Roxy Music: Country Life Album (1974)

Roxy’s Rural Glam Censored

Roxy Music’s Country Life was released as an LP, cassette, and 8-track cartridge in the UK on November 15, 1974, on Island (catalogue: ILPS 9303 / ZCI 9303 / Y81 9303). This art-glam masterpiece—featuring Ferry’s croon, Manzanera riffs, and infamous censored cover (produced by John Punter & Roxy), was issued in five vinyl variants with pink rim labels, laminated sleeves, and inner lyrics. It peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. (controversial models Karoli & Grunwald), printed inners, and cassette with pink labels, it’s a sleek ‘74 art-rock reissue blast.

The 4th Roxy Music Album

Club-Sonderauflage (Special Club Edition)

S&R International (Schallplattenring International).

Censored Cover with only one model featured

(Eveline Grunwald).

Album Overview

Vinyl Album (ILPS 9303)

Side A

The Thrill Of It All (Ferry) – 6:23

Three And Nine (Ferry, Mackay) – 4:01

All I Want Is You (Ferry) – 2:50

Out Of The Blue (Ferry, Manzanera) – 4:40

If It Takes All Night (Ferry) – 3:09

Side B

Bitter-Sweet (Ferry, Mackay) – 4:57

Triptych (Ferry) – 3:09

Casanova (Ferry) – 3:23

A Really Good Time (Ferry) – 3:44

Prairie Rose (Ferry, Manzanera) – 5:13

Cassette (ZCI 9303)

Side A

A1 The Thrill Of It All (Written-By – Ferry)

A2 A Really Good Time (Written-By – Ferry)

A3 All I Want Is You (Written-By – Ferry)

A4 Out Of The Blue (Written-By – Ferry, Manzanera)

A5 If It Takes All Night (Written-By – Ferry)

Side B

B1 Bitter-Sweet (Written-By – Mackay, Ferry)

B2 Triptych (Written-By – Ferry)

B3 Casanova (Written-By – Ferry)

B4 Three And Nine (Written-By – Mackay, Ferry)

B5 Prairie Rose (Written-By – Ferry, Manzanera)

2 panel inlay, grey plastic with pink paper labels.

8-Track Cartridge (Y81 9303)

Program 1

A1 The Thrill Of It All

A2 Three And Nine

Program 2

B1 All I Want Is You

B2 Out Of The Blue

B3 If It Takes All Night

Program 3

C1 Triptych

C2 Casanova

C3 A Really Good Time

Program 4

D1 Bitter-Sweet

D2 Prairie Rose

Release Details:

Label: Island (UK pressing).

Record Company – E.G. Records Ltd.

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Island Records Ltd.

Copyright © – E.G. Music Ltd. / E.G. Music.

Published By – E.G. Music Ltd.

Recorded At – Air Studios, London, Summer 1974.

Produced For – E.G. Records Ltd.

Engineer – John Punter

Assistant Engineers – Michael Sellers, Paul Nunn, Sean Milligan, Steve Nye

Art Direction – Bryan Ferry

Artwork – Bob Bowkett, CCS

Bass – John Gustafson

Design – Nicholas De Ville

Drums – Paul Thompson

Guitar – Phil Manzanera

Keyboards, Strings, Synthesizer – Eddie Jobson

Oboe, Saxophone – Andy Mackay

Photography – Eric Boman

Stylist – Antony Price

German Translation (B1) – Constanze Karoli, Eveline Grunwald

Printed By – Robor Ltd. / SIB-Tryck Tumba

Pressed By – EMI Records

UK Formats:

Vinyl, LP, Album

Original first issue, pink rim label, laminated cover, printed inner with lyrics (ILPS 9303)

Vinyl, LP, Album, Promo

Pink rim label, “Promotion Copy Only” on labels, laminated sleeve (ILPS 9303)

Vinyl, LP, Album

1st issue, pink rim, laminated sleeve, die-cut inner with 3 cut-off corners (ILPS 9303)

Vinyl, LP, Album

Roxy Music – Country Life (The Fourth Roxy Music Album)

Pink rim, Swedish SIB-Tryck Tumba laminated sleeve, printed inner, no NCB on labels (ILPS 9303)

Vinyl, LP, Album

Pink rim/palm tree, fully laminated cover, printed inner with lyrics & ads, 2 clipped corners (ILPS 9303)

Cassette, Album

Island Tapes – ZCI 9303

Grey plastic, pink paper labels, 2 panel inlay one side.

8-Track Cartridge, Album

Y81 9303

Stereo.

Singles:

"All I Want Is You"

Released: October 4, 1974

UK

"The Thrill of It All"

(US)

Country Variations:

The album was released in:

Germany - Island - 1974

Netherlands - Island - 1974

Sweden - Island - 1974

USA - Atco - 1974

Australia - Island - 1975

Japan - Island - 1975

Yugoslavia - Island - 1975

Germany - Polydor - 1977

Japan - Polydor - 1977

Norway - Polydor - 1977

UK (Island ILPS 9303 / ZCI 9303 / Y81 9303)

Released November 15, 1974. LP (five variants), cassette, 8-track.

Production and Context

Produced by John Punter & Roxy Music for E.G. Records Ltd. Recorded Air Studios, Summer 1974. Cover shot by Eric Boman in Portugal with Constanze Karoli (Can’s sister) & Eveline Grunwald (German translation on “Bitter-Sweet”). Controversial in US/Spain/Australia—censored, shrink-wrapped, or black-bagged. US reissue used back cover trees. First US Top 40 (#37). “All I Want Is You” UK #12 single.

Chart Performance:

(BBC Official Albums Chart) UK: No. 3

Entry Date: November 30, 1974.

Peak: No. 3 (November 30, 1974).

Weeks on Chart: 10

(Nov 30, 1974 – Feb 1, 1975).Chart Run: No. 3 (Nov 30), No. 5 (Dec 7), No. 8 (Dec 14), No. 13 (Dec 21), No. 13 (Dec 28), No. 20 (Jan 4), No. 24 (Jan 11), No. 41 (Jan 18), No. 22 (Jan 25), No. 36 (Feb 1).

Legacy and Collectibility

Country Life is peak art-glam—sleek, surreal, seductive. Original UK pink rim LPs with inner fetch £30–£80 on eBay/Discogs, promo (£100+), Swedish sleeve (£60–£120), cassettes (£10–£25), 8-tracks (£40–£80). Verify runout dots, clipped corners, and no mask on cover (inside only)

Streams on Spotify via remasters. This censored classic is a must-have for Roxy fans and ‘74 art-rock collectors.

Have you braved the *Country Life* cover scandal? Does “Prairie Rose” still sweep you away? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube.