French designer Jean Alessandrini (b. 1942) designed more than twenty typefaces, in all kinds of styles. So far, we’ve only documented in-use examples of his Hypnos.

Here’s another one, of the typeface that bears the designer’s name: Alessandrini 7 is a monolinear design based on modular shape, a spiral with two centers. It was drawn for Hollenstein in 1972 and was also available from TypoGabor. The only digitization that I’m aware of is unreleased. Lucas Liccini made it in 2020 as part of his Revivals & Renditions student project at UdK Berlin.

“Enfants venez chanter l’espoir” (“Children, come sing of hope”) is a song by pop singer Nicoletta (b. 1944). It was released in 1973 on Riviera Records.

[More info on Discogs]

The B-side is titled “Viens te balader au creux de mes chansons” (“Come take a stroll through my songs”).

An album from the legendary Wackie’s record label based in the Bronx, active in the late 1970s and 1980s. Helmed by Lloyd Barnes, it became an important place for roots reggae and dub productions with many artists coming from Jamaica to get the special Bullwackie treatment.

The album’s typography is constructed using dry-transfer lettering, mainly Letraset. It’s interesting to see an X-Acto knife reproduced on the cover. It’s shown next to a microphone, a reel-to-reel tape, and what looks like a ruler. Perhaps, a nod to the way the cover is made? The bulk of Wackie’s album covers were very much in the pared down, lo-fi style, appropriate to the sound of the label itself.

The Presenting line is set in Tintoretto. the rest of the type on the front is set in Raphael, and Eurostile.

Note that the images shown are from the reissue from 2005, which scanned the original covers and reproduced them. Early 2000s saw a big interest in the Wackie’s label and many reissues were published in Germany by Basic Channel at that time.

The album was designed Leslie A. Moore, who ran LAM Graphics International design studio, specializing in album covers. You can see more of Leslie’s work at discogs.com

Back of the album is dominated by Bodoni Bold, Times New Roman, and Eurostile. The credits of musicians on the back are curious in that they use the caps from Bodoni, and lowercase from Times New Roman. This certainly is easy to do with dry-transfer lettering.

Original back cover with the distribution credits to Wackie’s and the year at bottom right

1983 album by Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang, released on their own Taxi Records.

The open letterforms casting a perspective shadow are from Alpha Sunrise, the dimensional style of Hiroshi Yamashita’s typeface family. “Taxi Gang” is in Letraset’s Revue. “Taxi Connection” appears to be Advertisers Gothic – also available from Letraset – with a custom C made from an O. The names of the Taxi Gang members on the side of the car are set in Franklin Gothic Extra Condensed.

In memory of Robbie (1953–2021) and Sly (1952–2026).

[More info on Discogs]

Recorded August 18, 1976, in Kingston, Jamaica, Man in the Hills is the follow-up to Burning Spear’s seminal Marcus Garvey from the year before. The reggae album contains several songs that reminisce about Spear’s childhood in Saint Ann. Its cover was designed by Neville Garrick (1950–2023), who takes credit for many of the covers to Bob Marley’s albums. Coincidentally, Marley was from Saint Ann as well (and so was Marcus Garvey).

Man in the Hills is one of the more prominent in-use examples of Rustic No. 2, an 1840s oddity that’s equally cherished and ridiculed. A woody typeface for roots reggae.

“Burning Spear” is visualized by a perspective setting of Firebug, an aptly named variant of Dom Casual with added flames. I don’t know where this mod originated. Dan X. Solo showed it in his book Special Effects and Topical Alphabets from 1978.

[More info on Discogs]

Song names and credits on the back cover are set in ITC Souvenir, mostly in all caps.

Front and back cover

Gatefold with liner notes by Carl Gayle from Black Music magazine