Lynyrd Skynyrd – Behind The Street Survivors Album Cover

Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd “Street Survivors” Album Cover

I remember what a hard time the band had trying to get the picture for the front cover of the “Street Survivors” album. The set up at Universal Studios was a metal trough set up in front of the band, one in each of the windows located on both sides of the band, and an explosion that would go off behind the band. The explosion would go off, setting the troughs on fire, just as the picture was being taken, giving the effect of Lynyrd Skynyrd coming into town and setting it on fire -which was what they always did. The problem was that the flames in the trough in front of them would rise up too high causing the band members to jump back.

On a couple of occasions, the gas that was being used to start the fires would burn too long causing the wood in the town setting to catch on fire. The studio firemen would come in and put the fires out and then they’d have to start all over. Finally, after about a hundred fires and a half a day of shooting they got it right. The picture was almost perfect except Gary was jumping back a little.

After the plane crash and the death of Ronnie, Steve, Cassie, and Dean, the survivors decided that the fire scene wasn’t very appropriate and they took the picture that was originally supposed to go on the back cover of the album and put it on the front. The fire scene ended up on the back cover.

Thanks,
Gene

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