WHEN it comes to album covers, some musicians hit the right note.
This week Nirvana’s 1991 release Nevermind, featuring a naked baby swimming underwater next to a dollar bill, was voted the most iconic of all time.
But DJ Michael Sumner, 48, has spent 15 years and £2,000 trawling the globe to find his pick of the very WORST album artwork.
The record dealer, from the Isle of Wight, who has amassed a 500-strong collection of unusual and ugly sleeves, says: “It started out as a bit of fun but then I realised how hilarious they were and made my book, 101 Terrible Record Sleeves.
"Some you look at in horror, others would never be made today. And then there are a few where you wonder, ‘What the hell they were thinking?’ ”
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Here, Michael shares some of his favourite images from the book.
- Michael Sumner’s 101 Terrible Record Sleeves is available at blackwells.co.uk.
CLINKERS – The First Clinkers: “There are only 100 copies of this cover in the world – and thank God for that. One of the songs was even shockingly named The Great Poofter.”
THE BILLY COBHAM/GEORGE DUKE BAND – Live On Tour In Europe: “Ten out of ten for musicianship, but one for the sleeve as it reminds me of the hands from Evil Dead 2.”
TUBBY BOOTS – Goes Topless: “The US cross-dressing entertainer made the most of his 26st 11lb frame. He used to attach pasties to his man boobs to swing about.”
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Top Szene Hamburg: “This is quite genius and equally revolting. I don’t know who would want to look at it, let alone put up the accompanying poster.”
KJELL KRAGHE – Vind I Seglen: “I love sleeves with what looks like terrible Photoshop. This one is nautical nonsense and makes him look like a friendly sea monster.”
FRITZ FETZER – Petra Pilz/Schaffa On Wuala: “Everything is just odd. From the badass performer to the fact that they cut off the scantily clad women’s heads to fit him in.”
PADDY ROBERTS – Songs For Gay Dogs: “This came out in 1963 when ‘gay’ was commonly used to mean happy. Or who knows, maybe there’s a big market for gay dogs?”
JOHNNY HANDLE – She’s A Big Lass, She’s A Bonny Lass: “I mean, the pained expression on her face is priceless. How he convinced her to pose for this I’ll never know.”
TOZOVAC – Jeremija: “Some of the best sleeves are from Serbia. Dressing as a dictator and posing with a phallic-looking weapon between your legs is beyond bizarre.”
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BONED – Up At The Crack: “Is that a guitar in your pants or are you just pleased to see me? This typifies the numbskull rock sleeves inspired by the likes of Spinal Tap.”
JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON – A Real Mother For Ya: “I love that he went to the lengths of pimping a pram to make it look like a limo and then got someone to push him about.”
Michael Sumner's 101 Terrible Record Sleeves is available to buy from Blackwells and Amazon.
