How the Led Zeppelin IV album cover would look if it was made today - 45 years on

[sam_webmaster]

How the Led Zeppelin IV album cover would look it was made today - 45 years on

We went back to Birmingham tower block 45 years after its release

By Matt Cannon | 10 NOV 2016

It was 45 years ago this week that Led Zeppelin's biggest selling studio album was released.

The band's untitled fourth album, commonly called Led Zeppelin IV, has sold more than 23 million copies since its release on November 8, 1972.

It features classics such as Stairway To Heaven, Black Dog and When the Levee Breaks.

On its back cover the album featured what appeared to be a very West Midlands-looking high rise block of flats.

Singer Robert Plant was born in West Bromwich while and drummer John Bonham hailed just down the road in Redditch .

While some have claimed the tower pictured was Butterfield Court in Dudley, it appears to be a closer match to Salisbury Tower in Ladywood, Birmingham.

Birmingham Mail photographer Tim Harley-Easthope revisited the scene to recreate the cover 45 years on.

From one angle it looks rather different.

 The band's forth album as the site looks today.

The original cover featured a number of homes at the base of the tower.

Although working out the exact spot the photo was taken is difficult, from one location a Tesco petrol station price board looms into the shot.

From another angle the Victorian terraced homes are shown to have bee replaced by more modern buildings.

The new images were taken from Spring Hill and Ellen Street.

 High rise flats, Salisbury Tower, from Ladywood Middleway in Birmingham are thought to be the flats on the cover of the Led Zepplin IV album. (Photo: Tim Harley-Easthope)

In contrast the front cover to the band's second highest selling album looks remarkably similar - with one obvious exception.

Sixth studio album Physical Graffiti sold a reported 16 million records.

The building featured on its cover still stands in St Mark's Place in New York's East Village appears very similar today as it did on the 1975 album.

Apart from the fact it features an extra floor that is.

That's not due to an unlikely building job. The extra storey was digitally removed to help fit the shape of the vinyl cover.

Here's how it looks today:

 Taken in 2015 in St Mark's Place in New York's East Village. (Photo: Julian Seva)

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/how-led-zeppelin-iv-album-12157063

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There's also a thread with more info on the LZ IV cover here:

 

 

[Stryder1978]

WAYYYYY COOL....thanks for sharing Sam!

[SteveAJones]

I've just sent the Led Zeppelin Forum link (Mystery Solved) to the author of the article.

[sixpense]

Pretty close on the 4th lp photo. It looks like the camera (from the original) was placed a little farther back and a bit higher up. 

[luvlz2]

Very cool, thanks Sam!!!

[The Only Way To Fly]

That IS awesome! Thanks for the photo's!