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STUDIO
RECORDING SESSIONS A God Save The Sex Pistols' world exclusive! Dates and details of every Sex Pistols studio recording session. With this ultimate list, you will now actually KNOW what they recorded, how many different versions of the songs there is out there, and on which CDs you can get them. This will help you avoid being ripped off by cheap repackaged stuff. Note, the Sex Pistols Box Set released in 2002, is referred to in the feature by its catalogue number, SEXBOX1. The Chris Speeding session 15th MAY 1976
Tracks: PROBLEMS - NO FEELINGS - PRETTY VACANT Available on SEXBOX1 (disc 1, tracks 18, 19, 20) and This Is Crap (Never Mind The Bollocks / Spunk double CD, Virgin Spunk 1) tracks 13, 14, 15. The ever reliable Dave Goodman issued several self-doctored copies of this session, taken from an audio tape, on discs like "Pirates of Destiny" (muffled sound with added echo), and "Savage Young Pistols" (accelerated speed!). Also available in excellent quality on the CD bootleg "1976 - 1977". Dave Goodman session 1 From
13th to 30th JULY 1976 Tracks: PRETTY VACANT - LAZY SOD - SATELLITE - NO FEELINGS - I WANNA BE ME - SUBMISSION - ANARCHY IN THE U.K Although most of these appear on "This Is Crap" (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 21), Pretty Vacant is missing. The rest have been spread over a hundred of unofficial CDs. You are better getting a copy of the "No Future UK" CD, which features the complete session (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). These songs originally appeared on the "Spunk" vinyl album, with in between chat intact, but sadly this "complete" version has not been released on CD so far. The ever reliable Dave Goodman issued several different eighties remixed versions of Submission on "Alive" and "Wanted the Goodman Tapes" CDs. For completists only. This session captures Anarchy In The UK when the song was only weeks old, hence the very slow pace. Stick to "No Future UK" to get it all. Pretty Vacant and Submission appear on SEXBOX1 (disc 2, tracks 1, 2). Note the spoken intro to Pretty Vacant on SEXBOX1 is not from the track in question, but is lifted from the start of the January 1977 take of the same song (also produced by Dave Goodman). No Feelings appeared as No Feeling on the B-side of the withdrawn A&M God Save The Queen. Find it on SEXBOX1 (disc 1, track 14). Note also, the version of No Feeling released as a single by Chaos Records in 1984 is supposed to sound exactly like the A&M B-side, but is in fact a different mix. Dave Goodman Session 2 10th
OCTOBER 1976 Tracks: ANARCHY IN THE UK - SUBSTITUTE - NO LIP - STEPPING STONE - JOHNNY B GOODE/ROAD RUNNER - WATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT - NO FUN - THROUGH MY EYES This session history is a real corker. It includes the first attempt at recording the Anarchy In The UK single. The song would later be issued on "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" 2LP/CD. Two mixes exist: the original one, that can be found on "No Future UK" (track 8), and "This Is Crap" (track 6), and the better Mike Thorne remix, with enhanced drums, that is on the original "Swindle". The original mix is available on SEXBOX1 (disc 2, track 3). Substitute, No Lip, Stepping Stone, Johnny B Goode/Road Runner, and Watcha Gonna Do About It were recorded live in the studio (as heard on "Pirates of Destiny"). The instrumental parts were re-recorded by Cook & Jones in the studio in 1978, leaving Rotten's vocals intact, and this whole lot ended up on the "Swindle" 2LP/CD. The original non-overdubbed "Pirates" versions, including Through My Eyes, are available on SEXBOX1 (disc 2, tracks 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). No Fun turned up in 1977 as the b-side of Pretty Vacant, although the last 30 seconds of the song were missing, as on all subsequent Virgin releases of this song, until it finally appeared unedited on SEXBOX1. The SEXBOX1 version does however speed up momentarily, which suggests the same origin as the version on "The Swindle Continues" CD. The complete unedited version also appears on "No Future UK" (track 9). For the reworked versions you need the "Swindle" soundtrack. However, there have been 3 versions of the "Swindle" soundtrack on CD. The 1985 "Swindle" CD includes Johnny B Goode/Road Runner, Anarchy, No Lip, and Stepping Stone. However, it omits Substitute and Watcha Gonna Do About It. The 1989 version includes Johnny B Goode/Road Runner, Anarchy, Substitute, No Lip, and Stepping Stone. However, it also omits Watcha Gonna Do About It. The current "Swindle" CD includes Johnny B Goode/Road Runner, Substitute, No Lip, Stepping Stone, and Watcha Gonna Do About It, but NOT the reworked Anarchy. The reworked Anarchy does however also appear on the "Anarchy" 92 single. Chris Thomas Session 1 17th
OCTOBER 1976 Tracks: ANARCHY IN THE U.K Issued as the official "Anarchy In The UK" single, and on "Never Mind The Bollocks". Do not, I repeat DO NOT stick to the "Kiss This" version - it is badly remastered. Whoever did the job buffed up the treble and squashed all the bass. It does NOT sound like the original single or album version. Ever. Any CD version of "NMTB" will do better, (althougth not one sounds the same, but that is another story). Available on SEXBOX1 (disc 1, track 8) which is mastered better than Kiss This. A rejected version of the song from the same session, with wild solo from Steve, appears on SEXBOX1 (disc 2, track 11). Mike Thorne session 11th
DECEMBER 1976 Tracks: NO FEELINGS instrumental - NO FUTURE (GOD SAVE THE QUEEN) - LIAR - PROBLEMS The
Mike Thorne recording session was a Sex Pistols rarity for many years and was
only available on the obscure release, "The Italian Job". SEXBOX1 changed
all this (disc 2, tracks 12, 13, 14, 15). This session is a must have because
the version of God Save The Queen (titled No Future) is a work in progress, totally
unlike the final version. Chris Thomas session 2 27th
DECEMBER 1976 Tracks: PRETTY VACANT - GOD SAVE THE QUEEN - ANARCHY IN THE UK According
to Chris Thomas the band recorded some TV playback tracks for EMI without Johnny.
The previously unheard instrumentals
of Anarchy In The UK, God Save The Queen, and Pretty Vacant appeared for the first
time anywhere on SEXBOX1 (hidden at the end of discs 1, 2 & 3). Dave Goodman session 3 17th to
20th, 24th, 26th & 28th JANUARY 1977 Tracks: NO FUTURE - PROBLEMS - PRETTY VACANT - LIAR - E.M.I - NEW YORK Another Dave Goodman session full of goodies. It is available on "This Is Crap" (tracks 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) and "No Future UK" (tracks 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). New York and God Save The Queen are included on SEXBOX1 (disc 2, tracks 16, 17). This session appears complete in excellent quality on the CD "The Swindle Continues" (tracks 1 - 6), including Pretty Vacant complete with pre-song chat. Chris Thomas session 3 FEBRUARY
1977 onward Tracks: GOD SAVE THE QUEEN - PRETTY VACANT - DID YOU NO WRONG - NO FEELINGS - LIAR - PROBLEMS - SEVENTEEN - SUBMISSION - NEW YORK - E.M.I Unlimited Edition - SATELLITE - HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN - BODIES And then it was the end. The final sessions of the original band, with mostly Steve Jones on bass, resulting in Never Mind The Bollocks. (The Anarchy single featuring Glen Matlock on bass also appears on NMTB). They can all be found on SEXBOX1 (disc 1, tracks 1 - 7, 9 - 12, 15, 17). But it's not quite over yet. Several alternate takes of these songs mysteriously escaped the studio, and found themselves on a bootleg CD called, believe it or not, "Party Till You Puke". They are EMI (demo version), Submission (demo version #1), Satellite (alternate mix), No Feelings (alternate mix with different bass line), Seventeen (alternate mix), Bodies (alternate take with different bassline), and Submission (demo version #2). These songs, except Bodies, were later officially issued on the "Pretty Vacant" double CD single in 1992. No Feelings, EMI and Satellite appeared on CD 1, while Seventeen and Submission (demo version #2) were on CD 2. Submission (demo version #1) appeared on the 12" vinyl version of the same single. The
demos were included on "This Is Crap" (tracks 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)...
except for Bodies and Submission demo #1. Please note that Submission (demo version
#1), is NOT the one with Sid Vicious on bass as reported by Clinton Heylin in
his NMTB book. The bass line on both Submission demos is the same, and is too
sophisticated to be played by Sid. However, the Bodies version on "Party
Till You Puke" IS an alternate take, but Sid's bass line is actually over-dubbed
by Steve Jones. SEXBOX1 (disc 2, tracks 18, 19, 20, 21, 22) includes Satellite,
EMI, Seventeen, No Feelings, and Submission (demo version #1), but not Bodies
or Submission (demo version #2). Written and researched by David Fakrikian. Revised and updated by Phil Singleton and Géant-Vert. Click here for the CD Guide Spreadsheet ©Phil Singleton / David
Fakrikian / Géant-Vert www.sex-pistols.net 2005/2006 Although we believe this feature to be the most accurate Sex Pistols sessions research ever published, this feature is NOT definitive. Errors and omissions that may have occurred will make it obvious if an attempt is made to copy or adapt the above piece of work, for example, by publishing elsewhere and/or claiming authorship. Don't even think about ripping it off. You have been warned. God Save The Sex Pistols ©2005/2009 Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net | |