My -Almost- Rock Art Album Destiny: "pinged" by mdmc's 1988 music thread

I don't think I've told this story here.

Any other year mentioned would hardly ever bring up this memory, and even thinking of, or listening to this particular band, as I still do, would either.

This took a few years to get over.

Background story.
So my sister, and I along with a few other friends were concert going rock fans for decades! We shared several serious fandoms. With only occasional frustration; oh, the fun we had!!!

Anyway, it's around Oct, maybe early Nov 1987. I had done freelance work for my sis as a graphic designer (and pu & m for the same) along work for w a mutual friend/neighbor. She'd seen some of my other stuff.

She'd also see on rare occasion me playing around w Rock Album Art in smaller sketches, including a "poster" here & there. And lots of Rock Concert Photography of my more favorite performers often successfully sneaking my camera into arenas! 😄👍

Sharing this big example below to show you my passion, and artistic commitment to this stuff.

My biggest "project" was imagining , and making full size double album art with an opened center (like Tommy) based on music journalist Nick Cohen in ?early 1971 interview w Pete Townsend (The Who) in the NY Times titled: From "Tommy" to "Bobby" All done in colored pencils, and acrylic paint. And Letraset ( rubbed on type). Lotsa Letra set! 😄

This was about his then emerging new Rock Opera "Lifehouse". A mix of science fiction, environmentalism/polution, a lived in at home partial World Wide Web experience, groups of people living "out here (there) in the fields" farming countryside, an authoritarian British Government, and a beat up old music theater where Bobby the computer & fech wizard helped a band played by The Who set up for a special concert.
A film, too, was part of this.

The whole ambitious thing collapsed, and became Who's Next.
About ?2 years later on Odds & Sods the actual full titular song for this Lifehouse Who Project concept "Pure and Easy" was put to vinyl, though appeared originally on Pete's first solo album. Even earlier as the mysterious, beautiful coda to "The Song Is Over"
And we heard it live on the WN tour.

So back to late '87. She calls me up one night.
Hey, I have this friend. She's friends with the wife of a big executive at Island Records.
Ok....

So, her friend's friend tells her U2 is working on a concert film in America; along with an album . My sis says: my sister is an artist, and graphic designer. She also a big U2 fan. If she comes up with an idea for the album cover, can your friend show her husband.
She said, "yes".

Metaphorical "Jaw Drop"!
Out of freakin' left field.
Almost shaky excitement at the prospect!

So I get to it. For some weird reason I keep it small. Start w a B&W sketch. Xerox it. Then color in with colored pencils. A whole drawn image with 4 rectangular insets for "stills" from "the film". Xerox copies of that.

It's now April '88. I'm on the bus. I've bought The NY Times for some reason. I happen to look at the Business Section. Suddenly I notice the Headline: Island Record Executive unexpectedly dies.

Uh, oh....

And, yeah, it was that guy.
My sis called me up that night. I sort of "bitched" to a different, mutual friend, and companion concert goer (including U2).

Never said anything else again. After all; this man had died, and shook up family, friends, colleagues, and that record company. Who was I to "complain".

Fifteen years later on a then on line big U2 fan site something really "pinges" me. I finally tell this story. A lot of sympathy. Sad, but good.

Ah, well. It was a bit scary, but a thrill while it lasted.