The cover of Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow (1967) is an enduring image of 1960s psychedelia — soft-focus, intimate, and slightly mysterious. But there’s more to the story than just the band posing for a photo

The album title is said to have been inspired by a remark from Jerry Garcia, who reportedly described the music (or some element of it) as “as surrealistic as a pillow”

The photograph was taken by Herb Greene, a longtime San Francisco photographer who was closely connected to the local music scene. Greene had previously photographed Jefferson Airplane at live shows and informal sessions, capturing them in natural, unposed moments. For the Surrealistic Pillow cover, he wanted something that reflected the band’s emerging psychedelic identity without resorting to the elaborate, over-the-top visuals that would dominate the era later

Rather than a literal psychedelic image, Greene opted for a portrait that conveyed intimacy and cohesion. He arranged the band in a casual, almost domestic cluster, with members leaning on one another or gazing thoughtfully at the camera. The soft focus and slightly hazy effect were achieved using diffusion filters, which added a dreamlike quality without relying on heavy props or graphics

Marty Balin had initially wanted the cover tinted blue, but RCA overruled him and chose pink instead. Balin later said that he had come to like the change, despite his original preference

The cover captures Grace Slick’s commanding presence, alongside Marty Balin, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, and Spencer Dryden. Greene’s choice to keep the composition relatively simple — black-and-white photo, tight framing, subtle lighting — was meant to highlight the personalities and chemistry of the band rather than distract with psychedelic flourishes. In many ways, it reflected Jefferson Airplane’s position in 1967: on the brink of the Summer of Love, simultaneously grounded in folk roots and stepping into the kaleidoscopic world of psychedelia

Greene often mentioned that the shoot was more casual than most album sessions. The band was relaxed, joking, and improvising poses, which gave the final image an authentic energy. He later remarked that the photo “captured the spirit of the band — serious, playful, and a little mysterious — all at once.” The soft-focus effect, now iconic, was partly accidental: Greene experimented with lighting and lens diffusion, creating the dreamy, slightly hazy atmosphere that perfectly suited the music inside

In a 2004 Rolling Stone interview, Grace Slick remembered Herb Greene’s photo sessions:

“Everybody used to go over there in front of Herbie’s wall.” The wall refers to Greene’s dining room wall, which was covered in hieroglyphic-style drawings. It had a layer of wallpaper which he was peeling off; when he did so, he found the phrase ‘Happy New Year’ scrawled on the wall. His roommate drew primitive, quasi-hieroglyphic marks/doodles on it. At first, Greene was upset about that, but eventually the wall and its art became an iconic backdrop synonymous with his San Francisco musician photo sessions

Unlike later psychedelic covers with bright colours, collage, or surreal imagery, the Surrealistic Pillow cover is subtle yet iconic. It’s intimate, human, and timeless — a rare example where the band’s personality itself became the visual centrepiece.