SEX PISTOLS NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS ORIG UK V 2086 YELLOW COVER, GREEN VIRGIN 12" Vinyl LP Album

- The raw punk explosion that redefined rebellion and rewrote rock history

 This album "SEX PISTOLS - Never Mind the Bollocks Yellow Cover, Green Virgin" is the only studio album by the highly influential and controversial English punk rock band the "Sex Pistols". Fans and critics alike generally regard it as an extremely important album in the history of rock music, citing the lasting influence it has had on subsequent punk rock musicians, as well as other musical genres that were influenced by such punk rock artists.

The album was released on 27 October 1977 through Virgin Records amid controversy arising from the use of the coarse slang word (in English) "bollocks" in its title.

Never Mind The Bollocks Album Description:

"Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols" is the only studio album released by the Sex Pistols, an English punk rock band formed in 1975. The album was released on 28 October 1977, by Virgin Records and was produced by Chris Thomas. It is considered one of the most influential albums in the history of punk rock, and it remains a significant cultural icon even today.

The Sex Pistols formed in London in 1975, with Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) as the lead vocalist, Steve Jones on guitar, Glen Matlock on bass, and Paul Cook on drums. The band quickly gained notoriety for their confrontational live performances, which often led to them being banned from clubs and venues. They signed with EMI Records in 1976 but were dropped shortly after due to their erratic behavior and offensive language. The band then signed with Virgin Records and began recording their debut album.

"Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols" is a raw, aggressive, and uncompromising album that captures the energy and spirit of punk rock. The album features fast-paced, stripped-down, and guitar-driven songs that are short, catchy, and full of attitude. The lyrics are confrontational and often offensive, dealing with themes such as social alienation, political corruption, and sexual frustration. The album's sound and message were a direct response to the bloated and self-indulgent rock music of the 1970s, which the Sex Pistols saw as a reflection of the decadence and hypocrisy of British society.

The album opens with the song "Holidays in the Sun," which sets the tone for the rest of the record with its driving guitar riff and aggressive vocals. Other notable tracks include "Anarchy in the UK," "God Save the Queen," "Pretty Vacant," and "No Feelings." These songs showcase the Sex Pistols' musical and lyrical prowess, and they have become classic anthems of the punk rock genre.

"Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols" was a game-changer for the music industry. The album's release sparked a cultural revolution and inspired a generation of musicians and fans. The Sex Pistols became the poster boys for the punk rock movement, and their music and message challenged the status quo and inspired social change. The album's impact was felt not only in the UK but also worldwide, as punk rock became a global phenomenon.

The album was also controversial due to its explicit language and provocative lyrics. The UK government tried to ban the album and prevent it from being sold, but this only added to its notoriety and popularity. The album's cover art, which featured a pink front cover and a green back cover with no text other than the band's name and the album title, was a statement in itself. It was a rejection of the slick and polished album covers of the time and a nod to the DIY ethos of punk rock.

Production & Recording Information:

Music Genre:

British Punk Rock

Label & Catalognr:

Green Label Virgin V 2086

Media Format:

12" LP Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram

Year & Country:

1977 – England

Producers:
  • Chris Thomas – Producer
  • Bill Price – Producer

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Members, Musicians:
  • Johnny Rotten – Vocals
  • Steve Jones – Guitar
  • Glen Matlock – Bass Guitar
  • Paul Cook – Drums
  • Sid Vicious – Bass Guitar
Sex Pistols Bass Guitar Trivia

Why are there two bassists credited?
Never Mind the Bollocks famously lists both Glen Matlock and Sid Vicious as bass players. In truth, neither played most of the bass lines on the finished album.

Glen Matlock, the band’s original bassist, co-wrote many of the songs before leaving in 1977. Sid Vicious replaced him, but could barely play. Instead, guitarist Steve Jones recorded almost all the bass parts in the studio.

The result? A punk rock paradox: two credited bassists, yet most of the low-end thunder came from the band’s guitarist.

Complete Track-listing:

Side One:
  1. Holidays in the Sun
  2. Bodies
  3. No Feelings
  4. Liar
  5. God Save the Queen
  6. Problems
Video: Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
Side Two:
  1. Seventeen
  2. Anarchy in the U.K.
  3. Submission
  4. Pretty Vacant
  5. New York
  6. EMI
Video: Megadeth - Anarchy In The U.K. [Official Video]
Album Front Cover Photo
Front cover of the album Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols, original UK 12-inch LP on Virgin Records (catalog V 2086), 1977. Design features a saturated yellow background with large black uppercase words at the top reading NEVER MIND and directly below THE BOLLOCKS; a smaller black line reads HERE’S THE. A diagonal pink banner sweeps across the lower right bearing the words Sex Pistols in bold yellow cut-out style letters. No imagery, only typography and color.

The sleeve is a slab of scorching yellow, filling the entire field like a warning sign. At the top, dense black capitals shout NEVER MIND; beneath, even heavier type bellows THE BOLLOCKS, the letters packed tight, edges hard and square.

Centered below, a smaller, matter-of-fact line states HERE’S THE. Cutting across the lower right corner, a diagonal band of hot pink slices the space, tilted upward, carrying the ransom-style legend Sex Pistols in chunky yellow letterforms that look pasted from another poster.

The layout is pure confrontation: industrial typography, zero imagery, maximal contrast. The high-key yellow, deep black text, and pink banner create a poster you can almost hear—urgent, blunt, impossible to ignore, the visual equivalent of a three-chord blast.

Edges are clean, with no framing devices or ornament. Every element serves volume and impact, delivering the band’s attitude through color blocks, weighty type, and that slashing pink ribbon of a name.

Collector Notes / Liner Notes
  • 1 - Variant identified as Yellow Cover with a diagonal pink banner carrying the band name in yellow cut-out style.
  • 2 - Original UK catalog number V 2086 is associated with this release.
  • 3 - Label variant shown is the Green Virgin label for this title.
  • 4 - Phonographic copyright line reads ℗ 1977 Virgin Records on the label.
  • 5 - Country and year indicated on page details: 1977 – England.
  • 6 - Format noted as 12" LP Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record.
  • 7 - Back sleeve color described as Pink, contrasting the yellow front.
  • 8 - Producers credited for this edition: Chris Thomas and Bill Price.
  • 9 - Both Glen Matlock and Sid Vicious are credited on bass in the musician listings.
  • 10 - Total album (cover + record) weight listed as approximately 230 gram.
Album Back Cover Photo
Back cover of "Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols", original UK 12-inch LP on Virgin Records, catalog V 2086 (1977). A flat pink field is strewn with ransom-style paper strips in black and yellow naming the tracks—Pretty Vacant, Liar, No Feelings, New York, God Save the Queen, Seventeen, Anarchy in the U.K., EMI Unlimited Edition, Problems, Sub-Mission, Bodies, Holidays in the Sun. Small green tag at top right reads V 2086; lower center shows Sex Pistols, ℗ 1977, Virgin Records Ltd.; no barcode.

The reverse sleeve is an eye-popping pink canvas scattered with jagged, ransom-note strips. Black and yellow rectangles collide at angles, each carrying a song title as if torn from a tabloid headline.

Track names tumble across the surface: Pretty Vacant, Liar, No Feelings, New York, God Save the Queen, Seventeen, Anarchy in the U.K., EMI Unlimited Edition, Problems, SuB·Mission, Bodies, Holidays in the Sun. Mixed casing and irregular spacing amplify the do-it-yourself snarl.

At the upper right, a tiny green lozenge prints the catalog code V 2086. Along the lower center sit micro credits—Sex Pistols, the phonographic symbol, and Virgin Records Ltd. with ℗ 1977—all minimal, almost hidden among the collage.

The sleeve shows the deliberate roughness of cut paper: sharp corners, slight misalignments, and high-contrast inks that turn the back cover into a poster of kinetic noise—pure attitude without photography.

Collector Notes / Liner Notes
  • 1 - Back sleeve finished in solid pink with collage typography; no photography.
  • 2 - Song titles appear as cut-out strips in alternating black/yellow blocks, a defining first-press design trait.
  • 3 - Upper-right carries a small green tag with catalog number V 2086.
  • 4 - Lower center includes micro credit line: Sex Pistols, ℗ 1977, and Virgin Records Ltd.
  • 5 - Stylized spellings present, e.g., SuB·Mission and mixed-case words across titles.
  • 6 - Track list includes EMI Unlimited Edition among standard album cuts.
  • 7 - No barcode visible on the back sleeve, consistent with 1977 UK issue practice.
  • 8 - Visual pairing with front: yellow front / pink back colorway for this variant.
  • 9 - Collage layout uses angled placements and uneven kerning, intentional to reflect DIY punk aesthetics.
  • 10 - Credits and symbols are printed small, requiring close inspection—useful for authenticating period sleeves.
Close up of Side One record’s label
Original UK Virgin Records LP label for Never Mind the Bollocks, Side One. Flat green label with a thin red diagonal slash near the top, album and artist titles in black capitals, and the large white Virgin script sweeping up from the lower right. Track list appears 1–6: Holidays in the Sun, Bodies, No Feelings, Liar, God Save the Queen, Problems. Left reads SIDE ONE 33 1/3 RPM STEREO; right shows V 2086 and V 2086-A. Producers line states Chris Thomas or Bill Price. Rim text and ℗ 1977 Virgin Records Ltd, Made in England.

The label is a vivid green disc with a fine red diagonal slash skimming across the upper third like a warning stroke. Above it, stacked black capitals spell out the album title and band name with machine precision.

Below, a neat, numbered list runs down the center: Holidays in the Sun, Bodies, No Feelings, Liar, God Save the Queen, Problems. A bold line notes Producers: Chris Thomas or Bill Price, the unusual “or” standing out in the typesetting.

On the left margin: SIDE ONE, 33 1/3 RPM, STEREO. To the right: catalog and side codes V 2086 and V 2086-A. The huge handwritten Virgin logo climbs from the lower right, partly wrapping the spindle hole.

Along the rim, small lettering carries the rights line and ℗ 1977 Virgin Records Ltd, with Made in England appearing in the ring text—plain, functional, and unmistakably of its era.

Collector Notes / Liner Notes
  • 1 - Label color variant: Green Virgin with large handwritten Virgin logo across the lower right.
  • 2 - Catalog number printed at right as V 2086 with side code V 2086-A.
  • 3 - Speed and format at left: SIDE ONE • 33 1/3 RPM • STEREO.
  • 4 - Producer credit line reads Producers: Chris Thomas or Bill Price (the word “or” appears on this label).
  • 5 - Publishing notes include Matlock — Warner Brothers Music Ltd and Jones, Cook, Rotten, Vicious — Copyright Control.
  • 6 - Track order listed: Holidays in the Sun, Bodies, No Feelings, Liar, God Save the Queen, Problems.
  • 7 - Rights line and year at bottom: ℗ 1977 Virgin Records Ltd.
  • 8 - Perimeter text includes manufacturing notice with Made in England.
  • 9 - Graphic element: a thin red diagonal slash printed across the upper label area.

Anarchy and Influence: The Legacy of the Sex Pistols in Punk Rock and Beyond

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