This is the last of our rare bootleg record sleeves with art by Aslan, aka Alain Gourdon. The previous two were for records by The Cure, and we showed you those here and here. This one was made for Joy Division, and though undated—the blue vinyl and inner sleeve have no text at all—probably appeared in late 1980 as a rush release after lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide. As far as we know, no other bootleg records with Aslan art were ever made, though Fontana released a series of very nice licensed Aslan covers during the 1960s. All three Aslan bootlegs are somewhat racy, this one perhaps most so, but it’s a brilliant piece of art.
Update, 2020: We found the original Aslan painting that became the unlicensed cover above, plus the reference photos that were the basis for the painting. They’re all below. Model unknown. We could have shared this discovery a new, separate post, but we put it here because it was easier. Plus, it’ll keep you on your toes—you never what we’ll dump deep into the website. Also, doing it this way leaves us more time for fine glasses of white wine.
