Fast, image in your thoughts what the members of Chicago appear like. OK, perhaps you’re a Robert Lamm fan or grooved to Peter Cetera’s hit ballads, however odds are that no person comes instantly to thoughts. Now image what Chicago’s brand seems like. In all probability took all of a split-second to think about that well-known, Coca-Cola-inspired script. That’s only one instance of how nice band logos can embody the very essence of a bunch.
Band logos weren’t at all times cool
Through the 60s, band logos weren’t at all times cool. Bands have been artists, not merchandise, and their look, in addition to their music, was presupposed to evolve with every new album. As common, The Beatles set the tone. The design of their albums was wildly totally different each time, and on Rubber Soul, they have been most likely the primary main band to maintain their identify off the entrance of a brand new album altogether. Nevertheless, The Beatles had a fairly spiffy brand – the well-known one with the drop-T, as seen on Ringo’s bass drum – nevertheless it by no means appeared on an album till the discharge of the Previous Masters collections, lengthy after the group’s break-up.
Likewise, The Who had that iconic Mod picture of their identify encircled with an arrow, nevertheless it solely appeared on one album – on the again of Jimmy’s Quadrophenia jacket. The Rolling Stones waited till 1971 to unveil their completely iconic tongue-and-lips brand – although, actually, Mick Jagger’s tongue and lips have been iconic lengthy earlier than any artwork designers went at them. Technically, it was the emblem of Rolling Stones Information, not the band itself, however these days they’re inseparable, particularly for the reason that final Stones album, Blue & Lonesome, constructed its paintings round it. The Seaside Boys didn’t get a brand till 1976 (on the album 15 Huge Ones), and so they stored theirs within the household. The designer of their neon-sign like brand was Dean Torrence, of former surfin’ rivals Jan & Dean.
Even probably the most recognizable 60s brand of all of them – the guitar-shaped one belonging to The Monkees – solely appeared on three of the group’s unique eight albums (plus a bunch of reissues and reunions). Once they final used the emblem on a document, 1967’s Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, they obscured it in a subject of flowers, as in the event that they have been burying the previous and shifting on.
Curiously, two of the opposite 60s teams with recognizable band logos each recorded for a similar label. The Doorways had these open block letters that advised open prospects – an ideal name for that band – and have been maybe the primary group to make use of their brand on their document label. Their Elektra labelmates, Love, rendered their identify in a DayGlo script that seemed prefer it had spilled out of a lava lamp, which chief Arthur Lee even used a variation of on his solo albums.
Chicago put band logos on the map
However for higher or worse, it was Chicago (and designer John Berg) who actually put band logos on the map. Cynics have mentioned that Chicago’s brand smacks of company branding, or that it emphasizes the faceless nature of the band, however they’re lacking the purpose. These Chicago covers denote class and continuity, being a part of an identical set. And the sheer cleverness of these designs – with the emblem carved in wooden, tooled in leather-based or stamped in chocolate – stored followers guessing between albums. The cleverest certainly one of all appeared on their thirteenth album, the place it turned a high-rise constructing. By means of their lengthy historical past of personnel adjustments, Chicago have no less than been loyal to the emblem. They’ve hidden it within the background a couple of times, nevertheless it’s there on each album.
Within the iconic stakes, proper behind Chicago’s brand is Roger Dean’s trademark Sure brand, which first appeared on Shut To The Edge (Dean’s second cowl for Sure, and their fifth album). Dean’s florid therapy of these three letters got here to represent the prog-diehard facet of Sure. Once they went for a streamlined sound within the 80s the emblem was gone, and after they returned to their prog roots on 1997’s Keys To Ascension, it was again.
The golden age for band logos
The 70s turned a golden age for band logos, whether or not it was Aerosmith’s fancy winged script, New York Dolls’ identify appropriately scrawled in lipstick, or Ramones’ baseball bat-wielding eagle, an outgrowth of their love for comic-book artwork. KISS stirred controversy with their brand, swearing for many years that the resemblance to the Nazi SS was unintentional. Additionally unintentional is that the 2 S’s aren’t fairly parallel – a little bit of human error that got here in when Paul Stanley initially drew it.
Rush had their 2112-era graphic of the person staring into the pentagram; created by designer Hugh Syme, the “Starman” brand has develop into part of Rush iconography even because the look of their graphics modified with every new musical section. To not point out Grateful Lifeless’s well-known skull-and-lightning brand, which first appeared in 1969 and was co-designed (with Bob Thomas) by the now-legendary Owsley “Bear” Stanley III. This was Owlsley’s most seen contribution to the Lifeless, however removed from the one one. He was additionally the engineer who constructed their ahead-of-its time sound system, and the chemist who provided the Lifeless (and anybody else in his good graces) with probably the most potent LSD to be discovered anyplace.
Metallic took logos to new heights
But it surely was metallic bands that took brand design to new heights – or depths, given their love for horror-inspired, underworld themes. No self-respecting headbangers could be and not using a badass brand. Generally they simply rendered their identify in a fearsome script, like Metallica with their lightning-like lettering. Others got here up with a literal interpretation of their band identify, just like the Slash-designed brand for Weapons N’ Roses. However some bands took on a full-fledged mascot, most famously Iron Maiden’s zombie buddy Eddie.
Initially created by their mild man Dave Beasley, Eddie’s not solely been a fixture on their album covers, he’s turned up at their reveals – initially as a mannequin head, however extra these days becoming a member of them within the flesh. To not be outdone, Megadeth acquired their very own zombie pal, the skull-headed Vic Rattlehead, conceived by chief Dave Mustaine. Motörhead, after all, had probably the most fearsome mascot of all. Their horned and helmeted creature was a caricature of Lemmy himself – and it doesn’t get extra metallic than that.
Uncover the fascinating historical past of album paintings.
