The vinyl world is littered with album covers that should never have seen the light of day. Where these musicians and those helping market their music went off the rails is impossible to know. All that is certain is that they did, and in doing so, gave us a laugh at the covers they created. But who knows. Maybe the creators of our Worst Album Covers Ever had the last laugh after all. One of our highlights – The Faith Tones – Jesus Use Me – has sold for between $225 and $350 in the Discogs marketplace. Freddie Gage’s immortal All My Friends Are Dead has sold for between $20 and $150. And who could forget The Ministers Quartet – Let Me Touch Him which has sold for $125 to $150. Brainstorm’s Smile A While has sold for even more – between $28 and $214.
Terrible album covers come in a wide array of genres. There are the religious records, where the titles are subject to unfortunate double entendres. The same is true of classical or foreign offerings, where an outside source more familiar with English might have saved from an otherwise embarrasing title. There are the underwear covers, where the musicians thought it would be clever to dress in underwear they should not be seen dead wearing. Or Sci-Fi or Satan covers, created by artists who let their imaginations run wild on an alien planet they should never have visited, or while visiting the Devil. There are the musicians who thought they were sex symbols, but weren’t. Or movie or tv show stars who thought to branch out to hilarious effect. Or band names that just shouldn’t exist. Or instructional albums about things you don’t want instructions for – Music to Lure Pigeons anyone?
And then of course there are the fakes – terrible album covers that are only the product of a Photoshop experts’ imagination. Still funny though.
Have a look at our collection of the Worst Album Covers Ever. And hopefully, you’ll be laughing along with us before you’re through.
On women over fifty
Without the slightest trace
Of wrinkles on their face
Doctors go and take their dough
To make them young and nifty
But Doctors I defy
To tell me just why
No matter how young a prune may be
It’s always full of wrinkles
We may get them on our face
Prunes get ’em every place”
For fun, here’s a video of Ted Cassidy performing the Lurch on Shindig in 1965.
Worst Album Covers Ever – Fakes
Hate to burst alot of bubbles, but the covers below are not real – but they are worth a yuk or two.
Love the As Seen On (Public Access) TV sticker. That’s actually a photo of Ira North.
As Don Pardo would say – tune in next time …. if there is a next time.
