Pete Seeger Sings Lead Belly
This record cover designed by Craig Mierop is an early in-use example of Village, or Pyschedelitype 5788/5789, as it was named in the Psychedelitypes catalog (1968) by Photo-Lettering, Inc. Mierop was connected to the New York typesetting provider also as the designer of Ginger Snap and Mierop Inline, which were added to their library around this time.
Iconic folk singer Pete Seeger describes the music of Lead Belly as “some of the best songs we’ll ever know.” On this 11-track recording, Seeger pays tribute to the legendary blues musician and 12-string guitar virtuoso he also called a friend. Performed live with both exuberance and deference, the selections on this recording present a small fraction of Lead Belly’s extensive repertoire but include greats such as “Goodnight Irene,” “Midnight Special,” and “Alabama Bound.” Sleeve notes written by Seeger include a biography of Lead Belly and recount the origins of their friendship, and what it was that made Lead Belly the artist he was.
Cover photography by David Gahr, Frederic Ramsey.
