ejs wrote:I always assumed it was more from Karyn Cantor, as all the other photos in the boots were shot by her, especially in the early days.
That's certainly possible.
I examined the picture a little more closely in an effort to figure out where and when it was taken.
To that end I scanned it at some crazy high dpi levels and that helped to an extent.
Here's the picture again only larger. 300dpi
Now here's the U2 poster cropped from the same photo but scanned at an even higher dpi.
I'd post the uncropped photo but it's to large to upload. (23MB)
It was easy to tell that was a U2 poster hanging over Eric since the first time I saw the photo but without blowing it up you miss a lot of important details.
Details that IMO help to date the photo or at least help to narrow it down and also details that reaffirm in my mind at least that it was indeed taken at a record store.
First off right next to "U2" is a sticky note price tag that reads: "only $10.00" with a squiggly line underneath it.
Here's what the poster reads from top to bottom:
U2
WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME
THE NEW SINGLE
Released August 24th 1987
7" (I can't make out the rest)
12" (I can't make out the rest)
LIMITED EDITION (I can't make out the rest)
So the poster is obviously a promo poster sent out by the record company to record stores to promote the release of the U2 single Where The Streets Have No Name on August 24th 1987.
I think we all know you couldn't snag one of these promo posters off ebay back in 1987 and that they were given to the record stores and that they disposed of them how they wanted after the release.
In this instance the record store owner decided to sell his based on the $10.00 price tag on it.
Some of this is speculation on my part but with the release date being August 24th 1987 and the poster being for sale I think this picture was taken weeks or months after the single was released.
Most likely before the band went on tour with Love & Rockets or perhaps during that tour.
I don't want to get to nerdy here but my reason for dating it to that time frame is Perry's jacket and Dave's hat.
We have photos of them wearing the jacket and hat during this time frame.