England's Dreaming

How the Sex Pistols declared war on England and won. 

The story of the Sex Pistols is a complex one, marred by chaos, tragedy, controversy, poverty, anger, art and one undeniably brilliant album. 'Never Mind The Bollocks, here's the Sex Pistols' 

It's a story that involves a whole host of people from the band themselves, to there complex manager 'Malcolm McClaren and even British Intelligence. A story of a band the likes we had not seen before, and we have definitley not seen since. 

Early Days:

The Sex Pistols as we know them did not form until 1975 when John Lydon joined the band. However guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook had been in bands since 1972 with varying line ups of there friends. Original bass player Glen Matlock would join Steve and Paul in 1974, this is also around the same time another key character in this story would come into the fray. Malcolm McClaren. Steve and Paul spent a lot of time in McClaren's clothes shop on London's King's Road, which is also where Glen worked. The three of them continued for a while, but they needed a front man.

John Lydon, entered the shop one day and was spotted by Steve Jones. Complete with green hair and a homemade 'I HATE Pink Floyd” T-shirt'. After a rather unique audition where Lydon mimed to an Alice Cooper song , intially the rest of the band were unimpressed. Eventually the band begin to rehearse together, and the rest is history. 

After a few months of rehearsals the band played a first gig, organised by Glen Matlock, at London's Saint Martins College. Performing several covers by 'The Who, Small Faces and even The Monkees.' Before the plug was pulled. More gigs came and went and the band were building a small following, who would later go and form their own bands. Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin and Billy Idol were all early followers of the Sex Pistols. 

A new style was emerging in London, with key figures being there at the start Jamie Reid a friend of McClaren's begam to work on the bands image, and art work. His cut-up lettering—based on notes left by kidnappers or terrorists—were used to create the classic Sex Pistols logo and many subsequent designs for the band. McClaren and his girlfriend Vivienne Westwood had began to adopt the bands punk style, and adopted these ideas in there shop on the Kings Road.

London wasn't the only city affected by punk. After a Sex Pistols gig at the Marquee in Febuary 1976 which was reviewed in the NME, along with a interview by Steve Jones where he declared Actually we're not into music. We're into chaos.' Two students in Manchester Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley read that and were inspired to go and see the band, before heading back up North to form 'Buzzcocks'. 

Shelley and Devoto would them organise the bands first Manchester gig, the on 4th June 1976 at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. Tony Wilson attended this gig in Manchester among many others and he would give the band there first TV Appearance in August 1976. Now these were no longer London Outsiders, they had been propelled to peoples livings rooms. 

Bill Grundy Incident:

After signing to EMI in October 1976, the band were to appear on Bill Grundy's Today program. Last minute replacements for Queen, and what happened next would be the first incident that made the band public enemy number one. All of the band, and the host were intoxicated during the interview. During the interview, encouraged by Grundy, Jones said the band had "fucking spent" its label advance, and Rotten used the word "shit". Grundy—who had later claimed to have been drunk—then attempted to flirt with Siouxsie Sioux, who replied that she had "always wanted to meet" him. Grundy responded, "Did you really? We'll meet afterwards, shall we?", prompting Jones to repeatedly swear.

The band understood what they were doing, and more importantly who they were dealing with, they understood they were dealing with a drunk. The interviewer was provoking the band and they bit back but also more importantly defended there friends especially Siouxsie Sioux.

It was an incident that proved to be a water shed one for the band, it made them a household name even though they had only released one single 'Anarchy in the UK' they had become front page news, and had helped bring the punk movement to the mainstream. 

It ultimately made things quite difficult for the band, this new found notoriety had meant the UK Anarchy Tour to promote the new single was marred with controversy and cancelled gigs. Local Authorities, and concert organisers would cancel gigs. The tour was scheduled to have about twenty or so gigs and featured support from The Dammed, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and The Clash. Yet due to fears from organisers and local authorities only about seven gigs took place. 

Even the bands only record label, had a problem with the band. It has been reported that some packers at EMI refused to handle the bands single 'Anarchy in the UK' due to the lyrical nature of the song. Controversy followed the band. The appearance with Bill Grundy seemed to be the catalyst for this chain of events.

Sid...

In February of 1977, following a decision by the bands manager Glen Matlock left the band. He was replaced by Johnny Rotten's friend John Simon Ritchie, who would become known as Sid Vicious, or if you are Freddie Mercury Simon Ferocious. 

Sid's recruitment to the band was a decision that would ultimately be a bad one. The first thing it did was remove an established songwriter and musician in Glen Matlock and replace him with someone who could not play bass. It also created a bigger divide in the band, creating two camps. Paul Cook and Steve Jones. Then John and Sid, two opposing camps. 

Jones has since described the decision as being 'to Cookie and me, it just didn't make any sense to have someone who couldn't play a note trying to fill Glen's shoes, but it was never about the music for McLaren ... from the minute Sid joined the band, nothing was ever normal again.'

Sid was a huge Sex Pistols fan, and had been going to the bands gigs from the very early days, he loved the band but once he joined. It was a level of fame and notoriety he could not handle. It would slowly destroy him. The chaos, and carnage that came with the band were not healthy for him. In early 1977 Sid met Nancy Spungen, and this began, the begining of the end. Often the band members didn't agree about things. However one thing they all agreed on was Nancy being a bad person. Nancy introduced heroin to Sid and got him hooked.  Lydon later wrote, 'We did everything to get rid of Nancy ... She was killing him. I was absolutely convinced this girl was on a slow suicide mission ... Only she didn't want to go alone. She wanted to take Sid with her'

Jubilee...

Here is where the story gets mental. 

After being dropped by EMI the band signed with A&M records in March 1977 with a press ceremony held outside of Buckingham Palace. It became one of the most significant record signings ever due to where it was held but also how long the contract lasted for, because believe me it was not very long at all. Just a week.

The band signed the deal on the 9th March 1977 and it was terminated on the 16th March 1977 where they were paid £125,000 as a severance settlement.

A&M had already pressed 25,000 copies of the bands next single 'God Save the Queen' however the vast majority of these were destroyed due to the band no longer being on the label. 

Virgin Records became the bands third label in little more than six months, and they became the label that would release the bands crowining jewel. 'God Save the Queen' which would be released on the 27th May 1977, a record that became one of the most censored ever. Radio Stations would not play it, several major chains refused to sell it. 

This did not deter the band or the label though. Released to coincide with the Queen's Silver Jubilee. By the time Jubilee weekend rolled around, just a week and a half after the initial release of the song, it had sold over 150,000 copies and was destined to hit the top spot on the UK's single chart. 

The 7th June 1977 was a big day for the band, they had chartered a boat to let the band play there songs down the Thames, past the Houses of Parliament and to mock the planned river procession planned for the Queen on the 9th of June. However it ended in chaos  with the Police bringing a stop to the concert, and many of he bands entourage being arrested.

With the official UK record chart for Jubilee week about to be released, the Daily Mirror predicted that "God Save the Queen" would be number one, however it placed second, behind the Rod Stewart's "I Don't Want to Talk About It". McLaren later claimed that CBS Records, who were distributing both singles, told him that the Pistols were outselling Stewart two to one. There is evidence that an exceptional measures were taken by the British Phonographic Institute, which oversaw the compilation of the UK chart, to exclude sales from Virgin' shops for that week. It was definitley Number One but they could not have it overshadowing the Jubilee Weekend.

It sent shock waves up and down the country, the band were exposing how people felt, and were he first to discuss the Royal Family publicly. No one had done this before, the Sex Pistols were the first. The nation was up in arms. Government Members of Parliament even called for the band to be hung at London’s Traitors’ Gate! 

MI5 branded the band as subversive and were worried about the bands presence. It seemed to disrupt the old order like ever before. Files were kept on the members of the band, imagine that. At a time of a Cold War, the Iron Curtian, the threat of Nuclear weapons, files were being kept on four musicians from London. It is mind boggling.

The Album.

I feel as if I have given you a pretty comprehensive run down of the story so far, but it is important to remember that the Sex Pistols released an album. One of the most important British albums of all time. 

'Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols'

The album was released in October 1977 and featured the singles 'Anarchy in the UK' 'God Save the Queen' 'Pretty Vacant' and 'Holiday's in the Sun'. Produced by Chris Thomas and recorded by only three members of the band, Lydon, Jones and Cook. Sid Vicious was not present due to his lack of bass playing ability. Jones instead played the bass parts. 

Made famous by both it's cover and Johnny Rotten's anti singing, the album was considered to be game changing. The industry and music fans a like had never heard anything like this before. I also want to give credit to the music on this album. It still sounds very very good. Steve Jones and Paul Cook could really play, it still sounds modern and fresh all of these years later. 

The drums are powerful and the guitars snarl. All of it being a brilliant backing track for some of the most powerful lyrics ever put on an album. 

'God Save the Queen'

We’re the flowers in the dustbin
We’re the poison in the human machine
We’re the future
Your Future

'Anarchy in the UK'

Is this the MPLA
Or is this the UDA
Or is this the IRA
I thought it was the UK
Or just
Another Country
Another council tenancy

'Pretty Vacant'

Don’t ask us to attend
Cause we’re not all there
I don’t pretend cause I don’t care
I don’t believe illusions
Too much is real
Stuff your cheap comment
Cause we know what we feel

It was an album that inspired those that were living the reality that the band were talking about, it was a social commentary of the lives they were living but also the lives of millions of others in England. The first and the definitive punk album. The sound, the content, the cover, it is what we think of when we think punk. 

An extremely provocative, but also emotive piece of music. Away from the singles the album tracks often fly under the radar 'EMI' is a scaling attack on the bands former record label, it's one of the bands favourite tracks and away from being a middle. fingered salute to the establishment. It is a great song, with some of Steve Jones best guitar work. 'Liar' is an attack on the powers at be, for lying to the working classes, and contains one of Rotten's most snarling vocal lines. 'Submission' is a brilliant jovial song that aimed to annoy the bands manager, who wanted them to write about the kink scene he was involved in hence the title. However Rotten and Matlock decided to write instead about a submarine mission. The band often get spoken about because of the controversy mentioned above, and the tragedy which I will mention later. However I feel as if we should talk more about the music.  

The End

The band would break up shortly after the release of their magnum opus. In January 1978 following a gig at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, Lydon walked away, he had ended the gig by singing a Stooges cover 'No Fun' and changing the lyrics . This is no fun. No fun. This is no fun—at all. No fun." As the final cymbal crash died away, Rotten addressed the audience directly—"Ah-ha-ha. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Good night"—before throwing down his microphone and walking offstage

In fighting within the band had been common, now the band has two camps. Sid was struggling with his heroin addiction, McClaren and Lydon had always clashed but now it had gotten to breaking point. The band was done. They tried to continue but it didn't work, it was destined to fail, they never performed live after the departure of Lydon and tried to record an album for a failed Sex Pistols film 'The Great Rock n Roll Swindle' which didn't really work. 

Vicious relocated to New York and attempted a career as a solo artist with Spungen as his manager. On 12 October 1978, Spungen was found dead at the age of 20 in the Hotel Chelsea room that she was sharing with Vicious, with a stab wound to her stomach. Police recovered drug paraphernalia from the scene and Vicious was arrested and charged with her murder.

After being released on bail Sid was arrested again for having a fight with Todd Smith, brother of famous American singer Patti Smith. Vicious was released on bail on 1 February 1979. Some time after midnight, following a small party to celebrate his release, he died of a heroin overdose, aged 21.

It came to quite a sad end. However for a brief time, the Sex Pistols declared war on the old order and won. The world changed forever, both musically and socially. It opened doors that otherwise may never had opened. They scared and shook the establishment, to the very core, Sex Pistols were a force to be reckoned with, they had an impact that has not been felt since.

Giving a voice to the working classes up and down the country, and inspiring those to start there own bands.. Traditional media and methods had alienated the working classes before punk. Punk changed it all, the way people dressed, artwork thanks to people like Jamie Reid, the music that people listened to. It helped empower the downtrodden, gave the marginalized a voice, and became a movement that encompassed everyone.

You only have to look who have been influenced by the Sex Pistols in the years since there formation but also the years since there break up, and you can say they were one of the most influential bands of all time.

They would directly inspire The Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees,the Adverts, Vic Godard of Subway Sect, The Dammed and Ari Up of the Slits. Help start a musical revoloution at Manchester with the gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall which was attended by Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto, who organised the gig, Bernard Sumner, Ian Curtis and Peter Hook of Joy Division, Mark E. Smith, John Cooper Clarke, Morrissey and Anthony H. Wilson.

Who went on to form Joy Division, The Smiths, New Order, The Fall, Buzzcocks and Factory Records. 

The Stone Roses, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Nirvana and so many more have been influenced and continue to be influenced by the Sex Pistols. It is an impact that is undeniable. 

I'll end this post, with a little snapshot at just how much impact this band had.

They only had one album, and yet it did all of that, it caused court cases due to it's provocative cover and contained 12 of the best songs of the 1970s and two of the best pieces of social commentary ever released in "Anarchy in the U.K.," and "God Save the Queen. The live shows have gone down in folklore from the show at the Free Trade Hall to the famous gig at Isligton's Screen on the Green. They invented the fashion style punk. They were perveyers of chaos, and were not afraid to say what they believed in. Oh and they saw the future. Those songs still highlight the same problems we face today, as they did in 1977.

Not bad for a band who were together for only 2.5 years.

Thank you for reading x