The New York Dolls - The New York Dolls - 1973 - (back cover photo - made B+W for emphasis) Location: outside the Gem Spa at the southwest corner of St. Mark's Place and 2nd Avenue.

(Album: Mercury Records - photo: Toshi)

The Doors - Strange Days - 1967 - Location: Sniffen Court (150-158 East 36th Street), between Lexington Ave and Third Ave, New York

(album: Electra Records - photo: Joel Brodsky - Cover concept & art direction: William S. Harvey)

The Doors - Strange Days - 1967 - Sniffen Court (wider view)

(album: Electra Records - photo: Joel Brodsky Cover - concept & art direction: William S. Harvey)

KISS - Dressed to Kill - 1975 - Location: The southwest corner of 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue, looking north, New York.

(album: Casablanca Records - photo: Bob Gruen)

The Rolling Stones - Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow - 1966 - Location: in front of 124 East 24th Street, New York, between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue.

(Label: Decca (UK) / London(US) - photo: Jerry Schatzberg)

Here's another shot from the same session, with the Stones out of drag. This is a British version of their first greatest hits album.

(Label: Decca (UK) / London(US) - photo: Jerry Schatzberg)

Van Morrison - Too Long in Exile - 1993 - Location: Outside of 246 Pearl Street between Fulton Street and John Street looking southwest, New York City

(album: Polydor Records - photo: Berenice Abbott)

The designer created this from a 1930's WPA photo from Berenice Abbott.

Van Morrison - Too Long in Exile - ( without the album cover)

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - This Time It's For Real - 1977 - Location: Minetta Street, Greenwich Village, New York City.

(album: Epic Records - photo credit: to come)

Joni Mitchell - Song to a Seagull (back cover photo) - 1968 - Location: Outside of 169 Mercer Street between Houston Street and Prince Street, New York, looking south.

(album: Reprise Records - photo: Mark Roth)

Michael Mahoney contacted me to help him find where this photo had been taken. I immediately called up a photographer friend of mine named Al Arpadi who I used to live with on Broome Street in Soho in 1977, and I asked him where he used to fill up his car with gas. That turned out to be the Gulf Station whose sign is just above Joni's head in the photo on the album cover. Small world.

Joni Mitchell - continued: Same view, looking down Mercer Street.

PETER, PAUL AND MARY - Album 1700 - 1967 - Location: 70 Bedford Street between Commerce Street and Morton Street, New York

PETER, PAUL AND MARY - background photo

(album: Warner Brothers - photo credit: to come)

The building to the left has had extensive renovation including a door frame change to bring it back to its original design from when it was originally built. Peter, Paul and Mary are referencing the movie "Bonnie and Clyde" that was a hit that year. I at first thought this cover was taken in London, but a lot of walking in the West Village led me to the windows on the right, which matched up.

PETER, PAUL AND MARY - The Best Of Peter, Paul, & Mary: 10 Years Together - 1970 - Location: 70 Bedford Street between Commerce Street and Morton Street, New York (from the same session as ALbum 1700)

PETER, PAUL AND MARY - Peter, Paul, and Mary - 1962 - Location: Inside The Bitter End nightclub, 147 Bleecker Street, New York.

Released by Warner Bros. Records; Cover Photo: Bernard Cole; Cover Design: Milton Glaser

Dave Van Ronk - Dave Van Ronk and the Hudson Dusters - 1967 - Location: Commerce Street just 2 buildings up from the Cherry Lane Theater (38 Commerce Street), Greenwich Village, New York.

(album: Folkways Records - photo: to come)

The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique 1989 - Location: The southwest corner of Ludlow Street and Rivington Street, The Lower East Side, New York.

(album: Capitol Records - photo: Jeremy Shatan)

Foghat - Fool For The City - 1975 - Location: Outside of 232 East 11th Street between second and Third Avenues,, New York.

(album: Bearsville Records - photo: Tony Lowe)

I learned of this one from the blog of the The Greenwich Village Historical Preservation Society called On the Grid. Their offices were in one of the buildings in the background. This album has the hit "Slow Ride" on it.

(BACK COVER) Foghat - Fool For The City - 1975 - Location: Outside of 232 East 11th Street between second and Third Avenues,, New York.

(album: Bearsville Records - photo: Tony Lowe)

Led Zeppelin - Phyical Grafitti - 1975 - Location: The buildings at 96 and 98 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Avenue A, New York City.

(album: Swan Song Records - photo credit: to come - album designer: Peter Corriston inner sleeve designd: Mike Doud)

Note that, in order to fit a square shape, the album designer cut the 5th floors of both buildings out of the original photo. Incidentally, the Rolling Stones video for "Waiting on a Friend" (1981) was filmed on the front steps of #96 (the one on the right in the picture).

Here's another look at 96 and 98 St. Mark's Place - where the cover was shot. PopSpots reader Steven M. O'Neill wrote in that the tea shop in the basement is cleverly called "Physical Graffitea."

And reader Ed (eplain1) sends in the following link to the day he bumped into Robert Plant himself in front of the buildings. You can see his pictures here on Flickr.

Here's a quick preview of the PopSpot I will be doing on the Rolling Stone's video "Waiting on a Friend." Mick and Keith meet on the steps of #96, then walk to the corner of 1st Avenue to the meet the rest of the Stones at the St. Marks Bar (now Vbar at 132 1st Ave.).

Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (DGC insert) - 1988 - Location: the northwest corner of Crosby Street and Howard Street, New York City.

(album: Enigma Records - photo: Michael Lavine - sleve layout: Slim Smith)

David Gallagher, a PopSpots follower, sent this in. He had run a quiz on Flickr to find where the shot was taken. The correct answer came from "Mike" aka "SatansLaundromat."

Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (Album inner gatefold) - 1988 Location: The loading dock behind 100 Division Street at Pike Street, New York.

(album: Enigma Records - photo: Michael Lavine - sleeve layout: Slim Smith)

In the contest mentioned above for the other Sonic Youth shot, someone saw the words "Dai Sing" written on the wall (in tiny letters) behind the group in this photo and found the store to be at 100 Division Street, N.Y. in eastern Chinatown. By searching Google Street Views, I found this loading dock behind the store; then went down and photographed it.

Television - photo of the group from New York photographer Godlis - 1977 - Location: The southwest corner of First Avenue and East 9th Street, New York.

(Photo: Godlis - note: you can see many more 70's and 80's photos at his website)

I tracked this site by looking in a 1977 phonebook for a the name of a store that began with the word "City" which was behind them (it's too small to see in this photo). I found "City Curtain " at 141 First Ave, and that led me to the corner.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets - Brooklyn Paramount Roof 1958

(Photo credit: to come)

Note: PopSpots follower Anne Raso sent in the photo and gave me the location of this spot. I found the ladder using Bing Bird's eye View.

Cindy Lauper - She's So Unusual - 1983 - Location: Henderson Walk in Coney Island, New York. Henderson Walk was a little alley one block east of Stillwell Avenue between Surf Ave and Bowery Street (The specific location was the back door of the "Wax Musee" which has been torn down.

(album: Portrait Records photo: Annie Liebovitz)

I was able to track down this location by the sign that reads "Roberto Clemente" behind Cindi Lauper's arm. I Googled his name with "Coney Island" (where I had read the photo was taken) and found they had a wax figure of him in the museum.

Cyndi Lauper - A Night to Remember - 1989 - Location: Plymouth Street at Pearl, Brooklyn, just east of the Manhattan Bridge.

(album: Epic Records - photo: Chip Simmons - art direction: Stacy Drummond)

The Velvet Underground - Live at Max's Kansas City - 1972 - Location: 213 Park Avenue South, east side between 17th and 18th Street, New York.

(album: Cotillion Records - photo credit: to come)

Bruce Springsteen in SoHo by Fred Lombardi - 1973 - Location: The southwest corner of Wooster Street and Spring Street.

This photo was brought to my attention by Tom Farrell. I found the location by "flying" over Soho with Bing Bird's Eye View until I matched the two2 half-round windows in the background. This photo session also resulted in the small photo of Bruce inside the postage stamp that's on the back cover of Greetings from Asbury Park.

Here's the location on Google Streetview. It's amazing that the little corner has remained empty all these years.

RAMONES - Rocket to Russia - 1977 - Location: Outside the back door of CBGB'S at the end of Extra Place, a small alley running north from East 1st Street between Bowery and Second Avenue. (I took this background photo in 2006; the alleyway behind CBGB's has been completely cleaned up now.)

(album: Warner Records photo: Danny Fields)

Note: When the Ramones had their picture taken, the back door to CBGB's was wider. CBGB's is now a men's clothing store called John Varvatos, but worth a visit as they have lots of memorabilia.

This is a view looking down Extra Place in the year 2010. The street that was there now has no sidewalks, and stores line the wall to the left.

RAMONES - RAMONES - 1976 - Location: The photo was taken against the back west wall of a private community garden called Albert's Garden on the north side of East 2nd Street between Bowery and Second Avenue. (It is a public garden. It is open random times each week, generally nights and weekends.)

(album:Sire/Phillips - photo: Roberta Bayley)

This is a picture of Albert's Garden where the photo was taken...

...and this will show you the location.