Sex Pistols 1976 (fltr: Steve Jones, Glen Matlock, Johnny Rotten, Paul Cook)
Introduction
Some albums just can’t be ignored. This is one of them. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols is an all-time classic, that still sounds as exciting as it did in 1977. The story of the Sex Pistols, punk and the demise of the band.
Inextricably bound up with the history of the band, and English punk in general is the shop SEX, which turned into a hangout for London punks. Read the story of SEX in the sub article SEX, fashion, punk and Sex Pistols: 430 Kings Road, London.
SEX, 430 Kings Road
Sex Pistols
Early 1974 Steve Jones contacted Malcolm McLaren, who was about to leave for the US where he was going to manage the New York Dolls, who by that time were utterly dysfunctional. Before he left he setup Jones with his own practice space and renamed his (design)store, which he ran with Vivienne Westwood, to SEX. McLaren returned in May 1975 and wanted to manage The Strand, Steve Jones’ band, where Paul Cook played the drums and Glen Matlock played bass.
In New York McLaren had witnessed the birth of American punk and he was impressed. This had to get an English counterpart. The original guitar player in The Strand was fired and Jones switched to guitar, leaving the vocalist spot open. The search for a singer commenced. In August 1975 John Lydon was walking the streets of London wearing a Pink Floyd T-shirt with the words “I hate” scribbled above the image, the shirt was held together with safety pins. The look was there, but could he sing? Lydon reported at SEX and was asked to audition to Cooper’s I’m Eighteen. Hilarity ensued, but following the urgent advice of McLaren the band asked him to join.
McLaren rented a new space for the band at 6-7 Denmark Street in the Soho area of London. Jones suggested that Lydon should call himself Rotten, referring to (the state of) his teeth. And, the new band name was settled on: Sex Pistols. They also started to write their own material. Glen Matlock was the primary music writer, Johnny Rotten wrote the lyrics. The credits were divided equally among the band members.
The first Sex Pistols show took place on November 6, 1975. They mainly played covers at an extremely loud volume. Several gigs soon followed, and the band gained a steady following, known as the Bromley Contingent (see the sub article).
On February 12, 1976, the band was the support act for Eddie And The Hot Rods, their biggest show yet. The aggression and excitement of the band was legendary. The ‘performance’ matured ever more, just like the band’s agility on their instruments. Jones in particular improved himself considerably. If a concert lacked something (inspiration, conviction, etc.) riots were provoked by hangers-on. The Sex Pistols name became automatically linked with violence. On June 4, 1976, the band played in Manchester, an important event in the musical development in and around Manchester. The audience consisted of some 40 people, among them Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto (of the Buzzcocks), Bernard Sumner, Ian Curtis and Peter Hook (who went on to form Joy Division), Mark E. Smith (of The Fall), punk poet John Cooper Clarke and Morrissey (of The Smiths). All of them were heavily inspired by the show.
Sex Pistols – Anarchy In The U.K. poster
On July 20, 1976, the band debuted a new song, Anarchy In The U.K., an instant punk classic. De socio political lyrics were a novelty and a primary example of the difference between American and English punk. On September 1, the band were guests at Tony Wilson’s local television show (Wilson was the later founder of Factory Records), where they played Anarchy In The U.K. live in the studio. Three days later the band made their television debut when the recordings were broadcast.
The search for a record company was in full swing. On October 8, 1976, the band signed a two year deal with major label EMI. On November 26, 1976, the Sex Pistols debuted with their single Anarchy In The U.K.. It wasn’t the first punk single, but it most definitely was the most influential. From the sound to the lyrics to the cover design: everything was revolutionary.
Five days after the first milestone, the second followed when the band guested at the Today television program hosted by Bill Grundy. Grundy was drunk and made a flirtatious remark towards Siouxsie Sioux. This sparked a conversation between Grundy and Steve Jones that shook the nation to its core.
Sex Pistols & Bill Grundy
SJ: You dirty sod. You dirty old man.
BG: Well keep going, chief, keep going. Go on. You’ve got another five seconds. Say something outrageous!
SJ: You dirty bastard.
BG: Go on, again.
SJ: You dirty fucker.
BG: What a clever boy!
SJ: What a fucking rotter.Sex Pistols & Bill Grundy, Today, December 1, 1976
England was in shock. The papers were filled with the “filth and the fury”. Finally the band was on the front pages and punk entered the mainstream consciousness. But, the broadcast was a double edged sword: the upcoming tour was largely cancelled, because planned venues refused to provide the band a podium. Packers at EMI refused to cooperate with the distribution of the Anarchy In The U.K. single. When the band left for The Netherlands in early 1977, the papers were once again filled with reports of misconduct, which reportedly didn’t actually occur. EMI succumbed to the external pressure and ended the band’s contract on January 6, 1977. Within 3 months the two year contract was null and void.
Telegram: Glen Matlock fired
On February 28, 1977, manager McLaren sent a telegram to the NME confirming that Glen Matlock had been kicked out of the band. A remarkable decision, since Matlock had been primarily responsible for the music. He was replaced by Sid Vicious, whose ‘claim to fame’ was that he invented pogo dancing. Vicious couldn’t play the bass, and was quickly introduced to heroin by his girlfriend Nancy Spungen and seemed to be added to the band for his looks and behavior, which were considered to be punk.
Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen (single)
On March 9, 1977, the band signed a deal with A&M, which was reprised a day later in front of the press at Buckingham Palace. The single God Save The Queen was pressed and ready to be shipped when A&M retracted the deal on March 17. Early May 1977 the band signed with Virgin Records. On May 17, 1977, the second punk classic by the Sex Pistols was released: God Save The Queen. And once again chaos ensued. The single was boycot by every radio station in England, due to its subject and its timing. The single was released during the festivities for the queen’s Silver Jubilee. Nevertheless, the single was a huge success. Over the course of one week more than 150,000 copies were sold.
Two days before the official boat procession by Elizabeth, McLaren organized his own alternative procession for the band. Sailing past the House of Commons, the House of Lords and Westminster the band played their latest single and a few other songs. Of course, it all ended in chaos. The police arrested McLaren and Westwood. Once again: no lack of attention. The downside was that the general public reacted more aggressive by the day towards punks in general and the band more specifically. Rotten was attacked and got hurt, as did Cook and (cover)designer Jamie Reed. But, many anonymous punks were attacked as well, by the very same people that were attacked by their elders a mere 20 years earlier for their choice in fashion or music (like Elvis Presley).
On July 1, 1977, the single Pretty Vacant was released, followed by Holidays In The Sun on October 14. Both singles weren’t as successful as the previous two. Were the Sex Pistols over, had they peaked too soon?
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
On October 28, 1977, the Sex Pistols debut album, entitled Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols, was finally released (two weeks later in the US). Just based on the number of pre-sales the album entered the English charts at number 1. Just three weeks later the album was certified gold in England. Peaked too soon? Not a chance!
The songs were recorded for different labels over the course of a year. Most songs were written by Glen Matlock (music) and Johnny Rotten (lyrics), with some input by the other band members. Following the departure of Matlock the band wrote another two songs for the album: Holidays In The Sun and Bodies. As usual the songs were credited to all the band members, so these songs were co-credited to Sid Vicious.
Glen Matlock plays on one song on the album, Anarchy In The U.K., which was initially released by EMI in 1976. When it was time to record the remainder of the album Matlock had been replaced. Sid Vicious was ill for a large part of the recordings, so how was the bass to be recorded? Steve Jones played the bass for the best part of the album. Since Jones wasn’t a bass player he kind of followed his own guitar parts on the bass, probably attributing to the distinct sound of the album. By the way: Vicious did play on two songs in the studio, but it’s uncertain whether or not his parts are audible on the album. His ‘contributions’ were so utterly bad that they were either buried deep in the mix or erased.
God Save Sex Pistols – Proof print
Album title
The working title for the album was God Save Sex Pistols, but mid 1977 it was changed to the title that contained the word “bollocks”. That one word would ultimately lead to a lawsuit. Many record shop owners were threatened by the police with fines or arrests if they advertised the album in their shop windows. They referred to the ‘1899 Indecent Advertisements Act’. On November 9, 1977, the police raided a Virgin Records shop in Nottingham and arrested the owner. A great marketing opportunity for Virgin and McLaren, who immediately tapped into the situation with a “THE ALBUM WILL LAST. THE SLEEVE MAY NOT.” PR campaign.
The case was presented to the court on November 24. The Virgin lawyer stated that “bollocks” had been known to refer to testicles, but was more commonly used as an alternative for nonsense. A professor English of the Nottingham university declared that the word referred to clergymen in Old English. Begrudgingly, the judge acquitted the band and Virgin of any wrongdoing.
Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen banned & Never Mind The Bollocks censored?
Distribution
Despite the contract with Virgin McLaren negotiated deals in other countries, including the US. On October 10, 1977, he signed a deal with Warner Bros.. In France McLaren had negotiated a deal with Barclay, where the album was to be released with 12 songs, instead of the planned 11. Besides that, the album would be released one week earlier, forcing Virgin to bring the English release forward to October 28, 1977. The first 50,000 copies contained the so-called 11 track version. That version was accompanied by a 7″ that contained the missing song (Submission), supplemented with a poster.
Sex Pistols – Spunk bootlegs 1977 & official release 2006 (below right)
Spunk
Another problem for Virgin was the release of the bootleg Spunk, that contained demos and studio recording of Sex Pistols songs, that had been recorded earlier. The recording sounded more raw than the eventual album and stem from the time that Glen Matlock was still part of the band. McLaren is believed to have leaked the recordings, but he has always denied it. The album was released in September or October of 1977, just weeks before the release of Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols. The timing for the bootleg was perfect. The songs sound great and give a good impression of the Sex Pistols without production trickery.
Songs
The songs on the bootleg:
- Seventeen
- Satellite
- No Feelings (titled Feelings)
- I Wanna Be Me (titled Just Me)
- Submission
- Anarchy In The U.K. (titled Nookie)
- God Save The Queen (titled No Future)
- Problems
- Pretty Vacant (titled Lots Of Fun)
- Liar
- EMI (titled Who Was It)
- New York (titled New York (Looking for a Kiss))
The songs were recorded at the Denmark Street rehearsal space (from July 13 to 30, 1976), at Lansdowne/Wessex Studios in London (from October 10 to 12, 1976) and at Gooseberry/Eden Studios in London (from January 17 to 28, 1977).
The bootleg has been released numerous times. In 1996 the recordings were officially released for the first time as an extra disc with the re-release of Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols.
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Review
But is the album worthy of all the fuss? The short answer is ‘Yes, definitely’. I discovered the album a few years after its initial release and it has never left me since. It served as my introduction to punk: good songs, played with the right attitude, tight production and lyrics that meant something and had real content. The band sounds on fire, authentic and sincere, which was innovative in itself.
But, wasn’t the album, despite many songs not following the regular verse – chorus principle, nothing more than a good rock album? No, even though the exorbitant reaction at the time is hard to understand nowadays, the album wasn’t just an album, it was the culmination of scandal after scandal, the introduction to punk, a reaction to the aggression against punk and a kick in the balls for the establishment who didn’t care about the feelings of England’s youth. The definitive declaration that punk had arrived and could no longer be contained. The album introduced anarchy to the masses, attacked the (deemed to be saintly) monarchy, contained the word “fuck” multiple times and dealt with contented rock stars, who had distanced themselves very far from everyday experience of the youth, many of whom were indeed without a decent future, other than working in the mines just like their fathers. Punk and Sex Pistols represented excitement, innovation and a much needed breath fresh air.
Sex Pistols in Berlin 1977 (fltr: Paul Cook, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones, Johnny Rotten)
Even after all these years the album still sounds confrontational, even though the majority of the music is mid-tempo. At least half the songs are considered to be punk classics and the rest of the songs are very good. The opener Holidays In The Sun immediately sets the scene. The well-known Rotten sneer over the thundering and rolling band playing at full throttle. The song is inspired by the band’s trip to Berlin (“I’m looking over the wall and they’re looking at me”). Starting of an album with a highlight is a statement in itself.
In No Feelings Rotten announces his philosophy:
I got no emotions for anybody else
You better understand
I’m in love with myself
My beautiful self
The message by and for the youth is exemplified in the classic God Save The Queen:
God save the queen
She ain’t no human being
There is no future
In England’s dreaming
The closing “No future” slogan is a stand-alone anthem. Seventeen contains I’m a lazy sod as a chorus. The first single and instant punk classic Anarchy In The U.K. may very well be the best punk single ever:
I am an antichrist
I am an anarchist
Don’t know what I want
But I know how to get it
I wanna destroy passer by
Even though the rhyme is rather simple and plain, its message really hit hard. Rotten means every word and spits them out full of fire. Still an exciting song and highlight in English punk. The closer EMI addresses the record company EMI and the band’s dismissal from the company. The song ends with a name-check of the other company:
Hello EMI
Goodbye A&M
The last song sounds the fiercest of them all and closes the album on a high. I have always rated the album high for its attitude, the sound and the music, of which Rotten’s vocals are an integral part.
There are very few albums that define the term ‘essential listeneing’ as well as Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols.
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols – Singles
Singles
Four singles were culled from the album.
- Anarchy in the U.K.
B-side: I Wanna Be Me
(released on November 26, 1976) - God Save The Queen
B-side: Did You No Wrong
(released on May 27, 1977) - Pretty Vacant
B-side: No Fun (Stooges cover)
(released on July 1, 1977) - Holidays In The Sun
B-side: Satellite
(released on October 14, 1977)
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols – Back cover
Songs
All songs written by Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Johnny Rotten, unless stated otherwise.
Side A
- Holidays In The Sun (Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious)
- Bodies (Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious)
- No Feelings
- Liar
- God Save The Queen
- Problems
Side B
- Seventeen
- Anarchy In The U.K.
- Submission
- Pretty Vacant
- New York
- E.M.I.
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols – 2017 re-release
In 1996 The album was re-released as a double cd, the second disc contained the original Spunk bootleg. On October 19, 2007, a special 30 year anniversary edition was released on vinyl. On September 24, 2017, the album was released as a boxset, containing a remastered version of the album, supplemented with B-sides, outtakes, demos, live concerts, videos, a book, promo stickers and more. An exhaustive release with perfect sound.
Musicians
- Johnny Rotten – vocals
- Steve Jones – guitar, bass (except on Anarchy In The U.K.), background vocals
- Paul Cook – drums
- Glen Matlock – bass and background vocals on Anarchy In The U.K.
- Sid Vicious – partial bass on Bodies and maybe God Save The Queen
Sex Pistols – Live 01/14/1978
After Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Usually, an elaborate tour is planned after the release of an album. The Sex Pistols played a few shows in The Netherlands and England in December 1977, which was the European tour. In January 1978 the band left for the US for their first tour there. Manager McLaren had booked the band in places and venues which usually weren’t booked for an international tour. The idea was to create a hostile environment and chaos. Mission accomplished. The tour was plagued by arguments and violence, both within and outside of the band, Vicious was unmanageable due to his heroin addiction, instruments were out of tune and the band didn’t see eye to eye anymore. The tour comprised 7 shows, the last one took place on January 14, 1978, at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, the only venue that was a regular concert hall. After the show was over Rotten declared “Ah-ha-ha, ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Good night.”, ending the night, as well as the Sex Pistols’ career. On January 18, Rotten announced he had left the band.
However, McLaren still had plans, he had an idea for a script, in which the band played a part. Recording sessions for the movie soundtrack were held in Brazil, France and England. Vicious was setup to replace Rotten as singer, but the relationship between McLaren and Vicious quickly deteriorated, so that idea got put on hold. At the end of June 1978 the single No One Is Innocent was released (containing vocals by train robber Ronnie Biggs) with the B-side My Way, in the Sid Vicious version. The single would turn out to be the most successful Sex Pistols single.
Vicious performed solo in New York with hopes to start a solo career. On October 12, 1978, Spungen was found dead at the Chelsea Hotel in New York. Vicious was arrested and charged with her murder. He was quickly released on bail and immediately got into trouble again, this time the charge was assault. On February 1, 1970, Vicious was released on bail and died within 24 hours of an overdose. He was 21 years old.
Rotten founded the band Public Image Ltd. using his own name and started a lawsuit against McLaren and his company for mismanagement. On February 14, 1979, Rotten won the case and McLaren was ordered to meet Rotten’s (financial) demands.
Sex Pistols – The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle – Soundtrack & Movie poster
On February 14, 1979, the soundtrack to the movie The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle was released, that was made up of archival recordings by the band and Sex Pistols covers played by other artists, supplemented with new material recorded after Rotten had left. The movie, which by that time had been abandoned by McLaren, was finished by Julien Temple and released in 1980. For many, the movie was ample proof that the Sex Pistols was nothing more than a boy-band, as the movie tells the tale McLaren wanted to tell, a manager who invented punk rock and had built up the band and was responsible for their image.
In 1996 the original band (including Glenn Matlock) regrouped and went on the Filthy Lucre Tour, a tour that would last 6 months. In style, the band declared they only did it for the money. The tour was documented on the live album Filthy Lucre Live, which was released on July 29, 1996. In 2000 the documentary The Filth And The Fury was released, telling the story of the Sex Pistols by the band themselves. In 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008 the band played a number of shows. In 2008 the band released the DVD There’ll Always Be An England, containing the recordings of the Brixton Academy show on November 10, 2007. In 2022 the six-part television series Pistol was aired on Hulu. The story was based on Steve Jones’ autobiography. John Lydon sued to stop the series, but failed.
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols – Poster
Legacy
Maybe it’s a bit grotesque to use the word legacy for a band that released only one album, but in this case it’s justified. The band and album were extremely influential. Both are regarded as groundbreaking and define a demarcation line in music. There’s music before the Sex Pistols and after. After kicking the world in the nuts, punk bands emerged all over the world, who delivered innovative and original music, also in the following genres like post-punk and new-wave.
The name Sex Pistols still conjures up an image of a band that was concocted by McLaren, aimed at chaos and marketing instead of music. The image is unfair and ultimate proof of McLaren’s finesse. He was able to make anyone believe whatever he wanted. But the music and lyrics stem from the band itself. Matlock’s dismissal in early 1977 is a clear tipping point for the band, that wrote just 2 new songs after Matlock left. Who knows what would have happened had the band stayed together in its original form.
The band’s performances directly influenced punk and numerous bands: Buzzcocks, The Damned, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Joy Division, The Clash, Wire, The Adverts, Subway Sect, The Slits, etc. The list is endless.
The influence endures to this day, along the way the band influenced many bands: Jesus And Mary Chain, NOFX, The Stone Roses, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana (Nevermind is a tribute to Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols), Green Day and Oasis.
Johnny Rotten – Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2006 letter
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
In 2006 the Sex Pistols would be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. On behalf of the band, thus as Johnny Rotten, Lydon faxed the letter shown above to the organization. The entire ceremony and organization were a “piss stain”. The band didn’t come, but were inducted anyway. During the ceremony the letter was read out loud.
In closing
Over the years Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols always ends up in the top of all kinds of best albums of all time lists.
What’s your take on Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols? Let me know!
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.
