From The Stranglers to The Streets: Five album covers shot in the region

From prog to punk, a wide array of musical artists have turned to East Anglia when it comes to finding the perfect album cover.

It's not just Norfolk's finest, the Singing Postman, who decided the region was perfect for catching the eye of the record buying public. Birmingham's The Streets, London's Pink Floyd and Guildford's The Stranglers all turned to the east when it came to creating their iconic record sleeves.

Pink Floyd - The Division Bell

Taken from the village of Queen Adelaide near Ely, this image was set up by Pink Floyd collaborator Storm Thorgerson who placed two large metal heads, each the size of double-decker buses, on either side of the cathedral. The faces are intended to be viewed in two ways, two faces talking to each other or one single face made up by the two statues, the second interpretation is said to be a reference to the late Syd Barrett. The two heads have since been displayed in exhibitions across the world, most recently in an exhibition of the band's work at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Stranglers - Norfolk Coast

The EDP was on shoot when The Stranglers visited Hunstanton to create the cover for their aptly named Norfolk Coast album. Due to heavy editing it's hard to notice the Norfolk coastline on the album cover, with a night-time background and lightening replacing a reasonably sunny scene by the seaside.

The Streets - Computers and Blues

The Streets headed to the UEA in 2009 for the cover of their Computers and Blues album, the cover image is of the university's Norfolk Terrace halls of residence which were designed by architect Sir Denys Lasdun. The buildings were named as 'one of the most outstanding new university designs in Britain' when they were first built and earned the eighth spot in the top 10 of best UK university architecture by the Architect's Journal.

Welcome to Norwich (compilation)

In the 80s Norwich's music scene was booming, with post-punk bands such as Screen 3, the Higsons and the Mohair Twins, who attracted the eyes of the nation on the cult Welcome to Norwich compilation. The cover is a picture of one of the iconic signs welcoming visitors to the city, and is thought to be the one on Mile Cross Lane.

Killing Joke - What's THIS For...!

Not many people know the cover for Killing Joke's second LP was taken at 88 Colegate in Norwich, editing and illustration means that only the left side of the image can be identified as Norwich. Work on houses in the area means that the buildings now look slightly different to the album cover, although the outline still remains.

Do you know of any album covers that were shot in Norfolk? Contact Casey at casey.cooper-fiske@archant.co.uk