Sunday, January 31, 2010

A Short History of the Singing Saints' Logo

The Saints have had a number of logos over their 60-year history. And because the logo is that of a devilish man, it's interesting to see the evolution, almost like the stereotypical drawing of humanity's progression from ape to neanderthal to Homo sapiens.

Here's the earliest-known example, the "stick" logo, first seen on the jacket for the 1956 LP, "Saints". This version is also seen worn on the breast pocket of early group members' maroon blazers.

Here's a close-up of that embroidered version.

Another version of the Saint appeared at about the same time, this one more sophisticated, sporting a bowler hat, spats and a cane. While the devil's horns, tail and pitchfork are gone, his hairstyle simulates the horns and a halo has been added at a jaunty angle. This version is first seen in a marketing brochure published by the group in 1956.

If you look at the photos on the jacket of the album "Saints On The Rocks", the embroidered "stick" logo was still being used, this time in the early 1960s.

Fast forward to the 1980s, and the Saint is more modern, now wearing a sweater with the letter "L" for "Larry" (slang for a St. Lawrence student). This version is more casual than either of the previous ones--the cane and spats are gone--although the halo perched on the horn-like hair is still there. There are also other changes as the devil's tail has grown back and the text "Singing Saints" has been added. This version was used on stationery at the time.

When the group turned forty, the Saint received some minor updates. The logo got cleaned up and the text altered to match that in the St. Lawrence logo used in university publications. Also, the horizontal lines were removed to make the entire image tighter. A caricature of this version appeared in the liner notes for "Over The Hill: the Singing Saints Turn Forty".

For the 50th Reunion, a special version of the logo was created. It also appears in the liner notes for the CD "Yardwork!" that was released at about the same time. This version features a pair of eighth notes and has the Saint filled in and the "L" replaced with the number "50".


The 55th Reunion brought with it another special version, this time with the number "55" in a different font style replacing the "L". This version also used the more standard design as a way to make it distinct from the 50th Reunion logo. The group wore this logo on t-shirts made for Reunion Weekend.

For this year's 60th Reunion, the Saint has evolved even further, with his face being redrawn and made more realistic. Also, the text and color have been modified to match SLU's current type treatment.

This Saint also has a 60th Reunion version, similar to those created for past reunions.

While the logo has changed over its 60-year history, the iconic image of the Singing Saint has always captured the devilish character that embodies the spirit of the group.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

60th Reunion Planning Committee Finalized

The committee for the 60th Reunion is set:

Honorary Chairs
Bob Beveridge '54N
Howard Crowell '54
Bill Moncrieff '54
Pete Worthington '54

Planning Co-Chairs
Mark Tavern '94
Jerry Peters '95

Planning Committee Members
Sam Gradess '11
John Harvey '85
Ken Hughes '98
Paul Hughes '00
Jan Knost '56
Matthew Lyndaker '96
Scott Manuel '64
Navé Strauss '08
Tyler Wood '85

We appreciate all their help in making the reunion a success!

Ken Okoth '01 essay "International Migration and Brain Circulation" published

SLU Trustee and former Singing Saints bass Kenneth Okoth '01 recently wrote an essay titled "International Migration and Brain Circulation." The essay was published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities on their site Diversity & Democracy Web. Read more about it on SLU's site or read the essay itself.