"Never Trust A Hippie" INTERVIEWS with Steve & Paul

The following interviews were conducted in 1996, prior to the "Filthy Lucre Tour", by Jim Henderson, editor of the fanzine "Never Trust A Hippie".
Extended transcripts are available in No. 12 of the 'zine.
Details at the bottom of the page.

Pistols 1976 Sex Pistols 1976

STEVE JONES

Q. What's it like reforming the Pistols?

Steve. It's good. It's great actually. I've been wanting to do it for a long time & John's never really wanted to do it 'til now.

Do you want to write & record some new material with the band?

Oh, I'd love to, yeah. That's more exciting for me. That would be an exciting thing y'know. It'll happen.

You've always stayed friendly with Paul over the years?

Yeah, he's my oldest friend really.

You did a gig with him a couple of years ago in L.A.

Yeah, at the Viper Room.

Was there a plan then to get back together as The Professionals?

Yeah. We were talking about it. But then Paul started playing with Edwyn Collins & got really busy.

I'm amazed that the Professionals' album's never come out on CD.

We were gonna release it. We were gonna release the one that never got released. It was a version that me & Paul kinda produced with Bill Price.

Was that when Andy Allen was in the band?

Exactly. It was a lot heavier than "I Didn't See It Coming". We had meetings with Virgin about releasing that. But now all this has come up ("Filthy Lucre Tour"), we've kinda put that on the backburner.
(Note, "The Professionals" was released in '97)

You've just played on John Taylor's Debut solo album.

He came to L.A. & that's how we met. He's a great guy man, we've got a lot of things in common. He's got a great attitude.

Once the Pistols tour is out of the way, are the Neurotic Outsiders planning to tour Britain?

Probably yeah. To be honest with you, I'd like the Pistols thing to just never end y'know. That would be my dream if everything goes good.

Have you got any plans to do a 3rd solo album?

I was doing one, & then the Neurotic thing kinda took off, & then I just used all them songs which I was recording. I just used them for the Neurotic Outsiders.

"Mercy" is being reissued on CD.

Is it? I really like that record. It's totally not like what people would expect. Birds like it, y'know, they like all that croony shit. I don't like "Fire & Gasoline". I was going through a silly rock phase at the time which I wish I wouldn't have done now.

What have you done since "Fire & Gasoline"?

Well I had this band called Fantasy 7 for a little bit. That was great, but people didn't like the singer so I said "Oh fuck it then", & knocked it on the head. Then I just started doing solo work, writing songs, dong solo stuff. Nothing really.

You did something with a band called Pilsen didn't you as well?

Yeah. I went to Argentina. Just a punk band. That was a nightmare. No one spoke English. It was hard. The drummer couldn't play, but I got a bit of dough up front, that's all I gave a fuck about.

When will you be starting to rehearse with the Pistols?

Probably May.

I was wondering if you would do any of the stuff you did after John left?

Yeah, I don't know how that would work but you never know. 'Cos I don't know where John's gonna go if I sing "Silly Thing". I can't see John singing "Silly Thing". Well maybe, who knows.

Do you know whatever happened to that film you made,"All Washed Up", with Paul Cook & Paul Simonon?

Actually, it was called "Ladies & Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains". It never came out, they showed it on cable for a while in America a few years back. I have a copy of it.

Paul said he'd never seen it.

Yeah. it's pretty good actually.

And you were in "Roseanne" as well.

Did you see that? I know her & I know him, Tom Arnold.

You must really be looking forward to the reformation. John says he thinks for the first time you'll actually have a crowd who appreciate you.

Yeah, & we'll also have a decent sized crowd as opposed to a couple of hundred people. It's great, I've always wanted to do this, play good sized places & it's what we deserve y'know. Fucking open the doors for every cunt. For me this is my band. This is the band I was in, the Sex Pistols, & I've never really been in a band I've been 100% into except this one. It's just exciting.

PAUL COOK

Q. So the Pistols are reforming. Has it come about really quickly?

Paul. Well, it's getting going now actually. It's just been building up basically. I think we're all really excited about it, now it's sunk in it's really going to happen.

Steve said he hopes it never ends now.

Yeah, did he? (laughs) I know, he'll keep going forever. We'll see how it goes, we've gotta take it one day at a time as they say.

You've remained very friendly with Steve over the years.

Yeah, me & Steve grew up together so we've always been really close. So there's no problem there at all. I've been in touch with everyone over the years. I've been the person that's kept everyone in touch to tell you the truth. I've made an effort to get in touch with John years ago, & Glen as well I've been in touch with over the years. Not regularly, but if I was in L.A. I'd always call John up, or if he was here I'd get in touch.

I would like to see The Professionals album come out on CD.

Yeah. We were in the process of doing that at the end of last year ('95) when all this came up, so we thought we better put it on hold really. Virgin were gonna release it, sort of "The Best Of The Professionals" basically. But I think we might do that after, 'cos we don't wanna conflict with this.

Steve said it still seems like yesterday you were last together

I know. I reckon it probably will be like that when we start rehearsing. It's probably like we've never been away.

Can you envisage doing "Silly Thing" or stuff  like that?

I wanna mix it up a bit really. I don't wanna just do the "Never Mind The Bollocks" album & that's it. I wouldn't mind doing a couple of Public Image tracks. And maybe a couple of new numbers or another cover.

I was talking to Steve about that film you made with him.

I've never seen it y'know. I wouldn't mind actually.

How did that come about?

It was just through this guy Lou Alder, who's a producer in America, & Caroline Coon, she was something to do with it, that writer from the Melody Maker. They just wanted these guys to play a kind of new wave punk band & we just went along for an interview & got the part really.

Were you in it quite a lot?

Yeah. I think so. I don't think it done very well so they withdrew it.

So are you going to be doing any interviews in the press?

I don't wanna do too many to tell you the truth. Just wanna do the press conference & that's it. I think the press are just gonna be a bit cynical.

Are you doing the press conference at the 100 Club?

Yeah, back there.

No chance of doing a gig there?

No, pity we couldn't get the equipment down there. A little impromptu set. No, we haven't played together though yet. We haven't rehearsed enough.

Mind you, John says if you don't know your own songs.....

Yeah exactly. I'm sure that'll just come flooding back to us.

John said at least there'll be someone in the crowd who knows the words.

Yeah, we can get someone up. I'm sure you do, you can get up there.....


Never Trust A Hippie fanzine ran from 1993-96 & covered Sex Pistols & related material.

For back issue information, send SAE/IRC to :-

Jim Henderson
25a Grange Rd
Bidford-On-Avon
Alcester
Warwickshire
B50 4BY
England  

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