The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (soundtrack album)

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The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is an album by the British punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Released on February 26, 1979 on Virgin Records, it was the soundtrack album to Malcolm McLaren's film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. Johnny Rotten had left the Sex Pistols by the time of the album's release, so it is mostly made up of songs sung by the other band members, guest singers, and novelty songs by the manager. McLaren still wanted Rotten to be on the album (so it would sell better), so he collected unreleased studio demos, outtakes, and a new version of "Anarchy In The U.K.". Virgin also put "I Wanna Be Me" on the album. It was previously released on the "Anarchy In The UK" single, but that was released on EMI and they stopped producing the single. "Anarchy" was later released on Never Mind The Bollocks album and Virgin had released the Pistols' second, third, and fourth single, so "I Wanna Be Me" was the only song that they had not released by the Pistols, which is why they put it on the album. The Rotten songs may have helped, as the album peaked at number seven on British album charts. Critics criticize the album as being poor because of the "gimmick" guest singers, unfinished demo songs on the album, and that the Sex Pistols "were past their prime".