Band:            Roxy Music

Album:         Country Life

Company:    ATCO

Catalog #:  SD 36-106

Producer:  Roxy Music

Designer:    Eric Bowman

Photo:          Eric Bowman

Release:      1973

Since the release of their self-titled debut, Roxy Music had followed a pattern of featuring attractive young women on their album covers.  Amanda Lear was featured on "For Your Please", "Stranded" showcased Playboy Playmate of the year Marilyn Cole, and "Siren" sported Jerry Hall.  Co-produced by the band and John Punter, "Country Life" was no exception.  One big difference, whereas earlier covers had been suggestive rather than outright lewd, the fourth album left little to the buyer's imagination.   

Taking a break from the "Country Life" recording sessions, Ferry was vacationing in Portugal with friends Eric Bowman and fashion designer Anthony Price.  While drinking at a local bar Ferry and company  met  Constanze Karoli (sister of Can guitarist Michael Karoli) and Eveline Grunwald.  (In case you ever wondered, Karoli was the woman on the right, Grubwald the woman on the left).   The chance meeting led to a spur of the moment idea to ask the pair to model for the upcoming album.  They agreed, driving to the local town of Portfino to buy some sexy underwear.  Price did the makeup and Bowman took the photo in the Karolis' backyard, using car headlights to light the seen.   Back in London Ferry was apparently less than thrilled with the results, but eventually agreed the photo had a weird appeal and agreed to use it on the cover..

Released in the States, the public uproar was immediate.   Displaying a thorough ignorance of American public sensitivities, Atlantic executives inexplicably okayed a cover showing the two women wearing little but see through underwear; Grunwald half hearted cover her vaginal area (it actually looked as if she were fingering herself), Karoli making a halfhearted attempt  to cover her rather ample breasts.  Adding to the uproar, some critics accused Karoli of being a transsexual.  

ATCO's initial response was to package the album in an opaque green plastic outer sleeve.  So consumers would have some clue as to what they were buying the plastic sleeve included a "Roxy Music Country Music" sticker.  Naturally, curious consumers wasted no time tearing the outer sleeve off (in many cases without bothering to buy the LP), in the process exposing the offensive cover.  Forced to bow  to increasing calls to banned the album, ATCO released subsequent pressings with the two women totally removed - instead you got a sexy picture of the evergreen trees that were featured in the original photo..

Subsequent reissues, including Virgin' CD release, have seen the original art work restored.