Hide Notes 

Slide 1: The ugliest record covers EVER …can you find your favourite album in here??
Slide 2: “Renaissance” was released in 1981, and was then dubbed The Album That Should Never Have Been Released. The disco heroes from the 70ies tried desperately to embrace the new wave of synth-pop and New Romantics, with a truly poor result. The album cover says it all. After this album, the boys from the Y.M.C.A were down and out.
Slide 3: In 1983 the Soul singer Millie Jackson released her album E.S.P. The letters mean Extra Sensual Persuasion, and the cover was meant to support this message. It looks like our diva Millie kind of overdid her message…..
Slide 4: What can you really say about Ken’s debut album “By Request Only”? If a picture says more than a thousand words, then this album cover is one of the most talkative in modern history.
Slide 5: That’s the way. The McKeithen’s leave no doubt of the musical values we are dealing with here. Suitably, the McKeithen’s was an ultra conservative Christian family from the Midvest. After the success didn’t arrive, they split up. “Mama” McKeithen had the biggest success and later wrote a song for Country Church (will come back to this band later). The youngest of the family, 19 year old Marsha (left), assumed the name Saucy Peaks and made low budget porn movies. I suppose she probably was more popular than Mama then….
Slide 6: The people that whipped out their hard earned money to buy this album really made their cake and ate it too. Not only did they get a load of super psalms with the 4 Christian Crusaders, but they even got Al Davis in the same go. Lucky bastards.
Slide 7: The country-crooner Jim Post loves a good shower. Which he fully demonstrates on the album cover of his “I Love my Life” from 1975. The album contains cozy country ballads such as “Billy Jean Rose” and “Stanley and Henry” as well as the surrendering and heartbreaking “My Dreams Never Came True”. Maybe not so strange, considering Jim’s adamant use of home snapshots for album covers.
Slide 8: “Can I Borrow a Feelin’?” asks Cody Matherson. Not from me, Cody. Not from me.
Slide 9: The heavy rockers of Furr was often accused of trying too much to copy the image of their idols. I reckon that accusation is exaggerated and unjust. Really. No way they look like Kiss. No way.
Slide 10: Not unexpectedly “Grrrrroove with me” didn’t really hit the history books. But the bike looks cool…
Slide 11: Sometimes you really need the heavy artillery to get your message through. And these guys got the axe out for their debut album. Swing that Gospel Axe, Baby, YEAH! (It’s so Austin Powers, isn’t it?!?!)
Slide 12: Poor Italian Tino. After he released his album Por Primera Vez, his entire village hated him. Por Primera Vez means “for the first time”, and little Tino was seen as a dude with bad intentions ever after. I have no problems believing that after seeing his “sexy” pose for the album cover….
Slide 13: Trees talk too. I knew it!
Slide 14: No, this is no joke. Julie’s Sixteenth Birthday is a real release from the country singer John Bult. If Bult here is trying to be the consoling father, or if he’s simply an old pervert shall be left to be pondered. But that this is one of history’s most tasteless (and scary) album covers – that is a matter of fact.
Slide 15: “Funky as I Wanna Be” was the debut album of the gangsta rapper Pooh-Man (aka MC Pooh). In spite of the vague and cryptic album cover (..archaeological dig?....gynecologic studies?...) the album sold reasonably well, with reasonably good reviews. “Funky As I Wanna Be” contains such modern rap classics as “Niggas Ain’t Playin’”, “Your Dick”, “Eatin’ Pussy”, and other fond favourites from our past. Really.
Slide 16: Anyone remember Joyce? No? According to the website Pork Tornado, Joyce started as a mathematics teacher after her singing career failed. Maybe Joyce rather should have gotten a new record cover designer. A little know fact about Joyce is that she started the whole big “only-onename” trend for female artist. Like Madonna…Cher….Anastacia….Beyonce…. Joyce-wannabes the lot of them! (for you aussies reading this – Isn’t she the spitting image of Kath, in Kath & Kim???)
Slide 17: Ok. There WERE a lot of weird stuff in the 80’s. And Devastatin’ Dave belongs in the club of the weirdest. The album was called Zip, Zap, Rap and the artist was a real Turntable Slave. Wow.
Slide 18: Another family of faithful churchgoers from the Midvest – Country Church. Country Church (originally Kountry Kowboy), had a moderate success in the middle of the 60’s with their mix if country and happy-psalms. The lady in the front was never part of the band, only on the album cover, since the record company worried that the 3 members alone might give the public an image of “unhealthy sexuality between men”. My opinion – probably one of the ugliest album covers in the history of man. And dinosaurs. Surely.