Concept Art, art, artwork, blade runner, cinefex, los angeles, movie, rare, syd mead

The Jazz Album Cover That Became Blade Runner

Syd Mead's concept artwork for Blade Runner has always looked a bit like a jazz painting. It's meant to portray a saturnine view of downtown Los Angeles in the future, but the only things in it that are even slightly futuristic are the armored-looking dumptruck on the street, and the hulking mega-skyscraper in the background which is probably meant to be the Tyrell corporation. Besides that, the image is a wash of signage, mostly featuring Asian text. All it needs is an accompanying saxophone track and this could serve as the cover image to an album, circa 1963.

When Blade Runner came out in 1982, Cinefex devoted an entire issue to the movie, complete with scads of Syd Mead's concept art. They later became collector's editions, and were hard to track down. If you were lucky enough to find one, it would usually set you back a hundred bucks. However, Titan Books put out a special edition hardcover edition a few years ago, and you can pick one up for about sixteen bucks. It may not come with an accompanying floppy record full of jazz riffs or even Vangelis tunes, but it does featuring some truly amazing concept design from one of the masters.

2:07 PM on Wed Mar 5 2008
By Kevin Kelly
4,277 views
19 comments

Comments

jcormier at 02:13 PM on 03/05/08
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This image has been my favorite desktop wallpaper for quite some time now.
gods-n-clods at 02:28 PM on 03/05/08
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Gorgeous. 101 Strings, Herb Alpert maybe?
zenpoet at 02:42 PM on 03/05/08
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Connectedness Index: 159

I suppose its better than a Roger Dean design, and have the soundtrack associated with YES.
hrdcorefan at 03:01 PM on 03/05/08
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Sweet! I have that issue of Cinefex filed away somewhere :)
gfburke at 03:17 PM on 03/05/08
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Syd Mead is my lord and master.
electronic shaman at 03:22 PM on 03/05/08
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what's a scad?
Garrison Dean, King... at 03:26 PM on 03/05/08
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What frickn Jazz albums are you listening to? Clearly I have to move beyond my CTI fascination. If that reminds me of any album covers its this. (understandably)

[themetalknights.files.wordpress.com]
Mister Adequate at 03:27 PM on 03/05/08
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Gods, that's beautiful. Anyone know if I can buy a poster or something?
BlacklistedJoe at 03:44 PM on 03/05/08
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@Huxleyhobbes: How much are ya thinkin'?
Plague at 04:21 PM on 03/05/08
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@Garrison Dean:
Ernie just don't look right that way.
Garrison Dean, King... at 04:26 PM on 03/05/08
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@Plague: It's Eddie, and don't let him hear you say that ;)
Plague at 05:24 PM on 03/05/08
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I knew I was wrong right after I hit "submit".

Whatever happened to the "fancy text boxes" that lasted for 5 minutes?
92BuickLeSabre at 05:35 PM on 03/05/08
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@Plague: What fancy text boxes? That never happened. Are you okay? Do you need to sit down? Here, have a glass of water. And let's never talk of "fancy text boxes" ever again, okay?
DocGratis at 07:29 PM on 03/05/08
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@92BuickLeSabre: yeah, the fancy text boxes = double minus bad.
codydog at 08:46 PM on 03/05/08
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Actually 1963 jazz album covers tended to the melty surrealistic, Dali knock-offs, just like SF paperback covers. There is a book on "Blue Note Cover Art" but the ones i see are more cubist or Mondiranish.

I suppose i could google up some examples, but it's kinder late.

I am thinking of the first cover for "City and the Stars"
Benjo at 03:39 AM on 03/06/08
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Great stuff and a good history lesson for me.
strider_mt2k at 06:08 AM on 03/06/08
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@Benjo: I love this site for this stuff. It's extremely cool.
StevieQ at 06:22 PM on 03/08/08
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@jcormier: Do you have a link to a higher-res version that this? I agree, it's beautiful.
tamoko at 07:28 AM on 04/17/08
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This film has such legs. The industrial design and concept art still feels so fresh. On the topic of jazz, I hear Bitche's Brew in my head overtime I see Blade Runner. Maybe I should try to create a jazz playlist to listen to over the film...a la Dark side of the Moon and The Wizard of OZ.