Like a Rolling Stone

John Berg was art director at Columbia/CBS Records from 1961-1985 and he created some of the more recognizable LP covers in the industry. This was a time when LPs ruled and the 12 x 12" format give many graphic artists, illustrators and photographers a chance to do some really cool things visually.

As a kid I spent many an evening listing to my headphones and staring at the record cover and reading the accompanying liner notes. These square canvasses were defiantly an influence on my career decision. Unfortunately, as I became of age as a graphic artist, at Buff State in the mid 1980s, the CD was born and the 12 x 12" canvas was eventually replaced by the smaller 5-1/2" square. Not the same; and I never got chance to design a proper album cover.

Paul Nini is a professor in the Department of Design at the Ohio State University and he interviewed John Berg for the AIGA website. This is a great look into the art director's collaboration with artists (Milton Glaser, Richard Avedon, etc), and Berg's design philosophy while creating some very famous LP covers including the Springsteen Born to Run gatefold, Dylan's Blond on Blond, 14 Chicago covers and Big Brother's Cheap Thrills with the R. Crumb illustration (the art was delivered to his office by Janis herself).

Read it online here. A great interview with a true design legend.