The Golden Age of the 12x12 vinyl album cover is in the past, now the rarified province of the serious Vinyl Collector.
Back in the day, we poured over these artifacts, read the liner notes over and over, and wondered how to pronounce names like Bill Smzyk. Double albums were perfect for removing seeds from…well, you know. Sometimes the artwork was better than the music.
The first two album covers for the Portland Soul band NU SHOOZ were done by artist FRED INGRAM. These were the days before digital art, like Photoshop. Fred was a master of the airbrush, which you can see on the band’s first album, “Can’t Turn It Off” [1981]. He also did the cover for the second album, “Tha’s Right.” [1985] Fred gave both albums their titles and also played drums with ‘the Shooz’ for a brief period. “Tha’s Right” launched the band’s signature hit, “I Can’t Wait.”
Fred still plays drums in a number of bands in the Portland Area, and he still does album covers. Almost every blues band in town has a cover by Fred. He’s always had an incredible range of styles that he references. He was good forty years ago, and he’s still great. (Check out some of his latest work below.) If you need art for your next record, you can get in touch with Fred at fred.c.ingram@gmail.com.
