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 👋
コメント