© Jill Furmanovsky (to buy this limited edition photo see below)
'Animals' was Pink Floyd's tenth album which was released on 23 January 1977. It was an iconic a concept album with lyrics that provided a scathing critique of the social-political conditions of late-70s Britain, and presented a marked change in musical style from their earlier work. 'Animals' was recorded at the band's studio, Britannia Row. The album's cover image, a pig floating between two chimneys of the Battersea Power Station was conceived by the band's bassist and lead songwriter Roger Waters, and was designed by long-time collaborator Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis.
Photographed as a homage in 2006 to the Pink Floyd album cover 'Animals' for the BBC series 'Britain In Pictures', photographer Jill Furmanovsky recalls of this image (above) "I had always been intrigued by the place and jumped at the opportunity to see the building properly. My idea was to reproduce the cover by legendary designer Storm Thorgerson. This was a challenging test for the Panasonic camera I was given by the BBC. To catch a flying pig (thrown in the air rather than flown as the real one had been) required split second timing and the camera was not up to it. However, I was able to strip the image together using Photoshop. "I am happy with the final result. It is still recognizable as a homage to 'Animals' but the decay adds an extra layer of melancholy."
As for the original photoshoot Website Brain Damage reported "On December 3rd, a second attempt to photograph the pig balloon over Battersea Power Station was cut short when the porcine dirigible broke loose and headed for friendlier skies, winding up over Southeast England after being refused permission to land at Heathrow Airport! Hipgnosis had designed the first cover only to have it rejected by Pink Floyd; after three shooting sessions they had enough material to construct the now famous cover. Pink Floyd have shared a long history with Hipgnosis beginning with A Saucerful Of Secrets. Now, with the Animals cover finished, they went on to design the songbook and tour programme both mirroring the desolation and savage graphics of the LP. A three minute video of the pig sessions exists, but this would not be the last time the balloon would fly."
Alternative Nation says of the album "After releasing their two most successful albums up until this point, Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You We’re Here, and being at a high point of their popularity, Pink Floyd released their most non-commercial and risky album of their career forty years ago, January 23, 1977. Many music critics didn’t give a positive review for Animals, in fact, one Rolling Stone writer called the album just a laser show looking for a soundtrack." The go on to say "However, many Pink Floyd fans see Animals as their buried treasure which was over shadowed by the success of their more commercial classics and a masterpiece that exemplifies the progressive rock genre."
There's no doubt that both the imagery and sounds of the album 'Animals' holds a special feeling in every Pink Floyd fans heart.
Rockarchive founder, Jill Furmanovsky is a British photographer who has documented iconic rock musicians and bands from Pink Floyd to Oasis.
Storm Thorgerson was an acclaimed music album designer known for his iconic work for Pink Floyd and many more bands
Photographed as a homage to the Pink Floyd album sleeve 'Animals' for the BBC series 'Britain In Pictures'.
For their first photo shoot, Colin Prime took the band down to Ruskin park. All the guys were in high spirits at the time
This stark image was a poster designed to promote the Pink Floyd exhibition, Interstellar, at the Paris Cité De La Musique in October 2003.
The idea of beds for the Momentary Lapse cover came from a line of lyric - ‘Visions of an empty bed’ (Yet Another Movie)
Roger and Nick on a train to Edinburgh, Dark Side of The Moon tour 1974. The band preferred to travel by train rather than bus or plane.
David Gilmour Dark Side Of The Moon tour 1974. Those Guinness t-shirts were popular on that tour. Roger had one too.
This is what The Wall looked like during an interval of the The Wall Tour at the The Coliseum in Uniondale, Nassau County, New York.
The design team Hipgnosis, had two main players - Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell. Po pictured here with David Gilmour and Roger Waters
David Gilmour playing backgammon (with Storm and Rick Wright) in his hotel room during the Dark Side of the Moon tour 1974.
David Gilmour in Studio 3, at Abbey Road Studios. The band were recording Have a Cigar that day for their new album Wish You Were Here .
Nick Mason, David Gilmour & Roger Waters during a sound-check for the Dark Side of the Moon UK tour.
Dick Parry has played some of the most unforgettable and sublime saxophone solos in the history of rock music - mostly with Pink Floyd.
Two consecutive frames joined together from a shoot of The Wall tour in New York in 1980
This was taken on the Division Bell Tour. The sound and lighting people in their headsets look like the crew of a space ship.
This was Pink Floyd’s first official photo shoot. Although a photographer by trade, Colin Prime’s other love was music
Pink Floyd in Abbey Road making a new album that became 'Wish You Were Here'. Jill Furmanovsky was asked to drop in and shoot some stills
Alternative version of the cover artwork for Pink Floyd's 1994 album 'Division Bell' designed by Storm Thorgerson
Alternative version of the image designed to advertise the Pink Floyd back catalogue in 1997 designed by Storm Thorgerson
Pink Floyd onstage at the Roundhouse, London in July 1967 less than a year after they performed at its opening party.
Jill Furmanovsky was the official photographer on the Dark Side of the Moon/Wish You Were Here UK tour, taking pictures over c.5 weeks
Storm Thorgerson with Dave Gilmour whilst rehearsing during the Dark Side of the Moon UK Tour.
Roger Waters, Roy Harper and Roy's son listen to a playback at Abbey Road Studios. Roy was guest vocalist on Have a Cigar.
Inner sleeve artwork for Pink Floyd's album Wish You Were Here by Storm Thorgerson
Version of the Interstellar poster art devised for the 2003 Pink Floyd exhibition in Paris
Cover art for the live single of Wish You Were Here. 'What you see is what you get - two lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl'
David Gilmour’s superb guitar solo during ’Comfortably Numb’ on PinK Floyd's The Wall Tour
A rare band shot from this period taken by a young Jill Furmanovksy at the start of her photography career
This was the first time Tony Collins ever saw Pink Floyd live. They played numbers from their new album 'Atom Heart Mother'.
David Gilmour taking a quiet moment backstage, during the Dark Side of the Moon tour 1974.
It's less than two months to go now until the first ever major international retrospective of Pink Floyd opens at the V&A.
50 years ago in London's Ruskin Park photographer Colin Prime took Pink Floyd for their first official photoshoot.
