Ava Romero
The 1978 debut album of American new wave band Devo, titled Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, featured professional golfer Juan 'Chi Chi' Rodriguez on its cover. The artwork was based on an image of the golfer found on a golf strap. The band's lead singer, Mark Mothersbaugh, pulled a newspaper clipping of a photo that morphed the faces of four different US presidents, which some believe inspired the original image. The European version of the album has different artwork, featuring a man wearing goggles, a bow tie, and rubber gloves.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Juan 'Chi Chi' Rodriguez |
| Profession | Professional golfer |
| Year | 1978 |
| Permission | Granted by the golfer but too late to halt production |
| Album | Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! |
| Band | Devo |
Explore related products
$18.99 $26.99
What You'll Learn
Devo's debut album, 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!'
Devo's debut album, "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!", was released in 1978 and introduced the world to the band's innovative stylings and unique sound. The album, produced by Brian Eno, was recorded between October 1977 and February 1978, primarily in Cologne, West Germany. Peaking at #78 on the US Billboard chart and #12 on the UK Albums Chart, the album received mixed reviews.
The title "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!" is an awkward one, and the cover art caused some controversy. The statement "Are we not men?" was borrowed from H.G. Wells' book "The Island of Doctor Moreau". The cover illustration, by Joe Heiner, was based on an image of professional golfer Juan 'Chi-Chi' Rodriguez, found on a golf strap. The band members thought it would make a funky debut album cover, but the record label disagreed, fearing that it could be seen as mocking Rodriguez, a famous golfer.
Devo sent a letter to Rodriguez, requesting permission to use his likeness, while also formulating an alternative cover to meet the release date. By the time Rodriguez responded, approving the use of his image, it was too late, and the album sleeves were already in production. The band did eventually get permission, but the cost to halt and reissue was too high. The resulting artwork, a mutated version of Chi-Chi's face, unintentionally captured the band's surrealist, odd-ball nature.
The album's opening track, "Uncontrollable Urge", has been featured in several films and TV shows, including "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Jackass". In 2016, Paste Magazine named the album the 22nd-best post-punk release of all time. The album and its quirky title encapsulate Devo's ethos and unique sound, a blend of chaotic, bizarre, electronic new wave tracks with deadpan humour and incredible songwriting.
Golf Clash Hacks: Fact or Fiction?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The cover art features golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez
The cover art for the 1978 debut album 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!' by American new wave band Devo features golfer Juan 'Chi Chi' Rodriguez. The artwork was based on an image of Rodriguez that was found on a golf strap. Band members Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh came across the image on a package of golf balls while wandering through a department store. Mothersbaugh declared, "I just loved it". The use of the image aligns with the band's kitsch style and a blending of consumerism with vibrant artwork—a common theme throughout the new wave scene.
The record label, Warner Bros., had a different stance on the matter, as many of its top-level officials were big golf fans. They believed that the artwork could be viewed as making fun of Rodriguez and suggested altering the illustration so that it did not resemble the famous golfer. However, by the time the album was released, Chi Chi had responded to the band, giving them permission to use his likeness. Unfortunately, it was too late, as the album sleeves were already in production, and it would have been too costly to halt and reissue.
The European version of the album, released by Virgin Records, features a completely different artwork, depicting lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh in a mad professor getup. The US copies, on the other hand, featured the brightly coloured illustration of golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez. The resulting artwork inadvertently became the best representation of the surrealist odd-ball nature of Devo.
Coco Golf: Did She Win the Match?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Band members found the artwork on a golf strap
The debut album of the American new wave band Devo, "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!", featured an unexpected sports star on its cover. The cover illustration was based on an image of professional golfer Juan 'Chi Chi' Rodriguez, which the band members found on a golf strap. The statement "Are we not men?" was borrowed from the H. G. Wells book "The Island of Doctor Moreau".
The band members Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh were wandering through a department store when they came across a package of golf balls with a headshot of Rodriguez framed by a golf ball. Mothersbaugh declared, "I just loved it". The artwork aligned with the band's kitsch style and a blending of consumerism with vibrant artwork, a common theme in the new wave scene.
The record label, however, had a different stance on the matter. Considering that many of the top-level officials at Warner Bros. at the time were big golf fans, they felt that the artwork could be viewed as making fun of Rodriguez. The label suggested altering the illustration so that it did not resemble the famous golfer. By the time the album was released, Chi Chi had given the band permission to use his likeness, but it was too late, and the UK version featured a much simpler cover. The original 'Chi Chi' illustration was featured on the picture sleeve of the band's third single from the LP.
Golf Gear: What You Need to Get Started
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$19.99 $26.99
The artwork was also used on the band's third single
The artwork for Devo's debut album, *Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!*, was based on an image of professional golfer Juan 'Chi Chi' Rodriguez. The original image was found on a golf strap, and the band thought it would make a "funky" debut album cover. However, the record label disagreed, believing that it could be seen as making fun of Rodriguez.
By the time the band received permission from Rodriguez to use his likeness, the album sleeves were already in production, and it would have been too costly to halt and reissue. The artwork ultimately appeared on the picture sleeve of the band's third single from the LP. The European version of the single featured different artwork, consisting of two photographs similar to stills from the American version's inner sleeve. One photo depicts a man wearing goggles, a bow tie, and rubber gloves, while the other shows heads with sunglasses under nylon stockings.
The US version of the album cover, featuring Rodriguez, aligns with the band's kitsch style and their blending of consumerism with vibrant artwork, a common theme in the new wave scene. Devo's innovative stylings and unique sound are best encapsulated by their debut album, which peaked at number 12 in the UK album charts. The opening track, 'Uncontrollable Urge', showcases their manifesto of creating chaotic, often bizarre, electronic new wave tracks.
Golf Courses: Open or Closed?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$17.98 $26.99
The European version features different artwork
The 1978 debut album of the American new wave band Devo has an interesting story behind its cover art. The album, titled "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!", features an image of professional golfer Juan' Chi Chi Rodriguez' on its US version. The European version, however, features entirely different artwork.
The use of Rodriguez's image on the US album cover came about when band members Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh spotted a package of golf balls with the golfer's headshot framed by a golf ball. Intrigued by the unusual artwork, Mothersbaugh declared, "I just loved it". The band's fascination with the image aligned with their penchant for kitsch and the blending of consumerism with vibrant artwork, a common theme in the new wave scene.
However, obtaining permission to use Rodriguez's likeness on the cover proved challenging. While the band eventually received approval from the golfer, it was too late as the album sleeves were already in production. As a result, the European version of the album features alternative artwork. This version consists of two photographs: one of a man wearing goggles, a bow tie, and rubber gloves, and another of heads with sunglasses under nylon stockings.
The conflict over the cover art resulted in a simpler cover for the UK release, treating European audiences to a different visual experience. The irony of the situation was that Chi Chi Rodriguez had no issue with the use of his likeness, but the timing of his response meant that a change was inevitable. Ultimately, the unique and surrealist nature of the Devo band was reflected in the unexpected twist of fate surrounding their album's artwork.
Golf GTI: AWD or Not?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The golfer featured on the cover of the US version of the album is Juan 'Chi Chi' Rodriguez.
Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh found the original image of Chi Chi Rodriguez on a golf strap and thought it would make for a "pretty funky" debut album cover.
Yes, Chi Chi Rodriguez did eventually give Devo permission to use his likeness, but this was only after the album sleeves were already in production.
The phrase "Are We Not Men" was borrowed from the H.G. Wells book "The Island of Doctor Moreau".
The full title of the album is "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!".
