Barney Bubbles
an (astounding) letter to Tony Hyde
- co-designer of Hawkwind's
Astounding Sounds; Amazing Music album

Barney Bubbles' final cover for 'Astounding...'
          THE STORY SO FAR:

Beverly has been kidnapped by Captain Thunder and the Mystery Riders while on an errand of mercy to the hospital. Tony is discovering the dread secret of Chandu the Magician's Disintegrator Ray. Barney falling madly in love with Tony's sister vows to marry her when he is grown up and become a train driver.

The Rev. Howard Pyle is taking tea with Auntie Irma in the front parlour. Will Bob Calvert rescue Princess N'Guma? Can Nik Turner play the sax? All this and more, oh Fantasy Freaks, in next weeks thrill upon thrill, fun Bonanza - "The wonders of Bentools Jewel".

Now read on:
This Sci-Fi stuff gets to you, huh, Big T? As promised, a comprehensive rundown on the mighty Hawklords' phonodisc.
So, pin back your ears and grab the scan, because I'm hot baby and right to write.

    I talked to Bob Calvert today and cleared most of the points with him. They still haven't finished the final mix but he's fairly positive that there will be six or seven tracks.

On your side will go the band's names and on mine the track titles. Also, somewhere we have to include the word HAWKWIND
- OK, so far?

>  Now this is important. To make the word HAWKWIND stand out from all the other lettering and painting (which after all is the whole point of the exercise) it should print as white.
Therefore
AMAZING MUSIC
should be in coloured tones i.e. lettering in red, shadow on lettering in yellow, for example.

      Evening in a futuristic city.

Over the city looms a large face metamorphosing into a wolf.

The face is strongly lit from beneath.

On the plaza floor is a sort of "Batmobile".

In the foreground a girl runs towards you.

V
Barney's first draft of the cover
To get the period style correct I'm doing the artwork in watercolour.
When the order and the final tracks are ready I'll letraset all the copy and paste it on an overlay.

If, at that stage, you can get your painting to me, indicating the position of the words, I'll artwork it in.
OK. over and out bass pencils.

          By the way, I think you should sign the painting with a 1930's flourish. I'm calling myself 'Grove Lane'
(after a street where my friend lives).

        Tony Hyde's side of the ASTOUNDING cover
<
Tony Hyde's side of the

ASTOUNDING SOUNDS;
AMAZING MUSIC

cover
<
My address is
76 Tranmere Road, Whitton,
Twickenham, Middlesex

I weigh 170 Ibs
My eyes are blue
I like steak and chips
I prefer short black leather coats on girls with long legs
My hobbies are playing R'n'B and Soul records
My fave stars are Robert Redford and Paul Newman

      If you want to contact me about any cover problems, please do so.
Write for the crack anyway.
Love,
Barney
               Barney

> back to <
V

Calvert & Hawkwind / part III
V

more on BARNEY BUBBLES - one of Britain's most influnetial designers.
V

more voices on Barney Bubbles - incl. some wonderful shots
of Barney himself by his friend and collaborator Phil Franks
V

> Robert Calvert - the spirit's home <