The Untold Story Behind Prince’s Iconic ‘Sign O’ the Times’ Album Cover

There is only one Prince. The music legend may have left us in 2016, but his legacy lives through countless songs, videos, and visuals. There is always something original to discover within his prolific catalog. The launch of an extended version of 1987’son September 25 treats fans to new music and a host of previously unseen treasures.

For those who witnessed the process firsthand, the album still brings up fond memories. For Jeff Katz, who served as the artist’s photographer during the mid-’80s,remains one of the most resonant releases of all time. A record that touches on poverty, drug abuse, gang violence, and the AIDS crisis, it went far beyond the dance-pop that dominated radio during the era. “It’s such an incredibly poignant and political album,” shared Katz on the phone from Los Angeles.

Katz’s relative newness worked in his favor. Open to experimenting and going the extra mile to execute a concept, he made an impression during their first meeting, shooting the cover of 1985’salbum. “I walked up to him, shook his hand, and said, ‘I’m here to do whatever you want to do,’” says Katz. “We spent the entire day collaborating on shoots and setups. After an hour, he just had me shoot the whole thing, and I realized that we got along well.

The intimacy that approach creates is evident in Katz’s photographs of Prince. The two would go on to travel the world together on tour and create classic images for several more albums, memories that have stuck with Katz three decades on. “He taught me so much about how to think on my feet and create at a moment’s notice, how to make things happen organically,” says Katz. “I’ve carried those lessons to each photo shoot that I’ve done since.

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