Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols | ||||
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Studio album by Sex Pistols | ||||
Released | 28 October 1977 | |||
Recorded | October 1976; March–June 1977; August 1977 | |||
Studio | Wessex Sound Studios, London, England | |||
Genre | Punk rock | |||
Length | 38:44 (12-track version) 34:32 (11 track version) |
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Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | ||||
Sex Pistols chronology | ||||
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Singles from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Christgau's Record Guide | A |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
Q | |
Rolling Stone | |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 10/10 |
Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols is the only studio album by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, released on 28 October 1977 by Virgin Records.
At the time of its release, the band was already extremely controversial, having sworn on live TV, been fired from two record labels, and been banned from playing live in most parts of England. The album's title added to that controversy, with some people finding the word "bollocks" offensive. Many record stores refused to carry the album and some record charts refused to list the album, showing just a blank space instead.
Close to completing a deal with A&M Records, in March 1977 Sex Pistols entered Wessex Sound Studios to record with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Bill Price. New bassist Sid Vicious played on the track "Bodies", but his performing skills were not considered fit enough to record the full album, so the band asked manager Malcolm McLaren to convince previous bassist Glen Matlock to perform the instrument for the sessions. Matlock agreed on the condition that he was paid beforehand. When payment was not received, he declined to show up. As a result, Thomas asked guitarist Steve Jones to play bass so work could begin on the basic tracks. Jones' playing was so satisfactory that Thomas had him play the bass tracks for all the remaining songs recorded during the sessions. Four tracks—-Clinton Heylin suspected they were "God Save the Queen" (Thomas stated he and Price "gave up" trying to use Vicious' bass track), "Pretty Vacant", "EMI" and possibly "Did You No Wrong"—were recorded during the two days at Wessex, with "God Save the Queen" and "Pretty Vacant" receiving vocal tracking from Johnny Rotten and final mixing during the period. As a result of these sessions, Thomas and Price began work in earnest on what would become Sex Pistols' full-length album. Four days after recording was completed, Sex Pistols signed with A&M, yet on 16 March the label terminated the contract, and several thousand pressed copies of the forthcoming "God Save the Queen" single were destroyed.