The BBC Radio One LIVE series contacted me after the release of Michael Schenker's Thank You album, asking if I would write the liner notes for the MSG live recording at Reading Rock Festival. The booklet would be three CD sized panels. I set about writing and creating this as one piece of artwork, including the various band logo's and the newly created Michael Schenker logo - Created on my Mac II computer using relatively new graphics programs, Adobe Illustrator and QuarkXpress. The research, writing and art creation took a week. In addition, I submitted a photo that I had taken at Hammersmith Odeon in the early eightees and the whole package was created by myself and branded after my company, rGB Image Solutions. The Front cover artwork was created by Windsongs internal company, 'Mental Block' which had at already at this time been artworked and approved. So sadly the cover wasn't my creation but out of a total of six panels, five were created and submitted to Windsong International.
The USA release of the album, had alternative packaging - out goes the photo, substituted by the 'embossed' Michael Schenker logo and the internal three centre panels were text driven with the MS logo on the final panel - see different layouts below.
Original UK packaging
Alternative USA packaging
The liner notes and graphics were great - a real bonus to be able to include a 'live' Michael Schenker shot - It has helped to make this a package that the fans will love.
Sam Smith, fromWindsong International