As many of you will know, the website Talenthouse recently invited submissions to a competition to design a 7″ sleeve for Bennie and the Jets, along with six other songs from different artists. This weekend Secret-7″, who run the competition, are showcasing the selected designs at a venue in London. The records will be available to buy next weekend on Record Store Day with all proceeds going to the charity Art Against Knives.
Last night eltonites.com went along to the exhibition ready to see a diverse and inspiring collection of designs. Perhaps something that made us hear the song in a slightly different way. Or a design that encapsulated what the song is about; that really captured its energy and excitement.
We were genuinely intrigued to see how the creative world would represent ‘Bennie and the Jets’, and Elton himself, on an 18cm x 18cm canvas.
Perhaps we expected too much from the competition but, disappointedly, the vast majority of designs reduced the song to a pair of boots and Elton to a pair of glasses. Although, thank goodness, there was some variety in the shape of designs using a picture of Elton. (We’ll skip over the whole secret part of the competition – according to the blurb about the competition ‘None of the buyers will know who created the sleeve, or even which song it’s for, until they are holding it in their hands – the secret lies within’).
So much for being inspired. The covers are the equivalent of those people who turn up to concerts in big glasses and are then featured prominently in the local paper’s coverage of ‘fans’. This is Elton for those who can name more X-Factor contestants who have covered Elton than they can actual Elton songs.
If you are thinking of visiting Shoreditch on the 20th to buy any of these make sure you get there early to get hold of one of the few remotely interesting designs, otherwise you’ll be stuck with an unoriginal, unimaginative and quite frankly patronising cover for a song and an artist that deserve so much better.
Is eltonites.com over-reacting? Yes, probably! After all, as you can see, the designs weren’t all bad; the artists, in the main, aren’t well-known or ever likely to be; and it is for charity after all. Still, we can’t just can’t help being a little disappointed.
You can check out the winning designs here: Secret 7. See how many glasses and boots designs you can spot since I’ve refrained from posting pics here.
Other artists and songs are:
Haim – Better Off
Public Enemy – Harder Than You Think
Nick Drake – Rider on the Wheel
Nas – The Don
Laura Marling – The Beast
Jessie Ware – Still Love Me
Let us know the designs you like and the ones you don’t. And, if you planning on buying any of them?