Jamie Reid archive thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Jamie Reid archive

Artwork
1979 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is the original artwork for the single Something Else, designed by Jamie Reid (b. 1947). This was the second single released released in order to promote the Sex Pistols movie, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle in 1979, and was released just two weeks after bassist Sid Vicious's death. Sid Vicious had by this point become the front man of the outfit, as Johnny Rotten, the previous singer, had split up the band in January 1978. McLaren, the band's manager, wanted to carry on with Vicious as singer. Vicious recorded two covers of songs by 1950s rock 'n' roll star Eddie Cochran, one of which was Something Else. Following this Vicious would have nothing more to do with McLaren. The b-side of the record featured another out-take from previous sessions, with guitarist Steve Jones singing Friggin' in the Riggin'.

Jamie Reid's cut-and-paste aesthetic, as seen on this artwork, developed from his interest in radical politics. His artistic style developed while at art college in Croydon, where he was influenced by the ideas of the avant-garde political group, the Situationist International. The political slant to his art was aroused by the May 1968 Paris student riots, which inspired fraternal protests organised by Reid at the Croydon College of Art. These were directed with fellow student Malcolm McLaren, who would later become the manager of the Sex Pistols. This particular cover also demonstrates his skill at graphic illustration.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleJamie Reid archive (named collection)
Materials and techniques
ink on paper & colour transparency
Brief description
Original artwork for record cover of Sex Pistols'/Sid Vicious single, 'Something Else'
Physical description
Artwork with xerox and photographic print collage on card, with pen and pencil line drawing, covered with two layers of tracing paper, each with colour pen illustration and instruction. A colour transparency is taped to the top sheet, and a blue paper sheet, with label, covers the artwork.
Dimensions
  • With cover closed height: 30.7cm
  • Width: 44.3cm
  • With cover open height: 60cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Cooke Key / COOKE KEY ASSOCIATES (MARKETING) LIMITED / 19 Shorts Gardens London WC2H 9AT / Telephone 01 240 1846/1926 (Printed label on front cover)
  • Pistols / Singles bag. (Handwritten on front cover label)
  • 100% y / 90% y + 30% / Black . / SOMETHING ELSE
  • VS240 / 90% Y + 40% R
  • DROP FOUR COLOUR TRANNY into this trace.
  • DROP FOUR COLOUR A/W / into this trace, Image to Bleed.
  • Transliteration
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is the original artwork for the single Something Else, designed by Jamie Reid (b. 1947). This was the second single released released in order to promote the Sex Pistols movie, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle in 1979, and was released just two weeks after bassist Sid Vicious's death. Sid Vicious had by this point become the front man of the outfit, as Johnny Rotten, the previous singer, had split up the band in January 1978. McLaren, the band's manager, wanted to carry on with Vicious as singer. Vicious recorded two covers of songs by 1950s rock 'n' roll star Eddie Cochran, one of which was Something Else. Following this Vicious would have nothing more to do with McLaren. The b-side of the record featured another out-take from previous sessions, with guitarist Steve Jones singing Friggin' in the Riggin'.

Jamie Reid's cut-and-paste aesthetic, as seen on this artwork, developed from his interest in radical politics. His artistic style developed while at art college in Croydon, where he was influenced by the ideas of the avant-garde political group, the Situationist International. The political slant to his art was aroused by the May 1968 Paris student riots, which inspired fraternal protests organised by Reid at the Croydon College of Art. These were directed with fellow student Malcolm McLaren, who would later become the manager of the Sex Pistols. This particular cover also demonstrates his skill at graphic illustration.
Collection
Accession number
S.851-1990

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Record createdApril 15, 2009
Record URL
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