Louise Brooks has appeared on the covers of more than a handful of contemporary albums. In fact, Brooks has appeared on just about every recent form of physical media including vinyl records or LP’s, 45 rpm singles, extended play EP’s, and compact discs (CD’s) dating all the way back to 1976. Some of these recordings come from major labels, and some are indie releases. Sometimes, Brooks’ cover appearance was merely decorative, and sometimes it was intentional — because the entire recording or a particular track was about or related to the actress. As this page is focused on cover appearances, other musical recordings which reference the actress but do not picture her are not included: other such musical tributes to Louise Brooks (by the likes of Soul Coughing, Rufus Wainwright, Natalie Merchant, Nouvelle Culture, Les Primitifs Du Futur, etc…) are listed on the Homage to Lulu page here on the LBS website.
There are stories behind a few of these covers. The first is Karsten Vogel‘s Birds of Beauty, released by CBS records. I emailed the Dutch musician in 2024, prior to creating this page, asking why Louise Brooks appears on the cover of his debut album. Vogel wrote back, stating “I am a great admirer of Louise Brooks and still find that she is one of the most beautiful women in the world as well as great actor. I had no designer for the cover and the choice was all mine. I got the photo at the Danish Movie Academy (and the right to use it – it was quite cheap!). Since the title of the album was Birds of Beauty (as well as the title for one of the songs) it was obvious for me to have Louise Brooks on the cover if possible. And it was. I got hold of Louise Brooks private address and send her a copy of the album with a few words but it was returned without comments.”
The first rock music nod to Brooks — at least in the form of a cover — may be from The Freeze, a punk/new wave band from Scotland. In 1980, they released a 45rpm single featuring “Celebration”, which the back sleeve notes is “dedicated to Louise Brooks who inspired this song.” Like Karsten Vogel, composer Gordon Sharp of The Freeze also reportedly sent his recording to the actress. But did he hear back? I don’t know. (Gordon Sharp, now known as Cinder, later formed the group Cindytalk.)
One recording not included here is the soundtrack to The Chaperone, the PBS film which tells the story of Brooks leaving home to become a dancer. It doesn’t depict Louise Brooks per se, only the actress (Haley Lu Richardson) who played her. Know of other cover appearances? Have a better scan or additional information to share? The LBS would love to hear from you via its CONTACT page.
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| Karsten Vogel Birds of Beauty (LP record album) CBS records, 1976 jazz | The Netherlands |
The Freeze Celebration (45 rpm single) A1, 1980 rock | Scotland |
Robert Viger & Alain Bernaud Diary of a Lost Girl (LP record album) PSI, 1981 soundtrack | France |
Zorn / Lewis / Frisell News For Lulu (CD) hat ART, 1988 jazz | USA |
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| Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Pandora’s Box (It’s a long, long way) (CD single) Virgin, 1991 rock | UK |
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Pandora’s Box (It’s a long, long way) (7″ vinyl single) Virgin, 1991 rock | UK |
Cheap And Nasty Beautiful Disaster (7″ vinyl) China Records, 1991 rock | UK |
Zorn / Lewis / Frisell More News For Lulu (CD) hat ART, 1992 jazz | USA |
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| Black Tambourine Throw Aggi Off The Bridge (45 rpm EP) Audrey’s Diary, 1992 rock | USA |
Jen Anderson Pandora’s Box: The Soundtrack (CD) Shock, 1993 soundtrack | Australia |
Papadimitriou & Sylleou The Song of Lulu (CD) Ρει, 1996 jazz | Greece |
Minos Matsas Diary Of A Lost Girl (CD) EMI, 1997 song cycle | Greece |
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| Sandro Moreni Brooksie – The Jazz Age Musical (CD) EMV, 1999 soundtrack | Switzerland |
Lady Godiva Louise Brooks Avenue (CD) Spirit Of Jungle, 1999 rock | France |
Subterraneans Pandora’s Box (CD) no label, 1999 rock | UK |
The Prize Silence (CD) Top Banana, 2002 rock | USA |
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| Kurt Masur – New York Philharmonic Seven Deadly Sins / Lulu Suite (CD) Teldec, 2006 classical | USA |
Laura Moriarty The Chaperone (CD) Penguin Audio, 2012 spoken word | USA |
Wurlitza Diary of a Lost Girl (CD) Four Spotted Footman, 2015 pop | UK |
Timelock Louise Brooks (CD) FREIA Music, 2022 (reissue) rock | The Netherlands |
The one album cover absent from the above showcase is Eliogabablus (Hurdy Gurdy Records, 1990), by the cult Italian-Slovenian experimental progressive heavy symphonic metal rock band Devil Doll. It is difficult to find Louise Brooks on the cover, but she is there, second from the right in the upper right corner. An early image of the actress occupies the second booth… I don’t know who the figure next to her might be, perhaps John Barrymore or Frankenstein. (Other figures scattered about the balcony include Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi, Elsa Lanchester, Conrad Veidt, Vampira and other goth icons.)
