It was 37 years ago today

[Umma]

It was 37 years ago today - and Sgt Pepper cover has still failed to pay.

He may have produced the most famous album cover of all time. But, for Sir Peter Blake RA, ubiquity is not its own reward. Thirty seven years after he and his then wife created the cover of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the fact that they were paid a piddling £200 still hurts.

"Ever since, I have fought a vague kind of battle for some kind of fairness," the godfather of British pop art told the Guardian Hay festival yesterday.

Until recently, the battle had not been going altogether well. Five or so years ago, when the Apple label was preparing its Beatles anthology, Sir Peter was one of five artists asked to pitch a new cover design.

Read the rest here

[Shawn]

Was he happy with the 200 pounds at the time?

This wasn't a child or a guy speaking a foreign language, he was an artist that made a living selling his art. As it probably wasn't his first sale, he should have known at payout whether or not he was satisfied enough to allow them to use his work.

[DudeAsInCool]

I would think that a commission by the most popular artists in the world probably brought him other business... If he did it for free he still would have gained. Sounds like a cranky old dude to me. Getoverit, dude.

[nate]

same thing happened to R. Crumb

he made a cover for Big Brother and the Holding Company (Cheap Thrills), and got 600 dollars

he got pissed that he didn't get any residuals for the millions of pressings, and guess what he did?

he told anyone else who asked him to do an album cover to screw off

you can be a big baby, or move on (or learn the lesson that you need a better contract for your album cover deals)

do you see Klaus Voorman complaining that he isn't getting residuals for the "Revolver" cover? (if he is alive anymore that is)

[Redneck4sure]

I agree with all you guys! That's gotta be a first!! When is a deal a deal? If he agreed then it's a deal. If he had a contract that specified he got residuals for the number of pressings and they cheated him then that is different. It seems like he agreed on the price and then wanted more after he saw how popular the album was. Too bad!

He sounds like a liberal to me!

j/k j/k j/k!!!!!!!!

[KiwiCoromandel]

just listening to hot tuna doing a song called " whining boy blues "....seems appropriate that sir peter blake is sent a copy..

[DudeAsInCool]

do you see Klaus Voorman complaining that he isn't getting residuals for the "Revolver" cover? (if he is alive anymore that is)

Wasnt this guy also a musician and producer?

[nate]

Wasnt this guy also a musician and producer?

george harrison's solo albums he played bass (all things must pass notably) and lennon's "plastic ono band", he was also in manfredd mann, and played on randy newman's "short people", was the producer of da da da, the oddball song from trio on a volkswagen commercial

he did other album covers, including the covers for the beatles' "anthology" series

he's also one of the 18 people to claim the name "the fifth beatle" (or at least to have it thrust upon him)

[DudeAsInCool]

You, Sir, are an encyclopedia of Music and all things connected to it :good job: