“Some” of the Best Disco Record Sleeves Of All Time

In a time of free unadulterated sex, great music and 20 cent ciggies, the record reigned supreme. It’s hard to imagine the days when you couldn’t preview a jam before you bought it, but that’s what people did in those prehistoric times and for this reason sometimes people had to make good cover art not only to sell their record, but to sell the culture they were a part of. Late last year our friends in England offered a glimpse into the record art from this period, and whilst they were only previewing a select few from a whole book, we felt that some important gems were left out. With great respect for their efforts, here’s an update with a selection of “some” of our contenders for best disco record sleeves of all time.

Cerrone – Cerrone’s Paradise.
A man of simple pleasures, and a love of quality white goods. This cover was the French release, as the naked lady on the Smeg with the white powder on the tiles was deemed too risque for the American market.The US release featured him in a Hawaiian shirt. “Cerrone’s Paradise“‘s cute dream sequence Intro features, Jocelyn Brown and backup singers play fighting over who gets to take home the compact leisure-suited Frenchman. Other notable tracks are “Take me” and “Time for Love“.
 

Millie Jackson – Back to the S**t
Songs include “Hot ! Wild! Unrestricted Crazy Love” and “Love Stinks“. Check the tracklisting out for yourself, especially number 5. I’m as stunned as you are.

MACHO – I’m a Man.
Nothing says DISCO like a chest rug. I really like chest rugs. It’s a cover of a Steve Winwood’s (ask your parents) song of the same name. Beginning with lush strings, a heady base note of leather shorts and ending with a top note of Amyl Nitrate. It’s a private, back alley affair.

SLIDE – Easy In .
Got Lard?? On further inspection, the gatefold extends all the way up to the armpit. Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.

Ohio Players – Orgasm (The Very Best Of The Westbound Years)
Remember in Seinfeld when George says to the housekeeper that he wants to dip his bald head oil on rub it all over her naked body? Notable track: “I Want To Hear (From You)“.

Erotic Drum Band – Action 78
This was hard. It was a tie between “Action 78” or “Touch Me When It’s Hot” in a contest of risque Erotic Drum Band covers. Usually a vintage Sports Illustrated proportioned arse and legs that make you wonder who even has a body like that anymore? Was everyone wearing suspenders all the time? I need a time machine. “Love Disco Style” and “Plug Me To Death” are highlights.

Wolfgang Maus Soundpicture – Children of the Universe
What’s more erotic than a leg in a heel and a python tearing up floorboards to the sky? Maybe don’t answer that. It’s hard to imagine what was going on in the artist’s head when this masterpiece was conceived. Whatever it was though gave them a portal straight to this scene. Of all the cover-art on this page, you could argue this one gives the clearest picture of the sonic world within. Tracks titled “Nightmare” and “Schizophrenic World” give the feeling the whole album was conceived during a bad acid trip. Whatever the personal and emotional cost for poor Wolfgang, we’re left with a truly amazing LP.

Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie & Bert – Sesame Street Fever
Some truly terrible things happened in the disco age, and we’re not just talking about white people adopting the afro. Just like EDM today, Disco became adopted by marketing companies as a way to appeal to youth culture. Sesame Street decided to jump on the bandwagon in 1979 and produce ‘Sesame Street Fever’, a parody of Saturday Night Fever. You can’t ask for much more from a cover than this. From the outside you might think the album itself would be terrible, which is exactly what makes it so good. The music is actually not half bad. Robin Gibb even makes an appearance. If you skip the original mixes filled with sesame street voices, the instrumentals of tracks like “C is for Cookie” are super awesome.

Cico – Macchine Macchinette
What is there to say about Cico’s ‘Macchine Macchinette’? No words. I’ve already said too much. Just look and listen.

C.J & Co. – Devil’s Gun
Creating a record cover can take a lot of time and effort. After all this is the image that’s going to represent your record for life. To give you a bit of a background on C.J & Co., they never fully made it. “Devil’s Gun” was actually their only ‘hit’ and it peaked at 36 on Billboard’s charts. The thing we love the most about this album cover is that it kind of looks like it was done by that weird stoner kid in your old art class. And whilst everyone else was doing semi political paintings, or trying to be Basquiat, this guy was the first one to develop his own style. Whilst it might not go down as the greatest song of all time, “Devil’s Gun” will remain a classic in our eyes.

Jogging – Do It Yourself Orchestra
Don’t worry this isn’t a subtle way for us to slip in some Nike advertising. Jogging is the only record released from the suitably titled Do It Yourself Orchestra. Appropriate because it was entirely composed, written and performed by Claude Perraudin. The album was released after the apparent death of disco in 1981, and in contrast to the extravagent images above this one presents a sombre vision. We see one desolate painterly landscape populated by a pair of abandoned sneakers facing an uncertain future. They may be box fresh now, “But”, the viewer asks, “for how long?” We just don’t know.

Follow Mia on Instagram where she frequently posts other smutty disco covers. And follow Reuben on Twitter where he doesn’t really post anything.