« Never Mind The Bollocks »

The only studio album by the English punk rock group Sex Pistols. For the U.K. release here’s a brief guide to its chaotic early history. The album’s official release date for the U.K. was intended to be the 4^th November, 1977. However copies were released prior to this in mid– to late–October 1977, by Virgin Records. Initially, only available as an 11–track album, and omitting the track Submission .

************************************ V2086 : 11–Track Pressing. Blue Virgin labels; 11 tracks on the album, omitting the track Submission ; Producers Chris Thomas and Bill Price; timings on labels and correct credits. Tracks are in a different running order to the subsequent 12–track pressing. Both plain rear sleeves and 11–track rear sleeves are found to be used on the 11–track album release. (Other combinations are possible, perhaps if records and sleeves may have been swapped over time, however the labels on the 11–track album are a constant.) Known matrix configurations are listed without chronological order for the original 11–track album, and are as follows : V2086 A1/B1 V2086 A1/B2 V2086 A1/B3 V2086 A2/B1 V2086 A2/B2 V2086 A2/B3 V2086 A3/B1 — Also associated with the SPOTS edition — V2086 A3/B2 V2086 A3/B3 1977 releases — All 11–track versions credit Jones, Matlock, Cook and Rotten on EMI

************************************ V2086 : 12–Track Pressing. At the time of the album’s initial advanced release date, new master plates were being prepared, including the additional track Submission , thus a 12–track pressing of the album was very quickly introduced to the U.K., at the start of November 1977. Blue Virgin labels; 12 tracks on the album; Producers Chris Thomas or Bill Price; no timings on labels and numerous variations on label credits exist. Tracks are in a different running order to the 11–track pressing. Sleeve variants consist of blank, 11 or 12 tracks listed on the rear sleeve. Matrix configurations of V2086 A5/B5 onward were used on this 12–track pressing up until mid–1978, at which point the blue Virgin label was phased out and replaced by the red/green label with the Virgin scrawl design. N.B. — There are numerous combinations of covers and labels known to be in existence for the 12–track U.K. blue Virgin label editions. Variations exist in printed credits and sleeves listings. (Other combinations are possible, perhaps if records and sleeves have been swapped, as such a truly precise chronological numbering of these early 12–track U.K. blue label pressings is best avoided, as all variants appeared within a period of months) 1977 releases — only release 4713471 and release 8681572 credit Jones, Matlock, Cook and Rotten on EMI All other 1977 12–track versions credit Jones, Cook, Rotten and Vicious on EMI

************************************ VP2086 : Picture Disc pressing. Released in January 1978. 12–track pressing. Producers Chris Thomas or Bill Price; no track timings. Correct credits. Matrix configurations VP2086 A D1/B D1 ~ VP2086 A D2/B D2.

*********************************** From MAL–ONE & THE PUNK COLLECTIVE Mal–One & The Punk Collective, “World’s End (2020, J.R. Publishing): “Although 10,000 copies of the 11 track Virgin Pressing have to be to distributed first, they have to be housed in a sleeve that has a pink back with no track listing on. These sleeves were originally ordered whilst the original track listing was changing on a weekly basis and they were intended for use for in–store displays. The initial order was for 5,000 sleeves but the order is increased to 35, 000 as they will be used to house both the 11 track and 12 track Virgin pressings. The first 10,000 Virgin copies released to store feature an 11 track LP in a sleeve with a pink back with no track listings, it has a Submission one–sided 7 single (VDJ 24)(A1 matrix) and a folded Jamie Reid collage poster(size 25“x 36) The package is shrink–wrapped and has a GREEN sticker on the front giving an additional catalogue number SPOTS001 and stating U.K. PRESSING Includes one–sided single & Pistols poster(It is worth pointing out that Virgin reissued the above SPOTS001 package on the first anniversary of the album’s (original) release date on Saturday the 4^th of November, 1978. This version had an ORANGE sticker on the shrinkwrap, a slightly larger size poster(25.5“X 39.5) and the Submission one–sided single with an A2 matrix number. It is thought that there was a pressing of at least 50,000 copies as this was available until June, 1979 at the price of £4.99. Leftover copies of the 7 single could also be purchased individually for a limited period from certain Virgin and Our Price shops. Just to further confuse issues initial U.S. export copies ordered by Jem Records had DARK GREEN stickers on the shrink–wrap and sleeves that had the track listing on the back. As late as November, 1979 this U.K. import could still be purchased in American stores for the price of $15). Hot from the pressing plant comes the correct stock 12 track Virgin pressing. 200,000 copies had been made, originally housed in the remaining 25,000 plain pink back sleeves before moving on to the new sleeve that had 11 tracks listed on the back (’Submission’ was now on the album but not on the sleeve). By the original release date of the 4^th of November, this is the version that stores would have in stock.“ The 12–track pressing has long been the prevalent format of the album. As such, numerous official reissues of this pressing are known to exist. In 2007 an official 30^th Anniversary SPOT’s Edition, 11–track was reissue.

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