American artist LON GODDARD drew a number of album covers in the 70s and 80s,, one of which was the lone LP by the BYRON BAND ‘On The Rocks’, from 1981. this was the band lead by original URIAH HEEP singer David Byron (RIP) and featured a young guitarist and co-writer – Robin George (RIP), as well as former BADFINGER keyboard player Bob Jackson, bassist Roger Flavell (ex CHRISTIE), drummer John Shearer (Steve Hackett), and (sax player) Mel Collins . The album’s cover features a drawing of David, and came with a posted that featured a drawing of the band. On The Rocks didn’t fare so well, nor was it given a North American release. It is much loved by many fans of David Byron and robin George, however. The album has most recently been reissued as ‘On The Rocks…Again‘ via Cherry Red Records, as part of a 3 CD package, and featuring Goddard’s artwork again. Below Lon Goddard details his early days relocating to England, creating album covers, working at the record Mirror, and designing the Byron Band album cover.
How did you get in to a career as an illustrator and wind up in the UK for a good part of your career (Influences, jobs that took you there….)
• Left States at 17 in 1966, with a guitar on a whim, to accompany high school pal who had arranged a Drama course at Manchester University as a visiting student, intended to remain only for that summer and search for Donovan records. His music primarily inspired me to learn folk finger-picking Met him several times much later). Also enrolled in Manchester University studying English & American Literature. We hopped over to Paris for a month before school opening, as pal had been an exchange student and maintained friends in France.
Returning, became bored with University and hitched to London, went to address of Roy Harper, given to me by busker in Paris who said Harper put people up. He was right. Stayed, became friends with Roy, who first took me to Cousins, drew SOPHISTICATED BEGGAR art (always fair at cartoon caricature, via posters, helped many high school candidates achieve student offices) and played 2nd guitar on OCTOBER 12th and GOLDFISH. Picked up by Judith Piepe (who had helped Paul Simon kick-start) at Cousins, dossed at her Shadwell flat, but though she was very helpful, disagreed with her suggested plans for me to run a new folk club being started by a gay priest in St Martin’s In the Crypt. Instead, saw Melody Maker had cartoonist (the great Scots artist Jimmy Thompson, whom I later met) and took caricatures round to NME, RM, FAB 208, etc.. Record Mirror’s Peter Jones hired me as weekly cartoonist, followed by staff position as layout man (mentored by Norman Jopling), then became staff writer. With art examples, Peter and Norman accompanied me to the Home Office, where I was granted permanent Residency in UK. Denied dual citizenship by USA.
After 7-years, left RM in ’72 after being recommended for CBS Press Office by departing PR Mike O’Mahoney. From ’66 through to ’77, was RM staffer, Head of Press for CBS Records, editor of DISC, Head of Press
for Phonogram Records.
When heady days of pop music began to wane, took previous cartoons round to art agents and was accepted by Andrew Archer Associates, becoming a commercial illustrator. Left Archer’s for Folio Artists & Illustrators Agents, remained there till stupidly emigrating to Aussie in ’83. After a year Down Under and failed attempts at residency, wondered where the Hell I was, returned to USA. Had been gone 25-years.
You worked at Record Mirror for some years. What all did that entail?
• Interviewing music artists, drawing artists, laying out pages, babying weekly paper through printers in Banbury, attending endless stream of concerts domestic and abroad, receptions, gatherings, etc.. An endless
party.
How to you come to the task of creating the cover art for The Byron Band LP in 1981? (Connections at Creole, David Byron, etc…).
• Interviewed Byron for RM. He asked me to do the ROCKS cover art.
I still have the LP. Frankly, I thought it was a pretty good concept done very crudely by me.
Were you familiar with and/or have any past assignments involving David Byron (with Uriah Heep)?
• Only through RM interviews.
How did you approach the cover for On The Rocks? Was there any/much input from David, the band or management? Any inspirations?
• Figured ON THE ROCKS suggested ice, so submitted the idea of ‘freezing’ the band. Byron liked it. Sketched ideas, he watched and had input as ideas became visible. We set up a studio photo shoot (probablywith either John McKenzie or Alan Messer (from official RM photographer Dezo Hoffmann’s office), posed band in required positions, created airbrush illustrations at home art studio in St. Margarets.
Were you privy to hear the music ahead of time or hang with the band members while creating the cover-art or was it more so done with the help of photos to go from?
• Yes. In many cases, including this one, audio previews provided valuable mental pictures & ideas. However, as a music journalist, I had also accumulated extensive knowledge of most bands and singers, plus a giant record collection.
What exactly is happening on the front cover (with David appearing to punch through glass)?
• Busting through a freezer chamber window with his fist.
What was your art technique in creating the covers + poster (how was this all put on to canvas or paper?)
• Referenced metallic textures, sketched metal sections to LP size enlarged for later reduction to achieve finer detail; best to always work larger), posed band and Byron in photog’s studio, at home utilized projector to size photos of Byron & band into sketches on illustrator art board, rendered with inks by hand brush and airbrush.
Recall the poster that was included?
Yes indeed, the centerfold. The idea was to put them on ice. I was not good enough at airbrushing to achieve that effect.
You’ve done a number of other covers. What would be your favorite or most recognizable covers? (Roy Harper, Hoyt Axton, Hard Meat, Musical Youth)
• Roy’s was the most memorable, becoming surprisingly iconic. I’m very proud of its place in history and it was his first. Getting a deal with a small company (Strike Records), he had asked me to draw him for the cover, having seen other sketches. Rendered on paper on his floor, where I slept with four or five other dossers, I was lucky he was pleased with it. Also did art for releases by The Dubliners, Cat Stevens, The Coasters, Killing Joke (second favorite)… maybe more.
Aside from the album covers, what else has your career entailed, and what are you up to these days?
• As a professional illustrator, I worked mostly for advertising agencies, through my agents FOLIO. Usually given a brief, the pay amount and a schedule, I turned out a great deal of work over those years. I was represented at Folio (still in business) by Richard (Dick) Jordan, with whom I am still in touch and saw only last year in Wales. Dick and I both moved from Andrew Archer to Folio and remained there for many years. He was also the manager and booker for Klook’s Kleek, so Dick had a strong musical background
These days, at age 77, I am a musician. Turned full circle from listening to folk records back in my hometown of Elk Grove, Californi(just south of Sacramento) and trying to figure out how they did finger-picking, to finally putting that ability to use. I have about a dozen gigs per month as a guitarist/vocalist.
Outsider Rock 