From: mos@cssc-syd.tansu.com.au (Michael O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: History of punk (was: Ramones, punk rock, XRaySpex, others (lots))
Organization: Customised Software Solutions Centres, AOTC
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 23:43:11 GMT

euaaen@eua.ericsson.se (Anders Engwall) writes:

>First of all, let me point you to an excellent book on the subject.
>"England's Dreaming - The Sex Pistols and Punk Rock", by Jon Savage (Faber
>& Faber -- I could look up the ISBN# if you want me to). Well-researched,
>detailed, with awesome photographs. Totally brilliant except for the bits
>where Savage tries to prove that he deserves a Ph.D. in sociology. Anyway...

>mascdb@gdr.bath.ac.uk (C D Burdorf) writes:

>>In article <1992Aug31.223437.8033@cssc-syd.tansu.com.au> mos@cssc-syd.tansu.com.au (Michael O'Sullivan) writes:

>>>	It should be noted however that three of the pistols
>>>(Matlock,Jones,Cook) had been playing together for almost two years, which
>>>disputes your popularist theory.

>>Perhaps, but do you know what they sounded like?  They could 
>>have just been a glitter rock band or something.
      
>Believe it or not, but at a very early stage, they actually did a Rod
>Stewart cover! Cook/Jones/Matlock were all big fans of The Faces.

>>>I would have loved to see the Pistols Live.

>>Well,  two close friends of mine saw the Pistols tour during
>>their US tour.  One saw them in Tulsa Oklahoma and said they
>>sucked and were loud and boring, so he left early.

>>The other one saw their final show in San Francisco and said
>>he wished he'd done something else that night, because the
>>Pistols didn't have it together.  Both of them are avid music
>>fans. 

>That last US tour was really a shambles, according to Savage.
>It was no coincidence that they split up right after the SF gig.
>Many articles and reviews from 1976-77 suggest that they at that time
>were a great live act.

>>I'd agree that the pistols had some really good lyrics, but 
>>I think they were too much of a media product produced
>>by and for Malcom McLaurin.
 
       If you read the book "I was a Teenage Sex Pistol" by Glen Matlock,
you get an idea of what went down. He basically say's that he saw Maclaren
starting to play games with them all , and for that and other reason's
(his and Rotten's falling out) he left. It's an excellent book in that it
doesn't have the hype of most of the other punk book's.

	When they started out, and basically up until Matlock left, they
were by all accounts a tight outfit. Matlock saysthey practiced almost
every day for a year or so before it all happened. 



>That's *McLaren*. Who originally wanted a rock group that could make
>PR for his clothes shop.

>Anyway, one thing that Savage reveals in his book
>is that the TV appearance that shot them into stardom and infamy,
>the Bill Grundy interview, was not at all a planned thing, as has
>been claimed. On the contrary, their guest spot with Grundy was caused
>by the pulling out of the group originally intended for the
>programme. The Pistols were merely a last-minute replacement.
>And the group that the Pistols replaced? Queen -- believe it or not.
> 

Matlock say's exactly the same thing.

>--
>Anders Engwall				Email: Anders.Engwall@eua.ericsson.se
>ELLEMTEL Utvecklings AB			Voice: +46 8 727 3893
>"Alvsj"o, Sweden			Fax: +46 8 727 42 20
>		"Bryna nuppa fj{ssa sp}nken" - Razor
-- 
mos@cssc-syd.tansu.com.au	  One never notices what has been done; one
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