“THE ARMADILLO HAD POTENTIAL!”

William Neal on the Tarkus cover art.

“From 1968-1970 I worked for CCS Advertising Associates on publicity material for the recording industry. An opportunity came up for us to submit ideas for ELP’s second album. I don’t remember all the finished ideas, but mine was a WWI machine gun with keyboard keys like a bullet belt. There were also other heavy engines of war to depict the thunder of the band’s music as I saw it then. Quite absentmindedly, possibly with the war thoughts still in my mind, I got thinking about armour and tanks, I did what folks like me do. Armour must have sounded a tenuous link with armadillo, while I was talking on the phone, so I doodled in pencil an armadillo with tank tracks on one of the presentation covers.

“This was not intended as part of the presentation. In fact, had it been noticed, it would almost certainly have been taken off, but it slipped in undetected by the reps from CCS. All of the finished ideas were rejected by the band. However, Keith spotted the armadillo and realised its potential straight away. I was asked to develop the little chap further and meet the band. This I did with considerable enthusiasm, with Dave Herbet and myself taking the artwork to Greg’s flat in Chelsea. This was the first time I had met the band. It was obvious the idea had grown even more with Keith. Greg was also very enthusiastic, asking for the image to be made even meaner; he felt the armadillo looked too friendly.

“As often happens with concepts like this, we ended up with too much material. All manner of weird creatures had to be discarded. The band were also unanimous in agreeing the name ought to be written in bones.

“To attempt a note-by-note, brushstroke-by-stroke portrayal of the music was obviously impossible. However, a broader, symbolic approach was chosen to illustrate the mutated futility of man’s folly, the ruination of the Earth and life itself through religious and irreligious interests.

“I recall saying the name of the band was no longer needed on the front of the album – but it was an unusual and bold venture by them to leave it out. As it turned out, the power of the painted image, with outstanding music and reviews, proved this to be true.”