Tower of Power

August FlairIllustration - Jonathan Chadwick

Date added: Thu 19 Aug 2010

I've always wanted to design and illustrate record sleeves and I've finally received my first commission! Well, technically I guess it's more of an iTunes graphic than a sleeve as such but hey, I'm still celebrating and why not? The track in question, 'Tower of Power' is the latest output from up and coming Liverpool based artist Yuval Bilgorai. Yuval is a twenty something Israeli product of Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. The inspiration for the artwork came from me likening the track to Stevie Wonder's 'Innervisions'. Coincidentally, the album sleeve artwork for which features an illustration of the artist looking skywards from a tower on the bank of a river. Tarot card style artwork was then proposed as not only does the Tarot Tower card echo the Innervisions artwork, but the lyrics of Tower of Power seemed to suggest a guy in need of some kind of guidance with his relationship dealings. "Flying out of a window, I'm such a mess, Get in to all sort of troubles with the opposite sex, How did I get myself into this kind of situation? Must be the misunderstanding of the human relation. I've been looking for so long, for someone to come along, But I'm used to live alone, sit on my throne I will not cower I'll take my place In my tower of power" From the outside, the use of Tarot cards seems dark and sinister, scary even, and the Tower card in particularly is considered a bit of an ill omen. Traditionally though the Tower tarot card represents a radical change - such as a move to somewhere new, a change in faith or maybe the opening up of ones self to a new relationship. Inverted, the card suggests a resistance to change and being stuck in a rut. Whilst the Tarot Tower lends itself well to the sentiments of the track, on closer inspection the sleeve artwork has been made a little more light hearted and playful in respect of the funky nature of the music...