The Seekers – “Sparrow Song” Dutch single cover
Dutch sleeve for the first hit single by Australian pop group The Seekers after the reunion in 1975. The band name is presented in outlined Baby Teeth, with enlarged first and last letters. This treatment also appears on the cover of their self-titled comeback album, which was designed by Ian McGill.
The title (as well as “Album” on the verso) is in Pinto Shadow, drawn by Roy Sprong for Rapitype in the UK. It’s one of two styles of this series that were licensed and distributed by French manufacturer Mecanorma from 1972. While Pinto Inline still was listed in their 1988 catalog, the shadow-only variant must have done less well, and soon disappeared again. It’s indeed rather unconvincing, with ill-defined letterforms and an unfortunate shadow angle. Compare Letraset’s more successful Premier Shaded (1970) and Mecanorma’s Puff Wind (1972, both with extra outline), or Epic and Hollywood (c. 1968, with a longer shade).
See also the German version of this single which combines Baby Teeth (without outline nor enlarged caps) and Marvin (1969), another staple of 1970s display typography that shares some of Pinto’s formal elements, in particular the curved diagonals.
