Sid Sings
Encyclopedia
Sid Sings is the title of punk rock
er Sid Vicious
's posthumous solo album. It was released on December 15, 1979 and peaked at number 30 on the British
album charts.
The album features the two singles, "My Way
", and "Something Else". These songs also appeared in the film and album The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
along with "C'mon Everybody
", which did not appear on this album.
; there are no musicians' credits or recording info, and the production credit goes to "The Engineer," John "Boogie" Tiberi.
The bulk of the album comes from lo-fi recordings of performances at Max's Kansas City
in New York
on 30 September 1978.
The version of the Johnny Thunders
song "Born to Lose
" on this album reportedly comes from a Sex Pistols
concert at Huddersfield
, on 25 December 1977. During the children's matinee performed during the day, lead singer Johnny Rotten stepped off stage to act as Father Christmas
, while the remaining trio played a set, including among other songs "Born to Lose" and "Chinese Rocks".
Despite having an audio fidelity not much better than the rest of the album, "My Way" comes from a studio session in Paris
with French
session musicians. The remixed version that was released as a single and on The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle features a different vocal take, an overdubbed guitar solo from Steve Jones
and strings, arranged by Simon Jeffes
. But on the video version of the song it features Vicious' vocals on Sid Sings but an instrumental version from The Great Rock and Roll Swindle. There is also another demo version available from the album Too Fast To Live, which is entitled "My Way (Take 3)".
Mick Jones
from The Clash
was long rumored to play on the album. His two sets with Vicious have now been released on CD in the double album Sid Lives, released by Jungle Records
.
The album was not designed by Jamie Reid
, the Sex Pistols' art designer, but he created the guitar swastika
that appeared on the labels of the original UK pressings (though the German
pressing had a blank spot instead due to the swastika's illegality in that country).
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
er Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
's posthumous solo album. It was released on December 15, 1979 and peaked at number 30 on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
album charts.
The album features the two singles, "My Way
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
", and "Something Else". These songs also appeared in the film and album The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is a mockumentary film directed by Julien Temple and produced by Don Boyd and Jeremy Thomas about the British punk rock band Sex Pistols....
along with "C'mon Everybody
C'mon Everybody
"C'mon Everybody" is a 1958 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart, originally released as a B-side. In 1959 it peaked in the UK at No. 6 in the singles chart, and, thirty years later, in 1988, the track was re-issued there and became a No. 14 hit. In the United States the song got to No. 35 on...
", which did not appear on this album.
Credits
The album is thin on liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
; there are no musicians' credits or recording info, and the production credit goes to "The Engineer," John "Boogie" Tiberi.
The bulk of the album comes from lo-fi recordings of performances at Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South, in New York City, which was a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s.-Origin of name:...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 30 September 1978.
The version of the Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
song "Born to Lose
Born to Lose
Born to Lose may refer to:*Born To Lose *"Born to Lose", a song by Ray Charles*"Born to Lose", a song by Dee Dee Ramone*"Born to Lose", a song by Shirley Bassey from Four Decades of Song...
" on this album reportedly comes from a Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
concert at Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, on 25 December 1977. During the children's matinee performed during the day, lead singer Johnny Rotten stepped off stage to act as Father Christmas
Father Christmas
Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India...
, while the remaining trio played a set, including among other songs "Born to Lose" and "Chinese Rocks".
Despite having an audio fidelity not much better than the rest of the album, "My Way" comes from a studio session in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
session musicians. The remixed version that was released as a single and on The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle features a different vocal take, an overdubbed guitar solo from Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
and strings, arranged by Simon Jeffes
Simon Jeffes
Simon Jeffes was an English classically trained guitarist, composer and arranger. He formed, and was the core performer of, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He composed the ballet Still Life at the Penguin Cafe...
. But on the video version of the song it features Vicious' vocals on Sid Sings but an instrumental version from The Great Rock and Roll Swindle. There is also another demo version available from the album Too Fast To Live, which is entitled "My Way (Take 3)".
Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
from The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
was long rumored to play on the album. His two sets with Vicious have now been released on CD in the double album Sid Lives, released by Jungle Records
Jungle Records
Jungle Records is a British-based record label formed in 1982, specializing in classic punk rock, post punk, gothic and alternative releases.They recorded albums by Johnny Thunders such as 'Copy Cats' and 'Que Sera Sera' and are licensors of the classic Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers tape...
.
The album was not designed by Jamie Reid
Jamie Reid
Jamie Reid is a British artist and anarchist with connections to the Situationists. His work, featuring letters cut from newspaper headlines in the style of a ransom note, came close to defining the image of punk rock, particularly in the UK...
, the Sex Pistols' art designer, but he created the guitar swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
that appeared on the labels of the original UK pressings (though the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
pressing had a blank spot instead due to the swastika's illegality in that country).
Track listing
All tracks are live, with the exception of "My Way".- "Born To LoseBorn to LoseBorn to Lose may refer to:*Born To Lose *"Born to Lose", a song by Ray Charles*"Born to Lose", a song by Dee Dee Ramone*"Born to Lose", a song by Shirley Bassey from Four Decades of Song...
" (Johnny ThundersJohnny ThundersJohnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
) - "I Wanna Be Your DogI Wanna Be Your Dog"I Wanna Be Your Dog" is a 1969 song by the American rock band The Stooges. The song is featured on their self-titled debut album. Its memorable riff, composed of only three chords , is played continuously throughout the song...
" (The StoogesThe StoogesThe Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
) - "Take A Chance On MeTake a Chance on Me"Take a Chance on Me" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in 1978 as the second single from their fifth studio album, simply called The Album. The song has been featured on a number of ABBA compilations such as ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits.-History:The working title of "Take a...
" (The HeartbreakersThe HeartbreakersJohnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, also known as The Heartbreakers, were an American rock & roll band formed in New York in May 1975. The band was part of the first wave of punk rock.-History:...
) - "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" Steppin' Stone" is a rock song by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. It was first recorded by Paul Revere & the Raiders and appeared on their 1966 album Midnight Ride....
" (Tommy Boyce/Bobby HartBoyce and HartTommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were a prolific songwriting duo, best known for the songs they wrote for The Monkees.-Early years:Hart's father was a church minister and he himself served in the Army after leaving high school, Upon discharge,...
) - "My WayMy Way (song)"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
" (Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
, alternate version without strings) - "Belsen Was a GasBelsen Was a Gas"Belsen Was a Gas" is one of the most controversial songs by the British punk rock band Sex Pistols. The song is about one of the concentration camps in Germany during World War II, i.e...
" (Sid Vicious/Sex Pistols) - "Something Else" (Eddie CochranEddie CochranEddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
) - "ChatterboxChatterbox- In music :* "Chatterbox", a song by composer Jerome Brainin for the musical film That’s Right You’re Wrong * Chatterbox , a 1990 album by Toadies frontman Todd Lewis and guitarist Darrel Herbert...
" (Johnny Thunders) - "Search And Destroy" (The Stooges)
- "Chinese Rocks" (Richard HellRichard HellRichard Hell is a singer, songwriter, bass guitarist, and writer.Richard Hell was an innovator of punk music and fashion. He was one of the first to spike his hair and wear torn, cut and drawn-on shirts, often held together with safety pins...
/Dee Dee RamoneDee Dee RamoneDee Dee Ramone was an American songwriter and musician, best known as founding member, bassist and main songwriter of the punk rock band the Ramones....
) - "My Way (I Killed The Cat)" (shorter live version Of "My Way")
Personnel
- Sid ViciousSid ViciousSid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
- vocals, bass (track 1) - Paul CookPaul CookPaul Thomas Cook is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band Sex Pistols.-Early life and career:...
- drums (track 1) - Steve JonesSteve Jones (musician)Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
- guitar and backing vocals (track 1) - Arthur KaneArthur KaneArthur Kane was a musician best known as the bassist for the pioneering glam rock band the New York Dolls. He stated in the 2004 documentary film New York Doll that his nickname, Arthur "Killer" Kane, was inspired by an early New York Dolls concert newspaper review in which the journalist...
- bass - Steve Dior - guitar
- Jerry NolanJerry NolanJerry Nolan was an American rock drummer, best known for his work with The New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers.-Career:...
- drums - Claude Engel - guitar (track 5)
- Sauveur Mallia - bass (track 5)
- Pierre-Alain Dahan - drums (track 5)