Categories

At the time, it was much more cost efficient to produce artworks that were only one or two colours: to try keep printing costs down to a minimum and initially, full colour repro was rare. A 50%/50% contract between the record company and the Artist being the usual arrangement. 'Do it yourself' was the mantra of the time.

Working for Rough Trade

Imagine images, symbols and typefaces running through your mind; dreaming of the Letraset and Mecanorma Catalogues every other night, waking up in a cold sweat. This terror of the mind only began to diminish when I started to receive pay cheques. The NME was the first, closely followed by Rough Trade Records - and Distribution.
The DIY ‘have-a-go’ approach at Rough Trade suited me totally, no pomp or pretensions; one of first things I was asked to do, was to illustrate Peter Walmsley’s ‘How to make a Record’, which was a very small booklet, photocopied, cut and folded. Other black and white images were drawn with the photocopier in mind, although soon I had access to a PMT machine thanks to Colin from CB Press, who operated from his nearby flat off Portobello Road, W11. Claude Bessy, RT ‘music consultant’ and the Hacienda's in-house videographer and raconteur, had a penchant for religious artwork and he introduced me to the first printshop in London with a colour photocopier. Having no ‘office space’ to speak of, I found that working in the nearby Westbourne Grove Library, was just about possible, enough although it meant that clearing my throat or a slight cough was necessary in order to cover the noise of using spray mount.
Working for Rough Trade continues ...