Sham Pistols

Sham Pistols
Origin England, United Kingdom
Genres Punk rock
Years active 1978-1979
Associated acts Sex Pistols
Sham 69
Past members Jimmy Pursey
Steve Jones
Paul Cook
Dave Treganna

The Sham Pistols were a punk rock band composed of guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols, and vocalist Jimmy Pursey and bass player Dave Treganna of Sham 69.

Formation

At what was intended to be Sham 69's final concert at the Glasgow Apollo Theatre on June 29, 1979 Jones and Cook had joined Sham onstage for the encore of "Pretty Vacant", "White Riot", "If the Kids Are United" and "What Have We Got". This was to be the start of the new band. Time was spent in the studio where at least four songs were produced - "You & Me", "Trainspotter", "Individual" and "Natural Born Killer" (which was later reworked as The Professionals' "Kick Down the Doors"). Another song "Some Play Dirty" was quoted with lyrics by Pursey in an interview with Nick Kent in the NME of October 1979.

Recordings

In July 79, Pursey told the NME that they had recorded 10 songs — seven originals and three cover versions — and that they would be ready to tour by September that year. Among the songs the group were planning to play live were "Silly Thing", "Lonely Boy", "Submission" and "Pretty Vacant" from the Sex Pistols and "Joey's on the Street" and "If the Kids are United" from Sham 69. However contractual problems with both Virgin and Polydor, problems around deciding the name of the new group (Pursey favoured using 'The Sex Pistols') and arguments within the band meant that it was not to be. On 19 August Cook and Jones walked out of a recording session with Jones saying "It's worse than working with Rotten". Pursey stated "It was absurd, the difference between us, when we got into the studio. Then I knew it could never work out".

The studio recordings didn't see the light of day for over 30 years, but the encore at the Glasgow Apollo was released on Sham's Last Stand and Sham 69 Live in Glasgow 1979. The latter miscredits the Sham song "George Davis is Innocent (also known as "The Cockney Kids are Innocent" and "Everybody's Innocent") as the Sex Pistols' "No One is Innocent".

Breakup

After the dissolution of the band, Cook and Jones went on to form The Professionals and Pursey moved on to solo projects, later reforming Sham 69. In January 2010, a bootleg vinyl album emerged titled Sham Pistols - Natural Born Killer. This includes four studio tracks recorded by the Sham Pistols in June 1979 at Manor Studios as well as the previously released encore at the Glasgow Apollo.

Discography

Sham Pistols - Natural Born Killer

Studio Side
  • "Natural Born Killer"
  • "You & Me"
  • "Trainspotter"
  • "Individual"
(Manor Studios June '79)
Live Side
(Glasgow Apollo June '79)

Other


References

Books
  1. Savage, Jon (2002). England's Dreaming. Faber & Faber.
  2. Scrivener, Tony (1992). Agents Of Anarchy. Kingsfleet Publications.
Web
  1. Kick Down the Doors - The Paul Cook 'N' Steve Jones Site
Journals
  1. Melody Maker, 7 July 1979
  2. NME, 21 July 1979
  3. NME, 27 October 1979

External links

  1. sex-pistols.net (philjens.plus.com)
  2. Sham Pistols - Natural Born Killer (philjens.plus.com)
  3. The Paul Cook 'N' Steve Jones Site :
    1. Kick Down the Doors: 2008-2011 News
    2. The Swindle Years (Part 2)
    3. Sham Pistols - Live In Glasgow
  4. Vive les Sex Pistols (thesexpistols.co.uk)
  5. Sham69 - History (Part 3) (punk77.co.uk)