question about the COLD ON THE SHOULDER cover

although you cannot see it in this picture above, on the album I've got, there is what appears to be the ghost of a woman standing over Lightfoots shoulder. i was wondering who that woman might be?

i've also wondered, is that an actual picture that was taken or is it a painting? it looks more like a painting than an actual photo?

[closetcanadian]

The liner notes on the vinyl LP list the cover girl as Jan Stephenson. It is a photograph that appears to have been taken using a gauze filter. That would give it the brush stroke appearance of a painting. It also helps hide a person's wrinkles! LOL

[LSH]

My favorite album cover...

[Rob1956]

You may not be able to see it on the CD cover, but if you have the LP, the photo has an apperance of denim. Gord is caught in the middle of writing a song...notice the music sheets and pen in front of him. Maybe the woman's image behind him is supposed to suggest he was writing about her at that particular moment.

[mrburns]

Rob1956,

I agree that the woman's image is significant. I've felt that Cold on the Shoulder meant getting the cold shoulder. Several songs on the album have the theme of love gone wrong or lonliness and alienation. Particularly COTS, Bells of the Evening and Now and then. "Caught by the Minstrel's misfortune" is a lyric that sums it up well. I think his devotion to music and writing alienated him from his lovers and this is how I see the album cover.

[LSH]

with you there mrburns. That is what I get out of the cover...he's got that mean/despairing look on his face as well..

[gwen snyder]

I don't see mean or despairing but I feel there is something unsettled within the album cover picture. Surprise or anxiety over current affairs.
Something like that I feel. Or could he have been tired? Personally I look like this when I am toasted, ha ha...

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by sunny suebee:
[/QB]

So who is "sunnie suebee"
OK I have the advantage here because she emailed me for help (which I was delighted to provide when she found herself unable to post anything here "edgewise" or any otherwise
she thankfully eventually succeeded and in her latest email said
Finally got in John
sunnysuebee
My best guess is that Gwen simply forgot her
sign-in details
I have just clicked on the "directory" link above and searched for "gwen" and found that you were already not only member
#503 Gwen snyder with 579 posts to your credit since 8 October 2002 but also
member #511 gwen sue snyder with 14 since 19th October 2002
Oh well I thought I would post this reply to help anybody else who runs into such a problem in the future
John Fowles
He was standing by the highway with a sign that says just Mother


You do something to me

That my eyes cannot see at a glance

signs of a new beginning

signs of a life worth living

The better to forget than to be all that upset

Its the time to taste the wine


Give me a sign, tell it to me She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee

Is the landlord still a loser, do his signs
hang in the hall

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by Rob1956:
You may not be able to see it on the CD cover, but if you have the LP, the photo has an apperance of denim.

OK OK
Not everybody here especially the younger ones have had the benefit of the tactile experience of handling and viewing Gord's album sleeves in all their full sized glory.
So for them and those who might have forgotten I have scanned the relevant part of the sleeve
It really is a remarkable print because of the "gauze filter" or whatever method of screening was used you have to actually pass a fingertip over the print to reassure yourself that it is not three dimensional!

I think I can prove that this one of my personal favo(u)rite covers because back in May 2000 (after my stroke) another London journalist who had read my 15 minutes of fame articles in sundry London Toronto Montreal and local newspapers decided to write up a story. She hoped to sell it to the Mail
On Sunday for their weekend magazine and the Mail duly arranged for a photographer to drive over 50 miles to snap me and Susan who just happenned to be visiting me fom the States
After an excruciating series of pictures of me (freshly out of hospital) clambering over a "rustic" (iron) 5-bar gate etc we ended up in front of my house for a final shot.
"Hang on" says I and dashed into my house to get a Lightfoot album to hold and guess which one I chose??

I have cropped out most of Susan (who has an aversion to having her picture splashed over the internet)although this and the resulting article in the August 2000 issue of the UK Saga magazine was available for a short time on line
John Fowles

[ September 10, 2005, 17:03: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

[Rona]

Originally posted by mrburns:
Rob1956,

I agree that the woman's image is significant. I've felt that Cold on the Shoulder meant getting the cold shoulder. Several songs on the album have the theme of love gone wrong or lonliness and alienation. Particularly COTS, Bells of the Evening and Now and then. "Caught by the Minstrel's misfortune" is a lyric that sums it up well. I think his devotion to music and writing alienated him from his lovers and this is how I see the album cover.

[Rona]

Oops, I didn't do that quote thing right. Anyway, what I wanted to say is that I agree with Rob. I can remember getting this album in high school, and just feeling, "oh my God, he's going through a really tough time."