Here We Go!
Continuing the Sex Pistols collection series — this time, we’re looking at their third single, Pretty Vacant (VS184), in its original UK pressing.
This post compares two major pressings:
and the 1978 second pressing with the green-and-red Virgin label.
the 1977 first pressing with a blue-and-white gradient label
🎸 Pretty Vacant (Virgin VS184)
🧷 Basic Info
- Title: Pretty Vacant
- Artist: Sex Pistols
- Format: 7-inch Single (45 RPM)
- Release Date: 2 July 1977
- Label / Catalog No.: Virgin VS184
- Sleeve: Picture sleeve (matte, thin stock)
🧷 Tracks
- A-side: Pretty Vacant (Produced by Chris Thomas)
- B-side: No Fun (Produced by Dave Goodman)
Johnny Rotten famously puts the accent on “cant” instead of the correct va-cant — cheeky as ever.
As for “cant”? Well… let’s not explain that here 😆
No Fun is a cover of The Stooges — the original’s worth a listen.
Note: The B-side is cut short due to space on the 7″, though later CD editions play it in full.
I think my first full listen came from either The Swindle Continues or No Future U.K.?, can’t quite remember…
💡Also worth noting: the US pressing (Warner) uses “Submission” as the B-side and has a completely different sleeve.
🧷 Pressing Details
✔️ Matrix Numbers (Runouts):
Matrix: VS-184-A-2 / VS-184-B-1
This corresponds to Variant 3 on Discogs.
Earlier ones include A1/B1 (Variant 1) and A1/B3 (Variant 2).
📎 Discogs “Variant” tags are community-driven entries to help distinguish pressing differences — though it’s not always clear what the real distinction is 😅
✔️ Sleeve Details
Designed by Jamie Reid, the sleeve is matte (non-glossy) and printed on lightweight stock.
Minimalist but unmistakably punk.
✔️ Label Variants
- 1st press: Blue-to-white gradient
- 2nd press: Green and red Virgin label
Even the 1st press has variants with black or blue text — some have blue on B-side only, others on both sides.
🧷 Collector’s Notes
- 1st press typically has a solid centre hole
- Variants include push-out centres and jukebox/donut-style pressings
- The 2nd press features a lesser-known detail: a pair of “twins” — one version with small ant graphics at the bottom of the label, and one without. A fun detail for hardcore collectors.
UK-only pressings are already a maze of variations, making it a thrilling (and sometimes frustrating) rabbit hole 😭
💬 US Warner Release Trivia
Oddly enough, this was the only single Warner released in the US.
Their promotion was, well… a disaster.
They even overproduced the Never Mind The Bollocks LP with the “Submission” sticker edition, most of which ended up in bargain bins — even sealed copies are still out there today.
Also — choosing Pretty Vacant over God Save The Queen for the US market?
Big mistake. Even Japan went with GSTQ. Total lack of impact. 👎
🔜 Coming Up Next
Next in the series:
Holidays in the Sun — Virgin VS191, the final single featuring Johnny Rotten.
Stay tuned!
byebye 👋
For collectors interested in Japanese editions
If you are drawn to the design and information found on Japanese releases, particularly obi strips, you may want to take a look at my Never Mind The Bollocks Japanese CD OBI Gallery.
This page organises each obi strip variation issued for the album individually, presenting the obi itself as the main focus in a collector-oriented reference format.
It is intended as an entry point for those interested in Japanese obi strips.
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