Never Been Sold Before

Hey there, Zoo Freaks, your favorite hippie DJs at THE ZOO are spinning the raw, gritty vibes of Alice Cooper’s “Never Been Sold Before” from the 1973 album Muscle of Love. This track’s got a story that’s as wild as the band’s shock-rock legacy. According to a contemporary interview with Circus magazine, the song is a fierce retort from a prostitute to the man she’s supporting, packed with that in-your-face attitude Cooper was known for. It’s got a hard-rock edge with horns and a killer guitar solo, but here’s the kicker: it’s never been performed live, not once, as noted in Ultimate Classic Rock. Fans on Alice Cooper Fans groups have speculated it might’ve been too raw or controversial even for Cooper’s theatrical shows. The song’s bluesy, hard-rock vibe, complete with what some call “extraneous” saxophones, was a bold move, possibly inspiring bands like Nazareth, as suggested in a review from Albumrock. And if you dig into the Muscle of Love (Deluxe Edition) released in 2024, you’ll find an early version of the track that’s even rougher, giving a glimpse into the band’s creative chaos during those sessions.

Now, let’s talk about the album itself. Muscle of Love was the final studio effort from the original Alice Cooper band, and it was a turbulent time. Posts on Alice Cooper’s X account celebrate its release on November 20, 1973, quoting Creem calling it “a magnificent effort.” But behind the scenes, things were fraying. Drummer Neal Smith revealed in interviews that lead guitarist Glen Buxton barely played on the album due to personal struggles, with session players like Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter stepping in. The band was trying to strip back the theatricality of their earlier work, like Billion Dollar Babies, for a grittier sound, as Cooper himself said: “I wanted this one to have more guts to it. More balls.” Yet, the track “Never Been Sold Before” still carries that provocative Cooper edge, with lyrics that don’t shy away from the seedy side of urban life, a theme the band leaned into with the album’s loose concept of “urban sex habits.”

So, how did Alice Cooper, the godfather of shock rock, get his start? Born Vincent Damon Furnier on February 4, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan, he grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, after moving there in his teens. According to his bio on Britannica, it all began when Furnier and his high school track teammates formed a band called the Earwigs for a talent show, parodying Beatles songs. They won, and that taste of the stage hooked them. Renaming themselves The Spiders, they started playing local gigs with a giant black spider web as their backdrop, inspired by bands like The Beatles, The Who, and The Yardbirds. By 1969, they’d become Alice Cooper, with Furnier taking the name from a character he claimed was inspired by a “Mayberry RFD” figure, as he told Dinah Shore in 1972. Their early albums, like Pretties for You, were raw and experimental, but it was hooking up with producer Bob Ezrin for 1971’s Love It to Death that launched them into the big leagues with hits like “I’m Eighteen.” The rest is history: guillotines, fake blood, and a stage show that shocked the world.

Wanna dive deeper into the Alice Cooper universe? Check out his official website at alicecooper.com for tour dates and merch. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest updates, where he recently hyped the Muscle of Love (Deluxe) release. For fan communities, SickthingsUK is a killer unofficial site packed with news and trivia, and the Alice Cooper Fans Facebook group is buzzing with diehards sharing stories and rare pics. So, keep it locked to THE ZOO, Zoo Freaks, and let’s keep rocking with Alice Cooper’s untamed spirit!