Jamie Reid archive
Artwork
1979 (designed)
1979 (designed)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is the original artwork for the back cover of the Sex Pistols single C'mon Everybody, designed by Jamie Reid (b. 1947). This was the forth single released in order to promote the Sex Pistols movie, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle in 1979, and was released months after bassist Sid Vicious's death and the break-up of the band. Vicious had ostensibly become the front man of the outfit, after Johnny Rotten, the previous singer, had split the band up 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 this single, C'mon Everybody. Following this Vicious would have nothing more to do with McLaren. The b-side of the record, GSTQ, was an orchestral version of the Pistols' God Save the Queen.
The photographic image is a photo from the filming of The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, in which an effigy of the band is being burnt. Reid wasn't happy with the film, and the text alongside was written with McLaren to try and explain their intentions in the work they did with the Pistols, in a semi eulogy.
It also showcases Jamie Reid's cut-and-paste aesthetic, 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.
The photographic image is a photo from the filming of The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, in which an effigy of the band is being burnt. Reid wasn't happy with the film, and the text alongside was written with McLaren to try and explain their intentions in the work they did with the Pistols, in a semi eulogy.
It also showcases Jamie Reid's cut-and-paste aesthetic, 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.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | Jamie Reid archive (named collection) |
Materials and techniques | ink and collage on paper and transparency |
Brief description | Original artwork for back cover of Sex Pistols single, 'C'mon Everybody', from 1979. |
Physical description | Torn photographic image of people around a bonfire, with a man holding up a guitar. On the right hand side are strips of white paper, with a hand written eulogy to the Sex Pistols on a red background, on artboard. Above is a transparent cell, with some collage pieces on. A tracing paper sheet is above this, with illustration and written detail for the printers. This is covered with a blue protective paper sheet. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This is the original artwork for the back cover of the Sex Pistols single C'mon Everybody, designed by Jamie Reid (b. 1947). This was the forth single released in order to promote the Sex Pistols movie, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle in 1979, and was released months after bassist Sid Vicious's death and the break-up of the band. Vicious had ostensibly become the front man of the outfit, after Johnny Rotten, the previous singer, had split the band up 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 this single, C'mon Everybody. Following this Vicious would have nothing more to do with McLaren. The b-side of the record, GSTQ, was an orchestral version of the Pistols' God Save the Queen. The photographic image is a photo from the filming of The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, in which an effigy of the band is being burnt. Reid wasn't happy with the film, and the text alongside was written with McLaren to try and explain their intentions in the work they did with the Pistols, in a semi eulogy. It also showcases Jamie Reid's cut-and-paste aesthetic, 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. |
Associated object | S.886-1990 (Object) |
Collection | |
Accession number | S.855-1990 |
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Record created | May 12, 2009 |
Record URL |
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