Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Logo #302

There's an Ian Dury movie in the works. Ian's to be played by Andy Serkis, the man who mastered the ways of Gollum, King Kong, and Martin Hannett. The Blockheads face logo was designed in 1977 by the indefatigable - well, almost - Barney Bubbles (born Colin Fulcher, June 30, 1942 - November 14, 1983). There's also a new book on the astonishing range Barney's art, called "Reasons to be Cheerful." Ultimately, like the Sex Pistols and Whitesnake logos, the sum of the logo's parts remains greater than its whole - Holism rides yet again.

This Day in Birth:
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, etc. etc. (May 8, 1926)
Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire; May 8, 1951)
Lex Barker (was Tarzan; May 8, 1919 - May 11, 1973)
Kelan Phil Cohran (AACM; May 8, 1927)
Dagmar Dimitroff (Die Tödliche Doris; May 8, 1960 - Jul. 14, 1990)
Jean Giraud (Moebius; May 8, 1938)
Keith Jarrett (May 8, 1945)
Bill Legend (born William Fifield, of T. Rex; May 8, 1944)
Lob (Instagon; May 8, 1965)
Richard McAllister (Pentagram; May 8, 1955 - May 26, 2006)
Myst (born Volker Kahrs, of Grobschnitt; May 8, 1951 - July 20, 2008)
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. (May 8, 1937)
Mickey Ruskin (Max's Kansas City; May 8, 1933 - May 16, 1983)
Tom of Finland (born Touko Laaksonen; May 8, 1920 – Nov. 7, 1991)
Alexander Arthur Van Halen (May 8, 1953)
Danny Ray Whitten (Crazy Horse; May 8, 1943 - Nov. 18, 1972)
David T. Wiley (Human Hands; May 8, 1954 - September 8, 1988)

Logo #241: Hawkwind

Created by Barney Bubbles (born Colin Fulcher, June 30, 1942 - November 14, 1983) in 1972 for the cover of the brilliantly titled "Doremi Fasol Latido" LP. An overview of the endlessly brilliant Bubbles is well-worth re-viewing and can be found here. Still wish I knew when his dates of birth and death were - the reason for that can be found here. Yes, I do work very hard at these things - thank you for noticing. Apparently Bubbles also directed the "Ghost Town" video by The Specials, which makes his passing all the more depressing for knowing it. Oh, yeah - Hawkwind. In business for four decades with one propulsive force - guitarist singer Dave Brock - thirty-five years on they're still performing their "Space Ritual" around the world and melting minds in the process even in this jaded day and/or age. They also gave birth to Motörhead. I'm deeply square and clueless but even I have to respect something like that. Also: Robert Newton Calvert of Hawkwind, March 9, 1945 - August 14, 1988. Lest we forget!

Somewhat sideways, the Song of the Moment is "Wehe Khorazin" by Popol Vuh.

Logo #185: Madness

Designed by the ever-brilliant Barney Bubbles in 1979 for the "One Step Beyond" 7." Madness? Brighter Death Now? You've crystallized my thoughts eloquently: it's Valentine's Day. Or Valentime's Day, depending on what part of the world in which words like "flustrated," "nucular," "expresso," and "Lemme axe you..." (yes, you may axe me - please make your first blow strong and to the head) drive you entirely too insane. My last girlfriend fell off a cliff and died on impact. Very sad. Oh well, guess that means I'm free for Valentime's Day! Bubbles also designed the logos for Hawkwind and Ian Dury & The Blockheads, which we shall of course examine in a future installment. A beautiful and breathtaking summation of his work can be found here and enjoyed through the coming weekend. On one particularly lovely weekend in summer 1992, 75,000 mad Madness fans danced so hard during a performance of "One Step Beyond" by the reunited band that they caused a tremor of 4.5 on the Richter scale. Is there any other kind of earthquake scale? If there is, it was probably invented by the guy who hangs out with that fifth dentist who recommended eating sugar, and Water, the guy they kicked out of Earth, Wind and Fire.