# "The covers they didn't want you to see" - Banned album covers - Very interesting! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512 "2004-05-22T12:21:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/1 "2004-05-22T12:21:18Z")
[The covers they didn’t want you to see](http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/gallery/0,8542,1221201,00.html) > [@](#): > > From phallic fingers and bare bums to terrorist targets and rape, Peter Blecha on the record sleeves that went that little bit too far. Taboo Tunes, by Peter Blecha, is published by Backbeat Books. See [www.tabootunes.com](http://www.tabootunes.com) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/2 "2004-05-22T12:51:34Z")
Guidance for the stupid, please? Where are the album covers? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/3 "2004-05-22T12:59:41Z")
Follow the first link. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/4 "2004-05-22T13:06:53Z")
Those black guys and their huge penises! ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/5 "2004-05-22T14:23:53Z")
This reminds me of the “Smell the Glove” thing in _This is Spinal Tap_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/6 "2004-05-22T14:59:05Z")
Another famous cover of this sort is that of “Blind Faith’s” sole album (1969), which featured a waist-up shot of a barely post-pubescent girl. I have a copy of the original. It was quickly pulled and replaced by a picture of the group. However, it seems that the 2000 deluxe re-issue used a modified version of the original cover. I’m not going to link to it, but it can be found by googling “Blind Faith’s original artwork.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/7 "2004-05-22T15:03:44Z")
I was going to mention **Guns N’ Roses – _Appetite For Destruction_** (which I have), but I see that it was included in the OP’s link. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/8 "2004-05-22T15:35:35Z")
I remember a picture like the cover of _Amorica_ being in _Hustler_ once (it might have been a cover). Only there was more pubic hair curling out the top of the bikini. Maybe it wasn’t so much “censorship” as it was “Larry Flynt’s lawyers sending out a stop-it letter”? ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/9 "2004-05-22T15:54:14Z")
Lame. He forgot the Coup’s album (Party Music IIRC) featuring the WTC towers exploding. And, best of all Cannibal Corpse’s The Bleeding which had to be wrapped in butcher paper until they could release a revised version. I still can’t find a copy of what the original looked like… While trying to find links, I discovered that apparently wikipedia and encyclopedia.threfreedictionary apparently crib from each other. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/10 "2004-05-22T16:12:10Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > Lame. He forgot the Coup’s album (Party Music IIRC) featuring the WTC towers exploding. > > And, best of all Cannibal Corpse’s The Bleeding which had to be wrapped in butcher paper until they could release a revised version. I still can’t find a copy of what the original looked like… > > While trying to find links, I discovered that apparently wikipedia and encyclopedia.threfreedictionary apparently crib from each other. Are you sure you’re not thinking of [“Butchered at Birth”](http://www.sonicdeath.co.uk/reviews/artist_page.asp?aID=28) which was banned. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/11 "2004-05-22T17:20:35Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Are you sure you’re not thinking of [“Butchered at Birth”](http://www.sonicdeath.co.uk/reviews/artist_page.asp?aID=28) which was banned. Yep. I remember my friend’s brother bought “Butchered at Birth” with no trouble (man, that’s the best album cover ever, as far as liner notes graphic design goes, it was superlative…except that they chose to use Times New Roman for the interior and it was like 6 point or something, white on black bg, so it was impossible to read. Not that anyone listens to Cannibal Corpse for the lyrics), but when “The Bleeding” came out, he had to wait because the store had the album recalled (or something) and it was replaced with one wrapped in butcher paper. I also recall that he wasn’t allowed to buy it at the local store until he was 18, so he had to go hunting for another store that would sell it to him. The cover he bought was the one shown on your link. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/12 "2004-05-22T17:29:00Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > Lame. He forgot the Coup’s album (Party Music IIRC) featuring the WTC towers exploding. . No, it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/13 "2004-05-22T17:31:48Z")
**Chairman Pow** - is [this](http://tombofthemutilated.ipbhost.com/disc/Bleeding.php) the cover you’re thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/14 "2004-05-22T18:08:12Z")
Then there was Roxy Music’s “Country Life.” The English release featured two women on the cover wearing nothing but panties. The U.S. release had just some forest scenery on the cover. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/15 "2004-05-22T18:10:13Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Another famous cover of this sort is that of “Blind Faith’s” sole album (1969), which featured a waist-up shot of a barely post-pubescent girl. I have a copy of the original. It was quickly pulled and replaced by a picture of the group. However, it seems that the 2000 deluxe re-issue used a modified version of the original cover. > > I’m not going to link to it, but it can be found by googling “Blind Faith’s original artwork.” That one’s pretty tame compared to the original artwork for _Virgin Killer_ by [the Scorpions.](http://www.scorps.com/) (Not a direct link – click “Picture Gallery”) The Scorpions have had no less than three covers banned – they deserve a special section in that book. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/16 "2004-05-22T18:13:54Z")
**Colibri** You mentioned “Blind Faith’s” notorious album cover: _**Another famous cover of this sort is that of “Blind Faith’s” sole album (1969), which featured a waist-up shot of a barely post-pubescent girl.**_ That hardly seems shocking. Maybe it is because you left out the word “naked”. In 1975, Roxy Music released an album called “Country Life”. [http://www.superseventies.com/roxymusic.html](http://www.superseventies.com/roxymusic.html) It was later released without the 2 women on the cover. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/17 "2004-05-22T18:17:38Z")
Darned **Astorian** Great minds think alike. (But some type faster than others). Well, at least I included a link to the Roxy Music cover. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/18 "2004-05-22T18:32:40Z")
Did any of you see the “Antiques Roadshow” with the woman who brought in the Beatles’ “Yesterday and Today” album? She had no idea it was so collectible. The appraiser nearly wet himself. Apparently, she bought it on the _one and only_ day that the album was sold! I wish I could remember how much it was worth. I think he may have said $500, but maybe someone who saw the episode can correct me on that. What made it so great was that she had no idea of the story behind the change in covers and thought she was just bringing an old album in to be appraised. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/19 "2004-05-22T18:40:24Z")
> [@cheddarsnax](#): > > No, it’s there. No, I don’t think the Coup album is there. Are you confusing with the first entry on the page, “Dilated Peoples, Target Practice”? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/20 "2004-05-22T18:48:05Z")
Oh… and while the original cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland” was filled with naked women, the versions I saw on sale in the Seventies featured just inoffensive psychedelia on the covers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512.md?page=2)