There’s a big change to the second volume of the Island Book of Records… THE BACK COVER
It now gives fans a taste, a petite morseau if you prefer, of some of the albums featured inside our second volume covering the Island Records releases in 1969-70.
Most will recognise the dark green cover from the epic Nick Drake and Five Leaves Later,… the very scary face of In the Court of the Crimson King… the wood cut of John Barleycorn Must Die… the flapping dove of Emerson Lake & Palmer… and who could forget the magical sampler albums Bumpers, Nice Enough to Eat and You Can All Join in?
Another funny story from a photographer who told us the story behind the photo session at Speakers Corner, on the edge of Hyde Park London… one early morning when all the musicians were on their way to the Island offices to collect their wages… yeah right… none of them had been up that early before… and I guess the looks on the faces tell us that. One of the musicians Neil interviewed who was at the shoot was querying what size alarm clock was used for waking up Chris Wood and Steve Winwood. Or did they just stay up all night? And who were the ones who decided to smoke a joint before travelling to Hyde Park and got on the wrong underground line?
Also on the back cover are albums from Spooky Tooth, Cat Stevens, Jess Roden’s Bronco, Fairport Convention, Quintessence, Free, Traffic, Mott the Hoople, and Jethro Tull. Phew! that’s a full house!
