Sure, maybe your family tried to get cute with the annual Christmas card picture, putting a Santa hat on the dog or some such whimsy. Sorry, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the Robinson family. Photographer Mike Levad posted on Bored Panda, “Over the last six years I have been part of an amazing family tradition and it’s not even my family! The Robinson family hire me ever so often to recreate album covers with their kids as band members.”
The family definitely has a Beatles jones: The first shoot tackled the John, Paul, George, and Ringo portraits on the back of The White Album; subsequent shots include the covers of Help, A Hard Day’s Night, Meet The Beatles, and Let It Be. Makes sense, what with the four game kids, and so did the Robinsons’ version of album covers from Queen, The Monkees, Kiss, Ramones, even one-hit wonders Looking Glass (“Brandy [You’re A Fine Girl]”).
Occasionally, the Robinson parents also got involved, for the required six people on the cover of Madness’ One Step Beyond, and the multiple cover slots necessary for The Partridge Family’s second album, Up To Date. Props must be given to the photo participants, who do their best to nail not only the poses but expressions of the musicians in question (the family even drafted their exchange student to take on the role of the Partridges’ dog). Enthuses Levad: “The oldest was 16 when we started and is now about to graduate from college and the youngest is just starting high school. She was an enthusiastic 3rd grader when we began. Watching them grow through these is so fun.” As is scrolling through this photo collection, in case you need some inspiration for your Christmas card this year.