So, how did you get on last week with the T-Shirt Friday Quiz Conundrum??? Did it keep you guessing all week? The answer is... Eric Crandell! he started 101 Apparel in 2006 and before that worked on some very innovative album covers and apparel for Ubiquity Records, it's really worth checking out there website: http://www.ubiquityrecords.com
Storm Thorgerson
Before we move on to this weeks T-Shirt and in keeping with talking about designers, it seems only right to mention Storm Thorgerson and the sad news of his passing away. There are very few graphic designers who's death would make headline news but Storm Thorgerson's has. He along with Hipgnosis the design studio that he co-founded, created some of the most innovative and startling album covers of all time and although genius these days is used far too frequently, in the case of Storm Thorgerson it is very true. He created album sized works of genius and beyond... He was also a film maker creating many well known music videos. He worked with many different artists including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Peter Gabriel, 10cc, The Steve Miller Band, Catherine Wheel and later Muse, Rival Sons and Biffy Clyro just to name a few. But arguably his most famous work was with Pink Floyd, beginning in 1968 with the cover for 'Saucerful Of Secrets' right through to 1977's 'Animals' and then from 'A Collection Of Great Dance Songs (1981) to the present.
It was 7th April 2011 and Miss Russell, our great friend Dave and myself found ourselves being confounded and constantly amazed at the images that Storm Thorgerson was projecting behind him from his incredible back catalogue of work. We were at the O2, British Music Experience at a very special event, a talk by two of the most legendary graphic designers ever! Roger Dean and the aforementioned Storm Thorgerson, it was billed as a night of anecdotes and stories, about there work, but as with everything that Storm did there was a twist, rather then just giving a straight forward talk, the audience was asked to participate. We were shown a picture, of which many people said what they thought they saw, then Storm said this "This picture of a sheep on a psychoanalytic couch was designed as a poster insert for 10cc's 1980 album, Look Here. The band asked for 'something different'. I never really have a clear idea of what that expression means ... I thought it was more engaging to ask a question and between us we came up with 'are you normal?' Anyway, the question led to the idea of normality and what could be more normal than a sheep, all of whom tend to follow each other. But to be normal you'd need a lengthy dose of psychotherapy.'
That was the thing, nothing that Storm ever thought up, designed or created was as it seems...
Today's T-Shirt is from an old friend : http://www.allposters.co.uk
When did you first hear Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side Of The Moon'? how did you hear it? Was it on CD, Vinyl or maybe even 8 Track? Perhaps it was on the day of it's release, March 1973 or just yesterday? It's so timeless that like The Beatles 'Revolver' it will be listened to by generations to come. I first came into contact with DSOTM at Woolworths along Chingford Mount, around 1990, the tape cover had the unique Storm Thorgerson, Hipgnosis and George Hardie Prism design, but it also had two gold panels printed top and bottom, the top half had the band and album title within it. The tape was black plastic, which always struck me as strange as tapes were being made at that point more commonly out of clear plastic.
I don't think it would be an overstatement to say that my life has never been the same since my first listen to DSOTM. I instantly became a life long fan of Pink Floyd and was mesmerised by not only the music but the mystique of it all. The album cover and the music are in perfect sync with each other and that is what is so special about the relationship between Pink Floyd and Storm Thorgerson.
Many Years later, in fact just last year, my Mum asked what I would like for my birthday, as usual I really had no idea, it finally came to the day of my birthday and there was a parcel from my Mum and Dad, carefully I opened the packaging and to my surprise inside was something that I'd never contemplated before... a DSOTM tee! Wow! Thanks Mum and Dad! wearing the t-shirt feels like your wearing something incredible, your wearing a part of music history, a timeless classic that all began in 1973 with a man called Storm and a triangular prism...
Well... "The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say..." Oh yes, that's right... it's time for the T-Shirt Friday Quiz Conundrum! Here we go, part of the song 'Time' from P F's Dark Side Of The Moon is still used as a theme for which Bulgarian quiz show?
For more on Pink Floyd : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd
For more on Hipgnosis : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipgnosis
and George Hardie : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hardie_(artist)
Hmmm I don't know, maybe its the Bulgarian Who wants to be a Millionaire??
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