Ted Heath & His Music – POW! album art
Cover of the Phase 4 Stereo release
“POW!” – this peppy record cover features letterforms that seem to be shooting out of a black box in the center, with the big red O resembling a cannonball. The album title at the top is patterned after Halloween, alternating between purple and red letters, with yellow and black edges. The “shrapnel” in the lower half of this typographic explosion consists of caps from the open style of Permanent Headline, again with purple and red letter bodies. Together with the onomatopoetic title, the Ben Day dots in the background suggest that the uncredited sleeve design was inspired by works of pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, see his Whaam! (1963) or Sweet Dreams Baby! (1965).
Trombonist Ted Heath (1902–1969) was a British big band leader. According to Wikipedia, his band was the most successful one in the country during the 1950s, and the best swing band that Britain ever produced. In 1956, Ted Heath & His Music toured the U.S. together with Nat King Cole, with whom Heath became firm friends.
Cover for the mono pressing, without the Phase 4 Stereo frame featuring Futura
