It was a rainy tuesday morning


I was in high school back in the late 80s


I grew up during the machismo metal hairband period


The record store had 3 clerks at the counter.

Lovesexy was banned in several other record stores because of the album cover

I knew it was a contreversial album cover, but when I finally saw it I was like and and and and cuase I knew I had to buy it--I couldnt' just chicken out.

So I approached the clerk and bought it. Let me tell ya--it was not easy.


it was not easy



Your story ?

First.

I just walked in the record store with my mother and she bought me the Lovesexy vinyl.

True!!!

Cheek said:

I skipped school that day, partly to buy the stupid album and listen to it all day.

Imago said:

I was sick and since I had to have the album the first day it was out, I asked my mom if she could pick it up. They had it behind the counter so it was essentially like asking my mom to pick up porn for me. She did it though even though she said it embarrassed the hell out of her.

I was in full New York Yankee gear, buying a tape with a grown ass naked man on the cover. I did what anyone would have done at that time.....


I said it was for my girlfriend.

jerseykrs said:

Easy! I entered the store in the nude so no-one noticed the album I was picking!

The look on the cashier's face.....PRICELESS!

Doubts of our conviction...

Follow where we go...

as a side note, it's probably one of my favorite albums.

Cheek said:

I didn't mean it like that

jerseykrs said:

One of mine too

Dude, it was not an easy thing to purchase at my age and in the heart of Dixie (Birmingham Alabama).

I mean, those people would beat you to a pulp for driving a chevy instead of a gold 'ol ford truck, cuase that was just how those motherfuckers rolled!

I guess it was Tuesday, 10 May, 1988.

It was from HMV Manchester

(Nothing special with it - I think I received the promotional alphabetical boxer shorts upon the release of Alphabet St.)

.

Imago said:

HAHAHAHA, now, Buying "Fear Of A Black Planet" by Public Enemy as a young italian kid was a far funnier story.....

Welcome2daRevolution said:

I know, right?

walked into the wrecka stow, the vinyl was on the new release shelf, i picked it up, bought it, brought it home, and played the record while i caaaarrrreeefullly peeled the "lovesexy" sticker from the shrinkwrap and glued it to my cassette case.

Anx said:

ha i did it EBAY!

I left the cover on my moms bed


its in her room somewhere, still.

Nvncible1 said:

you cheated!

I used to fold the booklet in a certain way so my mom wouldn't see the cover.

Was in london at the time. When I first heard it I thought it was so strange. Then I saw the Alhabet Street video n BBC tv while i was there and thought he looked even stranger.

By the time I got back to NY I knew it was the shit.

It was 2005. I was at amobeia music in Hollywood. Nobody even flicnh or double look or nothing... aah, how the times have changed. and i as type this there is a big poster of lovesexy album cover over my shoulder

lol. it was 1988. i had some albums on cassette by artists
like eurythmics and pet shop boys and loved to listen to a
bunch of really crappy artists that were big at the time.

then i went to the chinese restaurant for take away with
my dad and in the waiting room they had this tv and there
was a show on called CountDown.

as i was watching they played "I Wish U Heaven" and i said
to myself: "I want that album. NOW".



so next day i emptied my piggybank and went to the cdstore
with my parents to buy the album.

my parents didn't flinch as i pulled the cd from the shelve
and said "this one!". fine, my dad said, but you're gonna
have to buy it yourself because i'm not buying an album if
it has a naked man on it, lol.

so, barely able to reach the counter, i flung the disc on
there and chirped "this one please".



the store clerk looked at me, then at my parents and then
back at me and said "well well, so small and already such
good taste in music!"



we went home and i immediately recorded the cd onto tape
on my mom's stereo, since i didn't have my own cd player
yet (i was gonna get one for my b-day in a couple months)
and played the hell out of that tape.

first cd i ever bought. and proud of it

i remember about 3 years later, i had this cd-rack in my room
they were very popular back then. the kind of steal frame you
would attach to the wall and you could put 16 cd's on it, bit
like in the record store, with the covers facing you.

it looked really cool and i put all my prince albums on it

then one day my mom's cousin came over with the two brats who
were 5 and 7 and they came up to my room to have a look. then
they ran downstairs and yelled: "mommy, he has a picture of a
naked man on his wall!!!"

it took a bit of explaining.

I remember I wanted it real bad after seeing all the talk on the org about how good it was...but I knew i would get in trouble if I bought it,so I waited 2 my 8th grade trip 2 NY 2 buy it and i hid it all the way home

hahah, preordered this .. I was in 8th grade at the time.. and I gave my mother my allowance and told her to go to the record store that I had the new Prince album on preorder (LP AND Cassette) so to pick it up so I could hear it afterschool..
LOL
The day couldn't end soon enuff, I KNEW I'd be hearing a New ALBUM after school.

Couldn't get home fast enuff...sure enuff on the table was a brown paper bag with the new album.. and my mother at the door..LOL

She's like..Ummm... you're gonna have to pick up your OWN records from now on!
Why? Have u seen the COVER?.. umm.. no

I took the LP out of the bag.. and couldn't stop laughing. I never did ask her about her encounter at the record store.

Altho i think the weirdest response from the record store was when I preordered George Clinton's album...

I'd like to place a pre-order..ok, what album? George Clinton..Ok, album title.... ummm... "hey man smell my finger"... the look was priceless!!!
He's like are you SURE that's an album title...umm...yes! LOL

Imago said:

My experience was exactly as yours was.
Here I am a 17 year old kid living in the midwest obsessed w/P and I go to the
mall to the only store I knew of that did not ban the record and even though they are selling it, the cover is covered up. When I see it , Im like oh shit...
but I take it to the front to the metal head working there,,,IM sure he laughed
at me after I left.

IstenSzek said:

Great story