Forgotten Album Cover from the Era 1947 ~1987, Part 1 

The dates covered by this time (1947 ~1987) are in no way arbitrary. Prior to 1947, records were sold several at a time collected into a stamp-album-like book; hence the name album with a plain wrapper.

After 1987, the compact disc (CD) had completely eclipsed the album as the recording of choice and the tiny 4 and 3/4 inch canvas offered by a CD cover made artistic expression virtually impossible.

The album cover represented designs ranging from artistic to realistic. The steady increase in home “jukebox” purchases in the mid-1950s and the millions of 7” singles sold, prompted the music industry to look into any and all ways of marketing music to as broad an audience as possible.

During those forty years, music lovers had some incredible artwork to gaze at while listening to their favorite singers.

Country music album covers unjustly have not received as much attention as their rock and pop cousins.

Rock covers are perceived as more erotic, but you'd be hard pressed to find a sexier cover than "Chet Atkins Goes Hollywood" (1961) fronted by a gorgeous, impossibly-buxom blonde babe in skintight pants or Waylon Jennings's 1966 "Nashville Rebel" where a topless woman's naughty bits are covered, but scantily by the neck of Waylon's guitar.

Country music album covers featured a wide array of creative artwork and themes. For example recall Lefty Frizzell serenading a rooster on his album, "The One and Only" (1959) or the cover shot of Moe Bandy resting inside a beer mug on his "Here I Am Drunk Again" (1976) album. Quiet often record companies would use the singer’s name to feature an album, such as Hank Snow's album, "Snow in Hawaii" (1967) or “Songs of Robbins,” a popular mid-1960s album that Marty recorded for Columbia Records.

There were gunfighter ballads and trail themes, mostly featured by Robbins such as, “Gunfighter Ballads and Train Songs” and “More Gunfighter Ballads, which generated him two big hits, “Big Iron” (1960) and “The Hanging Tree” (1960).

The Sons of the Pioneers recorded many trail songs, including their “Cool Water” album. There were themes of Tragedy such as Hank Snow’s “Songs of Tragedy” and “When Tragedy Struck” and “Tragic “Songs of Life,” which was recorded by the Louvin Brothers for Capitol Records.

Some labels featured popular train song themes such as “The Last Ride and “The Southern Cannonball,” both Hank Snow albums that he recorded for RCA Records.

 Mad Magazine's great cartoonist Jack Davis did covers for Little Jimmy Dickens, Jerry Reed, Johnny Cash and others that exemplify among the best artwork designed for album covers.

There's history too, many original country music enthusiast know about Johnny Cash and his historic albums recorded at San Quentin and Folsom, but how many recall Mack Vickery's 1970 "Live at the Alabama Women's Prison" or Sonny James’ “In Person In Prison With His Tennessee State Prison Band” album. In the final analysis, the best country album covers, like the best country songs, are the ones that tell a story. 

Since many country music artists have basically been reduced to footnotes in history books, we decided to launch our Forgotten Album Cover Series by showcasing a few imprints of the past.

Forgotten Album Cover from the Era 1947 ~1987, Part 2

The dates covered by this time (1947 ~1987) are in no way arbitrary. Prior to 1947, records were sold several at a time collected into a stamp-album-like book; hence the name album with a plain wrapper. After 1987, the compact disc (CD) had completely eclipsed the album as the recording of choice and the tiny 4 and 3/4 inch canvas offered by a CD cover made artistic expression virtually impossible.

The album cover represented designs ranging from artistic to realistic. The steady increase in home “jukebox” purchases in the mid-1950s and the millions of 7” singles sold, prompted the music industry to look into any and all ways of marketing music to as broad an audience as possible.

During those forty years, music lovers had some incredible artwork to gaze at while listening to their favorite singers. Country music album covers unjustly have not received as much attention as their rock and pop cousins.

Rock covers are perceived as more erotic, but you'd be hard pressed to find a sexier cover than "Chet Atkins Goes Hollywood" (1961) fronted by a gorgeous, impossibly-buxom blonde babe in skintight pants or Waylon Jennings's 1966 "Nashville Rebel" where a topless woman's naughty bits are covered, but scantily by the neck of Waylon's guitar.

By the early 1960s, there was major commercial competition among Capital Records, Columbia Records, Decca Records and RCA Records, the four major recording companies with studios operating in Nashville. At the time Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves were among the big names recording for RCA. Columbia’s roster boasted such artists as Ray Price, Johnny Cash and Carl Smith, while Ernest Tubb, Webb Pierce and Red Foley, were headlining for Decca.

Tennessee Ernie Ford and Faron Young were among the major notables on Capitol. As part of a marketing scheme to promote their product, the recording labels often featured a wide array of creative and artistic album covers.

“Everybody Loves a Nut” was the twenty-second album recorded by Johnny Cash for Columbia (1966), which included “Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog” The album's cover art was created by Jack Davis, Mad Magazine's great cartoonist. Porter Wagoner had some of the most chilling concept albums, including “Soul of a Convict” (1967), Cold Hard Facts of Life” (1967) and “Skid Row Joe.”

Superb showmanship and earth-cracking sincerity thrive as Porter's cast of inebriates, cutthroats and troubled souls were captured on wax in all their moribund glory. These albums were recorded at a time of great tumult in Porter's personal and professional life. “Devil Woman” is a 1962 single written and performed by Marty Robbins. "Devil Woman" became Robbins' seventh single to reach number one on the country chart.

Session personnel included, Grady Martin (lead guitar), Jack Pruett (guitar), Walter Haynes (steel guitar), Bob Moore and Jerry Byrd (bass guitar), Louis Dunn (drums), Bill Pursell (piano) and Vocal accompaniment by The Jordanaires The clever artwork cover fronted a woman dressed in blue jeans, resting against a classy rose colored race car. She may have been the “Devil Woman,” the car driver or both.

The song "I've Been Everywhere" was written by Geoff Mack in 1959 and made popular by the singer Lucky Starr in 1962. The song (as originally written) listed Australian towns. It was later adapted for Hank Snow for USA place names. The song was Hank’s 6^th of his seven number one singles. The artistic album cover depicts Hank sitting at a table with his left arm holding a guitar and his right arm resting on an opened guitar case, with post cards attached. In the background is a huge wall map.

The song "Tall, Tall Gentleman" was the B-side of Carl Smith's crossover hit "Ten Thousand Drums" (1959) and mirrored that song's historical folk orientation with its use of banjo and narrative lyrics. Smith reprised "The Tall, Tall Gentleman" as the title track of this 1963 album and the re-recording is very similar to the original. The LP cover depicts Carl stately perched on a big beautiful horse. The pose is similar to the one used in the “Marlboro Man” advertisements he did for Phillip Morris during the early-1960s.

The best country album covers, like the best country songs, are the ones that tell an interesting story. Life seemed so simple back then. Gathered around a dining table, listening to the Saturday night broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry on a wooden Emerson radio, while playing cards and nibbling on freshly baked cookies, are reflections of a distant past. This is the second part of the three part series, Original Country Music’s Forgotten Album Cover, showcasing a few creative and artistic imprints from the past.

Forgotten Album Cover from the Era 1947 ~1987, Part 3

The dates covered by this time (1947 ~1987) are in no way arbitrary. Prior to 1947, records were sold several at a time collected into a stamp-album-like book; hence the name album with a plain wrapper.

After 1987, the compact disc (CD) had completely eclipsed the album as the recording of choice and the tiny 4 and 3/4 inch canvas offered by a CD cover made artistic expression virtually impossible.

The album cover represented designs ranging from artistic to realistic. The steady increase in home “jukebox” purchases in the mid-1950s and the millions of 7” singles sold, prompted the music industry to look into any and all ways of marketing music to as broad an audience as possible.

During those forty years, music lovers had some incredible artwork to gaze at while listening to their favorite singers. Country music album covers unjustly have not received as much attention as their rock and pop cousins. Rock covers are perceived as more erotic, but you'd be hard pressed to find a sexier cover than "Chet Atkins Goes Hollywood" (1961) fronted by a gorgeous, impossibly-buxom blonde babe in skintight pants or Waylon Jennings's 1966 "Nashville Rebel" where a topless woman's naughty bits are covered, but scantily by the neck of Waylon's guitar.

Hank Thompson featured an array of artistic album designs, including “Hank Thompson Salutes Oklahoma,”A Six Pack to Go” and “The State Fair of Texas” (1963). It’d doubtful he’d get his song, “Squaws Along the Yukon” (No. 2, 1958) released as a single, much less included in an album in today’s sensitive world.

Loretta Lynn would likely be labeled with her song, “Your Squaw is on the Warpath” (1969). Two singles were spawned from this album, both released in 1968. The lead single, "You've Just Stepped In (From Stepping Out on Me)" was a top- 5 hit as well as the title track.

One of the classic politically incorrect album covers, it depicts Lynn dressed in Native American clothing, out in the wilderness with a hatchet in her right hand and her left hand arched over her head as if she is searching for something. 

The 1970s spawned a surge in novelty songs featuring a wide array of topics. Ben Colder and Ray Stevens were among the most popular names associated with novelty songs and concept albums. Stevens recorded perhaps his most famous hit, "The Streak" (1974), which poked fun at the early-1970s fad of running nude in public, known as "streaking." Sheb Wooley was a regular on Hee Haw as the drunken country songwriter Ben Colder.

Colder released music and performed as Ben Colder as well as under his own name. Sheb had intended to record the song "Don't Go Near the Indians," but he was delayed by an acting job. Meanwhile, Rex Allen recorded the song and it was a hit. Ben’s version was "Don't Go Near the Eskimos" (1962), about a boy in Alaska named Ben Colder. His song was a top-20 hit and he continued using the name for forty years.

From this collector’s point of view, one of the more fascinating areas of recorded music is that of picture discs. Picture discs debuted in the early 1930s, when various materials were used experimentally as gimmicks or for advertising.

These early picture discs were simply a sheet of thin vinyl film which was placed over a thick paper print and then pressed with the grooves and had very poor sound quality. Don Williams, Gene Autry, Lynn Anderson and Willie nelson were among artists who released picture disc. 

The best country album covers, like the best country songs, are the ones that tell an interesting story. Life seemed so simple back then. Gathered around a dining table, listening to the Saturday night broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry on a wooden Emerson radio, while playing cards and nibbling on freshly baked cookies, are reflections of a distant past. In 2008, album cover designer Peter Saville suggested that the album cover was dead.This is the third part of the three part series, Roots of  Country Music’s Forgotten Album Cover from the Era 1947 ~1987: (2/3), showcasing a few creative and artistic imprints from the past. 

More Classic Album Covers

Hank Thompson Cheyenne Frontier Days (Capitol, 1963) (T-1775)

This is an album recorded live at the State Fair rodeo in Wyoming. The best features are the MC announcements which bracket each of the songs. These include introductions for Hank and the band, as well as an announcer calling the roping and riding contests at the rodeo. The music is fine, too, but this was created as a piece of kitschy Americana, and it worked great. 

Hank Thompson...At The Texas State Fair" (Capitol, 1963) (T-1955)  

Researched, written and compiled by Richard Bell, Country Music Historian, Roots of Country Music, Sep. 2011