“Only in America”: The album cover David Bowie couldn’t believe was banned
It’s never truly rock and roll if you’re not a little garish, a little daring, a little controversial. The only problem was – the country of America never seemed to quite get that when it came to the work of David Bowie.
Indeed, it was the mark of the man that he carried this motto across the course of his career, never once waning or bending shape in order to fit into any more kind of a palatable archetype. Especially in the early days, it was a case that the people that got it, got it, and those that didn’t were just left to stare. This hardly put Bowie off, though – instead, unperturbed, he just kept making things weirder and weirder.
By the time he already had seven previous albums under his belt, when Bowie reached the point of Diamond Dogs in 1974, he was more than used to throwing caution to the wind. As his final hurrah towards the glam rock genre, the record well and truly represented a turning point in the crux of his career – and what better way to symbolise this crossroads than to create a freakish artwork with some monstrous genitalia on it?
Of course, it hardly takes a genius to work out that this approach would inevitably cause a bit of a stir, to say the least. Styling himself as half man, half grotesque dog on the front cover was one thing, but it was the fact that the gatefold sleeve inside the album showed the hybrid being’s full genitalia that prompted a bit of concern. Subsequently, in the typical American way, RCA Records decided to airbrush the image for most of the releases that would eventually go into circulation.
Naturally, when you’re an artist trying to convey an image, no matter how striking or shocking, this was always going to cause a point of frustration. To this end, Bowie reportedly claimed in exacerbation: “Only in America!” in response to the news, knowing that the intended effect of Diamond Dogs would forever be diminished. This was a man who revelled in the equal horror, delight, and disgust of his designs – censorship was quite simply not a part of that brand.
As you might imagine, as a result, the uncensored versions of the album have become somewhat like gold dust in the legend of album collectables. Word would have it that these rare editions are some of the most expensive and sought-after records in the entire history of the world. Who knew the contorted genitalia of a half-man, half-dog would be so alluring to the masses?
But, of course, this was always part of Bowie’s mission. The music was integral, but so was the intrinsic need to put on a show, whether that was in his album artwork, costumes, or live production value. Diamond Dogs only really represented the tip of the iceberg when it came to this, with myriad other examples coursing through the shock and awe of Bowie’s career. Yet despite this, and even in the face of its censorship, that image became iconic. It was all due to the star power behind it.
