Disco Album Covers: Photos on Album Covers Usual Not the Artist

[garrybcoston]

Back in the Disco days, it was not uncommon to see a certain person or individual on an album cover, only to find out later on that that was not the person singing or performing the songs. Correct me if I am wrong, but during the Disco era, it was mostly about production credits rather than the Artist, and the singer or Artist was just a part of the production. Case in point, on one of Lorraine Johnson's albums, a model is photographed dancing. If you didn't ever buy her first album, you would think this model was Lorraine Johnson (and that model happened to be white by the way); careen to about 1988 when Black Box came out; disco was long dead, but the model on the cover was also portrayed on the video on MTV and many thought that this model was the singer/performer (who in fact was the notable dance/disco diva Martha Wash).

This went on for many years up until, I believe, the Martha Wash debacle (she later sued for the credits and won the case); not only was there a model gracing the cover of that CD/album, but it was Martha Wash and not that model that sung the majority of the songs on the album. This was possibly done because of Martha Wash's weight (she was extremely huge back then).

But back to Disco; there were many albums with models or other people on the album covers that many of us thought were the singer, but only later to find out they were just a model or part of the album cover photography. Only the huge Disco Stars (Donna Summer, etc.) would have their photos gracing the album covers.

In the present, it is all about the Artist and not necessarily about the Producer or the production (which is almost non-existent thanks to technology). But anyhoo, the majority of who you saw on disco album covers in the 70's, was not who was performing or singing the tunes!

Garry

[kdavid13]

I also think of the whole Loleatta Holloway/Black Box debacle (Ride on time) and the COLT models used on the very first Village People Lp - where only Felipe Rose can be seen in the group of guys.

[ehuerta]

I also remember

Chic (First album)
Musique - Keep on jumpin'
Voggue - Dancin' the nigth away
Technotronic

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

I also think of the whole Loleatta Holloway/Black Box debacle (Ride on time) and the COLT models used on the very first Village People Lp - where only Felipe Rose can be seen in the group of guys.

They weren't COLT models. There may have been a COLT model, in the bunch, but...
The shots are of the guys who actually sang the first LP, mixed-in with a couple guys from the street.

(we were across the street, on the pier doing God-knows-what, while they were doing the photo shoot for the cover.)

[SandraDee]

There were loads of LPs that didn't feature the actual artists on the cover. This is one thing that many people didn't like about disco - it's 'faceless' aspect, but I personally loved this - artists so often play such a minor role I find. One of my favourite covers is the first 'Poussez' LP as the models look like they should be the singers with their pouting lips, don't you think?

[kdavid13]

They weren't COLT models. There may have been a COLT model, in the bunch, but...
The shots are of the guys who actually sang the first LP, mixed-in with a couple guys from the street.

(we were across the street, on the pier doing God-knows-what, while they were doing the photo shoot for the cover.)

Just had to drag out the Lp and yeah maybe 1 Colt model sneaked in.
Now the question is...Maybe Joseph Moss (the actual photographer) should have been shooting you guys on the pier instead...

[garrybcoston]

There were loads of LPs that didn't feature the actual artists on the cover. This is one thing that many people didn't like about disco - it's 'faceless' aspect, but I personally loved this - artists so often play such a minor role I find. One of my favourite covers is the first 'Poussez' LP as the models look like they should be the singers with their pouting lips, don't you think?

I agree with you Sandra Dee; and...those models did in fact look like they were the singers and we all must admit, when we heard the songs we had those models in mind as being the singers/performers.

Though I found out later that they were models on most of the album covers, the models looked so damned cool, sensual, sexy, and even better suited than the person we found out later to be the actual artist.

Yeah, those models on the Poussez album covers were really discoish and I loved the way they were coming across with the poses through the photography. We did do a "disco album covers" thread in this forum somewhere, and we all brought many of those sexy, sensual covers out of the closet.

Oh well, dreams of days gone by and creativity and true art gone by.......

Garry:icon_smile: