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Pretty Vacant

"Pretty Vacant"
Pretty Vacant.jpg
Single by Sex Pistols
from the album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
B-side "No Fun"
Released 1 July 1977 (UK)
27 October 1977 (US)
15 October 2007 (30th anniversary re-issue)
Format Vinyl
Genre Punk rock
Length 3:15
Label Virgin (UK)
Warner (US)
Writer(s) Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Producer(s) Chris Thomas, Bill Price, Dave Goodman
Sex Pistols singles chronology
"God Save the Queen"
(1977)
"Pretty Vacant"
(1977)
"Holidays in the Sun"
(1977)

"Pretty Vacant" is a song by the English punk rock band the Sex Pistols. It was released on 1 July 1977 as the band's third single and was later featured on their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, released that same year. The song reached number 6 on the UK Singles Chart and marked the band's first appearance on the British music show Top of the Pops. The song gained attention for vocalist John Lydon's phrasing of the word "vacant", emphasising the last syllable to sound like the vulgar word "cunt". According to bassist Glen Matlock, the song's main riff was inspired by hearing "S.O.S." by ABBA. The B-side of the single was a cover of The Stooges' "No Fun", which the band played on the spot without a proper rehearsal. It was taken from demo sessions recorded by producer Dave Goodman.

The band made a video of "Pretty Vacant" (as well as one for "God Save the Queen") on 11 & 12 July 1977 at the studios of ITN in Wells Street, London. They were thrown out after throwing cans of lager at the cameramen on the 11th, but came back on the 12th to finish the recording.

NME magazine made it their Single of the Year in 1977. In March 2005, Q magazine placed the song at number 26 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. NME named it the 132nd greatest song of all time in 2014.

The album was reissued as a 2-CD set in 1992. A live version of the track from Filthy Lucre Live was released as a single in 1996, and a 7" picture disc was released in 2012.

"Pretty Vacant" was covered by Paul Jones in 1978.Joan Jett released a cover version on single, and Joey Ramone used the lead riff in his cover of "What a Wonderful World".


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Wikipedia

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