Here We Go!
Introducing another item from my Sex Pistols collection!
This time, I’m taking a look at four reissues of Anarchy In The U.K.
They include the 1983 7-inch (VS 609) and 12-inch (VS 609-12), followed by the 1988 5-inch CD (CDF 3) and 3-inch CD (CDT 3).
▼ Related articles
🧷 Basic Specs
✔ 1983 Reissues
7-inch (VS 609)
- Title: Anarchy In The U.K.
- Artist: Sex Pistols
- Format: 7-inch single (45 RPM)
- Release date: 6 May 1983
- Label / Catalogue number: Virgin / VS 609
- Sleeve: Picture sleeve
12-inch (VS 609-12)
- Title: Anarchy In The U.K.
- Artist: Sex Pistols
- Format: 12-inch single (45 RPM)
- Release date: 1983
- Label / Catalogue number: Virgin / VS 609-12
- Sleeve: Picture sleeve
✔ 1988 Reissues
5-inch CD (CDF 3)
- Title: Anarchy In The U.K.
- Artist: Sex Pistols
- Format: 5-inch CD
- Release date: 1988
- Label / Catalogue number: Virgin / CDF 3
- Packaging: Slimline CD case
3-inch CD (CDT 3)
- Title: Anarchy In The U.K.
- Artist: Sex Pistols
- Format: 3-inch CD (8cm CD)
- Release date: 1988
- Label / Catalogue number: Virgin / CDT 3
- Packaging: Card sleeve
- Country of manufacture: Austria
▼ Lined up together, the size differences between the four formats look like this.
🧷 Tracklist
7-inch (VS 609)
A. Anarchy In The U.K.
B. No Fun
12-inch (VS 609-12)
A1. Anarchy In The U.K.
B1. No Fun
B2. EMI
5-inch CD (CDF 3) / 3-inch CD (CDT 3)
1. Anarchy In The U.K.
2. No Fun
3. EMI
The 7-inch does not include EMI, most likely because of the running-time limitations of the format.
No Fun is the same version found on the B-side of Pretty Vacant, with the outro cut short.
🧷 Pressing & Variant Details
✔️ Label / Disc Details
7-inch (VS 609)
12-inch (VS 609-12)
CDs (CDF 3 / CDT 3)
✔️ Sleeves
7-inch (VS 609)
12-inch (VS 609-12)
CD (CDF 3)
CD（CDT 3）
The vinyl releases use a black sleeve similar to the original 1976 pressing, although the original had black artwork on both sides. These reissues add the logo and track information to the reverse.
The CDs use the reverse-side design of the 12-inch release as their front artwork.
As a result, the VS 609-12 catalogue number remains visible on the CD artwork.
✔️ Matrix Numbers
7-inch (VS 609)
A-side: VS 609 A1 TOWNHOUSE
B-side: VS 609 B1 TOWNHOUSE
This version has A1/B1 matrices and was pressed by CBS.
The A2/B2 version was pressed by EMI.
12-inch (VS 609-12)
A-side: VS 609-12 A1 TOWNHOUSE
B-side: VS 609-12 B1 TOWNHOUSE
5-inch CD (CDF 3)
CDF 3 MASTERED BY NIMBUS
3-inch CD (CDT 3)
CDT-3 11 A2 MASTERED BY DADC AUSTRIA
🧷 Collector’s Notes
✔️ Was CDF 3 a Promotional CD?
CDF 3 is essentially a standard 5-inch CD version of the 3-inch CDT 3.
It is sometimes said to have been manufactured in small numbers for promotional use.
I haven’t been able to confirm exactly how widely it was distributed as a promo, or how much normal retail distribution it received, but it does seem to occupy a slightly unusual position compared with a standard commercial CD single.
For me, it turned out to be a surprisingly difficult one to find.
✔️ The Short-Lived 3-inch CD and Japan’s 8cm “Tanzaku” Singles
The 3-inch CD appeared in the late 1980s as a compact CD single format, but it never became firmly established in the UK. Before long, the standard 5-inch CD single became the dominant format.
Some slot-loading players required an adaptor, and the smaller size could also make them slightly awkward to store, so perhaps they were simply a little inconvenient in practice.
In Japan, however, the 8cm CD single — often known as a “tanzaku CD” because of its long, narrow packaging — became extremely popular and reached its peak in the mid-1990s.
It gradually disappeared as 12cm maxi-singles became standard, but the format never vanished completely. Even today, a surprising number of 8cm CDs are still released, particularly by independent labels and as special editions.
I only found this out recently myself, but there is even an annual event held on 7 July called “Tanzaku CD Day”.
Official website ▶ Tanzaku CD Day Supported by Pococha
There is also a 3-inch CD of The Ex-Pistols’ Land Of Hope & Glory.
I used to see that one fairly often, but not so much these days.
That’s the thing about collecting — timing matters.
Miss something once, and it can be a long time before another copy turns up.
And on a related note, some CDs that might sit unnoticed in a bargain bin for around 100 yen in Japan can sometimes sell for surprisingly high prices overseas.
🧷 Coming Up Next
Next time, I’ll be looking at the Japan-only 1994 compilation The Rare Best Of Sex Pistols (TECX-20699).
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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