My copy of “The Velvet Underground & Nico 45th Annivesary DeLuxe 6CD Set” arrived yesterday and it is really exciting. It has a peelable banana on the cover and includes both the stereo and mono versions of the original album, as well as the 1966 Scepter Studios version previously released under the title “Unripened”. Added to this is a remastered version of Nico’s 1967 album “Chelsea Girl” and a Velvet Underground live recording from November 1966. But what I really found exciting was the 80 page book with historical photos from the band’s early days. Great! The book alone is worth the $70 or so that the set cost.
Warholcovers has previously commented on several covers purported to have illustrations by Warhol that have been for sale on Ebay. These are usually early Columbia Records LPs with Alex Steinweiss’ colour blocks and line drawings by various artists, most prolific of whom was probably Darrill Connelly who worked with Steinweiss at Columbia in the late forties, before Steinweiss moved on. Such titles as “Salome” and probably the “Elijah” three record set that are often put up for sale as being Warhol covers are by Connelly. I would also guess that the Debussy “French Song Recital” by Jennie Tourell and the Prokofiev/Respigi “Scythian Suite/Feste Romane” are also Connelly’s work – they definitely are not by Warhol.
The only genuine Columbia Warhol LP covers seem to be the Carlos Chavez “A Program of Mexican Music” and Prokofiev*s “Alexander Nevsky”. “The Nation’s Nightmare” – a classic Warhol cover – was released by Columbia Special Products, so qualifies as an early Columbia LP with Warhol art.
More covers are being suggested to be Warhol designs. Among the latest is The Darling Buds’ single “It’s All Up to You” released on both 7 and 12 inch vinyl with what looks like a variation of  Warhol’s “Flowers” design – but without the grassy background. There is an acknowledgement to Warhol’s Flowers on the rear sleeve. So I’d class this as heavily influenced by Andy Warhol, but not a true Warhol cover.

The past few days have seen several additions to my collection of Warhol covers.

I have constructed a mock-up of the “Progressive Piano” cover – the Warhol illustration that was never released, as a single 7 inch EP. However, I suspect that it was probably intended to be a double, gatefold EP, much like the Artie Shaw “Both Feet in the Groove” EP set, as there are eight titles on the cover and 7 inch EPs usually only include four tracks. I have used the standard RCA back cover. Perhaps I may get round to making a gatefold double pack one day.

Thanks to Frank “warholcovers” Edwards who tipped me off to the fact that Swedish punk band Enola Gay’s 1981 single “Döda djur / Storstad” (tranlsates to Dead animals / Big city), which uses Andy Warhol’s Bela Lugosi print on the record label and on the rear cover. So, yesterday, I went to my local purveyor, who naturally, had a mint copy in stock. Tis now is included in my collection. I was a little worried that the print was a still from a Warhol film, rather than a print. I have hitherto restricted my collection of Warhol covers to only include those that use Warhol designs, illustrations or prints and not film stills (such as those on many of The Smiths’ covers.) So the use of the Bela Lugosi print means I can include this in my collection.

Here’s a little background information on the Band Enola Gay. This Swedish punk band formed in 1978 under the name Usch. The group was heavily influenced by The Clash, The Sex Pistols and Sweden’s Ebba Grön. The released a couple of singles of which “Döda djur / Storstad” (translation: Dead Animals / Big City) which was released in 1981, under the band name Enola Gay just prior to the group disbanding.

And, today, I received my long-awaited copy of “Latin Rhythms” By Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops. One of the three early Warhol covers lacking in my collection. A nice, near mint copy. Here are the photos of all three additions.

In 1998 Nick Cave’s book “And the Ass Saw the Angel” used a photograph of a Banksy image on the cover. This was the same year that the first record cover stencilled by Banksy appeared in Bristol. My question is: ” How did Penguin Books recognise Banksy’s art so early?” – or was it Nick Cave that had the idea?

As the image appears on a book by a music icon, I will include this book in my collection of Banksy covers.