One of the main reasons people around the world know the Power Station is because of the Pink Floyd album cover for ‘Animals’. Everyone could sketch it within seconds a rectangle with four tall white chimneys at each corner. Pink Floyd, Animals: Battersea Power Stationīattersea Power Station has to be one of the most iconic buildings in London. Pub quiz fact: The back cover of the album features a photo of the 1976 riot in Notting Hill Carnival which inspired the track ‘ White Riot’ on the album. The building is now home to the wonderful Proud Gallery and the trolley ramp (now steps) are still there for fans to re-create the cover. One of London’s most famous and influential bands of the time was The Clash whose debut album featured the band mimicking The Ramones’ debut album cover posing on the trolley ramp outside Rehearsal Rehearsals in Camden Market. Suddenly bands such as Pink Floyd and Yes seemed completely out of date as kids realised they could get by with just three chords and attitude. The Frankenstein’s monster of punk had been jolted awake by the electricity coming off the albums of The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, MC5, Suicide, New York Dolls and The Ramones, who had released their debut album in 1976 and played a legendary show at The Roundhouse in July of the same year. In 1977 London was held together by a safety pin. The Clash, The Clash: ‘Rehearsal Rehearsals’ Camden Market
Pub quiz fact: In 2002 Pulp released the single ‘Bad Cover Version’ featuring their guitarist Mark Webber as a child recreating the Ziggy Stardust cover shot. The back cover was shot inside a telephone box on the same street. The cover was shot outside the K West on Heddon Street (just off Regent Street). Film buffs will probably know this version of ‘ Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide’. Others will know the song ‘ Suffragette City’ from playing Rock Band. Yes, Bowie may be wearing a onesie made from your Grandma’s duvet cover and sporting teeth sharp enough to bite through guitar strings, but give that performance a watch and you’ll see exactly why he was ‘the nazz with God given ass’ back in 1973. Older readers will know the classic Top Of The Pops performance of ‘Starman’. It’s based loosely around a story involving an alien that, when explained, sounds a bit rubbish… so don’t pay any mind to the concept, just listen to how good the record still sounds nearly 40 years after its release. This was the album that catapulted Bowie onto the bedroom walls of a million teenagers. David Bowie, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: 23 Heddon Street, W1 Pub quiz fact: The sleeve was designed by Apple Records’ creative director Kosh and is the only original UK Beatles album sleeve to include neither their name or the album title. Photographer Ian Macmillan was given ten minutes to climb a stepladder while a policeman stopped traffic and at approximately 11.30 am on 8 August 1969 music history was made.Ĭonspiracy theories that stated Paul McCartney was dead and replaced in the band by a look-a-like went into overdrive after the release as the number plate on the Volkswagen Beetle behind the band read LMW 28IF - 28 being McCartney’s age, had he still been alive.
They put aside their differences and pulled a blinder with the album which contains not one single bad tune (we’ll settle with fisticuffs anyone who says that the macabre ‘ Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ is a dud, even if Lennon referred to it as ‘More of Paul’s granny music’!) They got together for what was pretty much acknowledged beforehand by all as their last album. Go there on any day of the week and you'll see the traffic being held up as Beatles fans from around the world recreate the cover.Īt the time of recording The Beatles were on the verge of splitting up, triggering their downward spiral toward law suits and slanging matches in the press. Anyone who loves music and lives in London has made / has plans to make / has been too-cool-for-school-and-deliberately-avoided-making a pilgrimage to the most famous road crossing in the world.