Brian Cannon.
“It was a style developed out of necessity, that went on to become a trademark. They'ar that’s quite a snappy little quote that!”
- Brian Cannon
Brian Cannon is a British graphic designer, art director and photographer. He is best known for his Microdot graphic design company and its work in the 1990s. Working with artists such as Oasis, The Verve, Cast, Suede.
Two of Cannon’s record sleeve designs, Oasis “Definitely Maybe” and The Verve “This Is Music”, were featured in Q magazine’s “The Hundred Best Record Covers Of All Time” list
The Verves "A storm in Heaven" You have said it was the single best piece of work you have ever done. What was the thought process behind it?
It kinda evolved as we were doing it really. It was almost 30 years ago. Can you believe that? Its 4 record sleeves, any one of which is good enough for anybody’s album, even though I do say so myself. Its one of the greatest sleeves of all time. The reason why ..I didn’t have any other work on. I was just working with The Verve at the time. I was completely skint and I was bang into the project. I just devoted my life and soul to it. It really did take over my life. The basic gist is the journey of life. Starting from birth, through youth, middle age, then death in a nutshell. You could never do that now, it took me months, literally months to do it.
I heard you at an exhibition in Liverpool talking about the "she's a superstar" shot. In a pre Photoshop world, which was in its very early stages at the time. How difficult was that to get?
There was Photoshop then, but I couldn’t afford a computer! Bear in mind, when I finally did get a Mac, this phone in my hand has more power. That was 5k and I didn’t know how to use it either. It was a technique I developed across the board of creating amazing images but doing it for real, out of necessity. When I did get the computer, for example "Be Here Now" has got a Rolls Royce in a swimming pool, we had shit loads of computers by then but we still put the Rolls in the swimming pool you know what I mean? It was a style developed out of necessity, that went on to become a trademark. They'ar that’s quite a snappy little quote that!
“Just that kind of fruitcake
in the street bangin on, "The end is nigh, repent or in the fire you goeth" It was based on that.”
My favourite Verve sleeve is This is Music's "I stand accused..." How did that come about?
I'll be honest with you. That was actually Richard Ashcroft’s doing. I’ve actually got some hand drawn sketches of his outlining it. I think back in the day, you'd see guys outside Old Trafford and Maine Road, religious nutcases with sandwich boards. The end is coming! Richard used to go watch United and I'm guessing that’s where he would have seen it. Just that kind of fruitcake in the street bangin on, "The end is nigh, repent or in the fire you goeth" It was based on that. The lyrics are amazing, its an astonishing record as well.
How did you meet Richard Ashcroft and go on to work with The Verve?
Met at a party in Wigan when he was 17. My ex girlfriend used to go to the same sixth form as him. I was round at her house and met this spotty faced student with a floppy hat on. Bizarre isn’t it? Few years later I bumped into him at a petrol station at 6am and he remembered me from the party. Then to meet Noel too by complete chance, I worked with both of them at the same time throughout the 90s, astonishing.
Who were your main influences when you were starting out? And now?
Punk rock, it was entirely punk rock. Jamie Reid who did all the sex pistols stuff, Malcolm Garrett who did all The Buzzcocks gear. Just the genre as a whole. Again it was a style out of necessity, people didn’t have any equipment so they’d use photocopy machines. If you photocopy something over and over it becomes that broken down, contrasty grainy black and white style ya know. I love that look. In terms of style it was more artists, painters. Like Robert Rauschenberg. The work of his I’ve seen blows me away.
Who were the first bands you worked with?
Ruthless Rap Assassins. Kermit who was in rap assassins went on to be in Black Grape with Shaun Ryder. He was the first I worked with back in the late 80s. The first of many lucky breaks. If you’re starting off with nothing, don’t know anybody, got no money, no track record., you’ve gotta have a lucky break sooner or later haven’t ya. Otherwise how the fuck are you going to get started? I did like a New York style Graffiti piece on the side of a warehouse wall in Wigan in 84,85. And it was seen by a DJ called Gregg Wilson, he was a pioneer in this country. He put the word out wanting to meet the artist. I was only 19 at the time. Still at college, just going uni to do a graphics degree. I was actually working professionally whilst still at college, doing stuff with him for EMI records.
What kind of music did you listen to growing up?
Well up until being about 11, just like any other kid, just what’s in the charts ya know. And then punk rock happened and everything changed. I don’t want to sound like some old fuddy-duddy but it’ll never happen again. Such a monumental explosion. It cant happen like that because of the bloody internet that dilutes everything, you had to buy a record to hear it. You don’t have to go to a gig, just watch them on YouTube. Just out of nowhere this explosion happened fuckin hell. Through school, punk bands, new wave, Joy Division, New Order, Buzzcocks, Clash. Doing my A-Levels The Smiths were just happening. You couldn’t get away from Northern Soul in Wigan. Mid 80s, acid house happened, then The Roses, The Mondays, The Verve and Oasis and off we go. Bit of everything. The good stuff.
This might be too tough a question, but is there a stand out song from that 90s era for you?
One song? Don’t think I can pin it down to one song. I can name one per band. I cant sum up the 90s in one song! Oasis- Acquiesce. That’s just nailed on Oasis 90s avin it. The Verve. I just cant do it. I cant pin it down to one.
If you had to choose one highlight of the time, a moment where you thought "fuck, this is insane" what's the first thing that comes to mind?
Maine Road. Oasis at Maine Rd was pretty magnificent.
What’s your favourite piece of work you did for Oasis?
"Some Might Say" or "Definitely Maybe"
How did you meet the Gallagher’s and start working together? What were your first impressions of them and the band?
I met them way before we started working together. Noel was working with The Inspiral Carpets in the same building I had an office. I met Liam and Noel before I knew about Oasis. They were just a couple of lads who looked pretty cool and were hanging around the office. Sound, down to earth workin class lads. Nothing like, WOW, they were this they were that, They were just cool guys ya know.
How much input did Noel/Liam, or any of the bands you worked with, have in your work?
It was exclusively Noel, and even then he let me get on with it pretty much. We did have a meeting to discuss the artwork for Definitely Maybe and Liam’s concept was a picture of a knife in a lump of butter. So, that was the end of that!
How important is the relationship between yourself and the bands when it comes to creating artwork?
Essential. That’s why we were the best. The stuff we did was the best because we had an incredible communication with the band. That’s the secret to it. That’s the bottom line. Without that you’re just pissin in the wind. Its like going to a tailor to make you a suit but he doesn’t measure you. He just makes a suit, what’s guna happen, it aint guna fit, its the same principal. You can do it but the results are never guna be as good as it would have been if you hung out, got to know each other. That’s the key to it.
I already know the answer to this, but I thought it was funny. You're on the cover of morning glory...why?
Haha the myth is that Liam and Noel were supposed to be on it, but they couldn’t be arsed getting up. I made that up. They were in Ireland. They’d just played Slane Castle but why let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Aside from Oasis and The Verve, the sleeve for Casts "Flying" Is another great shot of yours. Where would you rank it?
Oh yeah! You know who that guy is? That guy was Noel Gallagher’s hairdresser. Think he was just cutting my hair on the day and we dragged him in. Peter Grey. Top bloke. That is a massively unsung sleeve. I love that sleeve, well spotted. A very Microdot sleeve is that. I rank it up there with any of them, its a killer that.
Longest job from start to finish?
Verves first album, easy. Took forever. It got to me in the end, was like fuckin el I cant wait till this is finished.
Most fun you've had on a shoot?
Believe it or not I didn’t really enjoy doing them because there’s so much at stake. ‘Roll With It’ was a good laugh. Roll With It was cool. Was on a beach in the summertime with Oasis so that was kinda fun. High pressured affairs though really. You didn’t know what you were getting as its all shot on film. No way of looking at what the results were, couldn’t really see till afterwards.
I can’t even imagine that. With cameras nowadays you can see what you’ve got instantly. I understand to an extent, with video, I'm glad when its over. Its the editing that’s the fun part.
I totally agree with you yeah.
How important is branding and artwork for new bands nowadays?
Essential again. Because its not about the music anymore is it ya know. That’s the last thing. Its ironic that artwork has had its budget slashed. Music in the 90s was sold by the radio. You heard a record, you liked it, you bought it. Nowadays its sold visually. The net. You’ve got to see something before you hear it you know what I mean? Doesn’t make any sense to cut the artwork budget, when the artwork is what brings people in.
How would you compare photography work to video?
Different kettle of fish entirely. A lot more can go wrong with video I find. Much prefer photography.
When it comes to editing, are you chilled about it or is it a chaotic time?
Depends what you’ve got in the can doesn’t it. If all the footage is great and you’re not missing anything its a breeze, if you think fuckin el I wish I spent an extra 10min shooting that or I cant believe I’ve got to go back and shoot that, that depends on the footage you’ve got. If you’ve done the shooting properly, the editing should be a breeze.
That’s where I’ve still got stuff to learn, as I’ve had some chaotic times editing in the past!
Haha just spend more time doing the shooting and you’ll spend less time editing.
When it comes to planning a shoot, how much graft goes into it from start to finish?
The plan is more important than the shoot itself, preparation is 9/10ths of the battle. We were like the SAS, bear in mind when we did those shoots we had no chance of doing it again and had no idea what we got in the can till it got back from the lab. Everything had to be bang on, from top to bottom. Nothing left to chance.
Imagine that was a nervous time waiting for the footage
Yeah it was but ya know, I can’t remember really getting it wrong once as the preparation was so good.
You have just launched the Microdot YouTube channel. What can we expect to see?
It took me 10 years but I’m getting there. What can you expect to see? Me being honest. Talking in detail, entertaining and educating. The first one is the history of the Oasis logo. You’ll love it, its guna be great. I’ve spent ages getting it together, preparing, researching and its guna look shit hot.