UFO – Phenomenon(1974)

Biography
UFO are an English rock band that was formed in London in 1969. They became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the new wave of British heavy metal. The band’s current lineup includes vocalist Phil Mogg, guitarist Vinnie Moore, bass guitarist Rob De Luca, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Paul Raymond and drummer Andy Parker. They have gone through several line-up changes, leaving Mogg as the only constant member, and had two hiatuses (1983–1984 and again from 1989 to 1991). The band are also notable for featuring former Scorpions guitarist and MSG founder Michael Schenker, who had been a member of UFO occasionally between 1973 and 2003, when Moore replaced him. Over a career spanning 48 years, UFO have released 22 studio albums, 14 live recordings and 16 compilation albums. They achieved moderate success in the late 1970s and early 1980s with several albums and singles (including their 1979 live album Strangers in the Night) in the UK and US Top 40 charts, and have sold over ten million records worldwide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO

Album & Cover
Phenomenon is the third studio album by the British rock band UFO, released in May 1974 and debut on Chrysalis label. UFO largely left their blues-based “space rock” sound behind, in part due to the presence of their new guitarist, German 19-year-old Michael Schenker. The album was produced by Leo Lyons, bass guitarist of British rock group Ten Years After. All tracks were recorded at Morgan Studios in London. It was remastered at Sound Recording Technology, Cambridge, in 1994. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenon_(UFO_album)

This cover is a pun on the band name UFO, and a picture within a picture. The UFO in this case is a hubcap thrown in the air with the wife about to take the photo but was caught in the act. These were typical UFO shots in the seventies in Black & White and of course the UFO is blurred. But Hipgnosis hand tinted the cover in colour to create the picture in picture effect. Oh, and the wife/woman is called Mandy.

Cover Location: American Suburbia
Who Did What: Cover Tinting – Maurice Tate, Graphics – Richard Evans. Photography – A. Powell
Label: Chrysalis CHR 1059(US & UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell

Tracklist

Credits
Vocals – Phil Mogg
Bass Guitar – Pete Way
Drums – Andy Parker
Guitar – Michael Schenker
Engineer – Mick Bobak
Producer – Leo Lyons