Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians. Although their initial career lasted just two-and-a-half years and produced only four singles and one studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, they are regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of popular music.... (Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links To Peel

Peel never saw the group play live during their late Seventies heyday. He attended the 100 Club in London on 11 May 1976 when the band had a Thursday night residency at the venue, but had to leave during their first number to go and present his show on Radio One [1]. Perhaps the closest opportunity he got to seeing them live was when he drove up to Derby, presumably on the 'Anarchy In The UK' tour (4th December 1976). When he arrived, there was a hand-written note pinned to the venue door announcing that the gig had been cancelled [2].

The original members of the Pistols subsequently appeared on the programme in session recordings: John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten (PiL); Steve Jones & Paul Cook (Professionals); and Glen Matlock (Rich Kids and Jimmy Norton's Explosion).

The DJ did finally see the Pistols live, reformed at the Phoenix Festival in 1996:

"On the last night of course it was the Sex Pistols who, I must admit, I thought were fairly ludicrous, but, you know, other people saw them who had not seen them previously. ... But they were sort of OK, went through their numbers and spat and swore and stuff like this, all the stuff you'd expect them to do, really." [3]

God Save The Queen

Main article: God Save The Queen

The Pistols' second single was due to be released on the A&M label, but the company fired the band with a £75,000 pay-off and destroyed nearly all of the 25,000 copies that had already been pressed. It was subsequently issued on Virgin and caused controversy due to its release in the Queen's Jubilee Year. Peel regarded it as "fuss about nothing" and continued to play the song. It reached the Festive Fifty on numerous occasions.

Festive Fifty Entries

• Anarchy In The UK (1978, #1; 1979, #1; 1980, #1; 1981, #2; 1982AT, #1; 2000AT, #4)
• EMI (1978, #48)
• God Save The Queen (1977, #61; 1978, #3; 1979, #13; 1980, #25; 1981, #38, 1982AT, #25)
• Holidays In The Sun (1977, #11; 1978, #18; 1979, #14; 1980, #12; 1981, #17; 1982AT, #37)
• Pretty Vacant (1977, #51; 1978, #6; 1979, #16; 1980, #23; 1981, #59; 1982AT, #44; 2000, #29)

Sessions

• No sessions.

Shows Played

Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK (Official Video)

(The following list is compiled only from the database of this site and references in Ken Garner's The Peel Sessions and is certainly incomplete, not least because of the relative lack of available show tracklistings from the period when the band were most active. Please add further information if known.)

1976

• 19 November 1976: 'Anarchy In The U.K. (7")' (EMI) (first play)
• 26 November 1976: 'Anarchy In The U.K.' (day of release)
• 10 December 1976: Anarchy In The UK (single) EMI

1977

• 13 May 1977: 'God Save The Queen (7")' (Virgin )
• 16 May 1977: 'God Save The Queen'
• 24 June 1977: 'Pretty Vacant (7")' (Virgin) (first play)
• 29 August 1977: Pretty Vacant (single) Virgin
• 29 August 1977: Anarchy In The UK (single) EMI
• 03 October 1977: God Save The Queen (single) Virgin
• 04 October 1977: Anarchy In The UK (single) EMI
• 06 October 1977: Holidays In The Sun (LP – Never Mind The Bollocks) Virgin
• 24 October 1977: LP-'Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols' (Virgin) played complete
• 28 October 1977: E.M.I. (LP - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin
• 22 December 1977: God Save The Queen (LP – Never Mind The Bollocks) Virgin (1977 Festive Fifty #61)
• 22 December 1977: Pretty Vacant (LP – Never Mind The Bollocks) Virgin (1977 Festive Fifty #51)
• 27 December 1977: Holidays In The Sun (LP – Never Mind The Bollocks) Virgin (1977 Festive Fifty #11)

1978

• 17 August 1978: Anarchy In The UK (single) EMI

(JP: “And life was never quite the same again. What a great band they were.”)

• 28 August 1978: Problems (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086
• 28 August 1978: Seventeen (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086
• 27 November 1978: 'Submission (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086
• 26 December 1978: E.M.I. (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 FF#45
• 28 December 1978: Holidays in the Sun (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 Virgin FF#18

1979

• 01 January 1979: Pretty Vacant (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 Virgin FF#6
• 01 January 1979: God Save The Queen (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 Virgin FF#3
• 01 January 1979: Anarchy In The UK (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 Virgin FF#1

(JP: "Got nearly twice as many votes as ‘Complete Control’ and five times as many votes as ‘Stairway to Heaven’ did two years ago when it became number one.")

• 18 January 1979: Anarchy In The UK (7”) EMI (one-year anniversary of band split)
• 22 January 1979: No Feelings (LP – Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin
• 26 February 1979: Anarchy In The U.K. (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 26 February 1979: Silly Thing (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 26 February 1979: Substitute (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 26 February 1979: Don't Give Me No Lip Child (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 26 February 1979: Stepping Stone (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 26 February 1979: L'Anarchie Pour Le U.K (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 26 February 1979: I Wanna Be Me (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• Another three tracks were played on the above show.
• 06 March 1979: Stepping Stone (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 13 March 1979: unknown
• 14 March 1979: Rock Around The Clock (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 19 March 1979: Rock Around The Clock (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 26 March 1979: Holidays In The Sun (single) Virgin
• 26 March 1979: Satellite (B side 'Holidays In The Sun' single) Virgin
• 27 March 1979: I Wanna Be Me (B side 'Anarchy In The UK' single) EMI
• 03 April 1979: Silly Thing (single) Virgin
• 05 April 1979: Silly Thing (7") Virgin
• 28 May 1979: Holidays In The Sun
• 18 June 1979: C'mon Everybody (single) Virgin
• 16 August 1979: Holidays In The Sun (single) Virgin
• 29 August 1979: Holidays In The Sun (single) Virgin
• 30 August 1979: Anarchy In The UK (7 inch) EMI
• 27 December 1979: Pretty Vacant (LP-Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin FF#18
• 27 December 1979: Holidays in the Sun (LP-Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin FF#14

(JP: "My theory is, you see, that say in about five year's time, people will regard that as having been the best of the first four Pistols singles and the fact that it's gone from #18 to #14 indicates that I may be actually right or partially right anyway in this belief [...] And don't forget that "Pretty Vacant" went down from #16, er, from #6 to #16. This goes down from #3 to #13.")

• 27 December 1979: God Save The Queen (LP-Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols)' (Virgin) FF#13

1980

• 01 January 1980: Anarchy In The UK (LP-Never Mind The Bollocks) (Virgin) FF#1
• 05 January 1980 (BFBS): Holidays In The Sun (7") Virgin VS191
• 09 January 1980 (BFBS): Submission (LP-Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols)' (Virgin)
• 05 February 1980: I Wanna Be Me (album - Flogging A Dead Horse) Virgin V 2142
• 06 February 1980: Pretty Vacant (LP - Flogging A Dead Horse) Virgin
• 09 February 1980 (BFBS): Did You No Wrong (album - Flogging A Dead Horse) Virgin V 2142
• 09 February 1980 (BFBS): I Want To Be Me (album - Flogging A Dead Horse) Virgin V 2142
• 29 March 1980 (BFBS): Did You No Wrong (album - Flogging A Dead Horse) Virgin V 2142
• 03 July 1980 (BFBS): Holidays In The Sun
• 11 October 1980 (BFBS): Satellite
• 20 December 1980 (BFBS): Satellite
• 24 December 1980: God Save The Queen (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 FF#25
• 24 December 1980: Pretty Vacant (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 FF#23
• 29 December 1980: Holidays in the Sun (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 FF#12

(JP: "At #18 in 1978 and #14 in 1979 and #12 this year, and possibly giving some impetus to my theory - which I think I hold alone, actually - that this may be ultimately the most durable of the four classic Pistols singles.")

• 30 December 1980: Anarchy in the UK (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 Virgin FF#1

1981

• 10 May 1981 (BFBS): Problems (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 Virgin V 2086
• 01 November 1981 (BFBS): Rock Around The Clock (album - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle) Virgin VD 2510
• 24 December 1981: God Save The Queen (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 FF#38
• 29 December 1981: Holidays In The Sun (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 FF#17
• 30 December 1981: Anarchy In The U.K. (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 FF#2

(JP: "Number one for the last three years, and number two this. End of an era, or what? I don't know.")

1982

• 16 December 1982: Pretty Vacant (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 ATFF#44
• 20 December 1982: Holidays In The Sun (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 ATFF#37

(JP: “Although you obviously don't agree, I still think that's their best record.”)

• 23 December 1982: God Save The Queen (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 ATFF#25
• 30 December 1982: Anarchy In The UK (album - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols) Virgin V 2086 Virgin ATFF#1

1985

• 13 February 1985: Satellite (album - The Mini Album) Chaos APOCA 3
• 20 February 1985: Anarchy In The UK (album - The Mini Album) Chaos APOCA 3 20 February 1985
• JG Tape 6 Peel February April 1985: Seventeen (album - The Mini Album) Chaos APOCA 3
• 24 February 1985 (BFBS): Satellite (album - The Mini Album) Chaos APOCA 3 20 February 1985

1990s and 2000s

• 30 December 1998: Anarchy in the UK
• 31 August 1999: Anarchy In The UK
• 13 January 2000: Pretty Vacant (7 inch) Virgin ATFF#29

(JP: There was quite an interesting article, well, interview really, question and answer session with Malcolm McLaren in the Guardian, was it yesterday, or the day before, linked to his candidature as Mayor Of London. It all made you feel quite sympathetic to him, by and large, but he repeated the old canard about 'God Save The Queen' not being played on the radio at all. Well, that's complete bollocks, because it was played at least a dozen times on these programmes.)

• 26 January 2000: Anarchy In The UK (7") EMI ATFF#4

Others

• Peel 006 (BFBS): Satellite (LP-The Mini Album)' (Chaos)
• Peeling Back The Years 4 (Transcript): Anarchy In The UK
• Rebel Yell: Holidays In The Sun
• Staying Single: Anarchy In The UK
• Punk Fiction: Anarchy In The UK
• Punk Fiction: Submission
• Keeping It Peel: 'Anarchy in the UK'

Covered

The list below was compiled only from the Cover Versions page of this site and includes later versions of songs earlier covered by Sex Pistols. Please add more information if known.

Artist | Track | First Known Play

• Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias: Anarchy In The U.K. 19 October 1978
• Bikini Beach Band: Anarchy In The UK January 1998 (FSK)
• Cuban Boys: EMI 29 May 2001
• Dragons: Anarchy In The U.K. 02 May 1988
• Terry Edwards: Bodies 16 October 1993
• Galaxie 500: Submission (session) 04 November 1990
• Kingswoods: Purty Vacant ('Pretty Vacant') 20 August 1986
• Manic Hispanic: God Save The Queen 12 January 1996
• Megadeth: Anarchy In The U.K. 09 February 1988
• Orb: No Fun (session) 05 June 1992
• Scarecrows: Submission 26 August 1985 (BBC World Service)
• Shikisha: Pretty Vacant 24 July 1997
• 386 DX: Anarchy In The UK 21 March 2001

See Also

• Punk
• Arena: Punk And The Pistols
• Sessions That Never Happened
• Bob Harris
• Record Boxes: Don Letts
• 1977 Top Ten Albums

External Links

• Wikpedia entry
• Teenage Kicks: Farkin Rotter / No Elvis, Beatles Or The Rolling Stones...In 1977 / Cash for Chaos
• Fades In Slowly: My Way: Sid Vicious - Slender and Likeable at 50?

Footnotes