Simon Halfon may be a friend of the great and the good — as well as designing album covers for such acts as The Style Council, The Who and Oasis — but his feet remain firmly on terra firma.

“I don’t take anything for granted,” the graphic designer, photographer and producer told me from his London home.

As we chat, he is putting the finishing touches to his coffee-table book Cover To Cover, which celebrates the best of his record sleeves, design work and photography over the past 40 years.

Initially launched as a Kickstarter campaign, it met its target in under six hours.

“I’ve had the idea in the back of my head for a long time,” Simon said.

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