“ The phrase ‘Renaissance Man’ was defined by Giovanni Boccaccio in 14th century Italy – It was the ideal person who is well-versed in multiple fields of study… Skilled in the arts and related disciplines, and who is able to accomplish many things, and to perfect himself in various different fields.”
Apparently, being one of the greatest Rock drummers of all time just wasn’t enough for Dino Danelli. Beginning in 1965, Dino began to experiment with painting and drawing. Soon afterwards, his incredible talents led to the creation of numerous album cover designs for the Rascals, Fotomaker, and Little Steven Van Zandt. The visual arts were a fervent passion for Dino, running parallel to his entire musical career.
“My name is Dino Danelli. I am an artist and musician. I will make as much art and music as I can… For as many people as I can… For as long as I can.” The multi-talented Dino also explored sculpture, printmaking, photography, poetry, and creative writing. He was obsessed with making art, sometimes isolating himself in his studio for weeks at a time.
“ The moments that trigger ideas are incredible! When the idea is formed creation begins. The transition has been made.” -- Dino Danelli
Dino was credited with numerous album cover designs including ‘The Rascals’. He also conceptualized the covers for his other groups - Bulldog, Fotomaker, and Little Steven - which will be covered in Chapter Two. “You know, between recording and touring, we don’t have much time for anything else. But I try to work in a little time for my painting and sculpting. I also design all The Rascals album covers. I achieve a satisfaction from seeing a finished product that we can all take pride in.” -- Dino Danelli
In 1968, Dino noticed that Felix and Eddie’s lyrics could be visually represented by two of his recent sculptureboxes. Dino showed a photo of them to Nesuhi Ertegun at Atlantic Records and asked him if he thought they would make a good cover. Fortunately, he thought they were exquisite. Soon afterwards, Dino received his greatest artistic accolades with the cover design for The Rascals’ concept album - ‘Once Upon A Dream’ winning the prestigious ‘Graphis International Award for Design’.
For the cover design of the ‘Time-Peace Greatest Hits’ album… Dino worked with the great fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez. He was known for his work with Vogue and Vanity Fair. Dino wanted something bright and Pop Art influenced. The record went on to # 1 on the charts.
