Stories › Scorpions – Love At First Sting
The coverThe story behind Love at First Sting's banned cover
Scorpions handed in a cover that no retailer had blinked at, but once the album hit shelves, Walmart objected and a second cover had to be rushed out.
A ninth album, three big songs
Love at First Sting was the Scorpions' ninth studio album, released in February 1984 in the US on Mercury Records and in March 1984 in the UK on Harvest Records. It gave the band three of their most famous songs: "Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Still Loving You," and "Big City Nights."
Recording in two cities
The band first worked on the album at Polar Studios in Stockholm in the summer of 1983, with ex-Rainbow players Jimmy Bain on bass and Bobby Rondinelli on drums, though none of those sessions made the final cut. The album was eventually recorded at Dierks Studios in Stommeln, West Germany, with Dieter Dierks producing.
The cover that caused trouble
But after the album came out, Walmart in the US complained. PolyGram Records responded by issuing a 'clean' alternate cover for use in several department store chains.
A simple swap
The replacement cover was designed to be far less controversial: just a straightforward photo of the five band members, the same image already used on the inner sleeve.
A commercial high point
Love at First Sting became the Scorpions' most successful album in the US, reaching number 6 on the Billboard 200 in 1984. It went double-platinum by year's end and triple-platinum by 1995. "Rock You Like a Hurricane" reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Still Loving You" charted at number 64 in the US, number 14 in Germany, and number 3 in France and Switzerland.
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