Most Controversial Album Covers

[SAT-I need more room!!]

smittykins said:

Anyone remember the original cover of Three Dog Night's "Hard Labor" which showed a woman "giving birth" to a 33rpm album? It was later covered up with a bandaid(first stickered, later embossed--the copy I have). I saw the original in a box of albums at this HUMONGOUS flea market in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, didn't get it and have regretted it ever since...

They also had an album in which they were pictured "nude"(actually wearing jockstraps and covered in orange dye)which was originally scheduled to be called "Wizards of Orange." When retailers objected, another photo was substituted and the album was retitled "It Ain't Easy."

I was just given a bunch of old albums recently, and that album was in there. Just the embossed one, I believe-or maybe the actual band aid, I'll have to check! (I say "just" given, but it was late last summer! LOL!!)

And all the different things I've read about banned albums and controversial stuff, I never knew about that orange album until I got the Celebrate 2 disc set!

[Railyn]

My friend's dad had the Stones' "Sticky Fingers" album, complete with real unzippable zipper.

I have an original copy of Poison's "Open Up And Say Ahhhh...". Not a fan, but it was re-done because of the artwork on the cover, and a long tongue. Paid $2 for it at an antique mall.

It was long rumored that Adam Ant's "Strip" had randomly placed nude pictures of him inside. They all had a picture of him inside not nude but in a sexy pose, but I was never able to substantiate this, but it was enough of a rumor that my mom wouldn't buy it for me.

Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" had to be changed. It had a woman on the cover who looked like she just won a wet t-shirt contest.

There was also an album put out by rap people that had the world trade center blowing up on the cover, but they did it before 9/11, and quickly changed it.

Metallica's "Metal Up Your A**" which later became "Kill 'EM All" had a lovely toilet with a hand and a knife coming out.

I have both versions of Jane's Addictions "Ritual De Lo Habitual". One with the standard cover, and one that is all white with black writing on it about the Bill Of Rights.

That's all I can think of right now that hasn't been already mentioned.

**Just remembered: The Monkees have 3, although not controversial, problem album covers, and I own them all. Their initial album (self titled) had a song misspelled on the cover. Because Mike Nesmith was the writer, he insisted it be changed, so one set of albums has a typo, and one doesn't. The "Headquarters" album initially had a picture of the guys on the back taken at the end of the sessions that produced the album. They are very scruffy looking. The album company ultimately replaced the picture with a photo of studio technicians, fearing that it would hurt the band's clean cut image. Lastly, on the cover of "The Birds, The Bees, and The Monkees" a record exec put his face inside one of the squares on the shadow box on the cover. Not discovering it until it had gone to the printer, they hastily placed a flower over his face.

And although not a controversial cover, the song "Randy Scouse Git" had to have it's title changed in England and Canada to "Alternative Title", as it's really an insult, just not in the American vernacular.