# "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:** 2
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/21 "2004-05-22T18:54:32Z")
I saw that episode, **Nutty Bunny**. I remember she bought the album at Sears for like $1.25 heh. I don’t remember the dollar figure she was given, but think it might have been more than $500, because the trunk label had never been on it. ---
**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, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/22 "2004-05-22T19:08:24Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > No, I don’t think the Coup album is there. Are you confusing with the first entry on the page, “Dilated Peoples, Target Practice”? It’s there, if you follow the [second link](http://www.tabootunes.com/gallery.html). Fourth cover from the bottom. ---
**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, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/23 "2004-05-22T19:25:52Z")
Ah, I didn’t see the covers on the second link, for some reason. Thanks. ---
**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 23, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/24 "2004-05-23T00:48:02Z")
Hm. How did I manage to miss the Coup? Technically though, I suppose it wasn’t banned, just like the article said, it was poor timing (I think record company pressure got them to drop it). There was also some uproar about a Tin Machine cover but since I apparently can’t read, that’s on the site too for all I know. Cheddarsnax: That’s the cover that we all know and love, but given CC’s other album covers, that one’s obviously not the original…which I still can’t find. Wait, I’ll be damned, apparently I was wrong. [This site](http://goreobsessed.free.fr/) (don’t worry the link’s just to the non-offensive choose-your-language page) shows the uncensored and censored Butchered at Birth covers as well as two for The Bleeding. I can’t imagine that the bluish one was offensive enough to be banned, especially if Tomb of the Mutilated didn’t get hit. I distinctly recall him having trouble getting The Bleeding and I also recall Ricki Racthman (of Headbanger’s Ball fame) mentioning it when it was released. I wonder what else I’m misremembering…now where did I leave my keys? ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/25 "2004-05-23T01:39:50Z")
That was a cool site. Thanks! They didn’t mention ‘Sex Drugs and Jesus Christ’ by Christian Death. The original Lp features an awesome painting of Jesus shooting up. I’ve often thought about taking the record to an airbrushing place to have them paint it on the back of my leather jacket, but then I think about getting my ass kicked by angry Christians and I change my mind. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/26 "2004-05-23T11:23:17Z")
> [@Nutty Bunny](#): > > 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. Actually, [according to the show’s website,](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/series/highlights/2004/chicago/follow1_2.html), it was estimated to be worth in the neighborhood of (and indeed sold for a little over) ten thousand dollars. This is due to the fact that the copy this woman had was ALSO a rare stereo version. Quite a tale. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/27 "2004-05-23T11:31:15Z")
[Columbo] Oh, and one more thing… [/Columbo] > [@Nutty Bunny](#): > > 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: Only part of the story the appraiser told is true. Yes, he correctly informed her that the cover change actually happened. [The reason for the change that he discussed, however, is pure folklore.](http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/butcher.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/28 "2004-05-23T13:24:12Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > There was also some uproar about a Tin Machine cover but since I apparently can’t read, that’s on the site too for all I know. The cover of _Tin Machine II_ was of a row of Greek-style statues, with stone genitalia prominently on display. The people who complain about such things complained, and the people who cave to such things caved, so the album was sold for a while with a wrapper covering the offending naughty bits. David Bowie’s comment on the matter was something like “thank goodness our children are safe from the knowledge that the ancient Greeks had penises.” Amazon doesn’t seem to have a problem with the cover in its original form. [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000074HN/qid=1085318379/sr=2-2/ref=sr\_2\_2/103-8957493-7110222](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000074HN/qid=1085318379/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/103-8957493-7110222) ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/29 "2004-05-23T14:05:26Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > Wait, I’ll be damned, apparently I was wrong. [This site](http://goreobsessed.free.fr/) (don’t worry the link’s just to the non-offensive choose-your-language page) Er… there’s a giant-font, all-in-red “CANNIBAL CORPSE” on it, though… Not safe for most work environments, I’d bet. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/30 "2004-05-23T14:39:26Z")
The [Santana “Abraxas” original cover.](http://www.superseventies.com/ac7abraxas.html) Yes, it’s just one click away, but you’ll see how silly it was to object to it. The copy I bought had a tiny sticker over the figurehead-like breasts. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/31 "2004-05-23T18:58:25Z")
I can’t even tell what the controversial part is, **Musicat**. Care to point out where and what? ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/32 "2004-05-23T19:03:03Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > 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. 🙂 Holy sh\*t! I have never seen that cover before, and I must say in this case I agree with its being banned. For those who haven’t seen it, it depicts girl of about 12 or 13, completely naked, with her genitals barely covered by what looks like cracked glass; it’s obviously supposed to look as if someone had fired a bullet through a sheet of glass and into her vagina. Ergo, “Virgin Killer.” Oh, ha-ha. How clever. What a bunch of sick bastards! I’ve heard some of the Scorpions’ stuff but I’ve never bought an album, and now that I’ve seen this I never will. People who glorify the sexual abuse of children just make my blood boil. Does anyone know if the band got in any legal trouble for that cover? Why is it not considered child pornography and therefore illegal to reproduce? It makes me uncomfortable even to have accessed that picture at all. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/33 "2004-05-23T19:07:57Z")
> [@xvxdarkknightxvx](#): > > I can’t even tell what the controversial part is, **Musicat**. Care to point out where and what? That’s kinda my point – nothing to see, is there! 🙂 I will admit that the link doesn’t show a very large image. But the problem was the red, naked lady posed diagonally, much like a ship’s figurehead. Her full, red bosoms were too much for some people, and the record was sold with a tiny piece of paper pasted over them at an angle, covering not much but just a little. The psychology of those censors, what they thought would happen if someone saw the full picture, and what they hoped to accomplish with that tiny patch, would be an interesting discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/34 "2004-05-23T19:17:41Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > The cover of _Tin Machine II_ was of a row of Greek-style statues, with stone genitalia prominently on display. The people who complain about such things complained, and the people who cave to such things caved, so the album was sold for a while with a wrapper covering the offending naughty bits. David Bowie’s comment on the matter was something like “thank goodness our children are safe from the knowledge that the ancient Greeks had penises.” > > Amazon doesn’t seem to have a problem with the cover in its original form. > [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000074HN/qid=1085318379/sr=2-2/ref=sr\_2\_2/103-8957493-7110222](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000074HN/qid=1085318379/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/103-8957493-7110222) The ‘wrapper’ bit didn’t last long. ISTR that the copy I picked up way back when was the re-done cover with the weenies all harshly carved out. Sort of ‘broken’ if you get me. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/35 "2004-05-23T22:31:50Z")
And let us not forget the nude pic of one of the band’s members (forget who) shown on the liner to U2’s _Achtung Baby_, upon which a large ‘X’ was strategically placed in later releases… ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/36 "2004-05-23T23:06:47Z")
That would be bassist Adam Clayton. U2 actually claims that at one point they were considering making that photo on its own the album cover. As it is, the photo was only censored in North America. Europe got to see it in all its glory. U2 also had the cover of their first album, _Boy_, changed for North America (you can see both versions [here](http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/01.html)), because the record label thought that the picture of the boy was verging on kiddie porn. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/37 "2004-05-23T23:11:21Z")
There was Lynyrd Skynyrd’s cover of ‘Street Survivors’ which showed the band engulfed in flames. Several band members died in a fiery plane crash just as the album was being released, so the cover was re-printed without the flames. There are a few of the flames covers out there, and they are quite collectible. I used to have a copy of The Rolling Stones’ _Sticky Fingers_ which had the real zipper on the front. That is now collectible, but I don’t have the album any more. It vanished in one of my many moves while in college. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/38 "2004-05-23T23:18:05Z")
This one doesn’t really count since the album cover wasn’t completely changed, but: I would never have gotten the point of Southern Culture on the Skids’ [_Dirt Track Date_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003TBN/qid=1085353838) album cover if the jewel case hadn’t broken. Where I bought it, the right side was covered up by a nondescript black sticker saying “Contains the hits ‘Soul City’ and ‘Voodoo Cadillac’”. The only thing unusual about it was that the sticker was on the jewel case instead of on the shrinkwrap, where they usually put it. After I’d had the CD for a while, the jewel case broke and I had to replace it, and it was only then that I saw the sticker had been covering up the used condom on the right side of the cover. “Dirt Track Date.” Now it all makes sense. I went back to the stores (both Media Play and Best Buy) and saw that they’d all been given the sticker in the same place. Kudos to amazon, I guess, for showing the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/39 "2004-05-24T01:45:27Z")
> [@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. No so. Both covers were available in the US, though the nude girl was only available for special order. I worked at a store that sold records at the time; we got the B cover (the group picture) for all the copies, but special ordered the A cover (the girl) to see what it looked like. The most infamous banned record cover in the US (next to the Beatles) was that for a group named [Mom’s Apple Pie](http://friends.s5.net/mazzini/plosce/). Scroll down the page for the link. If you don’t understand, click on the pie. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512/40 "2004-05-24T02:17:12Z")
I used to drive down Sunset Blvd. in the 70’s every day, and Sunset was lined (probably still is) with giant, 3-story album cover billboard ads of the latest albums, hand-painted art. I remember the Mom’s Apple Pie one, the Blind Faith cover, and one for Humble Pie, “Smokin’,” that had what looked like live smoke coming out of a large billboard hole. The bluenoses forced defacement of the Mom’s cover with a large white X over the offending part. I don’t remember how the Blind Faith one was “fixed,” but the Smokin’ billboard added a banner that said, “It’s only steam, folks!” There’s one in every crowd. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-covers-they-didnt-want-you-to-see-banned-album-covers-very-interesting/246512.md?page=3)