Ex Pistols
Ex Pistols | |
|---|---|
| File:Ex-Pistols.jpg "Land of Hope & Glory", 1984. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Years active | 1979 - 1992 |
| Past members | Dave Spiers Cat Bloomfield Steve Jones Al Vainola Roy Strider Ed Edinburgh Glen Matlock Anti Pathique Henry Leppnurm Paul Cook Dave Goodman |
The Ex Pistols, formed in 1979 by Dave Goodman were the first 'tribute' to the Sex Pistols after they'd split. The band itself was never solid, but instead consisted of various session musicians and occasionally, input from the Sex Pistols themselves (minus of course, John Lydon). The band caused a lot of confusion to fans at the time due to the sound-a-like music and misleading artwork that led people to believe they were actually new or lost Sex Pistols recordings.
The Swindle Continues
The first Ex Pistols release Land of Hope and Glory was a punk alternative to the old English classic, Land of Hope and Glory by Edward Elgar, using a mix of synth, guitar, drum, bass and vocals. Not only did it confuse fans but it also caused legal trouble between Goodman and publisher of the original piece, Boosey & Hawkes.
After appearing on numerous Sex Pistols bootlegs with songs like "Schools Are Prisons" and "Revolution in the Classroom", the band re-appeared in 1988 with a new album in Japan, The Swindle Continues, made up of Ex' and Sex' tracks. It came in the form of a double picture disc collectable LP, and was also released in plain vinyl form (and later, CD). A single also surfaced a year later, Revolution in the Classroom, backed by "Schools Are Prisons".
In 1992 the "Swindle" tracks would surface again on a limited copy promo LP, Deny LP. The album consisted entirely of original Ex Pistols tracks, and was never merchandised but instead, given to fans of the Sex Pistols or left in Virgin stores with a "Free" sticker, much to customer's confusion.
A short while before he recently passed away, Dave Goodman had released a new album, "Denial of a Good Man" via his website, featuring re-recorded versions of some songs from the Deny LP, a video to the song "Don't Fear", and a version of Anarchy in the UK by the Sex Pistols with rewritten lyrics, named "Wedding Day".
After a quiet pause, the Ex Pistols have recently resurfaced with the release of a DVD - "Chaos! - Ex Pistol's Secret History - The Dave Goodman Story", produced by Phil Strongman. The name was given due to copyright reasons, and although it does not actually mension the Ex Pistols, there is a selection of footage available. The soundtrack is mostly made up of Ex Pistols tracks from the Deny LP, and there are a number of tracks available to listen to as DVD extras ("Don't Fear", "Schools are Prisons", "We're Dancing On The Dole", "The Great British Weekend" and "Flowers of Romance"). At the beginning of the film itself there are also segments of footage from the video of "Don't Fear" that was intended to be included on the album "Denial Of A Good Man".
The band's material is not once linked to the name "Ex Pistols" on the DVD. Instead, all tracks are credited to "Dave Goodman and Friends".
Connections to the Sex Pistols
While it resembled (and actually was) a shameless copycat band, the Ex Pistols had far more connection to the original band than Goodman being the sound manager for their albums and live performances. In fact, three members of the Sex Pistols played songs with the band. Steve Jones and Paul Cook played on the songs Schools Are Prisons and Revolution In The Classroom (and possibly more) and Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock played on two songs from the Deny LP and co-wrote Happy Families. His excuse is the timeless "I was drunk."
John Lydon on the other hand was not so forthcoming. After recently winning the rights to the Sex Pistols music and documentation from Malcolm McLarent and Glitterbest, he was outraged by Dave Goodman using the band's name and image to promote "inferior recordings" to cash in on their name and tarnish the Sex Pistols' reputation, and for using their photographs and likenesses on the Ex Pistols' records wihout permission or paying royalties. This includes the Land Of Hope And Glory 7" single (which has the Sex Pistols' figures on the disk, albiet with their faces crossed out), the Revolution In The Classroom single and The Swindle Continues. The image on the sleeve of the Deny LP is not actually Johnny, rather Ex Pistols associate Tony Barber, who uncannily resembles John Lydon.
After a lawsuit ensued, Dave Goodman and his band were banned from producing anymore records made to look or sound like Sex Pistols recordings. The Ex Pistols next album, Denial Of A Good Man, was put on indefinate hold and the band changed their name to Dave Goodman & Friends. After that they released one more demo entitled Justifiable Homicide (available for download on Dave Goodman's website) and recorded and released several music videos for the Chaos! The Ex Pistols' Secret History DVD. All the manufactured Danial Of A Good Man CDs were sold through Dave's website and the band has since delved to complete and utter obscurity.
Until the time of his death in 2005, the Sex Pistols would have nothing to do with Dave Goodman again and refused to keep contact with him at all, though he was willing to continue working with them and make new releases.
Band members
- Dave Goodman - bass guitar, sound, vocals
- Dave Spiers (not Blak Twang or Tony Barber) - vocals
- Dave Slave - vocals
- Steve Jones - guitar
- Ted Jones - guitar
- Dan Wiseman - guitar
- Alen Lee - guitar
- Del Bartlet - guitar
- Glen Matlock - bass guitar
- Paul Cook - drums
- Andy Boreman - drums
- Dave MaCintosh - drums
- Kevin Murphy - drums
- Bryson Graham - drums
- Dave Rose - keyboards
Discography
| Album Artwork | Release Type | Year Released | Title | Label | Country of Release |
| 12" Single | 1984 | Land of Hope and Glory | Virgina Records | France | |
| 7" Single | 1984 | Land of Hope and Glory | Virgina Records | UK | |
 |
12" Double LP | 1988 | The Swindle Continues | VAP | Japan |
 |
7" Single | 1989 | Revolution in the Classroom | STP Records | UK |
 |
12" Promo LP | 1992 | Deny LP | Mandala Records | UK |
| Promo CD | ??? | Denial of a Good Man | Vagina | UK |
Links and further information
- "Not the Sex Pistols" - a site documenting Ex Pistols and Dave Goodman activity
- Dave Goodman's page on the Ex Pistols
- An unofficial MySpace profile
- Another unofficial MySpace profile