Pressings of The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle double album made for Australasia (i.e. pressed for both
New Zealand and Australia), not only have a totally
unique running order, but contain mixes of Lonely Boy and Black Arabs
which have never appeared anywhere else. These pressings have never
been referred to before in any publication.
What are the
possible origins? The first Australian Swindle LP pressing was on
Wizard Records (coloured vinyl) and was apparently recalled due to poor
quality.
The Virgin Record albums come
with the UK paper insert which lists the "correct" running order, even
though it's not correct for these pressings. The sleeve is the same as
UK Version 2.
The labels (see
below) have the same track listing as the common UK second pressing,
minus Belsen Vos A Gasser (Einmal Belsen War Wirflich Bortefflich).
However, astonishingly, the records play the following:
Side One (This side gathers together all the 1976 recordings and makes for great listening).
Johnny B. Goode
Road Runner. Notes:
Track concludes with banter and noises missing from regular pressings.
Although this material is on the Pirates of Destiny CD, here it is of a
better quality.
Watcha Gonna Do About It
Anarchy In The U.K. Notes: “Bible quotation” Goodman produced version.
Substitute
No Lip
Stepping Stone
Side Two
Lonely Boy. Notes:
A blatantly different mix. The track has noticeable reverb giving a
rougher sound with pounding drums. The vocals are mixed slightly lower.
It contains an extra couple of bars near the end which momentarily turn
it into another song. It finishes with additional chat not on the
regular pressing of the track (see also Japanese Unique Pressing).
Belsen Was A Gas
Something Else
Silly Thing
C'mon Everybody
Side Three
(This side gathers together non guitar tracks, with the exception of My Way which itself has an orchestral beginning)
You Need Hands. Notes: Amazingly clear.
God Save The Queen (Symphony).
Notes: The instrumental version without McLaren’s vocal. The mastering
is superb giving a lovely warm sound, eclipsing the standard pressings.
Anarchie Pour L'U.K.
E.M.I. (Orch.)
My Way
Side Four
Friggin' In The Riggin'
Black Arabs.
Notes: A completely different beginning to the usual version with a
massively extended intro as well as a longer fade out at the end. The
track also has extra horn and synthesizer overdubs. It has a different
vocal take for the majority of the track and is also missing some
vocals; the God Save The Queen segment is vastly different. Overall it
sounds sparser and unfinished compared to the normal version, but
superb nonetheless.
No One Is Innocent
Einmal Belsen War Wirflich Bortefflich
The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle
Additional note: The album omits Who Killed Bambi, Rock Around The Clock and I Wanna Be Me. |
