Before we get going, here is an acetate
from 2002 - the 1st A&M counterfeit.
God
Save The Queen 10" Counterfeit A&M Acetate |
|
 Version One.
February / March 2003.
Available only in black, some with
number rubber stamped in red on the B-side with poor A&M colour
reproduction (the black is reddish). The B-side is the wrong version of
No Feeling(s) from NMTB.
Notes: The story began around
February / March 2003 with, we believe, two short runs of 200 copies
that surfaced in Europe & Japan. The original pressings were
released in a clear plastic bag with a xerox b&w insert folded
around the single. The B-side is rubber stamped in red with "Limited
Re-Issue of 200" with a 3 digits number rubber stamped in black. The
copy is very rough and has numerous mistakes. Some dealers claimed the
record was pressed in Japan, however it is a European product.
 The pictures explain the reasoning why it is
likely there were two first 200 copies. Notice 73 has only a 2
digits number in place of 3 digits. Note also the difference between
the 001 (above) with horizontal stamps & all the other copies with
vertical stamping (i.e. 044 pictured left). No doubt that there were
two different black stamps used: horizontal stamp - 3 serrated rollers;
vertical stamp - up to 3 (maybe with year or month on the right - note
dots on the right).
 Number
73 (pictured right) is interesting because it shows 2 faint black dots
on the right of the number but not at the same level as the 3 digits on
044, etc. The number is also displayed as two digits, not three. (i.e
73, rather than 073)
New copies then quickly appeared
for sale on the internet. These had A&M company sleeves but the
rubber stamped B-side was still there. Some weeks later better copies
with company sleeves flooded the market. According to private sources
the amount of copies pressed is around 500 for this first run.
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Additional information added June 2013.
Ian Hartley reports "I have the 'version one' counterfeit (No. 142 of
200) and it definitely has the original B-side recording of No Feeling.
It is the same as the 2012 repress in the 35th Anniversary Box Set.
I also have a copy with darker much better quality counterfeit labels
which has the NMTB version of No Feeling(s)." (Note version 3 had
darker labels but played the correct No Feelings!) |
|
Version Two.
June 2003.
Available in black, white, light
blue, clear red, pink, yellow, brown marbled, & blue white marbled
colour. Also contains the wrong version of No Feeling.
Notes: In June 2003 the first
coloured A&M copies surfaced with a pink and a yellow vinyl
version, each pressed at 125 copies. Very quickly different versions
surfaced every week:
- Set of 6 A&M 7' appeared for
sale for £300 with black, yellow, pink, clear red, light solid blue
& white vinyl.
- Set of 3 X 7' named 'Jubilee' with a clear red, light blue &
white vinyl. All singles came with the same company sleeve & the
number of sets was only 25.
- 6 brown white label test-pressings were auctionned on Ebay at the end
of June 2003.
In July & August 2003, the
rubber stamped version (see Version one) with xerox b&w artwork
surfaced again for a few weeks. Note that all these copies have the
NMTB version of No Feelings in place of the original Dave Goodman
recording.
|
| The God Save The Sex Pistols'
counterfeit/bootleg guide. |
|
  Version
Three.
December 2003.
Pressing with the
correct B-side.
The only fake A&M 7' with the
correct B-side (Spunk version) is the one available with darker A&M
labels, initially pressed in clear red & clear blue vinyl with a
company sleeve, which surfaced in December 2003.
Some weeks later a clear purple
version appeared. The blue & red versions are rumoured to be
pressed in around 200 copies each, but the purple is supposed to be
around 100.
Notes: Even with these pressings,
the sound on No Feeling is different to the genuine A&M pressing
because the mastering is not the same as the original. The original
version sounds more powerful than the fake one. Even the single
released by Chaos Records in 1984, which claimed to have the correct No
Feeling, is different because Dave Goodman yet again altered the mix.
|
| The God Save The Sex Pistols'
counterfeit/bootleg guide. |
|
 Version Four.
'Britannia edition'
set. April 2005.
The first edition of the
'Britannia edition' set surfaced at the end of April 2005. It came
packaged with a one sided picture cover in a plastic wallet closed with
a safety pin sticker, and another another sticker on the back. Short
run of 50 copies.
(Left: close-up of sticker on back)
 There are
three singles per set. Two come with A&M labels and one is a 'white
label test pressing'. The B-side is, again, the NMTB's version of No
Feeling(s).
The vinyl colours are pink and
yellow for the singles with the A&M label. Different colours are
available for the 'white label test pressing', some in white, some in
yellow, some in light brown, and even "a mystery colour" (possibly blue
/ white marbled). It is believed to be pressed in Sweden.
(Right: white label test pressing:
white vinyl)
In June 2005 Britannia
appeared on the market with different colours in the set, e.g. orange
in place of the pink copy.
For
a detailed look at the Britannia Set click here...
|
| The God Save The Sex Pistols'
counterfeit/bootleg guide. |
|
Version Five.
May 2005.
Two new colours available in very
short runs:
- a blue marbled vinyl with
A&M labels and company sleeve.
- a brown marbled vinyl with A&M labels and company sleeve.
|
| The God Save The Sex Pistols'
counterfeit/bootleg guide. |
|
 Version Six.
'British Bulldog'
set. September 2005.
British Bulldog is a set
containing one A&M GSTQ (with the incorrect No Feelings B-side)
plus one custom DVD-R, titled Satellite - a Video Anthology.
 The set
comes packaged in a custom wraparound sleeve, with 3 promo stickers,
and a 7 x 7 inch royal blue & white insert in a protective clear
plastic bag. Five different vinyl colors available: solid yellow, solid
pink, solid brown, solid white & clear red. The brown set is a
white label test pressing.
Supposed to be only 50 sets, each
numbered by hand. (pictured above)
British Bulldog is made in
the UK.
Notes: Satellite - a Video
Anthology DVD includes: Janet Street Porter interviews, Pistols
live in Sweden, Phoenix Festival 1996, Top Of The Pops live 1996, promo
videos, Anarchy in the UK 92, Anarchy '76.
|
| The God Save The Sex Pistols'
counterfeit/bootleg guide. |
|
Additional
colour vinyl pressings. April 2007.
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Clear green vinyl
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Clear lilac vinyl
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Additional guide notes. Some of
the fake A&M singles are not being sold with the fake A&M
company sleeve, but with a solid black sleeve. The paper used is the
same as the fake A&M company sleeves.
The total amount of fake copies is
around several thousand. This record is therefore not what we call rare!
|
| The
A&M counterfeit Story Continues..... |
|
God Save The Queen A&M 12" T-shirt (Year ???)
God Save The Queen A&M Vinyl Box Set (Year ???)
God Save The
Queen A&M 'poster' Sleeve Design 5 Colour Vinyls (2018)
God Save
The Queen Japan A&M Coloured Vinyl 7" (2015)
God Save The
Queen A&M Coloured Vinyl Box Set (2014)
God Save
The Queen A&M 12" Version 2 (2013)
God
Save The Queen Brazil / Japan Hybrid 7" (2013)
God Save
The Queen A&M "Myra Hindley / Ronnie Biggs" card sleeve 7"
(2013)
God Save The
Queen A&M 7" Poster Sleeve (2012)
God Save The
Queen A&M 12" (2012)
God Save
The Queen A&M Picture Disc 7" (2011)
God Save The
Queen A&M Acetate 7" (Year ???)
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Return to Counterfeit Index >
|
| Please note: This
feature is NOT definitive, and has been compiled from information
submitted to God Save The Sex Pistols by collectors. Errors and
omissions that may have occurred will make it obvious if an attempt is
made to copy the above piece of work, including publishing (or part
publishing) elsewhere and claiming authorship. You have been warned. |
