"The Watch Cover Saga"

By Michael Sanz

There are many ways to create an album cover. The story of Manfred Mann's Earth Band's 'Watch' cover came to be is probably one of the less common. Michael Sanz, who designed the cover, tells us in his own words:

"Sooner or later a dedicated fan likes to come a bit closer to his idol. Back in 1977 I was a young Swedish art student. Having been a Manfred's fan for some years, I decided to try to meet the Earth Band in connection to their gig in Stockholm that year. For some obscure reason I felt like showing Manfred some prints of oil paintings I had made  .I was lucky. After the concert in Stockholm I succeeded in approaching the band. Being quite a discrete guy I asked for the band's autographs, I handed over the prints to Manfred and quietly left the premises.

One of the pictures Michael showed Manfred on sidewalk
 in Stockholm. 'La Rose Morte'. Slightly surrealistic, yeah…
 but Manfred actually bought it!

Before I have had the time to vanish completely from the band's horizon I heard Manfred calling me back. He then asked me if I had done the paintings on the prints. Obviously a bit impressed he asked me if I would be willing to make an album cover suggestion for the band's next album. WOW!
Of course I was overwhelmed by this offer – who wouldn't be. Manfred explained that the cover should show a man running on an airport runway, trying to take off. To emphasise the motive Manfred spread his arms and ran away on the sidewalk …
Naturally this chance was an enormous challenge for me. I knew that somebody in England probably would do a cover suggestion that the band or the record company might prefer.
During the summer of 1977 I painted the cover art and kept sending slides of my work to Manfred at the Workhouse. After a couple of months I had made it: Success! My work was accepted and I was told that my painting was going to be used on the cover. Phew!
In addition to the front cover painting I suggested the band a back cover idea (the hanging cliff - or 'Platform End' - motive) which was eventually accepted.

The original front cover painting, at Michael's back yard
in Stockholm, summer 1977: Darker cloud, no "steam" at
 the man's feet. A yellow tie in the wind!

So I flew over from Stockholm to London with the paintings. Manager Harry Maloney picked me up at Heathrow in his Volvo combi. He drove me to Bronze offices at Chalk Farm Road and then on to the Workhouse Studios, where the Earth Band was working on their new album. Besides meeting the entire Earth Band line-up (Mann, Slade, Flett, King and Thompson) I also met Zaine Griff, an artist Manfred was producing at the time, at the Workhouse. I also remember Chris Thompson holding a tiny little pup in the palms of his hands!
The Watch cover art was executed as oil paintings on two separate 60 X 60 cm canvases – one for the front, the other one for the back of the cover. Typography was added in England.
Some years later a curious fact about the Watch cover motive came to my knowledge while speaking to Manfred's Swedish tour manager Thomas Johansson, who told me that it was he who had suggested the "man-on-the-runway" motive. And the idea was lifted directly from a Swedish ad at the airport - Johansson had showed it to the band when arriving in Stockholm.

I must admit I was a bit disappointed. I had thought "Gee! Manfred's a genius to came up with such a fantastic cover idea!" Sic transit mundi gloria…

The final version: No tie, "steam" added (Band's request), lighter cloud. Back cover idea has been painted. Same back yard

In 1978 Manfred asked me to design a cover suggestion for 'Angel Station'. Soon the album title was changed into 'Choice' as was the cover concept. Manfred and I worked quite extensively on a cover solution, involving the record buyer in the cover design! The actual cover was intended to feature a graph pattern that would permit the record owner to colour it in one way or another (thus the Choice album title). A bit like a children's colouring book. We also added symbols, figures and even the yellow-suited 'Watch cover man' (now flying up in the sky) on the cover sketches. Finally it all failed and the album was again re-titled – back to Angel Station. Meanwhile somebody in England came up with that absolutely stunning picture that finally was printed on the cover."

After graduating from Art School Michael Sanz has worked with graphic design and illustration. He has continued to design album covers in Sweden. He's also an aviation enthusiast and has written two books on the subject. He's also the editor of Sweden's Aviation Yearbook. Lately Michael has started a collaboration with Chris Thompson: Illustrating Chris's children's book 'Where Is My Home?'

One of many 'Choice' cover suggestions. The Watch cover man is now flying in the sky. © Michael Sanz

And now: what have they done!!!

Someone in Germany copied the Watch cover on his car… Photography Lars Ermalm.

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Copyright © Creature Music Ltd 2006