SEX PISTOLS SELL OUT

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SEX PISTOLS SELL OUT




Legendary punk band THE SEX PISTOLS have turned their backs on their anti-establishment roots by signing away their back catalogue to Universal Music Publishing Group. Thirty years after the band challenged capitalist culture with ANARCHY IN THE UK, the JOHN LYDON-fronted group will cash in on multi-million dollar (pound) deals with blue chip companies such as British Airways and Range Rover. And the tracks will be used for anything from mobile phone ringtones to movie soundtracks. Universal president PAUL CONNOLLY says, "We are delighted to conclude this deal to represent the Sex Pistols back catalogue, one of the most influential in rock. "The band members must approve every opportunity put to them but we believe they will want to maximise the income we can generate".

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The Sex Pistols Tout Their Back Catalogue For TV Ads
Not very punk that!...

by Daniel Melia on 3/5/2006


The Sex Pistols are set to sell their back catalogue for a host of new advertising campaigns according to reports.

With Universal Music Publishing buying the rights to Johnny Rotten & Co’s material the company is looking to make millions of pounds from allowing advertisers to use the songs.

The Times reports that several companies including British Airways and Range Rover have already showed an interest while tracks may be used for TV and film soundtracks too.

The band however have drawn up a set of ground rules stating which campaigns and what products their material can be used for.

Apparently ads for luxury cars, mobile phones and MP3 players are fine by them with a spokesman adding they also want adverts that "focus on anti-establishment/punk ideals".

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Pistols put high price on anarchy


Adam Sherwin, London
March 06, 2006


THE threat of anarchy in Britain appears to have been replaced by the certainty of capitalism. The Sex Pistols have been rebranded for business after signing a deal to use their hits to promote luxury brands.

Thirty years afer the British punk pioneers screamed defiance at the establishment, the surviving members will cash in with a multi-million-pound deal partnering blue-chip corporations as advertisers seek an association with rebellion.

The group was together for little more than 18 months and recorded just one album, Never Mind the Bollocks.

The dismissal of their music as nothing more than noise did not bother the band, who were intent on savaging the intellectual pretensions of 1970s rock.

A generation on, British Airways and Range Rover are among the companies to have approached John Lydon -- the erstwhile Johnny Rotten -- for permission to use hits such as Pretty Vacant, God Save The Queen and The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle as the soundtrack to global advertising campaigns.

Universal Music Publishing Group has bought the rights to the band's catalogue and has been given permission to "fully maximise the value" of the Pistols' compositions.

British department store Harvey Nichols, beloved of posh ladies, was the first to sign up for a little anarchy with a Sex Pistols northern summer window display in international outlets featuring the band's music, artwork and lyrics, to mark their 30th anniversary.

There will be a range of "anarchy" mobile phone ringtones, while other possibilities include Sex Pistols action figures and a musical about their inflammatory story.

Songs will be placed in advertisements and film and television soundtracks.

Band-approved guidelines for Sex Pistols opportunities, seen by The Times, request: "Commercials with kudos and creativity, iPods, MP3 players, technology, mobile phones, luxury cars and sport brands."

Anything "with the focus on anti-establishment/punk ideals" is sought.

Universal hopes to generate pound stg. 1 million ($2.3 million) a year from the deals.

While Lydon, 50, is a successful property developer in Los Angeles, bassist Glen Matlock remains a jobbing musician. The band is considering an offer to do one final money-spinning concert in Japan.

Computer games will be a lucrative outlet for the group -- who set aside differences in 1996 to re-form for the Filthy Lucre tour, which grossed pound stg. 10 million.

The band is seeking opportunities in "driving and street robbery-type" video games, which are powered by aggressive rock.

The Pistols are not the only punk stars to have put youthful rebellion at the service of commerce. The Clash have also signed up with Universal and have approved the use of Should I Stay or Should I Go? in US advertisements for Pontiac.

Universal's president, Paul Connolly, said: "We are delighted to conclude this deal to represent the Sex Pistols catalogue, one of the most influential in rock. The band members must approve every opportunity put to them, but we believe they will want to maximise the income we can generate."

The Pistols flexed their anti-establishment muscles last week when they withdrew from their induction into the US Music Hall of Fame.

They objected to paying pound stg. 15,000 for a table at the event.

"It's just a moneymaking opportunity for multi-million shysters," Matlock complained.

Drummer Paul Cook, guitarist Steve Jones and the estate of cult band-member Sid Vicious have transferred their publishing interests to Universal from Warner Chappell, which will continue to work with Lydon.

The Times

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Pistols sell out! Rock 'n' Roll Swindle!

Date: 08/03/06
By Chris Lines


Radio stations in the 1970s refused to play the Sex Pistols' God Save
The Queen single.
Photo: AFP


Surely not. Surely, if there was one band that would never, ever, sell out it would be the Sex Pistols.

Not the gods of punk! Not those spitting, sneering rebels who called for anarchy, mocked the Queen, raised a middle digit to everything establishment, and ridiculed the greed of record companies.

But it appears so.

The Sex Pistols have signed over the rights to their back catalogue to Universal Music Publishing Group, which is now hawking it to companies for use in advertising.

Just in time for the 30th anniversary of their seminal 1977 album Never Mind the Bollocks, the Sex Pistols' music and imagery is up for the highest bidder.

Harvey Nichols - that chi-chi department store beloved of England's well-to-do establishment - has already paid up for a Sex Pistols summer window display.

Range Rover and British Airways are believed to be among the companies also targeted by Universal to use Sex Pistols songs in their ads.

It gets worse.

There are reportedly also plans for Sex Pistols action figures, a Sex Pistols musical and Sex Pistols ringtones.

"The band members must approve every opportunity put to them but we believe they will want to maximise the income we can generate," Universal president Paul Connolly said.

Maximise income is corporatese for make a bucketload.

But before the tears of betrayal from old punks rust their safety pins, they really shouldn't be too surprised.

After all, when the Pistols - minus the late Sid Vicious - re-formed in 1996 for a reunion tour, it was titled Filthy Lucre.

And what was punk about if not defying expectations of how to behave, whether it be from the crusty establishment of 1977 or today's diehard acolytes.

The Sex Pistols revelled in their disregard for anyone but themselves, and in one of their most famous songs Pretty Vacant, sang: "Don't ask us to attend 'cos we're not all there/ Oh don't pretend 'cos I don't care/ I don't believe illusions 'cos too much is real/ So stop your cheap comment 'cos we know what we feel".

And everyone knows, ideals tend to fade as waistlines expand and hairlines recede.

Lead singer John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten) is now a 50-year-old US property investor with a portfolio worth more than eight figures, guitarist Steve Jones is now a teetotaller who campaigns against swearing on television, and drummer Paul Cook is a family man.

Indeed only original bassist Glen Matlock remains touring with his own band, an irony given that he was sacked for being too conservative and replaced by Vicious.

Sell out? Surprised?

As Mr Rotten sang: "I got no feelings for anybody else, except for myself, my beautiful self."

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Sad sell out


SID Vicious must be spinning in his grave.

His band the Sex Pistols, the so-called 'gods of punk' and kings of the anti-establishment have sold their back catalogue and now we'll be seeing them in advertisements selling Range Rovers and British Airways, we'll be able to buy their music as ringtones and and there'll even be Sex Pistols action figures.

One cringes to think just what sort of actions these figures would carry out ... probably not the kind you'd like to have your five-year-old learn about.

It's enough to make your safety pins bend and your dog collar bust its buckle.

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Never mind the dollars as Sex Pistols sell out

Alex Murdoch, Entertainment Reporter
11mar06


UK punk band The Sex Pistols have been branded sell outs after signing over the rights to their musical back catalogue for use in advertising.

Fronted by John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, the Sex Pistols – which defined punk in the 1970s – gained its fame and notoriety by sneering and spitting disrespect at authority and the corporate world.

Fans yesterday labelled the money-making decision, which comes just in time for the 30th anniversary of the Sex Pistols' 1977 definitive album Never Mind the Bollocks, the ultimate rejection of the band's original anarchist and rebellion ideals.

"The band members must approve every opportunity put to them, but we believe they will want to maximise the income we can generate," Universal Music Publishing president Paul Connelly said.

Harvey Nichols, a well-to-do English department store, is understood to have already paid for a Sex Pistols summer window display, while Range Rover and British Airways have been targeted by Universal to use the band's songs in their ads. Plans for Sex Pistols ringtones, action figures and a musical are also believed to be in the works.

In the band's early days it was almost drummed out of the UK for swearing on a London television program and had numerous songs banned for lewd or offensive content.

But even then the Sex Pistols were accused of being manufactured.

In early 1977 bass guitarist Glen Matlock was kicked out of the band for being too conservative and was replaced by Sid Vicious, who made up for his complete lack of musical talent by epitomising the punk rock look.

Even when the reformed band toured in 1996, minus Sid Vicious, who died of a heroin overdose after being accused of murdering his girlfriend, it travelled under the banner Filthy Lucre.

The corporate deal becomes even less surprising when one considers Lydon – who now shuns the name Rotten – is a 50-year-old multimillionaire US property investor, guitarist Steve Jones campaigns against swearing on television and is a teetotaller and Paul Cook is a family man.