GEORGE HARDIE (b. 1944), [1976]

The Song Remains the Same was Led Zeppelin's only officially-released live album, produced from a series of recordings taken over several days at Madison Square Garden during their 1973 tour of North America (27-29 July). The LP was released in late September 1976, several weeks before the release of the concert film of the same title. The film became a cult classic—a staple of midnight movies throughout the late 1980s and beyond. The images produced by Hardie on the sleeve depict a dilapidated movie house where Led Zeppelin rehearsed for their 1973 North America tour.

From the late 1960s through the early 1980s, George Hardie, produced some of the most memorable album covers of the period, including one of his first professional commissions: the art for Led Zeppelin's debut LP (sold in these rooms, 2 June 2020, lot 88, $325,000), as well as Houses of the Holy and Presence. He is perhaps best remembered for his iconic rendering for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, but also produced covers for Wish You Were Here and A Nice Pair. Hardie additionally produced album art for Black Sabbath, Hollies, Genesis, Peter Frampton, Robin Trower, Wings, The Alan Parsons Project, Sammy Hagar, Al Stewart, and Big Jim Sullivan, among others.