Battersea Power Station in popular culture
Battersea Power Station has been featured in many forms of media and culture: it can be seen on several album covers by rock and pop groups, in a number of music videos, and has appeared in many films and television programmes in its more than 70-year history.
Music
Album artwork
Author of a book on Battersea Power Station Peter Watts thinks one of the main reasons for the building's worldwide recognition is due to it having appeared on the cover of Pink Floyd's 1977 album, Animals. Developed by long-time Floyd collaborators design studio Hipgnosis, the album sleeve featured photography, taken in early December 1976, of the power station with the group's inflatable pink pig, named Algie, floating above it.[1] The inflatable was made in Germany by Ballon Fabrik (aka the Zeppelin Airship company), to the design of Australian artist Jeffrey Shaw. The 30-foot (9-metre)-long pig was tethered between two of the power station's southern chimneys. During the shoot, it broke loose from its moorings and, to the astonishment of the pilots of approaching planes, rose into the flight path of Heathrow Airport. Police helicopters tracked its course, until it landed in Kent.[2] Video footage of the photoshoot was used in the promotional video for the song "Pigs on the Wing".[3] The album was officially launched at an event at the power station.[2]
The Pink Floyd image has been much referenced, parodied and paid homage to, for instance on:
- The US cover of The Orb's 1991 album, Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld.[4]
- The back cover of Les Claypool's Frog Brigade's 2001 album, Live Frogs Set 2, which is a full cover of Pink Floyd's Animals.[5][6]
The station can also be seen on various other pieces of album artwork, including:
- The booklet art for The Who's 1973 album, Quadrophenia.[7]
- The photograph on the sleeve of Hawkwind's 1977 album, Quark, Strangeness and Charm, is of the B Station's control room.[8]
- The cover of Jan Hammer's 1988 12" single of "The Runner (marathon mix)".[9]
- The back cover of Morrissey's 1990 album Bona Drag.[10]
- The background art for the cover of the 2001 Petula Clark boxed set, Meet Me in Battersea Park.[11]
- The cover of London Elektricity's 2005 album, Power Ballads.[12] Silhouettes of the station's coal cranes were used on the cover of the group's Hanging Rock single.[13]
- A photograph on the inside case of Muse's 2009 album, The Resistance.[14]
- Battersea Power Station was also the name of Junior's Eyes' 1969 album. Junior's Eyes went on to become David Bowie's backup band for a brief period in the late 1960s.[15]
Music videos
The power station has often been used as a shooting location or as a backdrop in music artists' promotional videos. Such uses include:
- Footage from the photoshoot of the cover of Pink Floyd's Animals is used in a video for their 1977 song "Pigs on the Wing".[3] During the song "Money" at their 2005 Live 8 performance, the power station was briefly shown when the camera panned out away from the stage.[16]
- The Jam shot the promotional video for their 1978 single "News of the World" on the roof of the power station.[17] Photos from the shoot featuring the station also appear on the sleeve of the "Snap!" compilation album.[18]
- A scene from Bill Wyman's promotional video for his 1981 single, "Je Suis un Rock Star", shows the station in the background.[19]
- The station appeared in the video for the 1982 hit single "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" by heavy metal band Judas Priest.[20]
- Tori Amos filmed the video for her 1996 single "Talula" inside the station.[21]
- The band M People shot the music video for their 1995 single "Search for the Hero" inside and around the station. It was directed by Matthew Amos [22]
- The station appears in the 1997 music video by American pop band Hanson, for their song "Where's the Love".[23]
- It was rented by Bruce Dickinson in 1999 to be a film location for the video to "Man of Sorrows".[24]
- Texas filmed the video for their 1999 single "In Our Lifetime" inside the station.[25]
- The hard rock band Europe shot some scenes of the video clip "Open Your Heart" (1988), at the station.[26]
- The band Biffy Clyro shot the music video for their 2010 single, "Many of Horror", at the station.[27]
- In Take That's video for their 2010 single, "The Flood", the group pass by the station while rowing down the River Thames.[28]
- Served as a backdrop for Ayumi Hamasaki's music video for the song, "Return Road", from her 13th album, "Party Queen".
- Chimneys are observed in the music One Thing by One Direction.
- The power station is featured behind the credits of Nice for What by Drake (musician).
Lyrics
The power station is also written about, or mentioned in, various songs.
- Welsh pop band Super Furry Animals wrote "Battersea Odyssey", a song about the power station, on their 2007 album Hey Venus!.[29]
- English singer Frank Turner mentions Battersea Power Station as the dwelling of the Fisher King in "The Fisher King Blues" on his 2013 album Tape Deck Heart.[30]
Television and film
- The station was used in the opening scene of Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 film, Sabotage.[31]
- The station can be seen in several key scenes in Val Guest's 1961 doomsday black comedy The Day the Earth Caught Fire, most prominently when a dense fog rolls up the Thames
- The station was the focal point of action in the film High Treason, in which a cell of saboteurs plot to destroy the station (among others) to disrupt Britain's power grid. The film has extensive interior scenes.
- It has appeared numerous times in the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who. It appeared briefly in the episode The Dalek Invasion of Earth in 1964, which saw the station in the 22nd century with two chimneys demolished, and a nearby nuclear reactor dome.[32] It appeared again in the 2006 Doctor Who episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel" as the base to which Londoners are drawn to be converted into Cybermen.
- It appeared briefly in The Beatles' 1965 film Help!, with a caption identifying it as "a famous power station".[33]
- It can be seen near the end of the 1967 film Smashing Time, when the station appears to explode.
- The station is seen in the 1967 science fiction film The Projected Man.
- The A Station's control room was used as the location for the "Find The Fish" segment of Monty Python's 1983 film The Meaning of Life.[34]
- It is in the background, belching out smoke, of the opening shot of the "Hell's Grannies" sketch in Monty Python's 1971 film And Now for Something Completely Different.
- The station's interior was used for a closing scene featuring Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor and Larry Lamb in the 1983 film Superman III, where it doubled as an American coal mining operation.
- It was used as the external façade of the Victory Mansions in Michael Radford's 1984 film adaptation of George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.[35]
- A stylised image of the station appears in the title sequence of Agatha Christie's Poirot, which began airing in 1989. The series was set in the late 1930s, when the power station comprised only the western half – the remainder was added in the 1950s, long after the events of the show had ended.[36]
- The power station was the location for a weather changing machine in the children's sci-fi series "The Tomorrow People" in 1994 in the episode "Monsoon Man".[37]
- The station stood in for an Eastern European military camp in the 1994 MacGyver TV movie, The Lost Treasure of Atlantis.
- In Ian McKellen's 1995 film adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III, the derelict power station stands in for Bosworth Field in Richard's final battle scene.[38]
- In the "Knightsbridge" episode of Neil Gaiman's 1996 television series Neverwhere, the station appears as the aboveground landmark for the London Below Floating Market.
- A computer generated version of the power station appeared briefly in the background of a 2006 episode of the ABC television series Lost entitled "Fire and Water", sporting an identifying sign saying "Widmore Construction". This was the first introduced of one of the show's principal antagonists, Charles Widmore.[39]
- In Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 film, Children of Men, the station appears converted as the "Ark of Art" in 2027. The building contains art treasures salvaged from nations whose governments have collapsed and preserved for a "posterity".[40] It contains a shattered and rebuilt Michelangelo's David, and Picasso's Guernica.[40][41] An inflatable pig is tethered to the exterior of the building, a reference to the Animals album cover.[42]
- In May 2007, Battersea Power Station played a central role in episode 5 of series 4 of the BBC TV series New Tricks.[43]
- In October 2007, the power station was used as a filming location for the Batman movie, The Dark Knight. The station's stripped, empty interior was used as a setting for a burnt out warehouse.[44][45]
- Starting in December 2007, the interior of the power station was used in Terry Gilliam's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.[46]
- In 2008, the power station was used as a location for the film Happy-Go-Lucky.[47]
- The station was featured in Guy Ritchie's 2008 film, RocknRolla.[47]
- In April 2010, the station was featured in the BBC television series Ashes to Ashes.[48]
- In March 2010, the movie Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang briefly showed the station, with a silver inflatable pig tethered between two smokestacks.[49]
- In October 2010, auditions for Sky1's Got to Dance programme were held at the station.[50]
- The 2010 film The King's Speech used the A station control room to represent the BBC's wireless control room.[47][51]
- The 2011 Bollywood film Ra.One was shot at the power station.[47][52]
- The 2010 BBC's series Sherlock features some scenes at the power station.
- The power station appeared briefly in the film Fast & Furious 6 (2013)[53][54]
- The Power Station was used in a 1992 advert for Burger King acting as a filming location for a movie.
- In Series 24 Thomas passes the power station on his way to London with Duchess.
Other uses in culture
- The "Power Plant" structures in the 1996 PC game Command & Conquer: Red Alert closely resemble the power station.[55] Both are similar, with the ordinary power plant structure having two towers and the advanced power plant having four towers, the structures resembling the Battersea plant in its various stages.
- The station is featured in the 1999 video game, Grand Theft Auto: London 1969.[56]
- A brown version of the power station can be seen in the 2001 video game Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, in the mission "Invincible Fleet".[57]
- In recent years, the building has played host to concerts and to performances by the Cirque du Soleil.[58] In 2000, the company voiced plans to permanently convert the building into an "urban circus".[59]
- In 2004, photographer Vera Lutter used the station in several pieces of her work. She created the photographs by turning shipping containers into giant pinhole cameras and placing them in front of the building for several days.[60]
- Between 8 October and 5 November 2006, the Serpentine Gallery took up residence in the power station for the exhibition China Power Station: Part I. It displayed the work of "an extraordinary and vibrant new generation of Chinese artists and architects".[61]
- In 2007, replicating the pig from Pink Floyd, promoters flew a giant inflatable SpiderPig to promote the release of The Simpsons Movie that year.[62]
- On 23 and 24 October 2008, the station was used for the Channel 4 Freeze event. The event included a snow jump and music performances.[63]
- The 2009 video game Colin McRae: Dirt 2 allows the player to race through the disused power station.[64] The power station is also featured in the 2011 game Dirt 3, and in Dirt: Showdown.[65]
- The 2009 BBC Radio 4 radio play, The Mouse House, features a storyline centred around Battersea Power Station.[66]
- Since 22 August 2009, the station has been used as a venue on the Red Bull X-Fighters season.[67]
- On 13 April 2010 the station site was used as the venue for the manifesto launch of the Conservative Party led by David Cameron during the general election campaign for the UK Parliament at Westminster.[48] Between 6 and 7 May 2010, the station site was used by Sky News in their coverage of the election.[68]
- The station was featured on the cover of the novel Dead Air, by Iain Banks.
- On 28 February 2011, Helen Skelton presenter of the BBC children's television show Blue Peter, successfully managed a high wire walk between two of Battersea power station's chimneys.[69][70]
- In the introductory video of the ceremony of London 2012 Olympic Games, there is an aerial shot from the chimneys.
- In 2012, mobile network operator EE constructed a projector screen between two of the station's chimneys to show a 4D film to launch their new 4G network, the first one in the UK.
- In October 2018, the book "The Battersea Power Station – Alles Battersea" by Monika Hermeneit appeared as paperback and as an ebook.
- For his Us + Them Tour, former Pink Floyd band member Roger Waters had a mechanized Battersea recreated over the floor audience. The model was rigged with smokestacks that released mist to simulate smoke and the sides were actually video screens with a multitude of imagery projected onto them.
See also
References
- Battersea Power Station: Electrifying design, BBC, Design Icons, 7 November 2013
- "Pink Floyd". Battersea Power Station Community Group. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
- Pink Floyd (1977). Pig on the Wing. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
- "The Orb". 12 July 2008. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
- "Live Frogs Set 2". Retrieved 17 March 2009.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 2014-12-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Quadrophenia". Retrieved 17 March 2009.
- Fogman (20 June 2005). "Quark, Strangeness and Charm". Retrieved 19 March 2009.
- Will Taber. "The Runner (marathon mix)". Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
- "Bona Drag". Retrieved 19 March 2009.
- "Meet Me in Battersea Park". Retrieved 19 March 2009.
- Gry Garness. "Power Ballads". Retrieved 17 March 2009.
- "Hanging Rock / Far From The Shadows". Hospital Records. 19 September 2005. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
- Matthew. "The Resistance". Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
- Unterberger, Richie. "Junior's Eyes". Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- Pink Floyd (2 July 2005). Pink Floyd – Money – Live 8. Event occurs at 03:04 – 03:12. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- The Jam (1978). News of the World. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- "Snap!". Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- Bill Wyman (1981). Je Suis un Rock Star. Event occurs at 01:34 – 01:50. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- Judas Priest (1982). You've Got Another Thing Comin' music video. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- "Talula music video". Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
- M People (1995). "Search for the Hero". Retrieved 2 April 2019.
- Hanson (1997). Where's the love. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- Bruce Dickinson (1999). Man of Sorrows. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
- "In Our Lifetime music video". Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- Europe (1988). Open Your Heart.
- Biffy Clyro (2009). Many of Horror. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- Take That (2010). The Flood. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- "Battersea Power Station or Baronghetti". london-pictures.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- "Frank Turner explains The Fisher King Blues lyrics". Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- Alfred Hitchcock – director (1936). Sabotage. Event occurs at 01:50 – 02:15. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- William Hartnell – Actor (1964). The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Event occurs at 00:43 – 00:49. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- Lowe, Felix (20 June 2008). "Battersea Power Station: A timeline". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
- Terry Jones – director (1983). Find the Fish. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- Michael Radford – director (1984). 1984. MGM. Event occurs at 34:08 – 34:16. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
- Poirot. Event occurs at 0:22 – 0:29. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- "Tomorrow People filming and other locations". Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
- von Busack, Richard (January 1996). "Richard III". Retrieved 25 March 2009.
- "Fire and Water". Archived from the original on 29 March 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
- Henry, Michael C. (September 2008). "What will the cultural record say about us?" (PDF). p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- "Children of Men" (PHP). March 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- "Pink Floyd, Children of Men". Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- "New Tricks". Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
- "Batman blows up Battersea", Your Local Guardian
- Christopher Nolan – director (16 July 2008). The Dark Knight (DVD). Warner Bros. Event occurs at 01:33:00 – 01:33:37, 02:09:58 – 02:18:28.
- "The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus film locations". movie-locations.com. 19 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- "Filming". industri management. 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- "Manifesto Watch: Tory launch" (STM). BBC News. 13 April 2010. Archived from the original on 16 April 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- "Nanny McPhee Returns – Trivia". Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- Duffy, Tom (8 October 2010). "Southport's morris dancers compete in Davina McCall's Got To Dance show". southportvisiter.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
- Bedell, Geraldine (1 January 2011). "The King's Speech: How clever sets create a compelling picture of 1930s London". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- "Shahrukh Khan latest movie Ra.One will be filmed in London – Hotel Rafayel chosen as a London base". rafayelshotel.blogspot.com. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
- Hazelton, John (14 May 2013). "Review for Fast & Furious 6". Screen Daily.
- Mottram, James (14 May 2013). "Fast & Furious 6: London's burning rubber". Total Film.
- Category_5_Hurricane (16 June 2007). "Red Alert: A Path Beyond". Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
- "Grand Theft Auto: London 1969". Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
- nemesis8722 (26 November 2008). Ace Combat 4 – Mission 06 – Invincible Fleet PT2. Event occurs at 1:43 – 1:53. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- Myerson, Jonathan (23 November 2001). "Quidam, Cirque du Soleil, Battersea Power Station, London". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- Carrell, Severin (12 December 2000). "Battersea power station could be turned into circus". The Independent. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- Hickling, Alfred (25 January 2007). "Alchemy". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- "China Power Station: Part I". Serpentine Gallery. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- "Spider Pig flies over London's Battersea Power Station". Retrieved 2 August 2010.
- Francisco, Lorraine (9 October 2008). "London Freeze to be first event at Battersea Power Station". Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- "DiRT 2". Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- Hoggins, Tom (25 May 2012). "Dirt Showdown review". The Telegraph.
- "Afternoon Play – The Mouse House". BBC Radio 4. BBC. 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
- "Red Bull X-Fighters in London: Robbie Madison interview". The Daily Telegraph. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
- McCabe, Maisie (7 May 2010). "Election coverage watched by almost ten million". Brand Republic. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- "Blue Peter's Helen Skelton in Comic Relief tightrope walk". BBC News. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
- BBC World News America, the Oddbox, 5 February 2010.