It took 30 helpers, two articulated lorries and three tractors to move 700 wrought iron beds (complete with bedding) to achieve that unforgettable cover for Pink Floyd’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason – on this day in 1987. Also necessary were two photographers, one dog handler, five dogs, two models, one microlite glider, two attempts (rain scuppered the first shoot) and just short of £50 grand.

As Storm Thorgerson explains in his book, Mind Over Matter: The Images of Pink Floyd, the scene was to be set up in LA, but for lack of desired bed style.

So I got to thinking about all those album covers now embedded in the brain, some iconic (like everyone’s favourite Beatles montage), some bordering on the ridiculous (like Si Zentner & His Orchestra’s – always to include eight exclamation marks, if you please – The Swinging Eye!!!!!!!!) and wondered just how many of the very best record sleeves owe their lasting appeal to camera work and careful positioning of props, rather than computer-generated genius. Forget the pop art collage, textbook diagram, and clever assortments of script laced with doodles and squiggles; I only care to consider for now a photograph which may well have been enhanced later but was, in essence, something first seen through a lens and captured for posterity’s sake (and hopefully a handsome fee). No gadgetry or gimmickry, just a photographer and his, or her, camera of choice.

I, as I’m sure you, recall many an orderly group portrait and collection of often pretentious artistes posing for dramatic effect, as spoofed in South Park (Season 7, Episode 9) with Cartman directing a shoot for his album cover with Christian rock band, Faith + 1. (Best South Park episode ever? OK, some other time.)

For whatever reason, these came to mind first:

- Bob Dylan, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
- Oasis, Definitely Maybe
- Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA

Then, inevitably, I thought of those deemed to be unsuitable for public viewing and sold wrapped in plain brown paper, like a drunkard’s bottle of cheap cider:

- Blind Faith, Blind Faith
- John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins
- Roxy Music, Country Life

There are those that perhaps say more about the performer and his or her reputation than the actual album’s content:

- Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP
- Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
- The Who, Who’s Next

Those with a carefully-choreographed shot of the people behind the music, as VH1 would say, who are very much aware of the camera and possibly in silly dress:

- Beatles, Beatles For Sale
- Blondie, Blondie
- George Harrison, All Things Must Pass

Or they’re being cool and most likely pretending to be unaware of the camera:

- Eric Clapton, Backless
- Neil Diamond, Home Before Dark
- The Libertines, The Libertines

Then there are those who are so obviously posing:

- Joni Mitchell, Hits
- The Streets, The Hardest Way To Make an Easy Living
- Travis, The Man Who

And perhaps the best of the bunch are those no-nonsense, all-action, hard-at-work snaps:

- Jeff Buckley, Grace
- The Clash, London Calling
- The Kooks, Inside In, Inside Out

Then you have the arty and/or downright bizarre, with models used in place of the performer for reasons sometimes best left unexplained:

- The Doors, Strange Days
- Mark Knopfler, The Ragpicker’s Dream
- U2, Boy

Those that try to say something about the music without showing the performer(s), preferring instead obscure, curious and seemingly random ‘things’:

- Blur, Parklife
- Paul McCartney, Run Devil Run
- Primal Scream, Riot City Blues

Not forgetting the beautiful, atmospheric scenes where performer, if included at all, is of secondary importance to the surrounding backdrop:

- Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden
- Echo & The Bunnymen, Heaven Up Here
- Van Morrison, The Philosopher’s Stone

What do you think: are any of these in any way more effective, memorable, or indeed suitable than something like, say, Tubular Bells or Bat Out of Hell? Analyse all you can bear, but sometimes you either like something or you don’t, and I’m keen to know which you do and which you do not.

The Resistance by Muse was voted Best Art Vinyl of 2009, with Manic Street Preachers’ (utterly horrid, sorry) Journal For Plague Lovers and Fever Ray’s self-titled album coming in second and third place respectively. None are photographs as such, but you can see the full list of 25 covers here.

Previous winners include the Fleet Foxes for their eponymous 2008 debut (part of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s 1559 piece, ‘Netherlandish Proverbs’), Man’s Needs, Woman’s Needs, Whatever by The Cribs (in 2007), Thom Yorke’s The Eraser (in 2006) and Hard Fi’s Stars of CCTV (in 2005). Of these, only one is a photograph.

If you’ve an hour to wile away, remember: there’s always Sleeveface.

If you’re fortunate enough to have two hours to play around with, you may find this album atlas, compiled by readers of Word magazine and showing where many a record sleeve photo was taken, pointlessly educational… I know I did.

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To mark the anniversary – just – of Jim Morrison’s death (he died in Paris on this day in 1971, aged just 27), I’d like to know which Doors songs you love and, if you’ve the capacity to use wild imagination and appreciate that covering a song doesn’t mean replicating it detail by minute detail or mimicking the original vocalist, which Doors song can you imagine David performing.

I reckon ‘Riders on the Storm’ would fit right in with some of Pink Floyd’s earlier, more experimental setlists. What do you think? It could have slotted into one of Barbet Schroeder’s films quite nicely, alongside a ‘Burning Bridges’ or ‘Cirrus Minor’.

Lastly, as I won’t be blogging tomorrow, Happy Independence Day to all residing in, or originating from, the USA. I’m confident that Jim Morrison is considered an American icon, but welcome your nominees in celebration of what the USA has given the world. (Bob Dylan will forever be the greatest gift of them all, of course…)

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I already know that some of you are fans, but, just for fun, which Led Zeppelin songs do you feel David could cover with interesting results?

‘Stairway to Heaven’, obviously? ‘Rain Song’, possibly? ‘Bron-Yr-Aur’, certainly?

Here’s some early footage from back in the day when the world’s television studios were frequently blessed with classic performances, complete with legendary riff, violin bow and some drumming of the highest calibre from the late and always great John Bonham.

Interestingly, on this day in 1973, ‘Houses of the Holy’ began a three-week spell at the top of the US album chart. Four years and two albums later, Led Zeppelin received the Ivor Novello ‘Outstanding Contribution to British Music’ accolade.

If you care to trawl back through the passages of (blog) time, you’ll discover that we’ve already considered the sprawling back catalogues of Elvis, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, as well as the Beatles, Eagles and Beach Boys, but you’re still welcome to add your suggestions.

Alas, there’s no chat today, but the chatroom doors will be heaved open between 14:00 and 16:00 (UK) tomorrow. If you’ve never visited before, drop in.

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One of the most beautiful songs ever written, in my opinion (and Paul McCartney’s), was being fine-tuned in the studio at around about this time back in 1966: the Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’.

Have a listen to it.

Yes, you know what’s coming: Beach Boys songs for David to cover, please.

Why not this one?

I think ‘The Warmth of the Sun’ would be a good one. ‘Tears in the Morning’? ‘Don’t Worry, Baby’? There’s an excuse for David to give the saxophone a blast on ‘I Know There’s an Answer’ (or ‘Hang On to Your Ego’, if you prefer).

Thank you very much for the birthday messages left for David last week, by the way. If you’d like to submit a belated one, please leave it here.

There are lots of other blog birthdays this month, starting today with Christine and Wrightee – Happy Birthday to you both.

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The Eagles epic, ‘Hotel California’, entered the Billboard Hot 100 on this day in 1977. It would go on to top this chart ten weeks later.

So, it would be wrong not to feature this:

Which of you are fans of the Eagles, who is going to see them this year, who has already seen them in concert and which are your favourite tracks?

And, of course, which songs would you like to hear David cover?

Thinking of the exquisite live performances of ‘Find the Cost of Freedom’ from 2006, how about ‘Seven Bridges Road’, with David Crosby and Graham Nash (and maybe a few others)? A stripped-down ‘Doolin’ Dalton’? ‘Journey of the Sorcerer’ could be a fun jam with the right personnel…

The chatroom is not open today, but will be open bright and early (well, early enough for some of us, I’m sure) tomorrow: 10:00-12:00 (UK).

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On this day in 1964, The Beatles made their American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. More than 70 million viewers tuned in for what was the first of three legendary appearances throughout February.

Unless you’ve got a very good reason not to, perhaps you’d care to take ten minutes out of your day to enjoy this classic footage. It is, undeniably, an important piece of both music, and TV, history.

So, as well as your feelings towards those four lovable mop-tops, it’s Beatles songs that David could cover today, please.

You probably know that David and Syd spent some time busking together in 1965, performing songs from ‘Help!’, in France. You ought to know that David performed with Paul McCartney at Liverpool’s famed Cavern Club in 1999. That’s been captured for posterity on DVD, as has another gig, in aid of PETA, billed ‘The PETA Concert for Party Animals’. I’d like to know what you thought of those two.

Any other Beatles connections, do send them in. There are many.

Finally, following on from our Rock and Roll ruminations last week, how about The Beatles’ ‘Live at the BBC’ for some great classic covers? I’m thinking specifically of the raw vocals of Paul and John respectively on Little Richard’s ‘Lucille’ and Chuck Berry’s ‘Rock and Roll Music’, classic Ringo on the Carl Perkins number, ‘Matchbox’, and George’s fine guitar-playing on the unmistakeable ‘Johnny B. Goode’.

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We’ve already done this for the songs of Elvis and Bob Dylan.

As it would be Jimi’s 66th birthday today, which of his songs do you think David could cover?

As before, as this is the stuff of fantasy, do bear in mind that David would obviously have free-rein to perform them however he wanted to. It’s not necessarily a Karaoke-type copy that you should have in mind. Indeed, the more interesting your ideas, the more interesting reading them will be.

You really don’t have to list 66 ideas, though.

The chatroom is closed today, but will be open tomorrow between 13:00 and 15:00 (UK).

The Blog will be closed over the weekend, but will re-open on Tuesday. If it closes before you get a chance to have your say, don’t worry, the topic will resume next week.

Lastly, Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it.

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If you missed it, a few weeks ago we donned our thinking caps and chewed over which Elvis songs would be ideal for David to cover (should he ever put on that 72-hour concert in Fantasy Land).

We’ll do the same for Jimi Hendrix next week, on the anniversary of his birth.

For now, just for fun (as John has set me off with his teasing concert anecdotes):

Which Bob Dylan songs do you think David would perform well?

Again, do consider that he’d obviously be given artistic licence to tinker with them.

Anyone else other than Elvis, Bob and Jimi? I’d be curious to know which other artist’s songbooks we could consider in this way and, indeed, include a suitably-bland poll for each.

Those mentioned most will be covered over the next few weeks, but no more than five suggestions per person, please.

The chatroom will be open tomorrow between 14:00 and 16:00 (UK).

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After thinking of all those striking, thought-provoking and inspiring album covers, I couldn’t resist setting aside some space for the very worst ones. Thanks for twisting my arm, Jeremy.

But before you send in lists of your most loathed cover art (no more than ten true shockers, please), here’s Sander’s beautiful dog, Einstein.

Glad to see that he likes your backstage pass from Gdańsk, Sander. It looks really good on him.

More photos of your pets to follow this week, so, if you have one to share, please do get it online and let us know where we can find it.

Bidding on the (Mexican) Fender Stratocaster – hand-painted by Gerald Scarfe and signed by David, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright – currently stands at £16,000.

The auction closes on Friday at the new time of 17:00 (UK). Proceeds will benefit the UK charity for the homeless, Crisis.

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With the impressive artwork which graced record sleeves, particularly in the Seventies, hopefully relatively fresh in the memory from the last-but-one poll, I’d like to know which you think are the most iconic album covers (from any artist, from any decade – but no more than ten, please).

I’d also like to know which is your favourite from David’s three studio releases: ‘David Gilmour’, ‘About Face’ and ‘On an Island’.

And, because they deserve a list of their own, which are your favourites from Pink Floyd?

Remember, it’s just the cover art, not the music.

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