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Portraits by Andy Earl2019-11-09T11:17:55+00:00

Bow Wow Wow

Bow Wow Wow Dejuner Sur L’Herbe – Surrey, 1982

“The idea was to copy the Manet painting ‘Dejuner Sur L’Herbe. So I went off to find a bit of river in Surrey which didn’t have a council estate in the background and I eventually found this lake, with a tiny island, in a park in Reigate. I was amazed because it was almost identical to the Manet. So we set up the shoot., the band all turned up dressed in Vivienne Westwood’s pirate gear. And it was only then that I discovered that no-one had told Annabella, the singer, what the concept was: that she had to take her clothed off. She was only 14 and there she was, sitting very coyly, starkers, and at this point the entire local primary school processed past on a nature walk! Everybody loved the shots, apart from Annabella’s mother who contacted the police and I had to hand over the negatives. Well, most of them.”

– Andy Earl

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd, Delicate Sound Of Thunder – Spain, 1987

“Yes, there are six people from Animal Actors behind the rocks, launching doves on the count of three. My first major encounter with Storm Thorgerson! “

– Andy Earl

Oasis

Group shot
Noel and Liam

The Cranberries

Cranberries, Monument Valley, Arizona, 1999
Cranberries, Nevada, USA

“We found a sandy ridge at low tide, dug mirrors into the sand and ended up with a visual interpretation of the title, “Sunmachine.”

– Andy Earl

Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, 1998
Manic Street Preachers – Snowdonia, Wales, 1998
Manic Street Preachers – Wales, 1998

Electronic

Electronic, 1988

Blur

Blur – London, 1986

Prince – Monte Carlo Sessions

Andy Earl has fond memories of this session, that happened on the rooftop of the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, in 1994, which he shares with us here.

“Q magazine had been trying for 10 years to get an interview with Prince, and in May 1994 a fax arrived on headed notepaper from Paisley Park saying “Monte Carlo this week. Journalist Adrian Devoy and I arrived on Sunday, expecting to shoot Monday, but that didn’t happen. Prince was starring at the World Music Awards. We were told to be ready at any time. Constant calls came from his people saying “Maybe tomorrow.”On Wednesday we were asked to a secret Prince gig above a bar at 2am, and I was told strictly no cameras. The gig was in a tiny room, and was attended by Prince Albert and the Monaco jet set. I remember it lasted until about 4am. I managed to sneak a compact camera in my sock, so got a quick couple of ‘from the hip’ shots. The bouncers descended, and grabbed me. I pointed at the journalist said it was him and he was whisked out.

Prince’s people then suggested we do our cover shoot there and then, at 4am. This was not going to be practical, so we arranged a Friday night shoot on roof top of the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. Prince arrived with enormous bouncers and his band. They were an hour late so I remember much nervous pacing around on my part. So much so that when Prince arrived, I went over to greet him, and tripped over a cable, smashing some of my lighting set up. Not a great start. There was no time to reset the lights so I decided to ‘wing it’. Just then the sun comes out. Prince saw me react excitedly and said ‘ you just got your shot’.

I smiled, he shook my hand and left.  Five days and nights on standby…and a three minute photo-session!

Hands to face

“I’ve grown up, everyone’s got to grow up. But there’s something inside me, I’m always going to have that little sort of – how do you say? – child streak.”

– Prince

With The Band Contact Sheet
Outside
With The Band

Mick Jagger

London session

Madonna

Ritz Paris 1994
Trumpet, Paris, 1994

“A play on James Dean’s Rebel Without A Cause. And in answer to the question – yes, she is really nice.”

– Andy Earl

Paul Weller

With guitar

Courtney Love

New York, 1995

Red Hot Chili Peppers

London, 1995

Natalie Imbruglia

Barcelona, 1997

“Natalie saw the Johnny Cash pictures in my portfolio and asked ‘Can I look like that?’ ‘Not a chance,’ I said – but I think she liked the with print.”

– Andy Earl

Michael Stipe

Barcelona, 1995

“As he jumped out of of his car at the hotel, I asked him to look straight at the setting sun.”

– Andy Earl

Paul McCartney

London session

Annie Lennox

Paris, 1996

“Annie was lost in her own thoughts, I caught her attention and she looked up – one of my favourites.”

– Andy Earl

Robbie Williams

UCL London
“Life Thru A Lens”

Corinne Bailey Rae

London

Faithless

Faithless

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