What's the deal with the Armed Forces album cover?

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:57 am

Are there two versions of the Armed Forces cover art? I have the one with the elephants on and I do see it online occasionally. However, most of the time there's the one with E.C & The attractions and the album title written in sloppy red, blue and yellow paint (which looks much cooler than the elephant one). This one is on the back of my A.F cd booklet.

So. I'm guessing either someone screwed up and scanned the wrong side of the booklet or that this was the cover art of the US version while the Elephants were used for the European one (or vice versa). Anyone know?

Post by **BlueChair** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:22 am

Yep, Elephant cover was issued in Europe while the other one was US.

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:26 am

Figures, damn Europeans. I want the artsy one!

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:29 am

see

http://www.elviscostello.info/disc/offi ... fo_a01.htm

The initial UK LP had a fold-out cover . You could re-fold it to re-arrange the images on the back. Saddo that I am I daringly change the fold every time I take out the vinyl ( which is rare these days ; I did so recently when I was replacing the plastic sleeves on the final few hundred albums I'm keeping)

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:36 am

BlueChair wrote:Yep, Elephant cover was issued in Europe while the other one was US.

In the same way that the US is too sensitive to have She's Pulling Out The Pin on The Delivery Man, they cannot have an elephant on the cover of Armed Forces.

VonOfterdingen · Post by **VonOfterdingen** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:37 am

Chrille wrote:Figures, damn Europeans. I want the artsy one!

Compared to the title 'Armed Forces' the elephant one is the artsy one (and best) in my opinion.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 1:28 pm

I greatly prefer the elephant cover.

TheImposter · Post by **TheImposter** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 1:38 pm

The Ryko reissue had the elephants.

Didn't Barney Bubbles create the sloppy paint cover?

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 3:16 pm

I had a theory that the US was changed because the elephant is the symbol of the Republican party, and it might have been seen as critiscism...but the prez in 1979 was Jimmy Carter, so who knows?

You're right though, the elephants are great....I can only imagine they are there to represent 'brute force' or something.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:46 am

laughingcrow wrote:You're right though, the elephants are great....I can only imagine they are there to represent 'brute force' or something.

Perhaps it was in tribute of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk. They both came out in the same year didn't they?

VonOfterdingen · Post by **VonOfterdingen** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:52 am

Elephants - Armed by nature.

It's a great cover - second best next to Almost Blue

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:39 am

Hehe, I dunno, placing all the albums next to each other, there's just something about the elephants cover that doesn't quite fit in with the rest. Although it appears I'm the only one who thinks so :P.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:44 am

I think the elephants are a clear referrence to Hannibal crossing the Alps on elephants in his famous invasion. Armed Forces...

stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:20 am

The UK version included Sunday's Best, with the line "Hearts of oak and long trunk calls".

This track was missing from the US version, as was the elephant.

Coincidence ???

A rope leash · Post by **A rope leash** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:25 am

A "trunk" line is a large-capacity telephone line, often used for long-distance calls.

I'll bet you knew that.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:01 pm

Aah..this might explain it...

http://www.USHistoryonline.com/eleph7919

On the 18th March 1979, Gorbachev was elected the premier of the USSR, and on his inauguration at the Kremlin (which traditionally takes place on the back of a bull African elephant) he declared the US to be 'a nightmare state of capitalists and criminals'. This led to public outcry and a widespread boycott on all goods featuring elephants in the United States that year.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:03 pm

laughingcrow wrote:
This led to public outcry and a widespread boycott on all goods featuring elephants in the United States that year.

Well I wasn't the most politically aware person at age 17 but hell if I remember that. I like it, though!!

PS-- Am I fabricating the memory that the elephant appeared on one side of the liner sleeve of the US 'splatter' edition? I no longer have it to check...

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 12:16 am

Gorbachev? In 1979? I don't think so.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 8:45 am

Yeah see that part went right past me!!

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 12:19 pm

That was just a little bit of whimsy there..to lighten our days!

Gorbs wasn't Russian premier until 1985!

The great Elephant mystery still remains though! I like VonOft and Noise's theories...

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What's the deal with the Armed Forces album cover?

What's the deal with the Armed Forces album cover?

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