How about album covers, there were some weird ones. How much did the band have input into those? Some were controversial, which one do you mean? Virgin Killer mainly. Nowadays I wouldn't want something like that. At that time times were different. So was it the record company that decided the covers? This was the record company, the guy who did the cover design, it was his daughter or his niece and they did this photo and said they had this great idea. http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=791
I still think that the original cover idea for Spinal Tap's Smell the Glove would have broken down some doors if the studio hadn't wussed out and given us "Black Album" instead. There was nothing on that goddamn cover!
Here's a recent Scorps film interview. Rudolph looks great for 60, or however old he is. [COLOR=#003399]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=20255001[/COLOR]
I had the one where the chick had 'Bubble Gum" Stuck to her Right tit,, and the left one exposed on Vinal, the CD is Censored.
Regarding "Virgin Killer", it was indeed the record company that wanted a shocking album cover. One has to remember that in 1976, Scorpions were not the sellouts they have become, and were just about as metal as it got. With that in mind, well... controversy sells. Ask Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson. That cover was replaced in the US with a band shot. Scorpions' 1979 "Lovedrive" did have a boob covered in gum on the european release, but the american record company would not distribute it, so it was replaced by a blue scorpion image. It is interesting too that their album 1996 "Pure instinct" also has nudity on the cover, being humans in a zoo cage, observed by animals on the outside. The Canadian release has an unscensored cover, but I heard that the US release was, again, different, using the back inlay picture on front.
Oh yeah, their 1978 "Taken by force" had a graveyard cover that was also replaced by... well, a black cover and band pictures on top...
European attitudes a bit different perhaps on boobs & such. Scorpions may well be the leader in boob oriented album covers. Yes, controversy sells, sex sells etc. Boobs aside, if one doesn't have any good songs to offer, wild stunts & naughty album covers will only go so far. Scorps were the best hard rock band in the world for a good while.
Banned In Boston???? I was "Love Drive" , I have the Cassette, with the gum covered boob. I have the Virgin Killer Cassette but it just has a picture of the Band.
Uncle Sam had an ever naughtier cover, but didn't have the songs to hold or attract a big audience. http://rateyourmusic.com/~roho