The original Sex Pistols line-up - Johnny Rotten, Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock - caused outraged when they swore on a Thames Today programme almost 30 years ago, infuriating interviewer by Bill Grundy live on ITV. Here is the transcript of the interview from December 1, 1976.
Standing behind the Pistols were punk hangers-on Siouxsie Sioux her drummer Steve Severin, Simon Barker and 'Simone'.
GRUNDY: (To camera) They are punk rockers. The new craze, they tell me. Their heroes? Not the nice, clean Rolling Stones... you see they are as drunk as I am... they are clean by comparison. They're a group called The Sex Pistols, and I am surrounded by all of them...
JONES: (Reading the autocue) In action!
GRUNDY: Just let us see The Sex Pistols in action. Come on kids...
[Film of The Sex Pistols in action is shown; then back to Grundy.]
GRUNDY: I am told that that group (hits his knee with sheaf of papers) have received £40,000 from a record company. Doesn't that seem, er, to be slightly opposed to their anti-materialistic view of life? MATLOCK: No, the more the merrier.
GRUNDY: Really?
MATLOCK: Oh yeah.
GRUNDY: Well tell me more then.
JONES: We've fuckin' spent it, ain't we?
GRUNDY: I don't know, have you?
MATLOCK: Yeah, it's all gone.
GRUNDY: Really?
JONES: Down the boozer.
GRUNDY: Really? Good Lord! Now I want to know one thing...
MATLOCK: What?
GRUNDY: Are you serious or are you just making me, trying to make me laugh?
MATLOCK: No, it's all gone. Gone.
GRUNDY: Really?
MATLOCK: Yeah.
GRUNDY: No, but I mean about what you're doing.
MATLOCK: Oh yeah.
GRUNDY: You are serious?
MATLOCK: Mmm.
GRUNDY: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Brahms have all died...
ROTTEN: They're all heroes of ours, ain't they?
GRUNDY: Really... what? What were you saying, sir?
ROTTEN: They're wonderful people.
GRUNDY: Are they?
ROTTEN: Oh yes! They really turn us on.
JONES: But they're dead!
GRUNDY: Well suppose they turn other people on?
ROTTEN: [Under his breath] That's just their tough shit.
GRUNDY: It's what?
ROTTEN: Nothing. A rude word. Next question.
GRUNDY: No, no, what was the rude word?
ROTTEN: Shit.
GRUNDY: Was it really? Good heavens, you frighten me to death.
ROTTEN: Oh alright, Siegfried...
GRUNDY: [Turning to those standing behind the band] What about you girls behind?
MATLOCK: He's like yer dad, inni, this geezer?
GRUNDY: Are you, er...
MATLOCK: Or your granddad.
GRUNDY: [To Sioux] Are you worried, or are you just enjoying yourself?
SIOUX: Enjoying myself.
GRUNDY: Are you?
SIOUX: Yeah.
GRUNDY: Ah, that's what I thought you were doing.
SIOUX: I always wanted to meet you.
GRUNDY: Did you really?
SIOUX: Yeah.
GRUNDY: We'll meet afterwards, shall we?
[Sioux does a camp pout]
JONES: You dirty sod. You dirty old man!
GRUNDY: Well keep going, chief, keep going. Go on, you've got another five seconds. Say something outrageous.
JONES: You dirty bastard!
GRUNDY: Go on, again.
JONES: You dirty fucker! [Laughter from the group]
GRUNDY: What a clever boy!
JONES: What a fucking rotter.
GRUNDY: Well, that's it for tonight. The other rocker, Eamonn - and I'm saying nothing else about him - will be back tomorrow. I'll be seeing you soon, I hope I'm not seeing you [the band] again. From me, though, goodnight.
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