I was 16 when this song was released in 1977 and I bought their first album "Never Mind the Bollocks" in early 1978 while in my last year of high school here in Australia. I was the punk generation and am now an old bloke in my early 60's and still a young punk at heart.
1977 the Queen had her 25 year Silver Jubilee. This song and all of their songs were banned by BBC. So they rented a boat to float on the Thames River an play this song (among others) DURING the Jubilee celebration.
I'll never forget the impact the album had, when you went to the record shop as a teen, to see it in person, just to see the word 'bollocks' in print, in the open! I'm blessed to have seen so many ground breaking moments in music!
Society did everything they could to ban the LP, they went through the courts stating boĺlocks was obscene, they lost - its an old English word. When it was for sell, many stores covered in a brown paper bag.
You asked about some of the repercussions they faced. 1-their record was deemed obscene and record store owners were subject to arrest in the uk for displaying it. 2- their single was removed from the top 10. 3-a couple of the band members were physically assaulted by those who didnt appreciate their message. 4-Most of their concerts were banned and cancelled. 5- They had to tour under the name "SPOTS" (Sex Pistols on tour secretly ) to get by the ban. 5- They were arrested for performing on the river thames on the queens jubilee. I'm sure i am forgetting a couple.
What a load of crap, the record was thought to be offensive towards the Queen but not obscene and nobody got arrested for selling it, it wasn't removed from the top 10, the mainstream media of radio and tv just wouldn't play it, there's so much bullshit about these things mainly created by people who were never even there at the time.
@@RushfanUK the album was deemed obscene because of its title and a record store owner was approached by the police for displaying it in his shop window. McLaren took the case to have the album title deemed non offensive to court and a very astute lawyer won it for him by proving the the word “bollocks” was an old english reference to the clergy. To be clear I am talking about the album “Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols” which I’m sure is what the original comment maker is alluding to.
They were dropped from their record label and had to play shows outside the UK. Their lives turned into a media circus from all the attention and pretty much tore the band apart and ended their career
This was released in the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee (25 years on the throne), so lots of parades, fireworks, street parties and flag waving. This contrasts strongly with that, at a time when most Brits were still quite patriotic (youth never are!). Nowadays, I think most Brits think Queen Elizabeth is quite admirable, the monarchy itself not so much. "Heirs and Successors", and therein the trouble lies!
When they're talking about no future it's because Great Britain's economy was in the toilet in the 70's and there were no jobs for the working class. I really appreciate your analysis BTW, you have an astute grasp of punk musics' influence on later bands.
At the time the queen’s jubilee celebration was going on, whilst the UK was in shambles. They put tons of money into the celebration while the common English population had no jobs. When The Sex Pistols played their first gigs in the UK they sparked many of great bands to form. That’s how influential they were. True Punk founders
Thanks mate, I grew up in the late 70's and early 80's.. And I knew straight from the start that it was more than just an offensive band to piss everyone else off. It came from school. We were told that they were the enemy, and we had no future whatsoever in life because my handwriting was shite. I could not see why with my 11 year old brain. Surely we have been vindicated!! ATB and P+L.. Nick
This was considered so outrageous at the time, it was the number one song in England for weeks. They didn't print the song title on the charts, just left the spot blank.
Number 1 was actually Rod Stewart, though that was allegedly due to the charts being rigged and not counting sales from independent stores, which is were most punk vinyl was sold. Interesting side note, Steve Jones is a big Rod Stewart fan.
I recall hearing this the first time here in the US. I loved out in the sticks but had heard the uproar over this single. The way everyone was so appalled, I figured it sounded - awful? Anyway, the fella on the radio played and I said, ‘what’s the big deal? This is rock!’ I was sold.
I was 14 when I heard this. Went out and bought the album the very next day. Changed my life. Being a punk in 1977 was pretty radical. Get arrested for walking down the street. Get beat down by as,3
When the police came to arrest them and asked which one was Johnny Rotten, Johnny pointed to the band’s manager Malcolm McLaren, whom he despised, and said “there goes that scoundrel now, get him!”
@@joekidd1057 They were banned from playing almost everywhere after being ludicrously slandered by the right-wing tabloids as public enemies #1. (And swearing on TV. GASP!) That much is true. They did also play on a boat, but not on the ocean. As this footage shows, they launched their amazing single "God Save the Queen" drifting down the somewhat less treacherous waters of the River Thames in the wake of the royal barge. (The late queen was marking her 50th anniversary on the throne at the time.) I think some of them got arrested for their impertinence too.
For "roots" punk, you need to hear Stiff Little Fingers. An Irish band, their developmental years were during "The Troubles," when Northern Ireland was basically at war with Britain. Punk was born of anger, of youth raging at the sh*t they were being expected to live with, at the injustice of inequality and class division. So, considering the above, have a listen to Stiff Little Fingers' "Suspect Device."
Having retired (time flies) I have just moved from London down to the south coast to a town quite close to where my family and I stayed during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977; I recall a bonfire on the beach with parents and their friends. At the time this really was a shock to the system. It was - some say artificially - kept off number 1 In the record charts to avoid official blushes, and hardly played on the radio. A classmate got excluded from School for chalking the lyrics on a blackboard. Given this is 45 years ago, this is amazing. I think that the crazy thing is that ‘45 years ago’ in 1977 was 1932; can you imagine, counterfactually, a ‘me’ doing a reaction video to a song from 1932 in 1977? Mr Rotten/Lydon still has some interesting views. I don’t agree with all of them, but at least he is far from anodyne. Apart from family and old personal friends, he would be one of the three people I would have to my ‘imaginary dinner party’, I think (and the only one still alive!). Actions speak louder than words, and I get the impression he is, whilst awkward, quite an unpresumingly kind person,, too! Would love to meet him!
The Sex Pistols are true "punk" . I lived through that era as a kid - loved every track of their album. My record was worn out from replays !! Loved it
This song was released during the Queen's 25th anniversary of her coronation. And, there's a video of the Sex Pistols on a boat, playing this song, trolling along behind Her Majesty & the ship she was on.
If you watch the documentary 'The Filth and The Fury', you'll have a greater appreciation and understanding of the song as it perfectly explains the situation in the UK at the time.
They put her business on the street! She was put on full blast! Give thanks for living in a system that allows us to express true shit like this!!! I'm sure many places on this beautiful earth you would be disposed of quickly for expressing yourself this way. The Pistols were F.....G Great!
They got beaten up in the streets over this song. I think it made it to the top of the charts as a blank spot -- though I might be thinking only of "Anarchy In The UK". This video was shot at the boat that they played on to crash the Queen's jubilee celebration. Alex Cox re-creates it in the film "Sid & Nancy" -- and, seriously, I watched that depressing movie every day for weeks after getting home from classes, until my housemates took the tape away from me. :-)
What people tend to ignore with the Sex Pistols, because of the lyrics, image, attitude etc, is that the music is still great. Great tunes with energy, without going over the top. The anger comes through the music, rather than just trying to be more and more extreme. Despite their songs not getting airplay, they sold a huge amount of records. This would have been the No.1 single in the UK upon release, had the official charts not temporarily excluded some shops they knew would sell a lot of copies. Even then, it got to No.2. The album did make No.1. Punk, in this era, was much bigger in the UK than it was in the USA. Conversely, the punk hardcore scene was bigger in the USA than it was here.
on a side note, it's funny how I see a few videos here and there that were shown on "Rage", which is a music video show that is free to air on a government funded TV channel here in AUS.
You need to check out their first single 'Anarchy in the UK'. After their notorious TV interview the women at the packing plant refused to handle the single, so it became impossible to get hold of and only reached 37 in the charts before they got ditched by the record company (EMI). I could only get hold of an imported copy from France.
The story of this song and video is pretty interesting! As others mentioned, it was the Queens Silver Jubilee, for 25yrs in service, and the Pistols followed the Queen’s flotilla down the Thames, playing this song. Needless to say, the Queen did NOT approve and police tried to get rid of them.
I was in the UK the summer of 1977 with my parents. I was all excited, thinking I’d get to hear all this new music. The top hits on BBC radio? Kenny Roger’s Lucille, and the combine harvester song set to the Melanie song about roller skates. Elvis died while we were there so lots of Elvis. That’s when I really understood Elvis Costello’s ‘Radio, Radio’ song. Funny add on - we lived in a semi rural area. A few weeks before we left to visit England, the local rock station made a big deal about getting a copy of God Save the Queen. I was dying to hear it as everyone was so shocked and appalled by ii; no one I knew had or was going to buy a copy. When they played it I thought, this is rock and roll. I liked it but I was always a big fan of satire and social commentary. Not shocked by the lyrics, I didn’t get the outrage. It was only years later when I first heard Throbbing Gristle that I realized I was expecting to hear something like that, weird and experimental.
Glad to see someone with insight and intelligence listening open mindedly. Yep, the song was banned on radio and TV. It got to the top of the UK charts, but the number 1 listing was simply left blank. The Pistols represented what so many of us felt during the early 70's, then they gave us a focus.
Oh, and another thing I just remembered. If you ask very nicely (like I did) you can go down into the basement of number 6/7 Denmark Street, (which used to be London's "Tin Pan Alley" the heart of the music scene) and you can still see the 46 year old magic marker scrawlings on the wall that Sex Pistols did when it was their base for writing, rehearsing and recording early demos. It's now a Grade II listed 17th century property and was given special protection by Historic England.
Malciolm mclaren their manager kinda put the band together to promote his clothes shop called Sex i belive. And his plan was to create a reputation about the band and there by getting them banned everywhere which resulted in more album sales. But it got kinda hard for the band they got a lot of hate and could not play anywhere. In the end he sent them on a tour in the U.s south where most people still though The Beatles was long haired and loud.
Great Reaction and Thanks for allowing us to see the video, my friend. Then Johnny met and married a Publishing Multi-Millionaire Heiress, as you do when you are a Punk :) It was no gimmick as they have been married for 45 years now and he is caring for her and deserves great credit.... "E R " which was being burned stands for "Elizabeth Regina" = The Queen :)
Dude you have NO idea how much media frenzy, hysteria & controversy the Sex Pistols created over this & also when they were interviewed on an evening chat show & uttered certain 4-letter words - just unthinkable at that time
Sex Pistols!!!! The beginning and end of punk. Checkout Johnny Rootten(lead vocals) band after the Pistols, he wanted to make music that was unclassifiable...Public Image Limited or PiL for short.... the song Acid Drops is a good introduction
PiL or Public Image Ltd was a groundbreaking post-punk, avant-garde band that heavily influenced many ‘80s acts like U2. It was formed in late 1978. It has had many musical transformations and many line up changes, but singer John Lydon - formerly Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols - is the only member on every album. High-lights song include Public Image, Pop Tones, The Order of Death, This Is Not a Love Song, Seattle, FFF, Rise, Warrior, Disappointed, Acid Drops, Covered,
This song was discussed in Parliament, to see if they could charge the lyricist, John Lydon, with Treason. Treason was still punishable by hanging at the time. Lydon/Rotten was 19 when he wrote this.
Just about any Sex Pistols song is worth listening to! My personal favorite is “Pretty Vacant. Buy, or download Their one official LP called “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols” there’s not a bad song on it. They do some killer covers of The Who’s “Substitute” and The Stooges ”No Fun” among others. Also, try to find some live recordings from the Autumn of 1976 when Glen Matlock was in the band, he wrote most of the music, and buried Sid as a bassist, Sid should have just been a lead singer for his own band, cos he had look, attitude, and had a pretty damn good singing voice, but history played out a bit differently. Personally, I think they sounded best live in November of 1976. Cheers!
The song was outlawed in England at the time. So the Sex Pistols got a boat, set up and played a concert plus this song while they were on the Thames river right outside her Castle on her 25th Anniversary. The police were waiting at the docks to arrest them and kick the shit outta them.
If you haven't tried out some Aussie punk try songs from Radio Birdman The Saints and The Exploding White Mice Paul McCartney said and I quote "The Sex Pistols are another band playing Chuck Berry." and I don't think he was wrong but they sure made an impact
Now, if I remember correctly, and I haven't read up on this band in over 20 years, they may have been unofficially labeled as enemies of the crown. The Queen and Parliament were out to stop these guys. They started a youth rebellion that was gaining steam. A song like this, and what they were creating also could have been considered a crime against the crown. Their fame exploded and not much could be done to silence them, other bands that formed, or the movement.
They had an "open file" with MI5, which would be comparable to being under ongoing investigation by the FBI...The BBC and other trade papers refused to list this song on printed charts when it went to Number One. It just said #1) ___________
Saw the Pistols in the States, 78. Insane band and audience to be sure. Pull up the list of bands who performed at CBGB’s. It’s a who’s who, of Punk and New Wave. I’ve got a Jonnie Rotten memory from the show, where he returns to the stage alone, just before the encore, grabs the mic and tells an out of control crowd to, “Have Fucking Patience.” No one returned for 15 to 20 minutes. I thought they’d burn the place to the ground. However, my reason to see them was to hear Steve Jones play live. His sound blows me away to this day! 🤘🤘Never Mind The Bollocks! 👈
If you like early punk you might want to listen to the Saints perform "Stranded". They're an Aussie band that pre-dates the Sex Pistols by a couple of years or more. They never made it big in the UK because they looked like bogans, not punk. They regarded punk as music not as a fashion statement. This bands music style heavily influenced bands like the Sex Pistols.
Brilliant band, and song! Good shout! The Runaways were great as well, Joan Jett and Lita Ford both got their starts, and their debut was released in early ‘76. The Dictators are another band that should be contthe first punk band in New York, because “Go Girl Crazy” came out in late ‘75. There are a lot of “proto-punk bands like the Dolls, Stooges, MC5 and bands like Death, and Pure Hell, who both get the honors of being the first all black punk bands!
i love this album. i still spin it, i also do arts crafts w tunes with my four year old - where we do arts crafts and often legos while i spin records ... the really digs the Specials, Cramps, Dead Kennedys, Skinny Puppy and the Sex Pistols... nothing like telling her how I grew up on these bands in the 80s to have her look up and say "Daddy, i am growing up listening to the Specials"
God save the Queen. She ain't no human being. Loved it.The song came out on the Queens silver jubilee.They played on the Thames River and they got arrested .They only got 5000 Singles pressed and it got banned.
What made this song so ironical was that Johnny was Irish and we know how bitter the queen was toward the Irish. In England at the time there was a lot hatred, and racism toward the Irish, the blacks of Europe. Interrelating this song knocked thriller by Michael Jackson off the number 1 hits on the British charts
I heard this in the states in the early 80s and bought their first album. There was controversy and I loved the sound of the music more than the punk scene although I dressed all wild like the punks and went to the dance clubs and went to punk shows because it was a new and rebellious scene
The greatest punk band ever was and still is Stiff Little Fingers. You really should check out their stuff [with lyrics]. 'Alternative Ulster', 'The Cosh', 'Half A Life Away', 'Is That Why You Fought The War?', 'Each Dollar A Bullet', and many other great songs.
The video shows them going down The Thames River in London on the Queens 50th Jubilee. With this song being played by them. The song later got released.
The song was a hit even though it was banned on the radio. On the charts it was just blanked. There were a violent backlash against the band from royalists. The drummer was assaulted and the singer Johnny Rotten was slashed. Most of their gigs were cancelled by local authorities.
The influence on the UK punk scene came , in part , from New York. Check out a band called The Heartbreakers aka Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers… Songs Too Much Junkie Business or Born to Lose or Chinese Rocks.. the visual will be important as well..
I would recommend the lyrics of some of the Stiff Little Fingers songs, tells the story of life in Northern Ireland during the "troubles". Suspect Device, Tin Soldiers etc. Miles better than the Pistols.
The sex pistols were at one point banned from performing anywhere in the UK, and they had to come to the USA. In the US south, there was a time Johnny Rotten (the lead singer) was almost shot.
I love that part where Johnny sings “And our figurehead is not what she seems’ and does his own personal impression of Queen Elizabeth. It cracks me up every time. People did love their Queen though didn’t they ? A few years later the Housemartins described them as ‘The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death’…”Even though their kids were starving they all thought their Queen was charming.”
If you still react to punk rock and want to see something that literally got the band in trouble, you should watch the band JMKE and their song "Tere Perestroika". They were formed in Estonia when Soviet Union still existed and they made punk that criticized the Soviet system by praising it way too absurdly. The frontman Villu Tamme spent time in a mental asulym because he had the band and wrote and performed those songs. The most iconic video of the song is them playing it live on Finnish television. Finland (my country) was still back then very much licking Soviet arse at every turn and playing that song on air caused quite a bit of stir in Finland too. Soviet Union collapsed soon after and Estonia regained their independence. JMKE was actually a pretty important piece in the Estonian "singing revolution".
Dude! Listen to the “Bad Brains” (got the name from a Ramones song!) their from DC , first cassette 1982,an all black hardcore punk band.!!Amazing… one of theeee best bands ever. They’d play really smooth reggae RIGHT into the most BLISTERING hardcore!
The band rented a boat and followed the Queen during her Jubilee celebration. They were all arrested. The video has the funny clip of their manager being arrested when you hear them say "Malcolm's being arrested."
The Sex Pistols were repeatedly violently assaulted on the streets of the UK after this song was released. The Queen is a hugely respected figure in Britain. Ironically, Johnny Rotten / Lydon nowadays admires the Queen.
Stumbled across your bizzo and subscribed. I'm a 52 yo Australian Punk and love the whole spectrum of the genre and slap me silly I also made an Oath to the Queen when I was a Soldier in the Royal Australian Army.
The record companies don't mind you playing the videos. Normally it's usually the entity holding the publishing rights blocking the video. Often times the publishing holder is a separate from the record labels.
Here's a handful of 70s punk tunes to spin... Saints- This Perfect Day Damned- Neat Neat Neat Rezillos- Destination Venus Pagans- Street Where Nobody Lives Pointed Sticks- Out Of Luck
It was the Queens Jubilee in ‘77’s, really enjoyed your reaction. I’d love to see you react to more Sex Pistols & John Lydons band Public Image Ltd “RISE” was a hit song.
P.S you may want to check out the “Runaways” which feature Joan Jett and Lita Ford in their first bands, the Dictators from Yonkers, who’s debut album “Go Girl Crazy” was released almost a year before the Ramones seminal debut album was, and definitely check out Pure Hell from Philly and Death from Detroit, both are widely known as the first all black punk bands. There’s also the MC5, also from Detroit, the New York Dolls, and the Stooges who featured Iggy Pop. Theses are all “must listen” for understanding the evolution of punk, which can go back to the mid ‘60’ with bands like The Monks and The Sonics, who, were a Seattle band 25 years before Seattle invented “grunge” The Sonics are brilliant.
When this song was released and became #1, it was blacklisted by the royal family and parliament. That week, there was no #1 in the UK charts. In hindsight, it’s the highest honor you can get.
Probably right up there with bob Dylan's "like a rolling stone" and the beatles "a day in the life" as the greatest song ever. One album, and they got it completely perfect on their only attempt.
There have been 3 songs banned from play on radio and TV by the BBC and others. JeT'aime, by, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin (sexual content). God Save The Queen, by, The Sex Pistols (anti monarchy and in a Queens Jubilee year). And, Ding Dong The Witch is Dead, from the Wizard of Oz (went straight to no.1, when former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died (loved by the rich, Conservatives, hated by everyone else. Spontaneous street parties in many cities across the UK speaks volumes eh?).
I'm glad you picked on the huge element of humour that runs through British punk. It's black, gallows humour but it helps us keep a sense of proportion - it stops our heroes getting unmitigated adulation, as we're always looking to take the mickey out of them.
These dudes got fired from 2 record companies in the same day. Classic. They had to come to the US to tour. Nobody would let them play in the UK. If you had a venue there would be repercussions from the govt.
This song is a great early punk song. The Sex Pistols were telling the monarchy to go straight to Hell. It is raw and catchy. Everytime I hear about the royals I think of this song.
I was 16 when this song was released in 1977 and I bought their first album "Never Mind the Bollocks" in early 1978 while in my last year of high school here in Australia. I was the punk generation and am now an old bloke in my early 60's and still a young punk at heart.
1977 the Queen had her 25 year Silver Jubilee. This song and all of their songs were banned by BBC. So they rented a boat to float on the Thames River an play this song (among others) DURING the Jubilee celebration.
i'm old enough to remember this
I'll never forget the impact the album had, when you went to the record shop as a teen, to see it in person, just to see the word 'bollocks' in print, in the open! I'm blessed to have seen so many ground breaking moments in music!
Society did everything they could to ban the LP, they went through the courts stating boĺlocks was obscene, they lost - its an old English word. When it was for sell, many stores covered
in a brown paper bag.
You asked about some of the repercussions they faced. 1-their record was deemed obscene and record store owners were subject to arrest in the uk for displaying it. 2- their single was removed from the top 10. 3-a couple of the band members were physically assaulted by those who didnt appreciate their message. 4-Most of their concerts were banned and cancelled. 5- They had to tour under the name "SPOTS" (Sex Pistols on tour secretly ) to get by the ban. 5- They were arrested for performing on the river thames on the queens jubilee. I'm sure i am forgetting a couple.
What a load of crap, the record was thought to be offensive towards the Queen but not obscene and nobody got arrested for selling it, it wasn't removed from the top 10, the mainstream media of radio and tv just wouldn't play it, there's so much bullshit about these things mainly created by people who were never even there at the time.
@@RushfanUK all three of your counterpoints have been thoroughly disproven. Have a nice day.
@@RushfanUK the album was deemed obscene because of its title and a record store owner was approached by the police for displaying it in his shop window. McLaren took the case to have the album title deemed non offensive to court and a very astute lawyer won it for him by proving the the word “bollocks” was an old english reference to the clergy. To be clear I am talking about the album “Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols” which I’m sure is what the original comment maker is alluding to.
The single wasn't removed from the top 10, it was dropped from the Number 1 spot to the Number 2 spot.
They were dropped from their record label and had to play shows outside the UK. Their lives turned into a media circus from all the attention and pretty much tore the band apart and ended their career
This was released in the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee (25 years on the throne), so lots of parades, fireworks, street parties and flag waving. This contrasts strongly with that, at a time when most Brits were still quite patriotic (youth never are!). Nowadays, I think most Brits think Queen Elizabeth is quite admirable, the monarchy itself not so much. "Heirs and Successors", and therein the trouble lies!
they are stupid
When they're talking about no future it's because Great Britain's economy was in the toilet in the 70's and there were no jobs for the working class. I really appreciate your analysis BTW, you have an astute grasp of punk musics' influence on later bands.
Cannot agree more. And for a todays American to grasp 70's UK politics
in music shows real intelligence..
Yes, but I wouldn't use the term 'lower' classes.
@@rightroyalpain1 Yeah I agree I changed it to working class.
At the time the queen’s jubilee celebration was going on, whilst the UK was in shambles. They put tons of money into the celebration while the common English population had no jobs. When The Sex Pistols played their first gigs in the UK they sparked many of great bands to form. That’s how influential they were. True Punk founders
Thanks mate, I grew up in the late 70's and early 80's.. And I knew straight from the start that it was more than just an offensive band to piss everyone else off. It came from school. We were told that they were the enemy, and we had no future whatsoever in life because my handwriting was shite. I could not see why with my 11 year old brain. Surely we have been vindicated!! ATB and P+L.. Nick
This was not just another punk rock band this was the band that started the whole thing not just another punk rock band
This was considered so outrageous at the time, it was the number one song in England for weeks. They didn't print the song title on the charts, just left the spot blank.
That's true, number 1 was left blank :)
Number 1 was actually Rod Stewart, though that was allegedly due to the charts being rigged and not counting sales from independent stores, which is were most punk vinyl was sold. Interesting side note, Steve Jones is a big Rod Stewart fan.
I recall hearing this the first time here in the US. I loved out in the sticks but had heard the uproar over this single. The way everyone was so appalled, I figured it sounded - awful? Anyway, the fella on the radio played and I said, ‘what’s the big deal? This is rock!’ I was sold.
They were teenagers when they wrote this, the lyrics are incredible and it's as relivent today as it ever was .
Not teenagers, but close.
Without being pedantic three of them were 19 when it was written ...
Insulting queen Elizabeth let’s see anyone even try to do and endure her 70 years of responsibility! Grow up
Bunch of brats
I didn’t see the position advertised, so missed the opportunity to see if I could have done a better job .
I was 14 when I heard this. Went out and bought the album the very next day. Changed my life.
Being a punk in 1977 was pretty radical. Get arrested for walking down the street. Get beat down by as,3
Me too 🙏🏼🇬🇧
When the police came to arrest them and asked which one was Johnny Rotten, Johnny pointed to the band’s manager Malcolm McLaren, whom he despised, and said “there goes that scoundrel now, get him!”
"Scoundrel" Love it! 🤣
The first UK punk release was back in '76, and you should try it. "New Rose" by The Damned. It's a boisterous gem!
Didn't they get kicked out of England 4 awile and did a show on a boat on the ocean.
@@joekidd1057 They were banned from playing almost everywhere after being ludicrously slandered by the right-wing tabloids as public enemies #1. (And swearing on TV. GASP!) That much is true. They did also play on a boat, but not on the ocean. As this footage shows, they launched their amazing single "God Save the Queen" drifting down the somewhat less treacherous waters of the River Thames in the wake of the royal barge. (The late queen was marking her 50th anniversary on the throne at the time.) I think some of them got arrested for their impertinence too.
For "roots" punk, you need to hear Stiff Little Fingers. An Irish band, their developmental years were during "The Troubles," when Northern Ireland was basically at war with Britain.
Punk was born of anger, of youth raging at the sh*t they were being expected to live with, at the injustice of inequality and class division.
So, considering the above, have a listen to Stiff Little Fingers' "Suspect Device."
I second that. The album version for me. Bit more 'beef' to it. Always sounds ferocious.
Your right about an Irish influence but it’s from a guy named Eddie Cochran
"No Feelings" is one of my favourites especially because the "bridge" or "solo" part is so uplifting in a strange way
This song hit the number one spot on the charts but wasn't acknowledged by the industry.
"🎼🎵...there's no future in England's drrreamin'...🎶"
R.I.P Queeney☠
Having retired (time flies) I have just moved from London down to the south coast to a town quite close to where my family and I stayed during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977; I recall a bonfire on the beach with parents and their friends. At the time this really was a shock to the system. It was - some say artificially - kept off number 1 In the record charts to avoid official blushes, and hardly played on the radio. A classmate got excluded from School for chalking the lyrics on a blackboard. Given this is 45 years ago, this is amazing. I think that the crazy thing is that ‘45 years ago’ in 1977 was 1932; can you imagine, counterfactually, a ‘me’ doing a reaction video to a song from 1932 in 1977? Mr Rotten/Lydon still has some interesting views. I don’t agree with all of them, but at least he is far from anodyne. Apart from family and old personal friends, he would be one of the three people I would have to my ‘imaginary dinner party’, I think (and the only one still alive!). Actions speak louder than words, and I get the impression he is, whilst awkward, quite an unpresumingly kind person,, too! Would love to meet him!
The Sex Pistols are true "punk" . I lived through that era as a kid - loved every track of their album. My record was worn out from replays !! Loved it
This song was released during the Queen's 25th anniversary of her coronation. And, there's a video of the Sex Pistols on a boat, playing this song, trolling along behind Her Majesty & the ship she was on.
If you watch the documentary 'The Filth and The Fury', you'll have a greater appreciation and understanding of the song as it perfectly explains the situation in the UK at the time.
God Save the Queen the record was banned in the UK
Damn lol
1977 had mass unenployment in the uk. Also a lot of strikes happening and it was the queens silver jubilee
You should listen to Pretty Vacant, Bodies, Holidays in the Sun, really brilliant, musically and lyrically.
The song was banned by the BBC, which meant no TV or radio plays. It also meant everyone had to go out and buy it, so it became a massive no. 1 hit!
As a 58 year old man this is the thing that change my life!!!!
They put her business on the street! She was put on full blast! Give thanks for living in a system that allows us to express true shit like this!!! I'm sure many places on this beautiful earth you would be disposed of quickly for expressing yourself this way. The Pistols were F.....G Great!
You want the Sex Pistols to give thanks for living in the UK?
They got beaten up in the streets over this song. I think it made it to the top of the charts as a blank spot -- though I might be thinking only of "Anarchy In The UK". This video was shot at the boat that they played on to crash the Queen's jubilee celebration. Alex Cox re-creates it in the film "Sid & Nancy" -- and, seriously, I watched that depressing movie every day for weeks after getting home from classes, until my housemates took the tape away from me. :-)
They deserved a beaten. They can’t even begin to shine her shoes
What people tend to ignore with the Sex Pistols, because of the lyrics, image, attitude etc, is that the music is still great. Great tunes with energy, without going over the top. The anger comes through the music, rather than just trying to be more and more extreme. Despite their songs not getting airplay, they sold a huge amount of records. This would have been the No.1 single in the UK upon release, had the official charts not temporarily excluded some shops they knew would sell a lot of copies. Even then, it got to No.2. The album did make No.1. Punk, in this era, was much bigger in the UK than it was in the USA. Conversely, the punk hardcore scene was bigger in the USA than it was here.
He actually was saying there's no future for the royal family and that he and his kind were the future
on a side note, it's funny how I see a few videos here and there that were shown on "Rage", which is a music video show that is free to air on a government funded TV channel here in AUS.
You need to check out their first single 'Anarchy in the UK'.
After their notorious TV interview the women at the packing plant refused to handle the single, so it became impossible to get hold of and only reached 37 in the charts before they got ditched by the record company (EMI). I could only get hold of an imported copy from France.
F**k yeah !
The story of this song and video is pretty interesting! As others mentioned, it was the Queens Silver Jubilee, for 25yrs in service, and the Pistols followed the Queen’s flotilla down the Thames, playing this song. Needless to say, the Queen did NOT approve and police tried to get rid of them.
I was in the UK the summer of 1977 with my parents. I was all excited, thinking I’d get to hear all this new music. The top hits on BBC radio? Kenny Roger’s Lucille, and the combine harvester song set to the Melanie song about roller skates. Elvis died while we were there so lots of Elvis.
That’s when I really understood Elvis Costello’s ‘Radio, Radio’ song.
Funny add on - we lived in a semi rural area. A few weeks before we left to visit England, the local rock station made a big deal about getting a copy of God Save the Queen. I was dying to hear it as everyone was so shocked and appalled by ii; no one I knew had or was going to buy a copy. When they played it I thought, this is rock and roll. I liked it but I was always a big fan of satire and social commentary. Not shocked by the lyrics, I didn’t get the outrage. It was only years later when I first heard Throbbing Gristle that I realized I was expecting to hear something like that, weird and experimental.
Drummer Paul Cook and family were local to us in Hammersmith, London. He and his mates rewired our house!
Glad to see someone with insight and intelligence listening open mindedly. Yep, the song was banned on radio and TV. It got to the top of the UK charts, but the number 1 listing was simply left blank. The Pistols represented what so many of us felt during the early 70's, then they gave us a focus.
Oh, and another thing I just remembered. If you ask very nicely (like I did) you can go down into the basement of number 6/7 Denmark Street, (which used to be London's "Tin Pan Alley" the heart of the music scene) and you can still see the 46 year old magic marker scrawlings on the wall that Sex Pistols did when it was their base for writing, rehearsing and recording early demos. It's now a Grade II listed 17th century property and was given special protection by Historic England.
Malciolm mclaren their manager kinda put the band together to promote his clothes shop called Sex i belive.
And his plan was to create a reputation about the band and there by getting them banned everywhere which resulted in more album sales.
But it got kinda hard for the band they got a lot of hate and could not play anywhere.
In the end he sent them on a tour in the U.s south where most people still though The Beatles was long haired and loud.
Loved punk ska reggae growing up great times
Great Reaction and Thanks for allowing us to see the video, my friend.
Then Johnny met and married a Publishing Multi-Millionaire Heiress, as you do when you are a Punk :)
It was no gimmick as they have been married for 45 years now and he is caring for her and deserves great credit....
"E R " which was being burned stands for "Elizabeth Regina" = The Queen :)
Dude you have NO idea how much media frenzy, hysteria & controversy the Sex Pistols created over this & also when they were interviewed on an evening chat show & uttered certain 4-letter words - just unthinkable at that time
This song was a big hit in Sweden besides Abba, Sweet, Kiss and so on. The song was played on the radiostations 24/7. 👌🎸🕺👍🤪
Sex Pistols!!!!
The beginning and end of punk.
Checkout Johnny Rootten(lead vocals) band after the Pistols, he wanted to make music that was unclassifiable...Public Image Limited or PiL for short.... the song Acid Drops is a good introduction
I really like ' Disappointed' by PIL.
Public Image (the song) and This Is Not A Love Song
PiL or Public Image Ltd was a groundbreaking post-punk, avant-garde band that heavily influenced many ‘80s acts like U2. It was formed in late 1978. It has had many musical transformations and many line up changes, but singer John Lydon - formerly Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols - is the only member on every album. High-lights song include Public Image, Pop Tones, The Order of Death, This Is Not a Love Song, Seattle, FFF, Rise, Warrior, Disappointed, Acid Drops, Covered,
The song 'Public Image" was PIL's best.
@@dmac8949 it was definitely their most Sex Pistols-like song
This song was discussed in Parliament, to see if they could charge the lyricist, John Lydon, with Treason. Treason was still punishable by hanging at the time. Lydon/Rotten was 19 when he wrote this.
Despite being banned on commercial radio in the UK, "God Save the Queen" was #2 on the record charts. ...The #1 slot was left blank.
I was in high school when the album came out. I still love it. Most of the other kids were listening to more mainstream rock.
Just about any Sex Pistols song is worth listening to! My personal favorite is “Pretty Vacant. Buy, or download
Their one official LP called “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols” there’s not a bad song on it.
They do some killer covers of The Who’s “Substitute” and The Stooges ”No Fun” among others. Also, try to find some live recordings from the Autumn of 1976 when Glen Matlock was in the band, he wrote most of the music, and buried Sid as a bassist, Sid should have just been a lead singer for his own band, cos he had look, attitude, and had a pretty damn good singing voice, but history played out a bit differently. Personally, I think they sounded best live in November of 1976. Cheers!
The song was outlawed in England at the time. So the Sex Pistols got a boat, set up and played a concert plus this song while they were on the Thames river right outside her Castle on her 25th Anniversary.
The police were waiting at the docks to arrest them and kick the shit outta them.
Anarchy in the UK, Bodies, Holidays in the Sun...
If you haven't tried out some Aussie punk try songs from Radio Birdman The Saints and The Exploding White Mice
Paul McCartney said and I quote "The Sex Pistols are another band playing Chuck Berry." and I don't think he was wrong but they sure made an impact
Now, if I remember correctly, and I haven't read up on this band in over 20 years, they may have been unofficially labeled as enemies of the crown. The Queen and Parliament were out to stop these guys. They started a youth rebellion that was gaining steam.
A song like this, and what they were creating also could have been considered a crime against the crown. Their fame exploded and not much could be done to silence them, other bands that formed, or the movement.
They had an "open file" with MI5, which would be comparable to being under ongoing investigation by the FBI...The BBC and other trade papers refused to list this song on printed charts when it went to Number One. It just said #1) ___________
Rubbish
Saw the Pistols in the States, 78. Insane band and audience to be sure. Pull up the list of bands who performed at CBGB’s. It’s a who’s who, of Punk and New Wave. I’ve got a Jonnie Rotten memory from the show, where he returns to the stage alone, just before the encore, grabs the mic and tells an out of control crowd to, “Have Fucking Patience.” No one returned for 15 to 20 minutes. I thought they’d burn the place to the ground. However, my reason to see them was to hear Steve Jones play live. His sound blows me away to this day! 🤘🤘Never Mind The Bollocks! 👈
If you like early punk you might want to listen to the Saints perform "Stranded". They're an Aussie band that pre-dates the Sex Pistols by a couple of years or more. They never made it big in the UK because they looked like bogans, not punk. They regarded punk as music not as a fashion statement. This bands music style heavily influenced bands like the Sex Pistols.
Brilliant band, and song! Good shout!
The Runaways were great as well, Joan Jett and Lita Ford both got their starts, and their debut was released in early ‘76.
The Dictators are another band that should be contthe first punk band in New York, because “Go Girl Crazy” came out in late ‘75.
There are a lot of “proto-punk bands like the Dolls, Stooges, MC5 and bands like Death, and Pure Hell, who both get the honors of being the first all black punk bands!
i love this album. i still spin it, i also do arts crafts w tunes with my four year old - where we do arts crafts and often legos while i spin records ... the really digs the Specials, Cramps, Dead Kennedys, Skinny Puppy and the Sex Pistols...
nothing like telling her how I grew up on these bands in the 80s to have her look up and say "Daddy, i am growing up listening to the Specials"
God save the Queen.
She ain't no human being.
Loved it.The song came out on the Queens silver jubilee.They played on the Thames River and they got arrested .They only got 5000 Singles pressed and it got banned.
What made this song so ironical was that Johnny was Irish and we know how bitter the queen was toward the Irish. In England at the time there was a lot hatred, and racism toward the Irish, the blacks of Europe. Interrelating this song knocked thriller by Michael Jackson off the number 1 hits on the British charts
I heard this in the states in the early 80s and bought their first album. There was controversy and I loved the sound of the music more than the punk scene although I dressed all wild like the punks and went to the dance clubs and went to punk shows because it was a new and rebellious scene
John Lydon opened many minds in the 70s. He's changed since.
The greatest punk band ever was and still is Stiff Little Fingers. You really should check out their stuff [with lyrics]. 'Alternative Ulster', 'The Cosh', 'Half A Life Away', 'Is That Why You Fought The War?', 'Each Dollar A Bullet', and many other great songs.
The video shows them going down The Thames River in London on the Queens 50th Jubilee. With this song being played by them. The song later got released.
Dr Feelgood Malpractice, the whole album
Check out X-Ray Spex "Oh Bondage Up Yours." Poly Styrene was the 1st black female punk lead singer and her voice and lyrics were so ahead of her time
The song was a hit even though it was banned on the radio. On the charts it was just blanked. There were a violent backlash against the band from royalists. The drummer was assaulted and the singer Johnny Rotten was slashed. Most of their gigs were cancelled by local authorities.
The influence on the UK punk scene came , in part , from New York. Check out a band called The Heartbreakers aka Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers… Songs Too Much Junkie Business or Born to Lose or Chinese Rocks.. the visual will be important as well..
The Ramones & other New Wave groups were retroactively labeled Punk Rock. The Sex Pistols were always labeled Punk Rock.
I would recommend the lyrics of some of the Stiff Little Fingers songs, tells the story of life in Northern Ireland during the "troubles". Suspect Device, Tin Soldiers etc. Miles better than the Pistols.
The sex pistols were at one point banned from performing anywhere in the UK, and they had to come to the USA. In the US south, there was a time Johnny Rotten (the lead singer) was almost shot.
I was 20 when this song came out and the entire genre of punk rock.
I love that part where Johnny sings “And our figurehead is not what she seems’ and does his own personal impression of Queen Elizabeth. It cracks me up every time. People did love their Queen though didn’t they ? A few years later the Housemartins described them as ‘The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death’…”Even though their kids were starving they all thought their Queen was charming.”
If you still react to punk rock and want to see something that literally got the band in trouble, you should watch the band JMKE and their song "Tere Perestroika". They were formed in Estonia when Soviet Union still existed and they made punk that criticized the Soviet system by praising it way too absurdly. The frontman Villu Tamme spent time in a mental asulym because he had the band and wrote and performed those songs.
The most iconic video of the song is them playing it live on Finnish television. Finland (my country) was still back then very much licking Soviet arse at every turn and playing that song on air caused quite a bit of stir in Finland too. Soviet Union collapsed soon after and Estonia regained their independence. JMKE was actually a pretty important piece in the Estonian "singing revolution".
The song called bodies by the pistols is a powerful thing.
Dude! Listen to the “Bad Brains” (got the name from a Ramones song!) their from DC , first cassette 1982,an all black hardcore punk band.!!Amazing… one of theeee best bands ever. They’d play really smooth reggae RIGHT into the most BLISTERING hardcore!
The band rented a boat and followed the Queen during her Jubilee celebration. They were all arrested. The video has the funny clip of their manager being arrested when you hear them say "Malcolm's being arrested."
Punk lasted 2 years. Then new wave. Punk was British 🇬🇧.you had to be there. God love you for trying, black American lol8
People now don't realize what a hand grenade thrown into the middle of the pop music world this was at the time.
The title of the song was actually "No Future"
One of the greatest songs ever (even if not technically complex).
It was the Queens Silver Jubilee that year.
Its amazing to think that with the enormous impact they had they only released one album and existed for only two years
The Sex Pistols were repeatedly violently assaulted on the streets of the UK after this song was released. The Queen is a hugely respected figure in Britain. Ironically, Johnny Rotten / Lydon nowadays admires the Queen.
It was released as a single to coincide with the Queen's Silver Jubilee year (1977), when there were celebratory street parties across the UK.
Wait till you found Crass band and know how relevant and dangerous punk scene at that time
We re not into Music
We re into CHAOS
Steve Jones
Stumbled across your bizzo and subscribed. I'm a 52 yo Australian Punk and love the whole spectrum of the genre and slap me silly I also made an Oath to the Queen when I was a Soldier in the Royal Australian Army.
The record companies don't mind you playing the videos. Normally it's usually the entity holding the publishing rights blocking the video. Often times the publishing holder is a separate from the record labels.
Here's a handful of 70s punk tunes to spin...
Saints- This Perfect Day
Damned- Neat Neat Neat
Rezillos- Destination Venus
Pagans- Street Where Nobody Lives
Pointed Sticks- Out Of Luck
Stiff little fingers- Alternative Ulster
As far as a Sex Pistols must listen, I'd say, 'Anarchy in the U.K.'.
It was the Queens Jubilee in ‘77’s, really enjoyed your reaction. I’d love to see you react to more Sex Pistols & John Lydons band Public Image Ltd “RISE” was a hit song.
P.S you may want to check out the “Runaways” which feature Joan Jett and Lita Ford in their first bands, the Dictators from Yonkers, who’s debut album “Go Girl Crazy” was released almost a year before the Ramones seminal debut album was, and definitely check out Pure Hell from Philly and Death from Detroit, both are widely known as the first all black punk bands.
There’s also the MC5, also from Detroit, the New York Dolls, and the Stooges who featured Iggy Pop. Theses are all “must listen” for understanding the evolution of punk, which can go back to the mid ‘60’ with bands like The Monks and The Sonics, who, were a Seattle band 25 years before Seattle invented “grunge” The Sonics are brilliant.
Cool video! Add surf punk to your bucket list!
According to the series Pistol, Johnny Rotten actually wanted to call the song "No Future"
♥ Sex Pistols & The Clash!
Raw, real, and honest, with one foot still in the garage.
Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon are a very intelligent and well spoken man. He has outsmarted a lot of interviewers
Punk rock blew me away in 1977. This was banned on the BBC.
When this song was released and became #1, it was blacklisted by the royal family and parliament. That week, there was no #1 in the UK charts. In hindsight, it’s the highest honor you can get.
Lol, oh damn!
@@TheAdventuresofTNT here’s an interesting story
ruclips.net/video/roma-RO2tfE/видео.html
Probably right up there with bob Dylan's "like a rolling stone" and the beatles "a day in the life" as the greatest song ever. One album, and they got it completely perfect on their only attempt.
There have been 3 songs banned from play on radio and TV by the BBC and others. JeT'aime, by, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin (sexual content). God Save The Queen, by, The Sex Pistols (anti monarchy and in a Queens Jubilee year). And, Ding Dong The Witch is Dead, from the Wizard of Oz (went straight to no.1, when former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died (loved by the rich, Conservatives, hated by everyone else. Spontaneous street parties in many cities across the UK speaks volumes eh?).
I'm glad you picked on the huge element of humour that runs through British punk. It's black, gallows humour but it helps us keep a sense of proportion - it stops our heroes getting unmitigated adulation, as we're always looking to take the mickey out of them.
These dudes got fired from 2 record companies in the same day. Classic. They had to come to the US to tour. Nobody would let them play in the UK. If you had a venue there would be repercussions from the govt.
This song is a great early punk song. The Sex Pistols were telling the monarchy to go straight to Hell. It is raw and catchy. Everytime I hear about the royals I think of this song.