The Beatles' gory album cover, which was their own idea of pop art satire, has been withdrawn by Capitol Records after disc jockeys objected to it. A spokesman for Capitol said a sampling of public opinion indicated the album picture was "mis-interpreted."
He said the group quickly decided to replace the controversial cover with a more conventional one, which was released less than a week after the first one.
|
Although more than 200,000 copies of the jacket were released across the United States, most of the copies were returned to Capitol after the announcement of the banning. The questionable covers are now expected to bring astronomical prices as rare collectors' items. The offending picture shows the Beatles dressed in butchers' smocks and festooned with chunks of meat and
|
bones, along with a doll's severed head. The singers wear sadistic grins. The Beatles still haven't made a statement concerning their intentions when they released the first cover. Rumor has it that it is a brilliantly disguised protest, but some have countered that it was just a publicity stunt. In either event, their intentions backfired.
|