As a true Rock fan I’m sure you can easily identify the Rolling Stones iconic big tongue logo. But do you know the story behind the original Sticky Fingers LP, on which it first appeared, and is considered to be the best album cover of all time?
Joe Coscarelli’s recent article in The New York Times shed light on the creation of the unique cover art for the 1971 release. “This album heralded an age of really imaginative and provocative packaging,” Rock critic Richard Harrington is quoted as saying. ‘It also introduced the greatest band logo of all time.”
In 1969, following the debut of “Let it Bleed”, The Stones cut ties with their original record label, Decca, to start their own, Rolling Stones Records. At the time, they were considered the bad boys of Rock N Roll, identified with their raw, emotional songs about lust, sex and anger. For their new label’s first release, they wanted to combine the edge of new tracks such as “Sister Morphine” and “Cant You Hear Me Knocking” with an exciting and innovative visual statement.
Enter Craig Braun, the owner and creative director of Sound Packaging Corporation. who in the 1960s and 70s, was known as a genius in creating album covers, among them, the peelable banana on 1967’s “T’he Velvet Underground and Nico” concept by Andy Warhol. Mr Braun and his team brainstormed on several artistic concepts for Sticky Fingers- including the oversized rolling paper that was later used by Cheech and Chong for Big Bambu,- but it was Mick Jagger who was set on using Andy Warhol’s idea of blue jeans with a big zipper. Mick wanted the zipper to be functional, and to show something behind it. Mr Braun contacted Warhol’s Factory, to try to find some art that might work well for the reveal behind the zipper. He was sent several polaroid shots of a male model clad in men’s white briefs, which he used behind the open zipper. Although many assumed these photos were of Mick Jagger, the exact identity of the underwear model is to this day unknown. However, the model is more than likely one of The Warhol Factory kids, perhaps Jay Johnson, Corey Tippin or Joe Dallesandro.
At the same time, in London, Royal College of Art student John Pasche began work on the new logo for The Stones and their record label. Mr Jagger was intrigued by illustrations of Hindu goddess Kali, but Pasche says “ I didn’t want to do anything Indian because I thought it would become dated very quickly.” Still the goddess’ mouth “triggered something”, and along with Mr Jagger’s own distinctive lips and tongue, the idea took form.
Back in NY, Mr Braun needed the logo to meet his deadline, and since Pasche’s tongue design wasn’t completely ready, he settled for a rough version, which was faxed to him by Marshall Chess, the founding president of Roliing Stones Records. Mr Braun’s illustrators finished the logo, adding white accents and a black void for the throat, then blew it up to cover the inside sleeve of the Sticky Fingers album’s American release. ( Mr Pasche’s version was used later internationally). It’s interesting that, at the time, Mr Braun admits to being nervous about adding touches to the logo, but he knew they were necessary to meet his deadline. He had no way of knowing that his touches on the logo, which are adapted in size and color for different Roling Stones merchandise and events, would become one of the most universally recognized images in Rock history. The logo has remained, to this day, a part of Rolling Stones official ads and merchandise and is included in promotions for their new Zip Code Tour.
The Times reports that Mr Pasche sold his copyright for the tongue logo to the band in 1984 for about $40,000, and in 2008 sold the original artwork to The Victoria and Albert Museum for $92,500. Craig Braun estimates that he was paid in the six figures for creating the Sticky Fingers packaging. ‘The merchandising for The Rolling Stones is in the billions now’” he says. “I should have stayed in that business.” He does, however, still own an exciting piece of memorabilia-. those polaroids, in their original envelope.
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