”Meat” the Beatles: The Butcher Cover Controversy

The infamous "Butcher" cover inspired near-universal shock and disgust when it appeared as the original cover of The Beatles' Yesterday...and Today album. It was recalled after a single day, and albums with a butcher cover hidden underneath the replacement photo became one of the most highly-sought-after Beatles collectibles. But how much do you really know about the butcher cover?

We go through all the twists and turns of this fascinating story, including:

• The incredible way the photographer, Bob Whitaker, entered the Beatles' orbit;
• The wild photo session that produced the butcher images (along with some even crazier photos);
• The struggle between The Beatles and Capitol over using the Butcher image as an album cover;
• Capitol's panic and the herculean efforts they undertook to recall (and even bury) 750,000 albums;
• The cover's legacy as a collector's item; and
• What this chapter in The Beatles' story tells us about their evolution as the 1960s progressed.

We also discuss whether the recall was necessary in hindsight, and one of us reveals a lifelong fascination with doll heads.

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