A copy of God Save the Queen, the 1977 single by the Sex Pistols, has made nearly £25,000 at auction, a record for the sought-after release.
The disc was one of a few kept by a receptionist at A&M records after the record was withdrawn from sale.
God Save the Queen was the Sex Pistols’ response to the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977.
“God save the Queen, the fascist regime,” the song opened.
The BBC banned the record. Independent stations nearly all followed suit. A&M withdrew 25,000 copies from sale and destroyed them before tearing up the Sex Pistols’ contract.
However, the company kept some copies of the record and gave them to executives when the company closed its London office in 1998.
Auctioneer Martin Hughes with the record, which he called a “holy grail” for vinyl buyers.
These are said to account for up to 20 copies. One of these sold for £16,400 in 2019, setting a benchmark for the title.
However, there was apparently another set of records that belonged to an A&M receptionist. She was allowed to keep a box of Pistols records when she left the company in 1984. That included at least one copy of God Save the Queen.
The seller, who has remained anonymous, says this is the last of the records she owned.
“I have been holding onto it for sentimental reasons, but I feel now is the time to part company with it,” she said in a statement issued by Wessex Auction Rooms, who handled the sale.
Their vinyl record specialist and auctioneer Martin Hughes told the BBC: “The Sex Pistols will forever be an important chapter in both music history and pop culture history, and this record will remain a holy grail item for any serious collector.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to be breaking the record again if I am lucky enough to get another copy under the hammer.”
The total price for the record was £24,320, including buyer’s premium.
The Sex Pistols, the first British punk band to achieve major fame in a short, volatile career, are highly collectible.
The band had a very strong visual image and were closely associated with designer Vivienne Westwood. Posters, flyers, fanzines and T-shirts can all make big money. In 2021, posters for their first shows (in 1975) were valued at around £5,000 each.
Vivienne Westwood’s personal collection (she died in 2022) was sold in London this June. The top item was a very punk set of personalised playing cards that realised nearly £40,000.
