iSnare.com - Free Content Articles Directory
Authors Contents [Advanced Search][Add OpenSearch][Job Search]
Distribute your articles to thousands of article sites for only $2 and below! Read more...

Index  Entertainment
 

Naked Vinyl Cover Art- Selling Music And Sex

Submitted By: Robert Benson | Word Count: 931 | Views: 200
 
[ Contact the Author] [ Send to a Friend] [ Article Publisher] [Make PDF] [ Print] [ Bookmark & Share]
[ Rate this article] [ Report this article] [ Questions? Ask the community!]
 
Read our Terms of Service before reprinting this article. The submitter specified above has claimed the rights to this article.
Robert Benson

Part one

When we look back at album cover art throughout the years, it is kind of ironic that some album covers that are released these days can cause such an uproar because they may have a nude image on them or sexual suggestive scenes. But ‘naked vinyl’ started a long time ago, and, in fact, sold many, many records before it was decided that it is offensive. In this two-part article series, let’s explore some of the more interesting facets of ‘naked’ album cover art and erotica.

There is an age-old adage in the marketing world that ‘sex sells.’ And let’s face it, you’re more apt to buy a particular product from a curvy supermodel than a housewife with curlers in her hair and pictured in a robe and slippers, or you may prefer a hunky-he-man instead of a pot-bellied, balding gentleman hawking a product.

So, taking advantage of this motto, the record labels and specifically, album cover art, used this phenomenon to sell records. The labels released all kinds of music and ‘blue’ comedy records with one thing in common, nudity and plenty of it.

It all began in the late 40’s when album cover designers and the marketing departments for various record labels conjured up a plan to sell records by adorning the album covers with nude or scantily clad women. Another slippery gimmick was to make a play on the title of the record, a visual pun that allowed the erotica to slip in subtly and unnoticed.

For instance, on an album by Hugo Winterhalter (RCA Victor LPM-1904) called “Wish You Were Here,” the cover depicts a beautiful woman seemingly stranded on a desert island with only a telescope and her ripped and cleverly revealing nightgown. Beside her, in a cartoon caption cloud, she is stating the name of the album. And, yes, this worked, the album sold very well and it is still cherished by record collectors to this day.

In post-war America in the 1950’s, stripping as a form of adult entertainment was in vogue, with some women becoming minor celebrities. Why even American idol Joe DiMaggio had a well-documented affair with a hooker. Sex was selling magazines, posters, calendars and everything else in between. And jumping on this bandwagon, record companies rose to the occasion by releasing hordes of “Music to Strip By” records.

Cinema and magazines soon jumped in with big and low budget films and the success of the adult magazine ‘Playboy’ helped pave the way for an increase in the use of ‘naked vinyl’ record covers. In fact, famous Playboy models like June Blair, Dawn Richard and Jayne Mansfield were featured on record album covers. Playboy even released a few records now and then, such as 1958’s “Playboy Jazz-All Stars LP.” In the same year the magazine featured a pictorial montage about erotic album cover art, even using the headline “Music To Make Your Eyeballs Pop.” Playboy documented that the record companies were utilizing a discovery that was made popular by the paperback and romance book publishers-that nudity on the covers sells.

But the ‘naked vinyl’ and erotica vinyl cover phenomenon was just getting started. The 1960’s brought the public ‘stag party’ records, sex-obsessed vinyl covers that not only featured risqué music and lyrics, but ‘live’ blue comedy as well. Kind of like sports cards for adults, these ‘stag party’ records were highly sought after and collectible.

Yes, the public was snatching up these raunchy and ‘blue’ comedy records and two record labels on the West Coast in particular took full advantage of the opportunity to cash in on the trend. It became an excuse to release as much crass comedy and trashy sex songs as they could. Based in L.A., Fax Records was one of the most prolific labels, and had four distinct ‘sex genres’ that they focused on. They, of course, capitalized on the ‘stag party’ themed records, but also included a ‘personality’ series, a special ‘erotica ‘series as well as a ‘themes and scenes motion picture set’ series. These records were all about sex, in many forms, and were both educational and entertaining.

The second West Coast record label, LAFF records, focused on the American Nightclub Comedy Circuit and promoted their releases by quipping “Recorded at the scene of the applause, on the stage, or at an intimate party, the live and living heart-tugging, button-busting laughter of America’s funniest comic personalities; on LAFF Records just for you!! Have a Party, Have a LAFF!”

And LAFF backed up their claims with coarse and crude comedy records including a record called “Tales You’d Never Tell Your Mother,” from raunchy comedian Kenny Carol. A country comedian, Sam Nichols’ (Cowboy Sam-The Old Cowhand From The Rio Grande) slow southern drawl was a perfect medium for his crass comedy; including a country comedy song called “Courtin’ on a Mule.” Other “naked cover” comedians included the lascivious Rex Benson, the ‘blue’ comedy of Bub Thomas, the stand-up dirt of Bert Henry and many, many more.

But the coarse comedy was not limited to the men. Faye Richmond, Madame Mame, Terri “Cupcake” O’Mason and many others were all successful entertainers in their own right. All these records invited the public into the intimate world that was popularized by the rich, famous and sexually successful, embellishing “You Are There” or “Rubbing Shoulders With Hollywood Greats.”

In part two of our look into ‘naked vinyl’ we will explore a couple of East Coast record labels and look at some other albums that have caused a stir because of nudity.

Important NoticeDISCLAIMER: All information, content, and data in this article are sole opinions and/or findings of the individual user or organization that registered and submitted this article at Isnare.com without any fee. The article is strictly for educational or entertainment purposes only and should not be used in any way, implemented or applied without consultation from a professional. We at Isnare.com do not, in anyway, contribute or include our own findings, facts and opinions in any articles presented in this site. Publishing this article does not constitute Isnare.com's support or sponsorship for this article. Isnare.com is an article publishing service. Please read our Terms of Service for more information.

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
Article Tags: album [See Dictionary], record [See Dictionary], records [See Dictionary]
Got a question about this article? Ask the community!
Article published on January 14, 2008 at Isnare.com
 
Rate this article:

Catalog Your Vinyl Record Collection With Easy to Use Software
Submitted by: Robert Benson

We love our music Some prefer the historic audio medium of vinyl records; some enjoy the digital music that surrounds us everyday...

Vinyl Record Sound Quality Thrives at US Plant
Submitted by: Robert Benson

Our music is sounding better than ever because we can hear it on vinyl again Millions of music lovers all over the world are discovering and rediscovering why vinyl is the best sound reproduction format...

Can Vinyl Last Forever? Tips on the Care of Vinyl Records
Submitted by: Robert Benson

Ahhh, the sweet sound of a vinyl record playing your favorite music Some say that there is no better way to listen to their music...

Songs of Summer-part One
Submitted by: Robert Benson

As summer winds down, let’s explore a two-part article series about songs with ‘Summer’ or ‘Summertime’ in the title: Let’s start with the quintessential summer song by the Lovin’ Spoonful, the 1966 #1 hit called “Summer In The City...

Songs of Summer- Part Two
Submitted by: Robert Benson

As we continue our look at songs with the word ‘summer’ or ‘summer time’ in the title, let’s explore some timeless classics...

Happy Birthday To The 45rpm Record!
Submitted by: Robert Benson

Happy Birthday and welcome back to an old friend, the 45 rpm record officially turned 60 years old on March 31...

Hipgnosis- Classic Album Cover Art
Submitted by: Robert Benson

With the renewed interest in vinyl records, an old friend is becoming more important again- album cover art...

Old Wax Merges With New Technology
Submitted by: Robert Benson

There is a very simple audio question making the rounds these days; why vinyl The answer is just as simple-millions of music lovers are discovering the superior sound that vinyl offers...

Back in Time With Counter Clock Records
Submitted by: Robert Benson

As we all enjoy the vinyl record revival, there is another aspect to this phenomenon that sometimes gets overlooked: the forgotten 45 rpm records from years past...

The Record Ranch - New Online Venue to Cater to Music Lovers
Submitted by: Robert Benson

The global economy is in shambles Ask people involved in the music industry and they’ll probably tell you that their industry has likewise been affected...

New Vinyl Website Focuses on the Social Elements of Records and Music
Submitted by: Robert Benson

Well, we made it The vinyl record revival is in full swing...

The Vinyl Revival and the Resurrection of Sound
Submitted by: Robert Benson

It’s all over the news- from countless newspaper features (including a write-up in the Wall Street Journal), online articles and even the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric...

The Art Behind the Music
Submitted by: Robert Benson

An Interview With Classic Rock Art Curator Michael Goldstein of RockPoPGallery Rock and roll has been part of our pop culture for many decades and, so too has pop/rock memorabilia and art associated with it...

Vinyl is Back - An Interview With Jeff Loos of Backtrack Records
Submitted by: Robert Benson

Vinyl is back From the ‘error’ by a Fred Meyer employee (where LP’s were ordered by mistake), major electronic retailer Best Buy’s stocking vinyl in select stores and mainstream recording artists releasing records gain, the resurgence is upon us...

Laura Roppe- Country Music Star is Unleashed!
Submitted by: Robert Benson

Apparently being the runner up in Kenny Chesney’s “Next Big Star Competition” in May of 2008 is just the springboard that Country Music’s next star needed, as Laura Roppe’s debut CD can attest to...

The Smoking Gun From Michael Jackson
Submitted by: Cherokee Billie

Greetings Everyone: I have received a new message from Michael that may be controversial to some of you...

Learn to Sing: Song of the Unsung Heroes
Submitted by: Sarah J. Walthers

If you’re a behind-the-scenes kind of person, the assistant who gets the presentation ready for the uy in marketing but does not get to go in the meeting, then this article is just for you...

Why Did Susan Boyle's Album, I Dreamed a Dream, Beats Amazon's Pre-ordered Sales Records?
Submitted by: Andre Klein

This Sunday I watched the news on our Spanish television, and a headline with a short report came up...

Teen Party Ideas For Fun and Fabulous Teen Parties!
Submitted by: Elizabeth Chastain

Coming up with teen party ideas can be a challenging task, to say the least The days of throwing together a quick Barney party are long gone...

Teen Party Ideas to Help You Create That One of a Kind Teen Party!
Submitted by: Elizabeth Chastain

Teen party ideas--the mere mention of the words is not for the faint at heart When you think of trying to come up with some theme ideas that will float your teen's boat, you know you will have to dive deep, dive often, and go far...

Michael Jackson Life Story
Submitted by: Chris Chew

Michael Joseph Jackson - Born from 29th Aug 1958 to 25th Jun 2009 - Love him or hate him, Michael Jackson or MJ as he was affectionately known was the indisputable King of Pop and was one of the greatest, if not the greatest singer, dancer and entertainer the world has ever known...

How To Watch The Nascars Awards Online
Submitted by: Julien Robins

If you are worried that you might miss the Nascar Awards Friday Dec 4th in Las Vegas, worry no more...

The Beatles Rock Band is a Good Way to Improve Singing & Drumming Abilities
Submitted by: Joshua J Jacks

I've been trying to improve my singing in various ways over the last couple of years and surprisingly I've found that one of the most effective ways to practice (and improve) is by playing The Beatles Rock Band...

Simple Halloween Costumes to Make at Home
Submitted by: Mitch Gleason

Halloween is just around the corner and it is almost time to start thinking about Halloween costumes for kids and adults alike...

Best Ways to Get Out From in Front of the TV
Submitted by: Mitch Gleason

It is said that approximately 250 billion hours of TV are watched by Americans each year and that and that approximately 99% of American households posses at least one television in the home according to the A...

Learn to Sing Like a Professional Singer
Submitted by: Sarah J. Walthers

If you’re the type of person who loves singing and it is your passion, i’m sure you have imagined yourself singing in front of many people without mistakes and the crowd is happy with your performance with a standing ovation...

Learn to Sing on Pitch
Submitted by: Sarah J. Walthers

Some people believe that learning to sing on pitch is difficult, this is not true Learning to sing on pitch is easy if you just take time to practice...

Learn How to Sing Effortlessly
Submitted by: Sarah J. Walthers

If you’re an aspiring singer and hope to become great someday, i’m sure you get envious with people who can sing very well and make it look easy every time they sing...

Learn How to Sing With Power While Hitting the Notes
Submitted by: Sarah J. Walthers

There are a lot people out there who think that they can sing, but actually cannot They think that they can sing well and hit the notes not really cannot...

Tips on How to Learn to Sing on Key
Submitted by: Mrbond74 Peterson

Most singers are concerned about singing on key This is important because if the second voice is not hitting the right key, it is very obvious and listeners can easily notice it...
Isnare.com Footer Divider

© 2004-2009. Isnare Free Articles - An Isnare Online Technologies Free Articles Project. All Rights Reserved.   Privacy Policy