Michael Spencer Jones is one of the UK’s best known rock photographers. His iconic photographs of Oasis, including the covers of their first three albums are some of the most recognisable images of the Britpop era.
Born in Sheffield in 1963, Michael studied photography at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art before moving to Manchester at the very beginning of the ‘Madchester’ music scene. He met Tony Wilson of Factory Records and began photographing the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses among others.
Cover Story
In 1992 and 1993 his photography was appearing on covers for The Verve, for their eponymous first E.P. as well as their debut album A Storm In Heaven. This caught the eye of Oasis’ Noel Gallagher and Michael was asked to photograph the then fledgling band; so started a five-year relationship with Oasis that resulted in a vast catalogue of images.
BROWSE PRINTS BY MICHAEL SPENCER JONES
"Oasis were the greatest people you could possibly wish to work with"
Michael cites the influence of surrealism and in particular the work of the Hipgnosis design group in his approach to the medium and this is certainly evident in the record covers he has created. He has more recently been involved in a project to restore and colourise archival photographs, in particular of the Beatles.
READ OUR ARTIST Q&A WITH MICHAEL
