the album, which include criticism of the rock music industry and mainstream perception of the band. The song "Welcome to the Machine" ends with a party, which epitomises "the lack of contact and real feelings between people". Similarly, "Have a Cigar" scorns record industry "fat cats" with the lyrics repeating a stream of cliches heard by rising newcomers in the industry.
The back cover of the album features an invisible man in a business suit, representing a salesman trying to sell a product. This image further emphasises the themes of absence and the void of meaning present in the album's lyrics and cover artwork. The designer, Storm Thorgerson, explained that the design process for Hipgnosis often involved listening to the music and discussing the intention of the lyrics and the album's overall message.
The album was released in 1975, and the band members found the recording process difficult and emotionally draining due to the success of their previous album, "The Dark Side of the Moon". Despite initial mixed reviews, "Wish You Were Here" has since been acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time, appearing on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums.
Creating Smoke and Mystery with Charcoal and Paint
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The flaming man is consumed by fire
The flaming man consumed by fire on the cover of Pink Floyd's album "Wish You Were Here" is indeed a real photograph. The image depicts two men, one of whom is on fire, shaking hands. The concept for the cover art was based on the band's complex relationship with the music industry, major businesses, and their record label, Harvest/EMI.
The photograph was taken by Hipgnosis, a design team that worked closely with Pink Floyd. The team's co-founder, Storm Thorgerson, explained that they started by examining the music, discussing how it felt to them, and interpreting the intention of the lyrics and the album's underlying themes. The result was a striking image that reflected the band's sentiments at the time.
The two men in the photograph are Hollywood stuntmen Ronnie Rondell Jr. and Danny Rogers. Rondell was set on fire for the shot, a challenging task that he accomplished with the help of special suits and equipment. The final image chosen for the album cover shows Rondell leaning forward and down, consumed by much more flame than in the alternate shot.
The cover art for "Wish You Were Here" has become iconic, with its powerful imagery reflecting the album's lyrical themes of alienation, longing, and criticism of the music industry. The album itself has also achieved significant success and acclaim, initially receiving mixed reviews but eventually being recognized as one of the greatest albums of all time.
Best Paint-by-Numbers Apps for Desktop Users
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![ART.COM Wall Photographic Print PINK FLOYD: THE WALL [1982], directed by ALAN PARKER., 16" x 24"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71zvF7D1heL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
The album topped European charts and sold 13 million copies by 2004
The English rock band Pink Floyd's ninth studio album, "Wish You Were Here", was released on 12 September 1975. The album topped the charts in several European countries and sold 13 million copies by 2004. The album's songs' lyrics variously express longing, alienation, and criticism of the music industry. The cover art for the album was designed by Aubrey Powell and is based on the band's relationship with major businesses and their record label. The two men on the front cover, who are film stuntmen, represent one person getting burned by doing a business deal with the other. The back cover features an invisible man in a business suit, representing a salesman whose true identity is unknown.
"Wish You Were Here" was recorded in numerous sessions throughout 1975 at EMI Studios in London. The album's lead single in France, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", was a big hit, and the song "Have a Cigar" was also released to help sell the album. The album initially received mixed reviews, with some critics finding the music uninspiring and inferior to Pink Floyd's previous work. However, it was later acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time, appearing on lists such as Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums.
The album's songs were written as a tribute to Syd Barrett, a co-founder of Pink Floyd who left the band due to his deteriorating mental health. Barrett coincidentally visited during the recording of "Wish You Were Here". The lyrics of the songs on the album, such as "Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun" and "You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon", fondly recall Barrett. The songs also criticise the rock music industry and the mainstream perception of the band at the time.
"Wish You Were Here" was Pink Floyd's first album with their new label, Columbia Records, although they remained with EMI in Europe. The album was certified gold in the UK and the US in its year of release and has been a commercial success, with sales of over 600,000 units by the end of 1975. The album's success continued in the following years, with sales of 800,000 units by the end of 1980. By 1991, the album had sold an estimated 1.1 million units, and by 2002, sales had reached 1.43 million copies.
Painted Mason Jars: Curing in the Oven
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The cover art features two men shaking hands, one of whom is on fire. Themes of absence and meaning play out as an executive-looking gentleman greets his doppelgänger. The flaming man is consumed by fire, representing one person getting burned by doing a business deal with the other.
The cover art was designed by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis.
The two men featured on the cover are Hollywood stuntmen Ronnie Rondell Jr. and Danny Rogers.
The cover art was inspired by the band's relationship with major businesses and their record label, Harvest/EMI. The artwork is meant to represent the band's lyrical criticism of the rock music industry and the mainstream perception of the band.
