CD artwork for the first mix in my "one artist" mixtape series

[Steve]

I'm gonna make a series of mixtapes that all feature music from one artist. My plan is to start with these, although not necessarily in this order: -

 

Angela Winbush (which I'm just starting)

Stevie Wonder

Al Green

L.L. Cool J

Public Enemy

 

I'm gonna make a few CDs of each one to give away free to anyone that wants one and cos I kinda like the idea of having a more professional looking (but still home made) CD of each one myself. I'll probably make 5-10 of each.

 

The idea for the artwork is that I'll take a single/album cover from one of the artist's most known tracks and change it slightly so that it would have my name on it and the name of the mix.

 

So here is the first one, starting with AW. Her biggest solo single was Angel and here's the cover for that: -

 

http://i.imgur.com/BK77u.jpg

 

Mixtape cover: -

 

http://i.imgur.com/MVlh1.jpg

 

CD (the record label logos are the 3 labels she was signed to): -

 

http://i.imgur.com/q7Zas.png

 

CD tray insert (incomplete): -

 

http://i.imgur.com/si9b5.jpg

 

These are just small, compressed JPG files. The originals are pin sharp. I made a test CD to make sure I'd got the sizes of the cover and tray insert right and it looks pretty cool. Until you see the actual disc, it's hard to tell it's not a shop bought CD.

 

And yes, yes, yes, some might say "just stick the fucking MP3s on SoundCloud and don't bother with all this shit!" but I enjoy it and it's upping my Photoshop gayme too.

 

They won't all be as pink as this.....

[Jimmy]

and i thought i was putting in effort by choosing a nice pic of a sexy woman for my mixes. i'd like to do something like this, but im wack with anything that isnt autocad or ms paint (xp version) also i'd probly get raped on copyright.

 

i think its a good look steve, very impressive

[Steve]

A couple of months ago I was a total Photoshop n00b and didn't have a fucking clue how to use it. It doesn't take long to get to grips with the basics and the basics are all you need really.

 

To make that cover I used a site that can recognise fonts from photos. I found the fonts used for the OG version so I could replace her name with mine. Then I cut the A off the start of ANGEL, shrunk it down a bit and slapped it on the end to make ANGELA. 99% of the work was already done for me.

 

The CD image was made from a template that I use to make video game disc images. Again, the bulk of the work was done for me by whoever made the template.

 

The only thing I made from scratch was the inlay and that's just a rectangle with some writing on it, lol.

[x2k]

To make that cover I used a site that can recognise fonts from photos.

 

Oi, you can't go around saying things like that without providing a link.

 

Cover look cool though mate, top effort!

[Steve]

Thanks mate. And here you go: -

 

http://new.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/

[djfoly]

I'm looking forward all of these, all artists I really like! I think its a good idea as so many times a best of LP just doesn't pick the best songs! I'm mostly looking forward to the 80s funk mix...lets not leave that too long Steve!

[Steve]

I'll do that one after this one is done, but this one is gonna take fucking ages so I can't say when it'll be done.

[djfoly]

S'cool I'm looking forward to the bush too!

[Blak Randy]

I'm sure this will be great. Your mixes have always been superb Steve.

[Steve]

Thanks Adam!

 

I must admit, I'm having trouble getting going with this one. There's such a wide variance in BPMs and it's harder to mix this stuff compared to mixing hip-hop. I try to be really meticulous when making mixtapes and it's the worst yet with this one as I'm such a blubbering AW fanboy. I'll get there in the end though.

[doppelkorn]

I'm such a blubbering AW fanboy...

 

For some reason. What is it about her in particular that you see that the record buying public doesn't?

[Steve]

I know you're just trying to take the piss, but I will answer you anyway.

 

I don't care how many records an artist sells. It makes no difference to what I think of them. She put out 7 albums, excluding compilations. One went platinum. A couple went gold. She put out a bunch of singles, some of which went gold. She was no Mariah or Whitney in terms of record sales, but she was successful.

 

As for what I see in her singing, I think she's an objectively great singer. She has a 4 octave range, crazy breath control, great tone, power (and great use of it), more funk than your average soul/R&B chicklet. She writes, arranges and produces her own tracks, plays various instruments on them, designs the cover art and what not. I personally love the sound of her voice to the point where I don't care what it is that she's singing about. She's like the Rakim of singing for me, cos I could listen to Rakim rhyming a Chinese takeaway menu and I'd still dig it cos his voice sounds so great to me.

 

I don't expect many people here to like her stuff. I'm 42 and I got into soul/R&B in the 80s. I realise that a lot of that music sounds very dated now, especially if someone is hearing it for the first time. A lot of her songs are love songs/ballads, which I also don't expect many people on here to like. If someone says that she's not at least a "good singer" though, then I think that's crazy talk. Saying she's no better than Sinitta is batshit "get the straight jacket out" mental. If you don't like her music though, I totally respect that.

 

So there you go. You can take a moment to gloat about getting a response out of me now.

[djfoly]

 

I think this is a nice pic of her Steve!

[Steve]

[djfoly]

LOLZ!