CHUCK BEESON
A Beeson album cover tells a story; its elements are tributes to what the artist or the music on the album means.
Always a unique design problem to solve and new techniques to create.
Hired by Tom Wilkes in 1967 to create advertising, posters, film techniques, retail displays…in total 435 projects with more than 10,000 individual pieces.
The refrigerator in the graphics department’s kitchen area stored Kodak film for photo sessions…and was the justification given to accounting for the need to have it. As Chuck put it, “We were creative people.”
Concepts, Titles, Photographs, Typography, Techniques and Compositions….Attracting and Creating Impact At Retail
Beeson holds the distinction of being the art director and/or designer on all of Carole King’s Ode albums (1971-1976). Lou Adler requested him on all of the Ode albums. Among his other most famous covers were:
Styx albums (1975-1983, Equinox through Caught In the Act),
The Police badge singles and wallets,
Frampton Comes Alive! picture disc
Squeeze’s “6 Songs Crammed Into a 10” Record” die cut (The cover was actually a 12” cover that was literally squeezed by hands to Beeson’s measurements then photographed by Mark Hanauer and completed with a photo of the group and some silk screened elements.),
The Backlot Greatest Hits series….How do you create a special series? What do you name it? How do you create continuity in the visuals? How do you keep the scale, so the appearance of the covers always have the same elements that relate?
Masters of their techniques, always ready to work and follow the concept—Beeson on successful freelancers