Here we go.
This is the second entry in my Sex Pistols record collection series.
And of course, this time it’s the iconic track —
God Save The Queen, first released by Virgin Records under catalogue number VS181, in its original UK first pressing.
👑 God Save the Queen (Virgin VS181)
The condition of this particular sleeve is quite rough — with handwritten notes scribbled on it 😓
🧷 Basic Info
- Title: God Save the Queen
- Artist: Sex Pistols
- Format: 7-inch Single (45 RPM)
- Release Date: 27 May 1977
- Label / Catalog No.: Virgin VS181
- Sleeve: Picture sleeve
🧷 Tracks:
- Side A: God Save The Queen
- Side B: Did You No Wrong
🧷 Pressing & Variation Details
✔️ Matrix Numbers (Runout Etchings)
- VS-181-A-1 / VS-181-B-1 (First press)
✔️ Label Variants
- First Press: Blue label with silver text on both sides
- Second Press: Blue label with white text on A-side, silver on B-side
- Third Press: Blue label with white text on both sides
✔️ Anti-Slip Ring (Ridge Texture)
- First Press: Angular-edged serrated ring
- Later Pressings: Rounded anti-slip rings (common in later batches)
💡 The anti-slip ring helps stabilise the record on the turntable and ensures accurate stylus tracking.
✔️ Sleeve Design
Designed by Jamie Reid, the sleeve features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with her eyes and mouth obscured — a classic piece of punk visual history.
Apparently, it’s been nicknamed the “Blind Queen” sleeve in some circles (cheers to @rubbishflower for the info 🙏).
This was new to me — I’d only associated the safety pin design (pierced lips) with God Save The Queen shirts — also known as the “Safety Pin Queen”.
Also worth noting: some French Barclay pressings used the Safety Pin Queen sleeve instead. Curious choice — not sure why it was used there.
And here’s a fine detail for the die-hards:
There are two versions of the sleeve entry cut — one straight, one rounded.
This likely reflects differences in manufacturing plants.
🧷 Sound Quality:
Personally, I like the analogue feel of this pressing, but I don’t find it drastically different from the CD version — unlike Anarchy, which felt punchier.
That said, the worn condition of my copy actually adds to the vibe 👍
🧷 Collector’s Notes:
Originally planned for release under A&M Records, the contract was terminated before launch — the Virgin pressing (VS181) is what finally hit the shelves.
The UK first pressing (matrix A1 / B1) saw around 50,000 copies produced.
While not ultra-rare, it’s still the definitive original.
My own copy has the correct A1 / B1 matrix but was… “modified” — the solid centre was crudely punched out to make a makeshift large-hole version (commonly referred to as NOC: Not Original Centre).
The punching job is rough, and this isn’t one of the known UK-manufactured NOCs with clean cut and label alignment, so I suspect someone forcibly converted it for jukebox use 😓
At the time, I had no idea and assumed it was standard. Finding out later was… a bit of a shock.
Still, I eventually managed to get a proper solid centre copy.
Though — spoiler — that one has its own mystery, which I’ll share in the next post.
💡 Bonus: The Legendary A&M Pressing (AMS 7284)
The unreleased A&M version — withdrawn just before release — is a true holy grail.
Reportedly fewer than 100 copies survived.
In 2024, one sold at auction for a record-breaking £24,320 — nearly ¥4.7 million.
🔜 Coming Next:
Next time, I’ll feature another pressing of God Save The Queen (VS181) with a unique twist.
Stay tuned.
byebye 👋
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