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<blockquote>Looking at that picture today makes me cringe. It was done in the worst possible taste. Back then I was too immature to see that. Shame on me—I should have done everything in my power to stop it. The record company came up with the idea, I think. The lyrics incidentally were a take-off on ], whom we had just supported on a tour. I was fooling around and played the riff of the song in the rehearsal room and spontaneously improvised 'cause he's a virgin killer!' trying to do a more or less way-off-the-mark ] impersonation. ] immediately said 'that's great! You should do something with it.' Then I had the unenviable task of constructing a meaningful set of lyrics around the title, which I actually managed to do to some degree. But the song has a totally different meaning from what people would assume at first. Virgin Killer is none other than the demon of our time, the less compassionate side of the societies we live in today—brutally trampling upon the heart and soul of innocence.<ref>{{cite web |title=Uli Jon Roth Says 'Virgin Killer' Album Cover Makes Him Cringe |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=50508 |publisher=] |date=2006-04-03 |accessdate=2008-05-12}}</ref></blockquote> |
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In 2008, photographer Michael von Gimbut emphasized that his wife, the model's mother and sister and three female assistants had been present during the shooting<!--"Bei der Aufnahme seien er, seine Frau, die Mutter des Kindes, die Schwester und drei Assistentinnen dabei gewesen"--> and stated "We loved and protected children and did not sleep with them" ("Wir liebten und beschützten die Kinder damals und schliefen nicht mit ihnen")<!--See also http://en.wikipedia.org/search/?title=Talk:Virgin_Killer&diff=prev&oldid=218398672-->.<ref name="sz"/> |
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The cover generated ]: the album could only be sold sealed in black plastic in several countries<ref name="sz"/><!--'durfte "Virgin Killer" in einigen Ländern nur in schwarzem Kunststoff eingeschweißt verkauft werden'--> and the cover was replaced in some countries with an alternative cover art depicting the band members.<ref name="Buck"/> The original is named in various "worst album cover" lists: '']'' magazine online named it the #1 "Worst Album Cover of All-Time,"<ref> by Ben Dennison, '']''</ref> while ] lists it as #2 on its March 2008 "The 50 Most Controversial Album Covers of All Time!" list.<ref>, ], March 19, 2008</ref> Similarly, it was named (by ]) one of the "Weirdest Album Covers,"<ref> in Weirdest & Worst Album Covers, ]</ref> and placed #6 on the "All-Time Worst Album Covers" list made by ''two.one.five'' magazine.<ref>, two.one.five magazine</ref> |
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This would not be the last time that the band attracted controversy with its album covers. Their next album, '']'', originally featured cover art that depicted "children playing with guns at a military cemetery in France and some people found that offensive."<ref name="RothRules"/> Their 1979 album '']'' featured a "bizarre artwork" that depicts "a woman on the back seat of a car with bubblegum over her breast."<ref name="Buck"/> Both covers were replaced by an alternate design.<ref name="VV">{{cite web |author=Palmer, Andrew |title=Rock You Like a Piece of Meat |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/9951,218547,11369,22.html |date=1999-12-28 |publisher=] |accessdate=2008-05-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Weber, Barry |title=Scorpions |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3ifuxqr5ldke~T1 |publisher=] |dateformat=mdy |accessdate=May 13, 2008}}</ref> Vocalist ] explains that the band's penchant for controversial cover art stems from a desire "to go over the edge" and not "to offend some people or make the headlines that would be stupid," contrasting guitarist Rudolf Schenker's earlier statement, "We're using this only to get attention."<ref name="twp"/><ref name="title" /> |
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This would not be the last time that the band attracted controversy with its album covers. Their next album, '']'', originally featured cover art that depicted "children playing with guns at a military cemetery in France and some people found that offensive."<ref name="RothRules"/> Their 1979 album '']'' featured a "bizarre artwork" that depicts "a woman on the back seat of a car with bubblegum over her breast."<ref name="Buck"/> Both covers were replaced by an alternate design.<ref name="VV">{{cite web |author=Palmer, Andrew |title=Rock You Like a Piece of Meat |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/9951,218547,11369,22.html |date=1999-12-28 |publisher=] |accessdate=2008-05-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Weber, Barry |title=Scorpions |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3ifuxqr5ldke~T1 |publisher=] |dateformat=mdy |accessdate=May 13, 2008}}</ref> Vocalist ] explains that the band's penchant for controversial cover art stems from a desire "to go over the edge" and not "to offend some people or make the headlines that would be stupid," contrasting guitarist Rudolf Schenker's earlier statement, "We're using this only to get attention."<ref name="twp"/><ref name="title" /> |
This would not be the last time that the band attracted controversy with its album covers. Their next album, Taken by Force, originally featured cover art that depicted "children playing with guns at a military cemetery in France and some people found that offensive." Their 1979 album Lovedrive featured a "bizarre artwork" that depicts "a woman on the back seat of a car with bubblegum over her breast." Both covers were replaced by an alternate design. Vocalist Klaus Meine explains that the band's penchant for controversial cover art stems from a desire "to go over the edge" and not "to offend some people or make the headlines that would be stupid," contrasting guitarist Rudolf Schenker's earlier statement, "We're using this only to get attention."