The Rolling Stones’ ‘Beggars Banquet’ Upset the Label Because It Had a Toilet on the Cover
The Rolling Stones‘ Beggars Banquet was originally going to feature a toilet and bathroom graffiti on its cover. Subsequently, multiple record labels took issue with this image. Eventually, the original cover was put on releases of the album.
Mick Jagger said the toilet image on The Rolling Stones’ ‘Beggars Banquet’ was in good taste
According to the 2013 book 50 Licks: Myths and Stories from Half a Century of The Rolling Stones, the band wanted to put an image of a toilet and bathroom graffiti on the cover of Beggars Banquet. The album includes famous tracks such as “Street Fighting Man” and “Sympathy for the Devil.” London Records in the United States and Decca Records in the United Kingdom rejected this album cover.
“We really have tried to keep the album within the bounds of good taste,” Jagger said. “I mean we haven’t shown the whole lavatory. That would have been rude. We’ve only shown the top half!”
Some fans were upset by the Bob Dylan reference on the original cover of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Beggars Banquet’
Jagger said regular people and industry professionals reacted differently to the cover. “Two people at the record company have told us that the sleeve is ‘terribly offensive,'” he said. “Apart from them, we have been unable to find anyone else who it offends. I asked one person to pick out something that offended him and he quite seriously picked out ‘Bob Dylan.’ Apparently ‘Bob Dylan’s Dream’ on the wall offends him.”
The Rolling Stones tried to find a middle ground between themselves and the record labels. “We’ve gone as far as we can in terms of concessions over the release of this sleeve,” Jagger said. “I even suggested that they put it in a brown paper bag with ‘Unfit for Children’ and the title of the album on the outside. But no, they wouldn’t have it. They stuck to their guns.”
Jagger felt there was nothing obscene about the album unless fans chose to interpret it that way. Despite this, the original cover was replaced by a new cover featuring a fake invitation. Ultimately, CD releases of the album include the controversial toilet image.
The Mamas & the Papas were in a similar situation
Notably, The Rolling Stones was not the only band to deal with a toilet-related album cover controversy. According to the 2009 book Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present, Guy Webster photographed The Mamas & the Papas for the cover of their debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. The album features the hits “Go Where You Wanna Go,” “Monday, Monday,” and “California Dreamin’.”
The cover of If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears features an image of the band huddled together in a bathtub. A toilet is visible on the far right of the picture.
Webster said he had no idea the toilet would be controversial. The label sold the records shrink-wrapped with stickers on the cover that covered up the toilet.
Toilets aren’t exactly cool but thanks to The Rolling Stones and The Mamas & the Papas, they’re a part of rock ‘n’ roll history.
