Stamps honour Canadian recording artists
Toronto, Ontario
Popular Canadian music icons Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray, and Paul Anka have been honoured with a set of commemorative stamps released here today. As stated in a press release issued by Canada Post: “These four stars established themselves on the world stage in an era when the Canadian music industry struggled to compete with its American counterpart, and paved the way for the opportunity – and phenomenal success – experienced by our stars of today… Before 1960, almost all records sold in Canada were by foreign performers. Not so today. Not only have Canadians focused their attention on the stars in their own backyard, but Canadian performers are also capturing the spotlight on the international stage.”
“Creating these stamps is Canada Post’s way of giving something back to these very talented artists, who have given so much to Canadians,” says Liz Wong, manager of Stamp Design and Production at Canada Post. Wong adds that the four stamps are only the second Canada Post issue to honour living Canadians, the first being Oscar Peterson in 2005. “Trivia buffs may notice that living Canadians honoured on a postage stamp have something in common—they’ve all received the Order of Canada,” says Wong.
The CD-shaped Canadian Recording Artists booklets will also put a new spin on this type of collectible. There are four different booklets, with each cover featuring the image of one of the recording artists. Inside, the stamps are arranged in one of four different orders, with the singer featured on the cover appearing in the top-left position. The booklets also include envelope seals and information about the featured artist. In addition, a souvenir sheet, official first day cover, and postcards are available.
The design team at Circle was very enthusiastic about working with “living legends” while they developed the Canadian Recording Artists issue. “We tried to portray the distinctive personality of each performer,” Peters explains. “And, we wanted to depict them at a significant moment in their careers.” Inspired by album covers, each stamp is square in format and features a photo of the artist along with distinctively styled fonts appropriate to the era.
To reflect the glamour and prestige of the recording artists, the designers incorporated a distinctive MetalFX® process. “The MetalFX process involves under-printing in metallic silver ink, then over-printing with other colours,” says Peters. “The result gives a lustrous sheen to the artists’ portraits and lends a ‘platinum album’ feel to the shiny, disc-shaped stamp booklets and souvenir sheet.”
These limited edition stamps are now available through post offices across the country, can be ordered online by following the links at Canada Post’s website www.canadapost.ca, or by calling toll-free: 1-800-565-4362 (Canada and the United States), or 902-863-6550 (from other countries). Read the feature article published in Canada’s Stamp Details (Vol. XVl No. 3; July to September 2007) here. View the various philatelic collectibles (including postcards) here.
For more information about the stamps’ design, call Robert L. Peters at +1 204 943 3693.
