Here We Go!
Continuing from the previous post, today we’re looking at the Nippon Columbia pressing of the soundtrack album to the film:
The Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle (ピストルズ栄光の伝説)
🧷 Track Commentary
Let’s take a deeper look at the songs featured on this album, including original versions of the covers where relevant. Comparing them can be quite fun!
YB-7004-AX / Side 1
- GSTQ (God Save The Queen – Symphony Version)
– Orchestral arrangement without Malcolm McLaren’s narration on this Nippon pressing.
– There’s a separate release that includes the narrated version. - Johnny B. Goode
– Originally released in 1958 by Chuck Berry.
– Widely known from the iconic scene in Back to the Future (1985).
– The Pistols’ version is mostly just “yeah” and “da” 😅 - Road Runner
– A garage rock classic by Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers.
– Included on their 1976 debut album, and released in the UK in 1977 as “Roadrunner (Once)”. - Black Arabs
– A disco-style medley of Sex Pistols songs.
– Honestly, the only track I tend to skip on this record 😅 No offense if it’s your favorite 🙏 - What You Gonna Do About It
– An early live staple. Originally released in 1965 by UK mod band Small Faces as their debut single—an anthem of ‘60s mod culture. - Anarchy in the U.K.
– Labeled as a live version on the obi, but actually a raw and aggressive demo produced by Dave Goodman.
– The proper single version is available on other releases.
YB-7004-AX / Side 2
- Substitute
– Originally by The Who, released in 1966.
– The UK and later US versions differ slightly in lyrics and arrangement.
– This version is heavily edited and much shorter. - No Lip
– Originally “Don’t Give Me No Lip Child” by British R&B artist Dave Berry in 1964. - Stepping Stone
– Written by Boyce & Hart, made famous by The Monkees.
– I always thought it was a Monkees original!
– Speaking of which, “The Monkees Show” used to air in Japan (TBS Fridays, 7pm, from Oct 1967 to Jan 1969). Might have been reruns for our generation—would love to watch it someday. - Anarchy Pour Le U.K.
– A musette-style reworking of “Anarchy”.
– Used in the film as Sid walks through the streets of Paris.
Listening to this while walking around town might just make you feel like Sid 😆
- Belson Was A Gas
– From the Pistols’ final live set.
– Only available in live form until the demo was later released.
– Personally, I prefer the version from Longhorn Ballroom 👍
– Note: “Belson” is a misspelling; it should be “Belsen”, referring to Bergen-Belsen, a site near the town of Bergen in Lower Saxony, Germany. - Belson Vos A Gasser
– Same track, but with vocals by Ronald Biggs.
– Honestly, not a fan of this version 😅
YB-7005-AX / Side 1
- Lonely Boy
– An emotional rock ballad sung by Steve Jones.
– Very un-Pistols, but I love it.
– Ends with a bit of casual banter 😊 - Something Else
– A rockabilly classic by Eddie Cochran from 1959.
– Sung by Sid here—practically a perfect imitation. - Silly Thing
– Exists in two versions: vocals by Steve or by Paul Cook.
– This album features Paul on vocals, same as in the film.
– Sounds very much like The Professionals—which makes sense, given it’s a Steve & Paul track 😅 - Love Is A Song
– The album’s most mysterious inclusion. More on that below ↓ - Rock Around The Clock
– A legendary rock’n’roll anthem by Bill Haley & His Comets (1954).
– Sparked the global rock’n’roll boom.
– This version is sung by Tenpole Tudor. - Cosh The Driver
– Also known as “No One Is Innocent” or “God Save the Pistols”—all the same track.
– “Cosh The Driver” may be unique to the Nippon Columbia release? - My Way
– A global standard made famous by Frank Sinatra in 1969.
– Sid’s version starts off faithful, then explodes into punk rage à la Ramones.
– Believe it or not, this was once used in a Japanese au commercial featuring Arashi.
Most people had no idea it was Sid singing 😆
YB-7005-AX / Side 2
- C’mon Everybody
– Another Eddie Cochran classic from 1958.
– Sid on vocals again, near carbon copy.
– Both Cochran and Sid died at age 21—a haunting coincidence. - EMI
– Orchestral version with spoken word narration by Steve? - Rock and Roll Swindle
– The album’s title track.
– In the film, various singers auditioned for the part.
– The lyrics take aim at several musicians—surprised there wasn’t more backlash 😅 - Friggin in the Riggin
– Based on the bawdy British folk song “Good Ship Venus”.
– Known for its lewd and satirical lyrics, often sung in pubs.
– Sung by Steve. Think “Alps Ichimanjaku” but dirty 😆 - You Need Hands
– A sentimental ballad made famous by Max Bygraves in 1958.
– The only song in the film sung by Malcolm himself. - Who Killed Bambi
– Sung by Tenpole Tudor.
– Not really a Pistols song, but it did get a single release.
– Lyrics by Vivienne Westwood, who said:
“I wrote the lyrics to ‘Who Killed Bambi?’ out of anger toward the exploitation of youth and innocence.”
– Some say she only contributed the idea—it’s unclear how much direct involvement she had.
🧷 The Mystery of “Love Is A Song”
What’s the original source?
This track is an instrumental version of the opening theme from Disney’s Bambi (1942), originally composed by Frank Churchill and sung by Donald Novis.
Why is it included?
It appears only on this Nippon Columbia pressing—no other domestic or international version includes it.
And strangely, it doesn’t appear in the film at all.
Could it be a pun referencing “Who Killed Bambi”?
Licensing?
Disney usually enforces strict copyright control.
It’s possible that Nippon Columbia held the domestic license at the time.
Digging deeper: between 1962 and 1970, Nippon Columbia did have a licensing agreement with Disney for Japanese releases.
They re-acquired the license in 1980 and distributed Disney music into the early ’90s.
Given that timeline, the licensing status around this record’s release is… a bit unclear 🤔
(Still looking into what happened between 1970 and 1980—will update when confirmed 🙇♂️)
Reissue Potential?
Today, Disney’s music rights have passed through Pony Canyon, Avex, and are now with Universal Music Japan.
In theory, a reissue of “Love Is A Song” could happen, if Universal clears all related rights—including Disney’s approval, master rights, publishing, etc.—but that’s a tall order.
So for now, the mystery remains unsolved. Still worth keeping an eye on 🔎
🔜 Coming Up Next
We’ll continue exploring TGRRS-related singles in upcoming posts—stay tuned 🎶
byebye 👋
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