The Oasis album cover for Be Here Now holds a few hidden details that listeners are only just picking up on – with the band’s sinking Rolls Royce and Stocks House location sparking debate
A hidden detail in an iconic Oasis album cover has been confirmed by the original photographer, Michael Spencer Jones. The talented man behind Oasis’ iconic Be Here Now photograph has now shared several details about the shoot.
The Liam Gallagher-featuring picture was shot by Jones and directed by Brian Cannon. It has fast become one of the most iconic album covers of the 1990s – and people still ask questions about it to this very day due to the amount of tiny details that are included in it.
Props include a tribute to Keith Moon, a sinking Rolls Royce in a swimming pool, a gramophone and a partly submerged phone box. But it’s the striking filming location that has caught people’s attention on X.
Photographer Jones revealed the significance of Stocks House, where the iconic image was shot. And it turns out, it has a little-known link to the Playboy Empire.
Posting the image of the album cover to his X page, Jones celebrated the album, which was released 28 years ago on August 21.
The cover photo was taken at Stocks House in Hertfordshire – and Jones says it’s a “shoot [he’ll] never forget”. Cannon went on the record and suggested the cost of the shoot was around £75,000.
But fans were more interested in the band’s link to Stock House. One asked: “Was there any link to Stocks House to the band? Why Stocks House?”
This hidden detail is something that was elaborated on by the photographer, who shared the significance of the location.
Jones replied: “No links to the band but the house was owned by Victor Lownes who headed up the European Playboy Empire – an interesting character you may want to Google. Before that it was a Catholic girls school.”
The Playboy venue used to host extravagant 25-hour parties that were the perfect opportunity for debauchery, which is very apt given the band’s love for Cigarettes & Alcohol.
Elsewhere in the replies, Jones confirmed the brains behind the sinking Rolls Royce image.
Neither Gallagher brothers were responsible for the image, but rhythm guitarist Bonehead suggested it would make for a striking visual.
Jones confirmed this in a separate reply, where one fan asked: “Who came up with the idea of having a Rolls Royce in the swimming pool?” He replied: “Bonehead.”
Another asked Jones why it was a shoot he would never forget, writing: “Hi Michael, was it a shoot you’ll never forget because of the images or the atmosphere?
“It looks like it was a fun day, and I must admit, some of my favourite images have come from this shoot. As always Thank you for sharing with us.”
Jones replied: “It was a very crazy and surreal day – a lot went right but a lot went wrong as well.”
The photographer then shared that they had not managed to fill the pool in time for the band’s arrival at the photo shoot, leading to a wild encounter with the fire brigade.
He explained: “Struggling to fill the pool in time for the band’s arrival – we had to call out the Fire Brigade & open up a nearby hydrant meaning the hotel had no water for the guests, so anarchy in the hotel-band becoming paralytic on G&T’s -generators blowing up, fans invading the shoot etc.”
Well, we can see why it’s so etched in his memory!