Photographer Jill Furmanovsky in conversation with the late Storm Thorgerson, legendary British designer behind some of the most memorable album covers of all time.
"Many people agree that Storm Thorgerson is the best album designer in the world. Look at the evidence. By which I mean look at your collection of LPs." Douglas Adams from ’Eye of the Storm’ 2000.
He began Hipgnosis with Aubrey Powell in the 60’s, more by chance than anything, and ended up designing album covers for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis and many others. In 1983 he turned to videos by forming Green Back Films with Po and Peter Christopherson, and making clips for Paul Young, Yes, Robert Plant and Nik Kershaw, before disbanding in 1985. He later joined PMI, Harry Films and Lee Lacy and has been making films ever since.
Born, if that’s the word, in Potters Bar, Middlesex in 1944. Moved through Grays in Essex and Whitley Bay in Northumberland and settled in Cambridge. Educated at A.S. Neill’s Summerhill, the original free school. Disturbed early years were followed by exciting teenage life in the early 1960’s, in Cambridge, from which emerged several artists and musicians including Pink Floyd. Adolescence blighted only by parents’ divorce. Dedicated student for six years reading English at Leicester University and then studying Film and TV at the Royal College of Art.
Storm has written and produced some of the most essential books on album cover design ever, including ’Walk Away Renee’, ’Mind Over Matter’ and ’Eye of the Storm’. Many say that Storm Thorgerson could genuinely claim to be the 6th member of Pink Floyd, certainly his visuals for them and others have played an essential part in the psyche of rock and roll culture.
Sadly Storm passed away in April 2013, Rockarchive is honoured to showcase his work.
'I took the notion of an idea, that of a light bulb above a head'. Cover artwork for Alan Parson's second album On Air
Cover artwork for Alan Parson's 1993 album Try Anything Once - 'I imagined the great bungee jumpers of the sky dropping in '.
Cover art for Catherine Wheel's 2000 single Gasoline created using 300 8x6" colour prints temporarily attached to silver birch trees.
'Identical shapes, one mirror, one picture, one window. How would you know which was which? 'Cover art for Catherine Wheel's album Wishville
The cover art for The Cranberries single 'Promises' designed by Storm Thorgerson in 1999.
Album cover for Deepest Blue's 1994 release 'Is it a Sin' designed by Storm Thorgerson
Artwork for Ian Dury's 'Reasons to be Cheerful' designed in 2001 by Storm Thorgerson
Album artwork for Mars Volta's 'De-loused in the Comatorium' from 2003 designed by Storm Thorgerson and set in West London
Album cover for Mars Volta's 'Frances the Mute' created in Bedfordshire, UK in 2004 by Storm Thorgerson
Cover artwork for Muse's 'Butterflies and Hurricanes' released in 2004 and designed by Storm Thorgerson
Alternative version of cover artwork for Muse's 2006 album 'Black Holes & Revelations' designed by Storm Thorgerson
Intended album cover for Nigel Kennedy's 'Kreisler' released in 1998 and designed by Storm Thorgerson
'What more likely family to splinter than a glass family'. Commissioned for Offspring's 2003 album Splinter
'I envisaged the splinter as a sharp moon about to pierce the heart of a lover' Commissioned for Offspring's 2003 album Splinter
Cover artwork for O.A.R's 2005 album 'Stories of a Stranger' designed by Storm Thorgerson
'I thought of improvisation as a large ball of string (a melody as yet unravelled)'. Cover art for Phish's 1997 album Slip Stitch and Pass
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'
Inner sleeve artwork for Pink Floyd's album Wish You Were Here by Storm Thorgerson
This stark image was a poster designed to promote the Pink Floyd exhibition, Interstellar, at the Paris Cité De La Musique in October 2003.
Version of the Interstellar poster art devised for the 2003 Pink Floyd exhibition in Paris
The idea of beds for the Momentary Lapse cover came from a line of lyric - ‘Visions of an empty bed’ (Yet Another Movie)
Alternative version of the cover artwork for Pink Floyd's 1994 album 'Division Bell' 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.
Alternative version of the image designed to advertise the Pink Floyd back catalogue in 1997 designed by Storm Thorgerson
The artwork for Richard Wright, fabled keyboard player from popular rock and roll ensemble Pink Floyd, 1996 solo album Broken China.
