SNAP, CRACKLE & BOP
Famed Factory Records artist in chief Peter Saville was the creative mind behind the cover of John Cooper Clarke’s fourthalbum and third for major label Epic. Riffing on the droll Salford performance poet’s ubiquitous suit jacket, the image, shot by photographer Bob Elsdale, is a closeup of the jacket’s lapel. Collectors will be well aware that there are three different incarnations. First pressings have a booklet of JCC’s poetry held in a separate, stuck-on cardboard jacket pocket, withthe title ‘Snap Crackle & Bop’ sticking out of the pocket. These originals fetch up to £35 on Discogs. Copies from the second run are less valuable, withno separate pocket and the album title on a sticker. A third version has a traditional standard sleeve, minus the added-on pocket and stickers. Saville deployed a nice touch on the rear of the sleeve, withthe album’s tracklisting written in a biro font on the cuff of the model’s shirt.