Sounds - May 10, 1980 (UK)
HOW
I SPEND MY RETIREMENT
STEVE JONES discusses the daily grind with TONY CLARK
Nils
Stevenson & Steve
What happened with the group you were forming with Jimmy Pursey?
Steve Jones:
That just all fell through right, because he's too big headed. I thought
it would be a good idea at first, but when we got to know him and we were
in the studio with him, I dunno, he's like he just thinks of himself all
the time, you know what I mean? He's got a big mouth, and I couldn't handle
that again.
So we decided to do it by ourselves, cause I think we don't need him anyway.
He ain't the same sort of person as me and Paul, he makes out he is but
he ain't at all.
He was worse to work with than Johnny Rotten I read somewhere.
SJ: Yeah, he's similar, but in a different sort of way.
Are you going to form a new group then?
SJ: Yes, we've got our bass player already, he's really good. But I don't know whether to get a new singer, or I just sing.
Who was it that played bass when you were with Ronnie Riggs?
SJ: Oh him, that was just some actor, he couldn't be our bass player, he didn't play on the record.
What, 'No One Is Innocent'?
SJ: No, I played on that, I played all the bass on 'Never Mind The Bollocks', everything. Sid never played, he couldn't.
What was he in the group for then if he couldn't play, was he just for show?
SJ: Who Sid, he played like, well he just couldn't play you see. We wanted him in the group because he came to all our early gigs, and we knew him, and he looked good. That was the main reason, because he looked good.
The 'Rock 'N' Swindle', are you still living off of it?
SJ: What do you mean, money? No, we ain't making no money. Everyone thinks we're fucking millionaires or something. All the money we ever made under the name Sex Pistols just goes to this official receiver, cos Rotten took Malcolm to court, he got blown out of it, Malcolm. And they got this bloke in called a receiver, and he's got to take care of all the money. So any money just goes to him to pay off other people. We don't get none.
What is the film about?
SJ: It's about the four of us, really. There's a lot of early live gigs, it's just like a documentary and sort of acting. It's just really funny, Sid's in it, he sings 3 songs, I sing 2, you know that one 'Lonely Roy', I'm shagging this bird, I'm dressed up as a detective looking for Mclaren or some bollocks, and 'Friggin In The Riggin' is in it. Biggsy's in it, he sings 'Belsen and 'No One Is lnnocent'!
You do a bit of producing don't you?
SJ: Yes, mainly for small groups like The Wall. I can produce for anyone really because I'm not under contract with Virgin, which is good.
What did you think of Sid dying?
SJ: I was a bit upset, because really I liked him. But I knew it was going to happen sooner or later because he was just out of it all the time. He just used to take too many drugs and get out of it.
All the people I spoke to said he was a really good bloke.
SJ: He was, it was
just that bird that fucked him up. That Nancy, she was the prat, she really
was. You see Sid really liked her, loved her I suppose, but if he never
met up with her I reckon he would still be alive today, he never used
to take any sort of hard drugs, it was her who turned him onto them.
But he was a right joker you know, he just used to do anything to annoy
someone, you see he was really a shy person, but was only like crazy when
he used to take drugs, he was really a shy bloke. He wasn't the same bloke.
But he had to live up to his name all the time, he used to get people
coming up to him saying 'you're Sid Vicious, and you think you're tough
and that', so he had to prove himself all the time.
Who gave him that name then?
SJ: Oh. Paul thought that up. Everyone says that Malcolm thought it all up. That's a load of bollocks, he was a good manager but he didn't do all he made out he did.
What do you think of all the new punk groups around now?
SJ: Like who?
The UK Subs.
SJ: Charlie Harper, he's alright, but I think the Ruts are better, mainly because I know them, Skids are alright, but I like the Ruts.
Like mods, what do you think of all that?
SJ: Oh, I really do hate all that bollocks, you know. All dressing up in suits, they look like fucking bank clerks. It just ain't nothing new, it's all been done before.
People said that about punk.
SJ: Yeah, but that was new and everyone knew it, they started something new. But what they are doing with mods is just going back, I don't know. I just think it's fuckin' stupid. Scooters, fucking hairdryers more like. We went up this studio last night to meet Pete Townshend, he wanted us to play on his album. I think he's a bit past it, they were right old soppy songs anyway.
What about The Jam?
SJ: That makes me laugh, because they started when we started, and no one took any notice of them then, but all this mod crap is in.
I used to think they were really good.
SJ: Yes, they were good. And who were those other fuckers on TOTP, the Merton Parkas. What a load of balls that record is. They are the type of group you get on New Faces. It's the sort of music your mum and dad like, and that's fucking terrible.
(Reprinted from 'New Rose' fanzine)
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