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KIMONO MY HOUSE - PIC SLEEVE COVER ART
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The sleeve for the "Kimono My House" Lp was way ahead of its time : no band name or title, just two harshly-lit, slightly low-rent geishas, one shocked by something out of shot, one unshockable. No band name or title, just these japanese women on a green background. The geishas were supposed to look elegant and naughty. The photo by Karl Stoeker used for the front cover was an outtake that happened at the end of the session that everybody thought worked. The models posing on the green background were from the Red Buddha Theater. The girl on the left was Michi Hirota, the wife of famous percussionist Joji Hirota.
Manager John Hewlett had explained the "Kimono My House" album cover concept : The two geishas on the front, a large colour pic of the whole band on the back, and individual portraits of each member of Sparks on the innersleeve. Another possibility was a gatefold cover with the pic of the band posing with big letters (see at the bottom of this page), that was then used as a promo poster and, in black & white, as the tiny heading on top of the lyrics.
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For "Kimono My House" back cover, all the band members had chosen their favourite pic of themselves for the innersleeve. When the covers were printed in April, 1974 at the last moment, everything but the front cover had been redone. The back cover of the "Kimono My House" Lp shown a large full colour shot of Ron & Russell Mael but bassist Martin Gordon, guitarist Adrian Fisher and drummer Norman "Dinky" Diamond were reduced to small black and whites pics as a simple ”backing” group.
On the innersleeve there was another large pic of Ron & Russell Mael - this black & white photo became the front cover of "One And A Half-nelson" live bootleg Lp - and the pic of the whole band posing with big letters, was used on top of the lyricsheet.
The album cover photo was a simplified version of an original Ron Mael's concept design. The album cover of "Kimono My House", featuring the two slightly askew kimono-clad geishas with absolutely no mention of the band at all, has been voted among the best album covers of all time in almost every poll taken.
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Martin Gordon : "As manager John Hewlett, pursuing the group ethic of democracy, there will be a large group shot on the front. Or on the back, or inside. Somewhere, anyway. One day photographers arrive at the Furniture Cave to take live' pictures. (...) Complaints are made, not to their faces but to management, who convey then to the culprit on behalf of the powers that increasingly be. One snapper encourages me to wear what is apparently his aunt's cardigan. This photo, in which I haven't looked so disgruntled since my granny fell off the roof, is used as the main pic in the whole publicity campaign.
"When the album appears, the reverse captures my attention : There is indeed a large full colour shot but ho! it is of the two Americans. The Brits are reduced to small black and whites down one side. And even this is subject to Hewlett’s Machavellian interference. Having promised each musician that they could choose their own pic to appear on the record sleeve, he has over-ridden my selection with one of his own, wherein I appear to be an alien with a pointed head."
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Dinky Diamond - Ron Mael - Russ Mael - Martin Gordon - Adrian Fisher
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Another possibility for the "Kimono My House" album cover concept was a gatefold cover with a photo of the whole band posing with big red letters (green letters on this website !) but this version would have much resembled Karl Stoeker’s earlier gatefold for Roxy Music’s ”For Your Pleasure” Lp. So that pic of the band was used as a promo poster and, in black & white, as the tiny heading on top of the lyricsheet.
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Kimono alternative cover shot
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Among the photographers Sparks worked with were Alec Byrne and Barry Lategan. One day the band embarked upon a series of photoshoots with London's finest fashion snappers. Barry Lategan made the boys perform wonders before the camera so he made the boys wear apparel from his own wardrobe including the ”ghastly cardigan device” on Martin Gordon at one session. One snapper encouraged Martin Gordon to wear what was apparently his aunt's cardigan. Or it could be fashionable.
This photo, in which the bass player haden't looked so disgruntled since his granny fell off the roof, was used as the main pic in the whole publicity campaign, appears in innumerable magazines, was used as a picture sleeve and as a poster. Guitarist Adrian Fisher was less than enthusiastic about having to wear make-up. Adrian Fisher had had enough "poncing around" and developed a certain talent for being ill on photo days. - see all the pics...
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Most of informations regarding Sparks' "Kimono My House" cover concept on this webpage were obtained from Martin Gordon. Additional infos from Petteri Aro. Many thanks to Christophe "Outer Space" Horlin, check out his website at www.sparksfan.info. Unreleased back cover photo with the whole band from Martin Gordon's official website : http://www.geocities.com/martinjjgordon/
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