One of the greatest album sleeve of all times, the original cover artwork for Rolling Stones’ album Let it Bleed, is a highlight of Bonhams’ Entertainment Memorabilia auction on Thursday 15th December.
The cover of the Rolling Stones' Let it Bleed by Robert Brownjohn
Featuring artwork by designer Robert Brownjohn, guitarist Keith Richards’ friend, the art for the sleeve was influenced by the album’s title, Automatic Changer, and features a stacking record player with a clock face, pizza, film-reel can and a tyre with a glace cherry-decked cake by Delia Smith on top. The much admired 1969 sleeve is estimated to sell for £30,000-40,000 ($46,500 – 62,000).
The lot includes two felt pen concept sketches on envelopes, together with two colour positives and two colour negatives of the final front and back covers; a US pressing of the album; a photo of Keith and Mick checking the cover proofs; five British postage stamps featuring the cover; and a copy of ‘Keith Richards: Satisfaction’, by Christopher Sandford, Carroll & Graf, 2004.
The Let It Bleed was their eighth UK album. But only the second to not feature a group portrait. Chart-topper Let It Bleed was the last Stones album to feature the late Brian Jones and the first to feature his replacement, Mick Taylor, formerly of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Stephanie Connell, Bonhams’ head of entertainment memorabilia, said: It is really exciting to be able to offer the artwork for this iconic design. We expect there to be a lot of interest from Stones fans around the globe.
This original sleeve deserves to be in the rightful hands of a hardcore Rolling Stones fan indeed! [Bonhams]
Original Rolling Stones Album Artwork for Let it Bleed
