Naked Vinyl Cover Art- Selling Sex And Music
As we continue our look at 'naked vinyl' album cover art, let's explore two other companies who capitalized on the fad and what has transpired since.
In the last article, we discussed two West Coast record labels that were prolific and utilized 'naked vinyl' to sell their record albums. Not to be outdone by their counterparts, many East Coast record labels followed suit. None were more successful than the Davis and Que record labels and both of them focused on saucy songs and risqué nude cover art. Davis, in particular, had a cavalcade of stars that would churn out 'double entendre' songs that had been popularized on the Vaudeville stages. In fact, the owner of the label, Joe Davis, also wrote some of the songs and brought talented entertainers to the genre as well as a classic line of album cover art. The Que record label produced more of the same material, but the records were dubbed as "sexucational,' with songs and stories to inform the uninitiated.
In 1967, it seems that the attitudes about 'naked vinyl' had changed over the years, being replaced by peace, love-ins and flower children. When Jimi Hendrix released his album "Electric Ladyland," that featured Jimi surrounded by naked and buxom beauties, it created quite a stir. The cover was replaced, but the genre did not go away altogether, rather it was replaced by pop-art covers, psychedelia and slender, beautiful European women who would grace various covers from a multitude of musical genres.
Maybe the fad had run its course; the gimmick wasn't nearly as popular by the end of the 60's. But, now instead of getting coarse comedy, stag party specials and often quality music to accompany the 'naked vinyl', instead it became an avenue and a tool to release terrible music, by not so talented musicians; all packaged in a sexy cover and priced to sell.
Foreign music from Italy, France and Germany and other countries flooded the market with substandard music, but they all had one thing in common-'naked vinyl 'covers. Cover versions and greatest hits compilations were hastily recorded and rushed to press, all including that special feature that the record companies knew the public would enjoy, never mind the music. In the 1970's, the 'easy listening' music boon was in full swing, full of Hammond organ medleys, smoochy-sax covers of pop hits and ear-bending violins destroying popular classics. Artists such as Gil Ventura, Klaus Wunderlich and the 'Latin Lounge Lizard' covers of Robert Delgado were all cashing in on the fading fad.
In addition the 70's saw an exotic extravaganza of foreign music that the public would probably have never have gotten to hear, sans the 'naked vinyl' album covers. Mysterious countries all of a sudden were thrust into the music spotlight, from Borneo to the shores of South America and Africa. No country or culture was excluded. From the erotica landslides of misguided music of traditional song, all merged with native naked women in exotic poses that were happily hawking the substandard music.
In the late 70's, another phase of 'naked vinyl' came in the "disco era." The Ohio Players released a wonderful erotic series of 'almost' nude cover art. Sexual innuendo on the form of an album cover was not lost with the disco 'divas' "Silver Convention," whose cover for their album called "Save Me" created waves. Their frontal nudity of "Discotheque Volume Two," not only features their big hit of the era "Get Up and Boogie," but a startling cover of a handcuffed female. Blended in with a list of steamy, seductive songs, the cover grabbed audiences' attention as well as their eyes.
But as the disco era closed and the 70's drew to a close, society seemed to tire of the market and album cover nudity was no longer a mainstream wonder. Album cover artists and record companies all left sex to the imagination and returned to the safe images and cover art that was G-rated. With the advent of the compact disc, album cover art was led into the annuls of music history and pretty much became a non-issue. But, there have been some historic naked album covers since then. Let's explore a few.
Leave it to John Lennon to create a stir, he was a master at creating controversy and knew how to draw media attention to whatever he was doing. In 1968, Lennon and Yoko Ono released their album called "Two Virgins," with the front cover displaying a full-frontal nude image of them. The back cover showed the same image, but from behind. They were forced to replace it (they sold it in a brown paper wrapper) and copies of the album were impounded as obscenity in some jurisdictions.
The rock band Blind Faith had a cover that pictured a topless pubescent girl in 1969, and the U.S. record company had it reissued with an alternative cover showing a photograph of the band. The Scorpions actually had two "naughty" covers that caused a stir, 1976's "Virgin Killer," also featured a topless young girl and was replaced with a photo of the band. In 1979, the band released "Lovedrive," with a man and a woman in the back seat of a car. The woman's chest is exposed and the man was pulling bubble gum off of her breast and the album was repackaged.
But the band Jane's Addiction got it right when, anticipating trouble, released the 1990 album called "Ritual de lo Habitual" with two covers. One cover, which featured singer Perry Farrell's artwork (male and female nudity), was released along with a 'clean' version of the cover with the text of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, that promotes free speech.
All we can ask is where was the censorship in the heyday of 'naked vinyl' album cover art? Now pop artists, rappers and rock and rollers can sing and say anything they want on a record. You can turn on the radio and hear the "Frankie Goes To Hollywood" sexual number "Relax,", but god forbid you show any nudity on an album cover.
But all is not lost for the lovers of 'naked vinyl' cover art, as the 90's and beyond have seen album cover art and specifically 'naked vinyl' return as record companies and designers are not afraid to use the human body to sell music. Vinyl is back, with the public demanding the format as well as the album cover art that accompanies it, no matter what the format, because as we have all learned; sex sells.
About the Author
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music, vinyl record collecting and operates
http://www.collectingvinylrecords.com
, where you can pick up a copy of his ebook called "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting." Contact Robert at robert@collectingvinylrecords.com
Art Vinyl Bhangra Desi DNA
|
|
Black Contact Paper, 18 x 75' $21.13 Adds decorative accents to any horizontal or vertical surface. Each roll features an easy-to-peel liner and an adhesive that allows it to be repositioned during installation without leaving a sticky residue. Itâs easy to apply, easy to remove, and easy to keep clean. Simply cut to length and shape for a custom application.... |
|
|
EasyLunchboxes Insulated Lunch Box Cooler Bag, Purple $7.95 Use with EasyLunchboxes compartmentalized food containers for an affordable and green lunch box solution. These coolers are specially designed to carry our best selling bento containers upright, so food stays put. Say goodbye to the scrambled meals you get using other, sideways carriers. With these, at lunchtime your creations will look as yummy as when you packed them! You'll have plenty of room... |
|
|
Clear Heavy Duty Table Cover 70 X 90 $9.00 Kitchen Collection Clear Plastic Tablecloth 60" x 90". Total Protection On Your Fabric Tablecloth. Durable, Wipe Clean, Easy Care, Practical.... |
|
|
Jurassic Park [VHS] $1.95 Steven Spielberg's 1993 mega-hit rivals Jaws as the most intense and frightening film he'd ever made prior to Schindler's List, but it was also among his weakest stories. Based on Michael Crichton's novel about an island amusement park populated by cloned dinosaurs, the film works best as a thrill ride with none of the interesting human dynamics of Spielberg's Jaws. That lapse proves unfortunate, ... |
|
|
Apollo 13 [VHS] $0.01 NASA's worst nightmare turned into one of the space agency's most heroic moments in 1970, when the Apollo 13 crew was forced to hobble home in a disabled capsule after an explosion seriously damaged the moon-bound spacecraft. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton play (respectively) astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise in director Ron Howard's intense, painstakingly authentic docu... |
|
|
Dirty Dancing $0.01 Dirty Dancing Format: VHS Tape... |
|
|
The Royal Tenenbaums (The Criterion Collection) $10.01 In a fitting follow-up to Rushmore, writer-director Wes Anderson and cowriter-actor Owen Wilson have crafted another comedic masterwork that ripples with inventive, richly emotional substance. Because of the all-star cast, hilarious dialogue, and oddball characters existing in their own, wholly original universe, it's easy to miss the depth and complexity of Anderson's brand of comedy. Here, it re... |
|
|
Live Free or Die Hard (Unrated Edition) $4.22 Twelve years after Die Hard with a Vengeance, the third and previous film in the Die Hard franchise, Live Free or Die Hard finds John McClane (Bruce Willis) a few years older, not any happier, and just as kick-ass as ever. Right after he has a fight with his college-age daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a call comes in to pick up a hacker (Justin Long, a.k.a. the "Apple guy") who might help the ... |
|
|
Swing Kids $4.19 This strange movie with a niche subject--jazz-loving, dance-loving German kids persecuted by Hitler's men--almost works, thanks to a good cast who seem devoted to the unusual story line. Director Thomas Carter doesn't bring the necessary stylistic oomph to the musical sequences, something that might have pushed the whole production to another, more interesting level of Hollywood dream. Kenneth Bra... |
|
|
Krazy Glue KG58248SN Instant Crazy Glue 4-Single Use Tubes of 0.017-Ounce $0.01 Manufacturer: Hunt Manufacturing Company. Krazy® Glue Single-Use Tubes Single-use applicators offer convenience and ease of use for home and office. All-purpose formula works on plastic, metal, wood, rubber, glass and more. Just twist the self-pierci... |
|
|
'Laundry Room 5-cent Wash Dry Fold' Vinyl Art $29.49 This beautiful vinyl applique applies to smooth surfaces like walls, glass, tile and more. Great for home, office, wedding, anniversary or house warming gifts, these wall art vinyls are easy to apply and comes with application instructions. |