Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Studio album by Sex Pistols
Released	October 28, 1977 (UK) November 10, 1977 (US)
Recorded	October 1976, March to June 1977, August 1977 at Wessex Studios in London
Genre	Punk rock
Length	38:47
Label	Virgin (UK) Warner Bros. Records (US)
Producer	Chris Thomas, Bill Price
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (A) link
Sex Pistols chronology
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977) The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1979)
Singles from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
"Anarchy in the U.K."/"I Wanna Be Me" Released: November 26, 1976 "God Save the Queen"/"Did You No Wrong" Released: May 27, 1977 "Pretty Vacant"/"No Fun" Released: July 2, 1977 "Holidays in the Sun"/"Satellite" Released: October 15, 1977 "God Save the Queen (2002 remix)" Released: May 27, 2002

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols is the only album recorded by the English punk rock band, Sex Pistols. It is now regarded as a classic and influential rock and roll and punk rock album by fans and critics alike. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Sex Pistols are an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Wessex Sound Studios was a recording studio located in Highbury New Park, London, England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Virgin Records was a British recording label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Nik Powell in 1972. ... Warner Bros. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Chris Thomas is a respected British record producer who was born on January 13, 1947. ... Bill Price is a producer and engineer famed for his work with The Clash and The Sex Pistols. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ... Sex Pistols are an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ... The Great Rock n Roll Swindle (1980) is a fictional documentary (a mockumentary) film directed by Julien Temple about the seminal British punk rock band Sex Pistols. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Anarchy in the U.K. is the title track of the first single by Sex Pistols, released on November 26, 1976. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... God Save the Queen (B-side Did You No Wrong) was the second single released by the punk rock band Sex Pistols. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Pretty Vacant was the third single released by punk band the Sex Pistols. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... The Holidays in the Sun punk festivals are now known as Wasted Festivals Holidays in the Sun was the fourth single by punk band the Sex Pistols. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... God Save the Queen (B-side Did You No Wrong) was the second single released by the punk rock band Sex Pistols. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment rock music genre and movement that emerged in the mid-1970s. ... Sex Pistols are an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...

The album was released on October 28, 1977 on the Virgin Records label, amid controversy arising from the use of the obscenity (in British English) "bollocks" in its title. is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Virgin Records was a British recording label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Nik Powell in 1972. ... British English (BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere in the Anglophone world. ... Bollox redirects here. ...

Older versions of most of the album's songs also appeared on a bootleg album called Spunk, which consists of demo recordings the band had made during 1976 and January 1977, and which was released shortly before Never Mind the Bollocks. For other uses, see Bootleg. ... Spunk is the title of a bootleg album by Sex Pistols, originally released in the UK during September or October 1977 (see 1977 in music). ...

Overview

Never Mind the Bollocks is the only official album released by the Sex Pistols while vocalist Johnny Rotten was a member of the group, although the same songs have subsequently appeared on many compilation albums (the group had effectively disbanded less than three months after the album's release). Many of the songs were featured in different versions in the film, The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, a "mockumentary" loosely based on the Sex Pistols, but more about their infamous manager (and the film's mastermind), Malcolm McLaren. John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten, is an English rock musician. ... The Great Rock n Roll Swindle (1980) is a fictional documentary (a mockumentary) film directed by Julien Temple about the seminal British punk rock band Sex Pistols. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Malcolm McLaren (born Malcolm Robert Andrew Edwards, 22 January 1946, in London) is an English impresario, musician and self-publicist who is best known as being the manager of the punk rock band Sex Pistols. ...

Never Mind the Bollocks was met by a hail of controversy in the UK upon its release. The first documented legal problems involved the allegedly 'obscene' name of the album, and the prosecution (under Section 28 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, since replaced by the Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981) of the owner of a Nottingham record shop (and label owner Richard Branson) for having displayed it in a window. However, at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 24 November 1977, defending Queen's Counsel John Mortimer produced expert witnesses who were able to demonstrate that the word "bollocks" was actually a legitimate Old English term originally used to refer to a priest, and which, in the context of the title, meant "nonsense". The chairman of the hearing was forced to conclude: The Town Police Clauses Act 1847 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (10 & 11 Vict c. ... The Indecent Displays (Control) Act is an Act of Parliament covering Scotland, England and Wales but not Northern Ireland. ... Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English entrepreneur, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... For information about The Times satire Queens Counsel, see Queens Counsel (comic strip). ... Sir John Clifford Mortimer (born 21 April 1923) is an English barrister turned prolific writer and dramatist. ... Bollox redirects here. ...

Much as my colleagues and I wholeheartedly deplore the vulgar exploitation of the worst instincts of human nature for the purchases of commercial profits by both you and your company, we must reluctantly find you not guilty of each of the four charges.

Far more intense outrage was sparked by the lyrics of the songs "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the UK", as well as Jamie Reid's cover art for the single of "God Save the Queen". Both were perceived as musical assaults on the monarchy and civil society. In particular, "God Save the Queen" was viewed as a direct personal attack on Queen Elizabeth II. Guitarist Steve Jones, and singer Johnny Rotten, have both insisted that it was not the Queen that the band directed their animus towards, but other members of the royal house and the British government in general. In either case, the notoriety did little to harm the record's sales in the UK. God Save the Queen (B-side Did You No Wrong) was the second single released by the punk rock band Sex Pistols. ... Anarchy in the U.K. (B-side I Wanna Be Me) was the first single by the punk band the Sex Pistols released on November 26, 1976, and is thus frequently considered to be the first punk single (although The Ramones released Blitzkrieg Bop a year earlier). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... For the documentary series, see Monarchy (TV series). ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society as opposed to the force-backed structures of a state (regardless of that states political system) and commercial institutions. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Stephen Phillip Jones (b. ... John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten, is an English rock musician. ...

Another standard from the album, "Pretty Vacant" also earned the ire of the British music industry. In his delivery of the song's title in the chorus, Johnny Rotten heavily accents the second syllable of the word "vacant", and clips it very short in stark contrast to his drawn out delivery of the first syllable. Critics and fans alike have noted that it actually sounds like "cunt". Some allege it was deliberate; others counter that it's actually Rotten's accent leading people to the misinterpretation. It does seem unlikely the sharp-witted Rotten would have failed to notice (and savor) the implicit wordplay. Pretty Vacant was the third single released by punk band the Sex Pistols. ... Cunt is an English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to vulva or vagina and, more generally, the pubis, from the mons veneris to the perineum. ...

Rotten's bitten, over-articulated, angry vocals and his intentional avoidance of "good" singing were startlingly original in style, at that time, and his use of profanity and deliberately inflammatory language seemed downright shocking. He alternately screams and whines about corporate control, intellectual vacuity, and political hypocrisy, while guitarist Jones' multi-layered guitar tracks create a "wall of noise" to counter him.

Producer Chris Thomas took a different approach to recording Never Mind the Bollocks than was to become the norm on most later punk rock albums. Instead of capturing a "raw" or "live" sound, Thomas achieved a very clear, broad, and layered sonic palette via multiple guitar overdubs, and extremely tight musicianship. He said: "Anarchy has something like a dozen guitars on it; I sort of orchestrated it, double-tracking some bits and separating the parts and adding them, et cetera … It was quite labored. The vocals were labored, as well." However, some, purists in particular, have argued that the album is over-produced, and that the impact of the songs is diminished by the refined sound quality. Some critics further contend that the Sex Pistols had lost their initial spark of energy and exuberance by the time Never Mind the Bollocks was recorded, and that any anger present in the songs sounds contrived. Nonetheless, the album's anger and energy are considered to have been trailblazing precedents for the then-nascent Punk rock movement. Chris Thomas is a respected British record producer who was born on January 13, 1947. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...

Charting and influence

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols reached #1 on the official UK album chart, but in the USA peaked at #106 upon initial release on the Billboard album chart. Although the album's sales were initially slim outside Europe, it would ultimately gain a substantial reputation worldwide, achieving Gold status with the RIAA in 1987 (denoting 500,000 sales) and Platinum status (1,000,000 sales) just four years later. Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... The RIAA Logo. ...

Likewise, influential critics consider Never Mind the Bollocks to have been a central formative influence on punk rock and subsequent forms of popular music.

In 1985, NME writers voted Never Mind the Bollocks the 13th greatest album of all time.^[1] In 1993, NME writers voted the album the 3rd greatest of all time.^[2] For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ...

In 1987, Rolling Stone magazine named it the second-most important album of the previous 20 years, behind only The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The same magazine named it the 41st greatest album of all time on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003. In an interview during 2002, Rolling Stone journalist Charles M. Young stated: This article is about the music magazine. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... For other uses, see Sgt. ... Promotional Book Cover The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003. ...

Never Mind the Bollocks changed everything. There had never been anything like it before and really there's never been anything quite like it since. The closest was probably Nirvana, a band very heavily influenced by the Sex Pistols^[3] This article is about the American grunge band. ...

In his 1995 book, "The Alternative Music Almanac", Alan Cross placed the album in the #6 spot on the list of '10 Classic Alternative Albums'. Alan Cross is a Canadian radio broadcaster and a writer on music. ...

In 1998, Q magazine readers voted Never Mind the Bollocks the 30th greatest album of all time, and in 2000 the same magazine placed it at number 10 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. Q is a music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 140,282 and a readership of 731,000. ...

The VH1 network named Never Mind the Bollocks as the 17th greatest album of all time in 2001. The album also placed number one in a "Fifty Greatest Punk Albums Ever" readers' poll in Kerrang! magazine. ^[4] VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ...

In 2006, it was chosen by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 best albums of all time. [1], and in the same year the NME voted the album the 4th greatest British album of all time.^[5] Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Track listing

The original UK album (Virgin V2086) contained only eleven tracks, before the group changed their mind and decided to include "Submission".

However, Virgin had already pre-emptively produced stampers for the eleven-track version, and by early October 1977 had already pressed 1,000 copies. Rather than scrap these, Virgin released them anyway, initially as promos, then commercially, as an attempt to counteract a sudden flood of imports from France, where a twelve-track version of the album (including "Submission") had been released in mid-October by Barclay Records. Barcaly Records is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. ...

In response to this, Virgin also brought forward the album's intended UK release date by a week, and instead of waiting for the twelve-track album to be mastered, issued further copies of the eleven-track album (reportedly 50,000 copies, although some collectors now dispute these official figures as on the high side). Most of these copies included a poster and "Submission" as a freebie single.

Some of the initial 11 track copies saw a private import to Sweden and were sold for a few weeks at a record shop in Stockholm. The poster and "Submission" were not included at this stage. An article in a local paper warned people not to buy this "faulty" issue and advised them to wait for the 12 track issue that was about to be pressed. The article also had a quote from Virgin in London where they say all production and sale have been stopped, but some copies unfortunately leaked out through their export company. This issue had blank back cover and matrix numbers A-1 and B-1.

The twelve-track UK version began appearing in early November 1977.

As a result of the track listing confusion, several variants of the UK back sleeve exist: completely blank; omitting "Submission"; including "Submission"; and a misprint including "Belsen Was a Gas" and omitting several other tracks, based on artwork for an earlier rejected track listing. Belsen Was a Gas is one of the most controversial songs by the British punk band the Sex Pistols. ...

All songs written by Steve Jones/Glen Matlock/Paul Cook/Johnny Rotten, except * by Jones/Cook/Rotten/Sid Vicious. All lyrics by Rotten (original "Seventeen" lyrics by Jones, original "Pretty Vacant" lyrics by Matlock). Stephen Phillip Jones (b. ... Glen Matlock (born August 27, 1956 in West London, England) was the original bass guitarist of punk rock band the Sex Pistols. ... Paul Cook, born on July 20, 1956, is an English drummer and former member of the Sex Pistols. ... John Lydon John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten (a nickname derived from the state of his teeth) was the iconoclastic lead singer of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL) and an Irish individualist anarchist. ... For the professional wrestler, see Sid Eudy. ...

Eleven track version

Side one

1. "Holidays in the Sun" – 3:22 *
2. "Liar" – 2:41
3. "No Feelings" – 2:51
4. "God Save the Queen" – 3:20
5. "Problems" – 4:11

The Holidays in the Sun punk festivals are now known as Wasted Festivals Holidays in the Sun was the fourth single by punk band the Sex Pistols. ... God Save the Queen (B-side Did You No Wrong) was the second single released by the punk rock band Sex Pistols. ...

Side two

1. "Seventeen" – 2:02
2. "Anarchy in the U.K." – 3:32
3. "Bodies" – 3:03 *
4. "Pretty Vacant" – 3:18
5. "New York" – 3:07
6. "E.M.I." – 3:10

• "Submission" was included with most copies as a one-sided seven-inch single (VDJ 24).

Anarchy in the U.K. is the title track of the first single by Sex Pistols, released on November 26, 1976. ... Bodies is a Sex Pistols song about abortion from the 1977 album Never Mind the Bollocks, Heres the Sex Pistols. ... Pretty Vacant was the third single released by punk band the Sex Pistols. ...

Twelve track version

Side one

1. "Holidays in the Sun" – 3:22 *
2. "Bodies" – 3:03 *
3. "No Feelings" – 2:51
4. "Liar" – 2:41
5. "God Save the Queen" – 3:20
6. "Problems" – 4:11

Side two

1. "Seventeen" – 2:02
2. "Anarchy in the U.K." – 3:32
3. "Submission" – 4:12
4. "Pretty Vacant" – 3:18
5. "New York" – 3:07
6. "E.M.I." – 3:10

• USA (Warner Bros. BSK3147) and Canada (Warner Bros. KBS3147) artwork is green on pink, track listing reverses "God Save the Queen" and "Problems".
• Original French track listing (Barclay Records 941 001) as UK eleven-track version with "Submission" at the end of side one.

Personnel

• Johnny Rotten - lead vocals
• Steve Jones - guitar, bass, backing vocals
• Paul Cook - drums
• Glen Matlock - bass guitar and backing vocals (Anarchy in the UK)

John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten, is an English rock musician. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... Stephen Phillip Jones (b. ... Paul Cook, born on July 20, 1956, is an English drummer and former member of the Sex Pistols. ... Glen Matlock (born August 27, 1956 in West London, England) was the original bass guitarist of punk rock band the Sex Pistols. ...

Charts

Album

The UK Albums Chart is a chart of the sales positions of albums in the United Kingdom. ... It has been suggested that Billboard be merged into this article or section. ...

Certifications

Reissues

In October 2007, Virgin Records intend to release a special 30th anniversary edition of the album on a 180 gram vinyl LP. The set will be available with a 7" insert of "Submission" and a poster, just as it was when it was originally released on October 29, 1977. is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

Virgin will also reissue the group's four singles: "Anarchy in the U.K.", "God Save the Queen", "Pretty Vacant" and "Holidays in the Sun", on 7" vinyl, each week before the album release. The publishers indicate that Jamie Reid's original artwork and heavyweight paper sleeves will be faithfully reproduced. Anarchy in the U.K. is the title track of the first single by Sex Pistols, released on November 26, 1976. ... God Save the Queen (B-side Did You No Wrong) was the second single released by the punk rock band Sex Pistols. ... Pretty Vacant was the third single released by punk band the Sex Pistols. ... The Holidays in the Sun punk festivals are now known as Wasted Festivals Holidays in the Sun was the fourth single by punk band the Sex Pistols. ...

References

1. ^ "NME", 30 November 1985. 
2. ^ "NME", 2 October 1993. 
3. ^ Young, Charles M. (2002). Classic Albums: Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols, Rolling Stone, Isis/Eagle Rock Entertainment. 
4. ^ http://rateyourmusic.com/list/unj/kerrang__50_greatest_punk_albums_ever/
5. ^ "NME", 28 January 2006. 

is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the music magazine. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See Also

Classic Albums This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...