File talk:America album.jpg

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Over three or four decades, you and I looked at this album cover. Three musicians known as "America" sitting on the floor of their managers office in front of three American Indians with bewildered looks on their faces.

After a long thought, I wondered "who were those indians and how did their pictures get here?"

Turns out the original photo "8 Crow prisoners at Crow agency Montana 1887" is in the National Archives. http://public.fotki.com/dutchman/national_archives_photos/8_crow_prisoners_at.html

It seems the manager of the band was stricken with this photo and had one wall of his office wall-papered with it.

On day between recording session, the three musician were resting in the managers office when he snapped this picture and later used it for the cover of the album.

It amazes me that this manager, first was struck by this photo of 8 prisoners, had it made onto wall paper for his office, then managed to get it on the cover of one of the best albums in history, but did not give credit as to it's origin.

I have been struck by the album cover. I have been struck by this photo. Just look at these men, prisoners. They look proud and bewildered. Hours or days before this photo, they were free and proud, but look at their faces! Wow, the photo speaks to me and it spoke to the manager of America. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Billbobagns (talk • contribs)

Billbobagns - Great find on locating the original artwork for that album cover. This is an interesting fact that may make it into the album page if you can point to any sources. Do you recall where you found this information? It seems to somewhat contradict the album page which gives cover artwork credit to Nigel Waymouth who was not their manager (as far as I can tell). Thanks.  7  06:15, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Billbobagns here; Correction, it was "Producer Ian Samwell's office, not their manager, as I recall. Ian had an office adjacent to the recording studio and the event was a "break" from recording. Clearly, from the photo "8 Crow.." and the album cover, the photo had been made into a wall murrell. As I recall my research, Ian Samwell had been taken by the photo so much as to have a murrell made for his office. As I read, it was Ian who took the photo and then lobbied to have it on the album cover.

The jest of my writing is NOT about the wonderful music of America, nor the talents of Ian Samwell, but the plight of the Crow Indians in America, the talent of the photographer in 1887 who snapped the shot, the effect this photograph had on Ian Samwell, HIS desire to publish the photo so that more people would study it, and ultimately, the affect this Cover has had on the millions who have listened to the album and gazed at the cover. Three strong, brave men, defeated by the army, forced into captivity.

No, I can not find the source I found some years ago to decipher this, but I CAN tell you that's what I recall. Much of what I say I read is evident from the album cover. Other points could be verified by asking one of the three guys in the photo.

Billbobagns@gmail.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.56.71.66 (talk) 07:17, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for sharing what you remember here. The contrast between the 3 Crow and the 3 band members, laughing and relaxed, with the bold words "AMERICA" printed above... is just such a gut punch. It seems an absolutely scathing statement on settler-colonialism's legacy in the United States. However that's just one interpretation -- it'd be great if the manager's original intent could ever be found. ExpatNoHat (talk) 08:56, 28 July 2024 (UTC)