From Ultimate Classic Rock.
Louisa Livingstone, the black-robed woman on the cover of Black Sabbath‘s debut, has spoken about the experience in recognition of the album’s 50th anniversary.
At the time, Livingstone was a model in her late teens, and photographer Keith “Keef” Macmillan chose her, in part because she was only five feet tall, thereby making the scenery around her look big. Macmillan chose Oxfordshire’s Mapledurham Watermill, a historic building that dates back to the 15th century, because he thought it fit the dark, gothic sound of the band, and the two went there one morning.
“I remember it was freezing cold,” she told Rolling Stone. “I had to get up at about 4 o’clock in the morning. Keith was rushing around with dry ice, throwing it into the water. It didn’t seem to be working very well, so he ended up using a smoke machine. It was just, ‘Stand there and do that.’ I’m sure he said it was for Black Sabbath, but I don’t know if that meant anything much to me at the time.”
“She wasn’t wearing any clothes under that cloak because we were doing things that were slightly more risqué, but we decided none of that worked,” he added. “Any kind of sexuality took away from the more foreboding mood. But she was a terrific model. She had amazing courage and understanding of what I was trying to do.”
Despite her work on the cover, Livingstone, now an electronic musician who works under the name Indreba, never gravitated towards the music. But for Macmillan, the cover shoot was an entry into a whole new world. “To be honest, it was the first time I really enjoyed that kind of heavy rock,” he said. “But that album made me a fan for life.”
Explore eil.com & 991.com sister – the world’s best online store for rare, collectable & out of print Vinyl Records, CDs & Music memorabilia since 1987.
EIL.COM Favourite Music Update Rare CDs, CD Singles, Rare Records, Vinyl Records, Albums and Music
- Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell + Obi - Japanese - vinyl LP - £75.00, $93.75, €88.50 (New Item) (arrived 21-May-2022 09:35)on May 21, 2022 at 5:46 pm
BLACK SABBATH Heaven & Hell (1980 Japanese 8-track LP, arguably the best Ronnie James Dio era album, housed in a deluxe picture sleeve with Japanese/lyric insert & band portrait obi-strip. The packaging shows little of its age & the vinyl is Excellent with the odd light cosmetic sign of play RJ-7672)
- Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - 1976 Issue - RCA Sticker - UK - vinyl LP - £40.00, $50.00, €47.20 (New Item) (arrived 26-Apr-2022 11:22)on May 21, 2022 at 5:46 pm
BLACK SABBATH Black Sabbath (1976 UK NEMS issue of the 1970 7-track LP, housed in a gatefold picture sleeve ['3 Hill Street London' address on back] reproducing the original album artwork with 'Marketed by RCA' sticker attached. The sleeve shows minor age wear whilst the vinyl is excellent with light signs of play only NEL6002)
- Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - 2nd + Inner - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £75.00, $93.75, €88.50 (Back In Stock) (arrived 06-Apr-2022 09:58)on May 21, 2022 at 5:46 pm
BLACK SABBATH Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973 UK second issue 8-track vinyl LP with silver label logo, complete with textured lyric inner, gatefold picture sleeve with the inside image going all the way to the outer edges without a border & the rear stating 'Manufactured and printed in England' with no reference to 'Howards Printers'. This issue is identicle to the first, but has 'Album concept and design: Pacific Eye & Ear...' credit in bold on the reverse of the sleeve WWA005) See'More Info' ...
- Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - 2nd + Inner - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £60.00, $75.00, €70.80 (New Item) (arrived 06-Apr-2022 10:02)on May 21, 2022 at 5:46 pm
BLACK SABBATH Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973 UK second issue 8-track vinyl LP on the black & silver label with silver 'WWA' label logo, housed in matt gatefold picture sleeve with the inside image going all the way to the outer edges without a border. The rear of the sleeve states manufactured and printed in England with no reference to 'Howards Printers' and has 'album concept and design: Pacific Eye & Ear...' credit printed in a bold print on the back. This copy also contains the original lyric inner that has no tears or seam splits. The sleeve is VG with a small nick in the back opening edge and some general storge wear, whilst the vinyl shows few signs of play. A superb play copy of this fantastic Sabbath album WWA005)
- Black Sabbath - Paranoid - Dutch - vinyl LP - £25.00, $31.25, €29.50 (New Item) (arrived 13-Apr-2022 13:01)on May 21, 2022 at 5:46 pm
BLACK SABBATH Paranoid (1976 Dutch NEMS issue of the 1970 8-track LP, housed in a matte gatefold picture sleeve with 'Printed & made by Almere Printing bv, Holland' print on the inside right panel. The sleeve shows some light corner bumps & edge scuffing whilst the vinyl is clean & grades EX/EX- with just faint paper scuffs not affecting play NEL6003)
Be the first to comment