Recently while digging a friend showed me two different versions of Pink Floyd's "Ummagamma". The original US-pressing - obviously for some rather strange copyright-reason - doesn't depict the "Gigi"-soundtrack-LP leaning on the wall but a blank white cover instead, seen here https://www.discogs.com/Pink-Floyd-Ummagumma/release/6482019 Are there any examples where details on the cover of Soul-records have been censored / modified ? Not the common case of completely different covers for different pressings of course.

There's the Five Keys "On Stage" LP (Capitol) from 1957.  The original cover pictured here has always been known as the "penis cover" - look closely at Rudy West standing on the far left to find out why!

 

The offending thumb was airbrushed from subsequent copies of the cover.

Edited March 10, 201510 yr by Gene-R

Not soul, but we had a similar situation to the Five Keys when I worked @ Decca in the 70s. This is the 'clean' sleeve which now has an increased crop. The original had the edge of Sir George's right hand looking suspiciously like a large dick. The expression on his face didn't help either..........

 

 

Ian D 

Thanks for your contributions !
Please keep them coming if you know about any examples.
Hip-Hop, Heavy Metal et al. probably would be way more fruitful here, but as you see it's quite interesting -  and fun ! 

Supremes - Meet The Supremes LP was pulled and reissued with a new sleeve due to the girls looking like hookers on bar stools on the original.

I don't think they were ever Censored (It was the 70s afterall) but those Blowfly record covers were well dodgy.

Supremes - Meet The Supremes LP was pulled and reissued with a new sleeve due to the girls looking like hookers on bar stools on the original.

Hmm... Supreme hookers...    

But: Is there really a different 1962-pressing ? Eventually with this picture ??

https://www.discogs.com/Supremes-Meet-The-Supremes/release/5486383

Beg your pardon, I've never seen any originals.

Discogs lists the second print of "Meet The Supremes" with a changed cover not earlier than 1964, two years after the original release. From what I've read the first Supremes album just wasn't very successful at the time and re-pressed after their first hits...

Hip-Hop, Heavy Metal et al. probably would be way more fruitful here, but as you see it's quite interesting -  and fun ! 

I guess the Beatles 'Butcher' cover is the best example of a physically censored LP sleeve - with the original sleeve completely pasted over with a new image.  As you can imagine this has created a massive industry for peeled unpeeled  copies - with a a still sealed copy selling for $39000!

There was a problem with the Rolling Stones cover for "Some Girls". Whoever designed the

cover never asked any of the Celebrities for permission to use their pictures. 

   When they received objections, the label reissued the cover with colored squares over the 

photos or put "pardon our appearance- cover under construction" over the pics.

Mom's Apple Pie released this LP on Brown Bag records in 1972, including a very credible version of 'I just want to make love to you'......first up is the banned cover, second image is what they used to replace it. Not too difficult to see why the first was banned. 

 

 

Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland.............. wasn't that changed after the naked ladies version.

I think Meet the Supremes had different covers in the US and UK, but also had different tracks on them.

 

Kev

Thanks Guys, but I probably should have named the thread more precisely "censored SOUL-covers"...

Of course there are a lot of quite well known censorship-cases across the history of popular music in general.

But maybe soul history hasn't produced enough cases - maybe then mods could let run this thread in another section ?

I don't think they were ever Censored (It was the 70s afterall) but those Blowfly record covers were well dodgy.

yup - and to think this masked lunatic was Clarence Reid who recorded great soul like "Running Water", one of my favourite 70s albums ever.

In that case, The Cult 'The mail must go through' on Starburst....this release had three different covers with the second sleeve having a color variant.

 

The first cover;

 

 

The second cover, with both color variants;

 

 

Edited March 10, 201510 yr by Greg Belson

Hmm... Supreme hookers...    

But: Is there really a different 1962-pressing ? Eventually with this picture ??

https://www.discogs.com/Supremes-Meet-The-Supremes/release/5486383

Beg your pardon, I've never seen any originals.

Discogs lists the second print of "Meet The Supremes" with a changed cover not earlier than 1964, two years after the original release. From what I've read the first Supremes album just wasn't very successful at the time and re-pressed after their first hits...

 

 

I read in a Motown book some years ago that the original LP was withdrawn because of the girls looking like hookers on the sleeve, which wasn't the image Berry Gordy wanted. It was then issued at a later date with a slightly altered track list and new photo. I can't imagine that it was after 1964 as the UK copy (that mirrored the US) was released in 1964.

Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland.............. wasn't that changed after the naked ladies version.

 

Kev

Yes it was Kev - but I thought it was more because the naked ladies on the front cover complained that the poor lighting and angle of photography made them look like sleazy pieces of meat, more than anything else.

I always thought the Moments LP 'Look At Me' that was released in the US was censored here. It got a UK release as 'Sharp' with the same tracks.

 

The US 'Sharp' LP had different tracks all together

 

 

 

 

In that case, The Cult 'The mail must go through' on Starburst....this release had three different covers with the second sleeve having a color variant.

 

The first cover;

 

 

 

 

Isn't that Kym Fuller ?   

Edited March 11, 201510 yr by Kegsy

I have a first copy (nude) of the mail must get through, Anyone know the value of this version of the album please, Rick

I always thought the Moments LP 'Look At Me' that was released in the US was censored here. It got a UK release as 'Sharp' with the same tracks.

 

The US 'Sharp' LP had different tracks all together

 

Moments 1.png

 

Moments 2.jpg

 

The Moments' UK album "Those Sexy Moments" was issued with the same front cover as the US "Look At Me" LP.

Forgot about that one

The Moms Apple Pie cover posted above does have a very slight connection to Northern Soul - two of the members of MAP were in the Shaddows of "Together Again" fame.

 

I recall seeing two different covers to the Velvet Hammer "Call Me" LP, one of them with a woman in bed, I recall there was some story to that and the cover was changed.

Here you go - I love the Roxy Music alternate cover 

 

https://vinylbeat.com/album-43-Banned.html

I read in a Motown book some years ago that the original LP was withdrawn because of the girls looking like hookers on the sleeve, which wasn't the image Berry Gordy wanted. It was then issued at a later date with a slightly altered track list and new photo. I can't imagine that it was after 1964 as the UK copy (that mirrored the US) was released in 1964.

 

I have both covers and that's exactly as how I understand it too. I always had the second cover down as the same vintage too, albeit slightly later obviously. I think that's why it's so hard to find, it was pulled back.  

 

Regards,

 

Dave

The Moms Apple Pie cover posted above does have a very slight connection to Northern Soul - two of the members of MAP were in the Shaddows of "Together Again" fame.

 

I recall seeing two different covers to the Velvet Hammer "Call Me" LP, one of them with a woman in bed, I recall there was some story to that and the cover was changed.

 

Totally forgot about the Velvet Hammer LP, George.....nice one!

 

 

I guess that this qualifies as soul : I have a copy of Massive Attack 'Blue Lines' credited to just 'Massive' because it was released during the first gulf war and the band name was considered offensive. I know it doesn't make any sense but that's what I heard.

Another moment to be proud of in human history!

Recently while digging a friend showed me two different versions of Pink Floyd's "Ummagamma". The original US-pressing - obviously for some rather strange copyright-reason - doesn't depict the "Gigi"-soundtrack-LP leaning on the wall but a blank white cover instead, seen here https://www.discogs.com/Pink-Floyd-Ummagumma/release/6482019 Are there any examples where details on the cover of Soul-records have been censored / modified ? Not the common case of completely different covers for different pressings of course.

The 1st run of the US Ummagumma had the Gigi album in it but the later runs did not. 

Regarding Roger Waters Pros And Cons of Hitchhiking..........the model on the cover was Soft porn actress Linzi Drew, it was the feminists who were up in arms about it and got it censored although when it came out on CD, it again featured her bottom.

I have the original uncensored one.