| Article number: | 9781911422419 |
| Availability: | In stock |
The V&A may proudly hold the original artwork for the Rolling Stone's ‘tongue and lips' logo, but this is an anomaly. The cultural significance of the band logo has been overlooked. And yet, thousands of people wear them on T-shirts every day, mostly as badges of allegiance, but also simply because they look cool. Some have even become tropes—think The Ramones, Run DMC, AC/DC.
Band logos first emerged during the 1960s. They became commonplace in the 1970s and 1980s, when record companies and designers latched on to the power of music branding. Bands and logos may seem like unlikely bedfellows, yet it's often the most eccentric, anarchic types who end up with the most compelling or ingenious visual marques to signify their attitude and style of music.
Logo Rhythm includes stories and insight from well-known designers such as Beatles art director Kosh, Bowie designer Jonathan Barnbook, Malcom Garrett, Rob O'Connor of Stylorouge, Chris Bigg of 4AD and editorial guru Mark Porter. There are contributions from Horace Panter of The Specials, XTC's Andy Partridge, Allan Gorrie of Average White Band, Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. The book hails the unsung heroes and tall stories behind iconic band logos of all genres. It unearths original artwork and proffers informed comment and critique. It celebrates the good, the eccentric, and the notorious, digging for nuggets of interest and illumination in the compelling world of band logos.
Written by Jim K Davies and Jamie Ellul. Published by Circa Press in 2024. Hardcover, measures 9.9 x 8.3 inches, 452 pages. ISBN 9781911422419
