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Bowie General > The Bowie Typefaces

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MossGardenPosted at 2016-02-15 21:26:31(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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This is a guide to the different typefaces used on Bowie covers

Some I am certain about some are guesses or as close as I could find a match. There are some albums I have not done research for yet, I will add them later, then there are some where I knew what it was but due to the death of a hard disk I lost the files.
The list is a work in progress. I will continue to update it.

Around the time before Mind-Warp PaVilion ended I was writing back and forth with steve23yh about the typefaces, our conversations started this list.

As anyone knows that has seen a handful of the covers I have made, I don't think anyone should be bound by the “right” typefaces when making covers, it’s much more important to make something good that fits the recording.

If you have comments or some info that should be added please post it here and I will update the list.

If you post about a typeface that is not an exact match, please tell where it differs.

If the album you are writing about exist in more versions than one, please state what version you are referring to.

A good place to see what the records look like is on the great Illustrated DB website
http://www.illustrated-db-discography.nl/forum/viewforum.php?f=74

I love talking type ;-)
MossGarden


Original Studio Albums:

-----------------
David Bowie/Space Oddity
The UK David Bowie cover typeface is very close to Cloister Open Face
-----------------
Hunky Dory
The original only had handwriting on the back cover.
When the title was added it was: Zipper Std
Free download: http://fontzone.net/download/zipper-std
----------------------------
Ziggy Stardust
Cooper Black
Cooper Black is right for the fat part of the title
You have to sprinkle the stars yourself.
For the other part of the title text the closest I have come is Univers LT Std, 67 Bold Condensed
--------------------
Aladdin Sane   
Cristal
The tear over the i was most likely hand drawn.
----------------------------
Young Americans   
Disco Dork (steve23yh suggest this compromise)
I don't have a good one for this, a lot of the old odd typefaces never made it to the computer
That goes for his name on the cover too, that might even be hand drawn
------------------------------------------------
Station To Station   
I went through a handful of different ones before settling on Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Bold
including various versions of Helvetica and Neue Haas Grotesk
Swiss 721 is very close to Helvetica and was designed in 1982
---------------------------------
Low    
Blippo Black by Joe Taylor in 1969. the Mecanorma company published this version of Blippo, that is different from the one you can find online.
The closest you will get to this font on the computer is Bauhaus 93
Bauhaus 93 is a copy of Blippo Blk BT, they are extremely close to each other.
Bauhaus 93 details: There are three letters that are not the same as the old version of Blippo, the A, the flat base of the V and the L.
Neither Bauhaus 93 or Blippo are from the Bauhaus school although they try to look like it, being drawn much later, Blippo is from 1969.
--------------------------------
"Heroes"   
EagleBold or Eagle CG Bold
They even have the great sharp quotation marks.
They are both very badly spaced fonts, it takes some tweaking to get them to look right.
For the titles and credit on the back cover it is Futura Std Heavy and Futura Medium.
I have not found the funky one that is used for titles on the inner bag yet.
-----------------------------
Scary Monsters  
Handwritten
----------------------------
Lodger   
Mostly handwritten
----------------------------
Let’s Dance 
There are several typefaces on Let’s Dance
The main one for the large BOWIE lettering, is most likely based on the Everlast logo (1910) the typeface I have found that look most like the old woodtype is Grand Canyon RR Bold from 1998 by Steve Jackaman.
The letters in the circles spelling Let’s Dance are Futura Std Bold
On the back cover credits there are two typefaces, one that is in the family of Bowie on the front and the other one is Gill Sans reg or Gill Sans semi bold.
----------------------------
Tonight 
I have to do research
--------------------------------
Never Let Me Down
I have to do research
-------------------------------
Tin Machine   
I have to do research
-------------------------------
Tin Machine II   
I have to do research
--------------------------------
Black Tie White Noise  
David Bowie's name is ITC Franklin Gothic Std Book.
The song title list is ITC Franklin Gothic Std Heavy
The credit in the title list are ITC Franklin Gothic Std Book
It is also ITC Franklin Gothic Std Book that is used with all caps for the title on the front.
--------------------------------
Sound + Vision
Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Condensed , Medium Italic
For the text, the logo I scanned
-------------------------------
Outside   
XBAND Rough
OCR A Std
Courier
Outside has a bit of different typefaces going on, especially if we also consider the singles. the above 3 are the main ones.
It's getting easier now since we have entered the digital age.
At the time of writing some of the outside typefaces could be found here: http://hem.bredband.net/stuabr/
------------------------
Earthling   
I have to do research
----------------------
Heathen   
Priori Sans and Times New Roman (strike through)
It's a mix of different versions Priori Sans
including the alternative versions
---------------------------
‘Hours..’  
I have to do research
----------------------
Reality   
Drone
Melancholia
For Drone the dot in the O can be added or removed by changing between lover case and caps.
Melancholia was used for production notes, credits and some of the lyrics.
---------------------------
The Next Day  
Doctrine
And crossed out EagleBold or Eagle CG Bold
---------------------------
★ 
Blackstar Deja Vu
It can be downloaded together with the symbols here:  http://www.bowieblackstar.net/
Someone also finished the star font used to write Bowie on the cover it is also called Blackstar
---------------------------


Original Live Albums:

------------------------------
David Live
Romana
------------------------------
Stage  
Gill Sans MT
The smaller text and the text on the back looks like Helvetica Neue Medium
----------------------------



Later Live Albums:

------------------------------
i’monlydancing(thesoultour74)  
Bowies Name is Futura Medium
The title is Helvetica Light
Both are heavily tweaked to have very little space in-between the letters
----------------------------
Cracked Actor  
Besides the R it seems like they used Harry plain and thin
The R on the cover does not have rounded lines where the lines meet in the middle of the R like Harry does but comes together solid
----------------------------


Non album but still Bowie related typefaces:

---------------------------
The Man Who Fell To Earth - Film Poster 1976
Metal Lord
This is a 1996 redrawn version of the one used in the poster.
---------------------------
The Visitor - The Lp at the end of The Man Who Fell To Earth
Melior
---------------------------
Reality tour poster  
Drone
Drone Bold
Some posters are pure Drone Regular and some mixes with Drone Bold.
---------------------------
David Bowie Is exhibition typeface: Albertus



David Bowie handwriting Bowies Font download page https://befonts.com/bowies-font.html






Last edited by MossGarden on 2024-02-14 19:26:29


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SteveboyDonatedPosted at 2016-02-15 22:01:54(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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Thanks for this, I shall be looking for some of these fonts

Steveboy



NO DISCUSSION I JUST WANT TO LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
WANTED
FRANKFURT 1976
1978 REHEARSALS
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NoControlPosted at 2016-02-15 22:14:02(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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Very interesting post. Thank you  :)



Just like that bluebird
Oh I'll be free
Ain't that just like me?
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toneblokePosted at 2016-02-16 01:13:56(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)
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EDIT "doesn't matter"

Last edited by tonebloke on 2016-02-16 01:19:39




"Look up here, I’m in heaven
I’ve got scars that can’t be seen"
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KiwikidPosted at 2016-02-16 02:54:17(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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So like me nothing better to do with your time  :D



Bless the Tapers and Uploaders they make the Music Live
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toneblokePosted at 2016-02-16 05:23:21(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)
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Kiwikid wrote:

So like me nothing better to do with your time  :D

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


Nope!



"Look up here, I’m in heaven
I’ve got scars that can’t be seen"
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SteveboyDonatedPosted at 2016-02-16 07:58:06(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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I found this web site some time ago, not checked for the fonts but they may be on there.

http://www.1001freefonts.com/famous-fonts.php


Steveboy



NO DISCUSSION I JUST WANT TO LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
WANTED
FRANKFURT 1976
1978 REHEARSALS
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DroogPosted at 2016-02-17 01:49:09(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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Very helpful post much appreciated for the info.



"My heart's in the basement
My weekend's at an all time low"
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jonesnatalyPosted at 2016-02-17 03:38:53(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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can you believe that they call *me* a Bowie-maniac here? 8o  :D  :D  :D

But that is a cool info! Thanks! B)

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RobBK90Posted at 2016-02-18 03:40:15(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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Actually S2S is closer to the rare Standard Bold seen  here http://twitpic.com/54uxml



Last edited by RobBK90 on 2016-02-18 03:41:37


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MossGardenPosted at 2016-02-18 09:02:27(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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Hi RobBK90

It was not the easiest typeface to find, Standard is not the best name for a typeface, when one tries to google it. But I found it.

You can both be right and wrong, for that I would have to have more info than there is on that web page, where the image is photographed from the side causing the text to be distorted.

There are at least two typefaces named Standard, one designed in 2001, by Jason Castle that is one of a mountain of typefaces that has someone making their own version of Akzidenz-Grotesk.

Akzidenz-Grotesk was designed in 1896, and where the confusion comes in is that it sometimes in the US was sold as Standard or Basic Commercial.

The most know typefaces that rely heavily on Akzidenz-Grotesk are Neue Haas Grotesk 1957 that was later redrawn as Helvetica 1960, Univers 1957 and Folio 1957.

So if your right then it is the same as I listed being Akzidenz-Grotesk if your wrong it is the 2001 Standard.

A cpl of years ago someone took the time to make an accurate digital version of Neue Haas Grotesk, it is really nice, I think it was free, not sure you have to google that one for yourself. Most typefaces changed when they were redrawn to become digital.

How is that for a bit of morning type digging?

:D

Edit: I did find a free version of Neue Haas Grotesk I'm not sure if it was where I got mine: http://www.coolwebfonts.com/fonts/neue-haas-grotesk-font-free/

Last edited by MossGarden on 2016-03-04 00:34:48


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toneblokePosted at 2016-02-18 09:19:18(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)
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Hey MG. You know WAY too much about this stuff.  :-)



"Look up here, I’m in heaven
I’ve got scars that can’t be seen"
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MossGardenPosted at 2016-02-18 09:57:03(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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tonebloke wrote:

Hey MG. You know WAY too much about this stuff.  :-)

Yeah, I love and collect typefaces! Back in the stone ages I worked briefly as a graphic designer, before ditching it to become an full time artist. I still love doing the odd layout, I do my own books and sometimes books of friends, one of my reasons to be on BowieStation is making covers :-@

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toneblokePosted at 2016-02-18 11:03:24(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)
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Ahhh. You're a good man MG.  O:-D



"Look up here, I’m in heaven
I’ve got scars that can’t be seen"
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RobBK90Posted at 2016-02-19 02:27:01(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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I love typefaces too! I'm trying to figure out BTWN

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MossGardenPosted at 2016-02-19 08:53:36(423 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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RobBK90 wrote:

I love typefaces too! I'm trying to figure out BTWN

Cool, post what you find here.

It,s one of the cpl albums I don't have a physical copy of around, I transferred all my cd's to a hard drive and packed the cd's away, leaving only my Lp's as the physical medium.
When I don't have access to a copy of an album I use illustrated db, they have great images in high res. '

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RobBK90Posted at 2016-03-03 07:59:31(421 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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ok it seems the BTWN title font is Occidental Bold https://www.myfonts.com/fonts/ryancorey/occidental/bold/ - trying to find the font for Bowie's name

Last edited by RobBK90 on 2016-03-03 08:00:05


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TenInchStumpPosted at 2016-03-03 10:28:12(421 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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RobBK90 wrote:

I love typefaces too! I'm trying to figure out BTWN

Never mind the typeface, I'm still trying to figure out BTWN's music  :D

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dhsugarbladePosted at 2016-03-03 12:49:34(421 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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wow this is pretty cool going to download me some of those cheers

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MossGardenPosted at 2016-03-03 16:17:29(421 wks ago) (Bowie General / The Bowie Typefaces)


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I have been looking at Let's Dance, and found two of the typefaces.
The title font in the circles on the front is Futura Std Bold,
The credit on the back uses two typefaces, one is Gill Sans its either reg or semi bold.
For the word Bowie and the other one in the credits I have not found a perfect match, the one on the front is obvious reworked into looking like the Everlast logo, and reminiscent of the one in the credits but even without the stretching it is something else.

I will take a look at the Black Tie one you found Rob :D

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