Two reasons this is horrifying. The first needs no explanation. There are assorted baby parts, including decapitated baby heads, covered in blood, strewn about the photo. Second, it's the freakin' Beatles! The loveable lads from Liverpool. So charming and sweet.
What in holy hell were they thinking with this cover? According to Wiki, this was John's doing and the album was immediately recalled after being on sale for only a day. John thought it was no worse than Vietnam, but then, Vietnam was not an album cover.
Some of the recalled albums were trashed. Others had a new cover stickered over this horrifying mess.
This album was released in June 1966, and it made me wonder if any of them were parents at this time. The answer? Yes! Julian Lennon was born in 1963. Of course, John really wanted nothing to do with Julian. He went on vacation three days after Julian was born, without having even seen the boy. Julian has said there are more pictures of Julian playing with Paul McCartney than Julian playing with his da.
McCartney did not have a child until 1968, but in 1962, long before this album was released, his fiancee had a miscarriage.
Ringo just had his first child 8 months before this cover was released.
Weird.
