Here We Go!
Introducing another gem from the Sex Pistols collection!
This time, it’s the 12″ single featuring the same tracks as the previously covered 7″ —
The Biggest Blow (A Punk Player by Ronnie Biggs) / My Way
(Note: the 7″ version was titled “No One Is Innocent”)
We’ll be looking at two pressings here:
- the UK limited edition featuring an interview
- the Nippon Columbia version (mine is sadly missing the obi…😓)
You can find the No One Is Innocent / My Way article here!
🧷 Basic Specs
Title: The Biggest Blow (A Punk Player by Ronnie Biggs) / My Way
Artist: Sex Pistols
Format: 12″ single (45RPM)
UK Press
- Release date: 30 June 1978
- Label/Catalogue No.: Virgin VS22012
- Sleeve: Monochrome picture sleeve
Nippon Columbia Press
- Release date: August 1978
- Label/Catalogue No.: Nippon Columbia YB-7003-AX(P)
- Sleeve: Monochrome picture sleeve
🧷 Tracks
UK Press
- A1: The Biggest Blow (A Punk Player by Ronnie Biggs)
- A2: Biggs/Jones/Cook Interview
- B1: My Way
Nippon Columbia Press
- Side A: No One Is Innocent（A Punk Player by Ronnie Biggs）
- Side B: My Way
Technically a double A-side release, but labelled as A/B.
🧷 Pressing / Variation Info
✔️ Matrix / Runout (Etching)
- UK: S-17 VS-22012-A3 tone / S-7 VS 22012 B2 tone
- Japan: YB-70003A-1 / YB-7003B-1
✔️ Sleeve
First, the UK sleeve.
Then, the Japanese one.
Both use the same monochrome artwork — but the Japan version has the catalogue number printed on the top right, and on the reverse (My Way side), the UK catalogue number is also listed! There’s also a printed retail price on the bottom left.
Original Japanese retail price: ¥900 — which is not far off its current going rate 😅
The UK inner sleeve features the stamp:
“PATENT Nos.1.125.555” and “MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN.”
✔️ Labels
- UK pressing: Both sides use a plain cream label, same as the 7″.
The title appears as The Biggest Blow (A Punk Player by Ronald Biggs) — which slightly differs from the sleeve’s wording 😅 - Nippon Columbia: Features the classic beautiful blue label we all know and love.
Here the track is titled “No One Is Innocent” instead of “The Biggest Blow.”
Also worth noting: My Way is incorrectly listed as 3:03 on the UK press and even shorter on the Japan press at 3:00!
So many titles for one track…
- No One Is Innocent
- The Biggest Blow
- ゴッド・セイブ・ザ・ピストルズ（God Save The Pistols）
- Cosh The Driver
…it’s hard to keep track 😓
🧷 Collector’s Notes
The UK version includes an interview with Biggs, Jones & Cook — released as a limited edition of 20,000 copies.
Though it’s often referred to as a first pressing, there are earlier matrices out there (like A1/B1 or A2/B1), so its “first press” status is a bit questionable.
Not exactly a rare item in terms of availability — but it still took me a while to get my hands on a copy 😅
According to discogs, the only matrix with the interview is A3/B2, so you’ll need to check the runouts or inspect the grooves to confirm.
🧷 The Interview
Since I couldn’t quite catch what they were saying, I recorded it with Voice Memos and attempted a transcription. Speaker A is Ronnie Biggs; Speaker B seems to be Steve & Paul.
It’s about six minutes long, and I can’t guarantee I got 100% of it… 😅
Speaker A: What’s the matter? You’re coming, eh, biggie?
Speaker B: Right, now, listen, unless there’s some more fucking beers first.
Speaker A: Oh, my god, here we are.
Speaker B: More beer, or we don’t fucking start.
Speaker A: Three more fucking beers.
Speaker B: Three more beers, or we don’t even do this.
Speaker A: Yeah, we don’t even do your fucking program without some more fucking beer.
Speaker B: Who knew the surveyor a bit sharpish?
Speaker A: Right, now, listen, I’m gonna ask a few serious questions now, come on.
Speaker B: Yeah, I know, all joking aside.
Speaker A: Put that fucking thing down.
Speaker A: Now, listen, who’s like the, what, where did punk rock music begin? Because, you know, seriously.
Speaker B: What?
Speaker A: I’m sorry, Mr. Cook.
Speaker B: I’ve read all about your performances, and I’m totally disgusted.
Speaker A: You fucking liar.
Speaker B: We’ve read all about you too, and you’re fucking disgusting also, I know.
Speaker A: All right, so we have something in common in us.
Speaker B: Yeah, what about the train robber?
Speaker A: In us, as well. What about the train robber?
Speaker B: Well, you tell us what about him.
Speaker A: I’m just asking a fucking question, me old.
Speaker B: Get over it, get over it.
Speaker A: All right, now, what is punk rock? Let me be quiet for a moment. Get your fucking teeth in your mouth a bit. And Mr. Cook, you’ll be kind enough to answer.
Speaker B: It’s the same sort of thing.
Speaker A: It’s the same sort of thing as you’re doing.
Speaker B: Making a lot of money, but then fuck off.
Speaker A: What do you mean doing fuck all?
Speaker B: I’ve got a lot of money for doing nothing.
Speaker A: Yes, but I would like to work, and I’m not allowed to by the authorities.
Speaker A: What is punk rock? Seriously now, come on.
Speaker B: It was a name given to us by the press. We just thought we were a normal rock group, right? And we were so bad, the press had to label us something. They called us “punk rock.”
Speaker A: Nasty and what?
Speaker B: Punk means bad, right?
Speaker A: Yes, now I understand. And were you really that bad?
Speaker B: And it just carried on, yeah.
Speaker A: Is that why you called Johnny—whatever his name is—Johnny Rotten? It wasn’t his real name, I understand.
Speaker B: No. He’s bad, he’s bad.
Speaker A: And now you’ve had another chap in your group named Mr. Vicious. How come you have simple names, like Mr. Jones and Mr. Cook?
Speaker B: Because we’re working class, yes.
Speaker A: Now, would you please tell me, if you can, how this punk rock movement took on so much—how did you become famous overnight?
Speaker B: Because we don’t fuck about. There was fuck all else, nothing else. Just Rod Stewart and other boring old turds.
Speaker A: What musicians would you include in your list of boring turds?
Speaker B: Rolling Stones, Olivia Newton John, Freddie Mercury, Led Zeppelin…
Speaker A: What about George Formby?
Speaker B: He’s a turd as well.
Speaker A: Tell me how you fellows got started in the world of punk rock.
Speaker B: We started off before we met Johnny Rotten. We used to meet at Malcolm McLaren’s sex shop.
Speaker A: Why was it called a sex shop? What was the inference?
Speaker B: Sex—sex crime and big tits, sorry.
Speaker A: Can we try to be serious?
Speaker B: We used to nick our gear in the beginning. We didn’t have money, so we used to nick it off people like David Bowie.
Speaker A: Interesting—as an old ex-crook, I’d like to know how. What was your first job as a crook?
Speaker B: Woolworths.
Speaker A: Woolworths? What did you do there?
Speaker B: Pens and pencils. No rubbers.
Speaker A: Okay, don’t use rubbers, presumably. Only French ones?
Speaker B: Only French ones, yeah.
You can read the full transcript above, but here’s a brief summary:
This chaotic and boozy conversation between runaway train robber Ronnie Biggs and Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones & Paul Cook captures the unruly, irreverent spirit of punk.
They discuss the origins of punk rock, mock the press, criticise “boring old turds” like Rod Stewart and Led Zeppelin, and joke about shoplifting from Woolworths and Bowie.
Rather than a serious interview, it plays out like a drunken rant — raw, satirical, and soaked in beer — which somehow fits the Sex Pistols ethos perfectly.
🔜 Coming Up Next…
Next up in the TGRRS series:
“(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone / Pistols Propaganda” (Virgin VS339)
Just three more records to go in this series — stay tuned!
byebye 👋
コメント