Design & artwork for print in Norfolk
Just had another packaging project approved for Western Star. This is the second compilation CD in the “Rockabilly Riot” series with some great, current rockabilly bands like Darrel Higham, Hicksville Bombers, The Bullets, Jack Rabbit Slim, Devil’s Deuce, Rusti Steel, Delta 88, The Retrobaits, Sharna Mae and The Mayhems, Lew Lewis, and lots more. The first album in this series is fantastic (and playing in the studio here right now!!!).
The Western Star 10″ vinyl collection so far … naked!! I’m sure there’s plenty more to come. Unfortunately you don’t get the full effect of the translucent vinyl while on the floor but I couldn’t think of a better way to show them off!!
Great to get enthusiastic feedback on the work you have done. I just had this passed to me by Alan Wilson of Western Star sent from Darrel Higham who collaborated on the album…
“The artwork is superb and the whole thing looks terrific. I know Alan would’ve been absolutely thrilled with everything you’ve done for him. It’s greatly appreciated.”
I’ve been involved with the production of CD, vinyl and DVD packaging for well over 20 years now, on around 400 separate releases, and in that time had the privilege of working on packaging for many of my favourite bands from growing up as part of the rockabilly scene (Restless, Sharks, Meteors, Caravans, Polecats, Frenzy, Stray Cats, Crazy Cavan, Matchbox, Wild Angels, Shakin’ Stevens, Shakin’ Pyramids, Screaming Lord Sutch) but this one is a real treat for me. The Long Tall Texans have been a fave band of mine since forever and we got to support them a few times with our own band over the years in Norwich, Leicester and Stoke-on-Trent, but I never worked on any of their releases. Their releases regularly featured absolutely awesome illustration work by the fantastic Geo Parkin (“Aces & Eights”, “Saturnalia”, “Singing to the moon”, “In without knockin'”, “Gotta Go”, “Texas Beat”, “Five Beans in the Wheel”) and this is another great. With such great illustration work, my part has been purely doing the boring stuff like typesetting, layout and pre-press but none-the-less, I’m really chuffed to have contributed.
Sometimes, doing what I do, I get to be involved in something a bit more special than the usual ‘special’. I caught the Rock ‘n’ Roll buzz in the early 1980s from listening to the charts. When they do those 1980s compilation albums what they fail to tell you is that Rock ‘n’ Roll was pretty big news back then and always in the charts. The Jets, The Stray Cats, The Polecats, Showaddywaddy, Coast to Coast, Shakin’ Stevens, Rocky Sharpe, Matchbox, etc. were all having hits and many pop bands were trying to get in on it by recording rock ‘n’ roll too. The film “Grease” was still big news with many other films trying to cash in like “Baby Love”, “Lemon Popsicle” and “Porkies”. One of those top bands was “Coast to Coast”, I had their album and singles (“Do the Hucklebuck” and “Jump to broomstick”) and then got the album in later years when re-released on CD. The well loved and charismatic front man of “Coast to Coast”, Alan Mills, sadly died in July this year and it’s been an honour to be asked to design and produce the cover for a 10″ vinyl tribute mini-album featuring recordings by the man himself and other greats on the rock ‘n’ roll scene today, Rusti Steel and Darrel Higham along with his son, Lloyd Mills.
