Tommy James & The Shondells – Crimson & Clover album art
Cover for the sixth album by Tommy James and the Shondells, Crimson & Clover, released by Roulette Records in December 1968, and featuring the number one hit of the same title. While the red caps on the bleeding heart are lettering, the band name is set in Crayonette.
Originally designed around 1889 with descending caps, the initial letters are aligned to the baseline here. Crayonette had already been revived for phototype at the time of the album’s release. A few years later, in the early 1970s, Letraset issued Columbian Italic, a revival for dry transfer lettering which is based on and named after a copy made by the English Caslon foundry around 1899.
In 1895, Crayonette was used to typeset the words “Crimson Clover”, on a catalog for seeds and plants by E.G. Packard. Had the uncredited cover designer seen this piece of ephemera? Is there something inherently crimson-cloverly about Crayonette? Pure coincidence?
![Mexican EP with Spanish versions of three songs; “Ven A Mi” (Come To Me), “Bola De Fuego” (Ball Of Fire), and “Trebol Carmesi” (Crimson And Clover). The titles appear to use Bold Condensed with the alternate straight-legged R. [More info on Discogs]](https://fiu-original.b-cdn.net/fontsinuse.com/use-images/156/156988/156988.jpeg?filename=tommy-james-and-the-shondells-ven-a-mi-come-to-me-roulette.jpg)
Mexican EP with Spanish versions of three songs; “Ven A Mi” (Come To Me), “Bola De Fuego” (Ball Of Fire), and “Trebol Carmesi” (Crimson And Clover). The titles appear to use Folio Bold Condensed with the alternate straight-legged R. [More info on Discogs]
