Who are you?

What do you mean, who I am?

Who are you? You’re Paul Cook!

That’s right. I’m Paul Cook.

Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols!

That’s right.

Now, Paul, how’s your head?

How’s my head?

Weren’t you hit by a bottle at the Roskilda Festival?

No, I was hit by a can in the chest, actually.

Did it hurt you very much?

Naaaa. No, ‘cause I’m tough. I just carry on, you know.

What about people throwing stuff. Was that because Johnny was singing with a cordless mic, and people weren’t used to the cordless mic? What do you think about Johnny singing with a cordless mic?

I don’t think anything about it.

Hey, Paul. Congratulations. The Sex Pistols’ Never Mind The Bollocks 8-track version of your record sells for one hundred dollars!

The what?

The 8-track version of your record. The Sex Pistols’ 8-track. Were you aware that an 8-track cartridge was created for the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind The Bollocks?

I didn’t even know there was an 8-track cartridge. I thought they’d all gone out. I thought they were all redundant by the time Never Mind The Bollocks came out.

No. Believe or not, it’s selling for one hundred dollars!

Well, did you know that "God Save The Queen" on the A&M label is worth one thousand pounds?!

Well, did you also know, Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols, that Culture Club and Madonna 8-tracks are also worth a lot of money because they were created at such a late date? But it is amazing: The Sex Pistols’ 8-track one hundred dollars! And you don’t even have a copy!

I know. Can you get me one?

I’ll bring one to the gig for you to sign and autograph?

Oh, can I keep it?

Well, actually it is broken. But we can show it to you!

Ha ha.

If you can get us backstage, Paul, I am sure we’ll bring you a good one to you.

I’ll see what I can do. As long as I can just have a look at it, yeah. But that’s ’cause we were just such a seminal band. Anything to do with The Sex Pistols is worth money because we’re so great.

You were incredible. You were The Sex Pistols. In fact, you inspired so many records. I have a record in my collection. It’s called Pink Panther Punk, and it’s like Pink Panther doing punk songs and it never would have existed without you. The Sex Pistols inspired that!

Exactly.

Thank you for the Pink Panther Punk record, Paul Cook.

Exactly. What more can I say? The Pink Panther sings punk.

Paul, did you and Steve once steal musical equipment from David Bowie?

Yeah, we did. I think. I think Steve did actually. I don’t know if I was with him at the time. I can’t remember. Because we used to live in a place called Hammersmith in London, and all the bands used to play there at a place called the Hammersmith Odeon. And we wanted to get a band together but we were so poor, we couldn’t afford our equipment. So we had to go and steal it. I know that’s very naughty but what else can a poor boy do?

And who did you steal from but the big guy, Bowie!

They can afford it, these guys, you know?

Do you remember coming to Vancouver, BC and filming that movie Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains? It was with you, Jonesy, Simonon, Diane Lane, and Laura Dern?

I do, yeah. I remember it well. I spent a lot of time in Vancouver. It’s a nice place.

Didn’t Steve Jones have an affair with a woman called Trudy Partridge? Does that name ring any bells to you?

I don’t know. Who’s she?

She is a woman in Vancouver who apparently had an affair with Steve during the filming of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains.

I don’t know. I mean, Steve’s had affairs with thousands of women, you know, so he could have well done, yeah.

He loves the "birds" and the "beer," doesn’t he?

He does indeed.

Now, the original drummer from PiL was from Vancouver as well, wasn’t he? Jim Walker? Do you know him at all?

Yeah, apparently. No, I don’t know him, but I sort of vaguely remember that. You’ll have to ask John about that. I don’t know.

Paul, what do you remember about filming that movie in Vancouver, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains? You were flown to Vancouver to film this movie. It was after the Pistols had broken up.

Yeah, I don’t know actually how we got involved in that really. We were just at a loose end after the Pistols and we didn’t really know what to do with ourselves, you know. We were pursuaded into doing this film by people giving us large amounts of money. So we went and did this terrible film, I think, which I have never actually seen, you know.

Well, that is another we will have to bring to you. We will have to bring Paul Cook a Sex Pistols 8-track and a copy of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains in return for our backstage pass, right?

O.K.!





Also, I was wondering, Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols, Vancouver is going to be the last date of the Filthy Lucre tour. Does that mean we have the honour of having the last ever gig by The Sex Pistols here in Vancouver?

Yeah, on the North American continent, I think this will be the last concert by The Sex Pistols ever.

It’s pretty incredible that Johnny Rotten is married to Arri-up of The Slits’ mom! Like, he is married not to Arri-up, but to Arri-up of The Slits’ mom!

To Nora, that’s right.

Is she a German heiress?

Um, a German what?

Is she a German heiress, you know, a German aristocrat?

No, I don’t think she is, actually. No. She’s German, definitely, but whether she is a heiress or not, I wouldn’t really know. You will have to ask John about that.

Paul, being in The Sex Pistols and also being in The Professionals with Steve Jones which came after The Sex Pistols, right?

Yes.

Can you please tell me who really wrote the tune "One Two Three Four" because it seems to be a remake of The Avengers’ tune"Second to None"?

I haven’t heard The Avengers’ tune, but Steve actually wrote the majority of "One Two Three" but he actually worked with The Avengers as well.

Yeah, he’s pretty notorious for driving around Los Angeles on his motorbike kind of yelling vague sexual entendres at women. Like, he’s even written a tune called "Nasty Ho" for his other band, The Neurotic Outsiders. Do you think when he produced The Avengers, he got intimate with Penelope Houston at all, Paul Cook?

Um, it is a possibility. He does like to get intimate with women, I know that.

What sort of sexually transmitted diseases have you and The Sex Pistols gotten over the years?

What, from Steve Jones?

Well, not just from him. What have The Sex Pistols "acquired" over the years?

Um, well if you would just give us a chance, we’ve only just gotten back together again, you know. Come on. Paul Cook, it’s incredible that after The Sex Pistols, there were The Professionals.You also went on to work with a band called The Greedies. Well, that was just a make-shift band with Phil Linot and anybody else who wanted to get up on stage, you know.

That’s wild to think that The Sex Pistols would be working with a guy from Thin Lizzy. What a strange kind of pairing!

Um, not really, ’cause I mean Phil was a great guy, you know. It is a shame, it’s really sad that he died and all that, but there’s another one who’s gone, you know. Phil Linot was a great guy.

What do you think about how Phil Linot died?

Well, it’s tragic. It’s drugs again, you know. I’ve known so many people who aren’t around anymore. Now people keep going on to us about, "Oh, you’re forty now and you can’t do it." But we just think, "Hey, I’m forty, and there’s of people who didn’t make it."

Did Steve ever do any drugs with Phil Linot?

I don’t know. I wouldn’t like to say.

Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols, when Sid was in Rikers Island Prison, do you know if Sid’s mom scored any drugs for him to shoot in his cell?

I doubt it. There’s been a lot stories about it, but I couldn’t say. I wasn’t there in New York, you know, but

When was the last time you saw Sid? Was it at Winterland?

Um, I think it was, actually, because he came back to England briefly after that and went to live in New York. So I didn’t really see much of him after we split up.

His mom apparently was quite a druggie though, wasn’t she?

His mom was a bit of a hippie from the ’60s. She used to go on the Marrakesh Trail and all that stuff. I don’t know. I wouldn’t like to say. I don’t like to spread rumours about what people do with their private lives.

Did Sid invent the bog toilet paper tie? Was that his invention?

No, I don’t think he did, but he invented The Pogo.

He never beat you up though, did he?

No.

Like when you were riding in the limousine to sign that famous contract outside Buckingham Palace, weren’t you beaten up by Sid on the way to the A&M contract signing?

No, what happened is that we all had a big fight in the back of the car because it was a bit early in the morning for us. We had to get up at nine o’clock and everybody was in a really foul mood, and we just ended up having a big fight in the back of the limo. Everybody got a bit hurt. [laughs] It was just another ordinary day with the Pistols, you know.

What do you think, Paul Cook, that Malcolm McLaren did wrong? What exactly did he do wrong? Like, didn’t he help a bit, because like touring the cowboy infested South, that was kind of genius, wasn’t it? Playing these un-punk venues, don’t you think that was kind of neat, like didn’t Malcolm do some things right? Like what exactly did he do wrong?

Well, he had a lot of crazy ideas but what he did wrong was he didn’t keep the band together. He was like pivotal really in helping us split up by not looking after us. He was more interested in the media rather than looking after the band.

Touring the South of the USA, though, was an amazing idea. Like touring the South, bringing a punk band to the South. Didn’t you think that was kind of genius on his part?

Yeah, it was great for him, but not such good fun for us.

Who pays Malcolm right now? Is he broke?

I don’t know. I don’t think so. He makes records and everything. He makes crappy records and does lots of interviews for magazines and stuff like that, so I don’t know.

Paul Cook, did you ever steal anything from Malcolm’s Sex Shoppe? Did you ever break in and steal anything?

Yeah, originally he used to have a shop called Let It Rock before Sex and before we had the band, Steve and myself used to go there and try and rip stuff off from him. But I don’t know if we ever managed to. Steve used to, I think.

In The Sex Pistols file, it shows Steve’s criminal record as going back to 1968. He was really a wild one, wasn’t he?

He was a bit of a loose cannon!

Was Chrissy Hynde, Paul Cook, ever considered to be the singer of The Sex Pistols? This was before Johnny joined.

No, we weren’t. She was around London at the time, and she was a big fan. She used to follow the Pistols around actually. But we never got involved with her before John joined the band. She came along after, really.

What do you think of Chrissy Hynde leaving Ray Davies for Jim Kerr of Simple Minds?

Well, I don’t know what all these girls see in Jim Kerr, to tell you the truth.

Ray Davies! The Kinks!

Exactly! For Jim Kerr!

Paul Cook, a German band called the Pack has said, "The Sex Pistols were punk, but [their] recordings weren’t punky." Clinically, your record was very clean. "Never Mind The Bollocks" was a very clean record. "The recording technique must be appropriate for the statement of punk. It must be trashcan sound." Do you care to comment? Do you think Never Mind The Bollocks was overproduced, and it wasn’t as rough as it could have been?

No, I think it’s a great album. It still stands up today. That is why all these bands have got it wrong. They made crappy records and now nobody listens to them.

Are American bands responsible, do you think, for bringing heroin into the British music scene, because before in Britain there wasn’t that much heroin. Did the American bands bring the heroin over when they came over to you? The Heartbreakers, etc?

Um, well they were all well-known junkies when they came so I suppose they carried on. But I wouldn’t blame them. It’s up to individual people to get involved with it or not. You can’t blame somebody else. It’s always down to yourself at the end of the day whether you take anything.

What was it like playing on the sessions for Johnny Thunders’ solo record? Like you did the songs "London Boys," "Daddy Rolling Stone," "Pipeline." It was like a real all-star affair with Phil Linot, Steve Marriott. Was Thunders out of it? What was the recording of that like, Paul Cook?

It was really good fun. We had a really good night down there on night when Steve Marriott and Phil Linot came down. It was all right. Johnny [Thunders] was a bit strung out sometimes. It was okay. I mean, on that track "Daddy Rolling Stone" that you just talked about, all three of them are doing a verse each. It’s quite strange listening to that track now because none of them are alive.

Is that the extent of your working with Thunders? Did you work on anything else after that?

We used to play a few live gigs together, but he was too out-to-lunch for my liking at the time. And there’s another one who’s gone. Everyone you’re talking about is dead.

Did Steve ever think of getting Glen Matlock who’s not dead back in the band when you were on tour in America and things were going bad? This was mentioned in Noel Monk’s book.

No, we didn’t ever think of that at all. That Noel Monk’s book is a load of rubbish, anyway.

Has Johnny served any "salty tasting mayonnaise" flavoured sandwiches to Matlock yet?

Well, he hasn’t told me if he has, you know? He seems in good health, so I don’t think he has.

What do you think of Gianluca Vialli signing to Chelsea?

I think it’s great. It seems we’re going to have every player on the Chelsea team, their name will end with "O" or "I" so it is going to be great. Vialli Gianluca is a great name. I know. And we’ve signed another Italian called Roberto DiMatteo for six million pounds as well.

Almost as much as The Sex Pistols are getting on this Filthy Lucre tour!

Much more. Much more. We couldn’t even afford to buy him if we put all our resources together!

Did The Ruts play better reggae than the Clash?

I thought they all played terrible reggae.

But The Ruts! The Ruts were amazing!

They couldn’t play reggae to save their lives. You’re joking. They could play rock maybe, but reggae, forget it. Leave that to the rasta men.

Do you like brothel creepers, Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols?

I’ve got a pair on now!

Really!

Yeah! How did you know? You’ve done your homework, haven’t you, Mr. Smart Aleck, whatever your name is?

Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Paul Cook. [laughs]
What is Steve wearing on stage? You’re wearing brothel creepers. What is Steve wearing? Is he wearing that great white hat he had? He had that see-through mesh shirt. What’s Steve doing on stage?

He’s showing his ass a lot of the time. He’s wearing these leather pants that have a tiger print on them or something like that. He’s wearing a big pimp’s hat, a big huggy bear.

You had one shirt with breasts on it. Do you still have that? What happened to all your outfits?

People ripped them off from us years ago and now they’re selling them for loads of money. To the Japanese! It’s the Japanese who spend fortunes on all that shit.

Have you seen any of that? Isn’t there something in the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame like Sid’s bloody T-shirt? Is that authentic?

Yeah, probably not. A lot of stuff that they’ve got in that Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame isn’t authentic anyway, you know. So I wouldn’t believe it.

Do you think Johnny Rotten would ever have written a song called "e;Nasty Ho"? As I mentioned earlier, Steve Jones wrote a song "Nasty Ho" for his band The Neurotic Outsiders. Do you think Johnny would have approved of having a song like that integrated into The Sex Pistols, if you were to get writing songs again? Like Steve is gong crazy! He’s writing songs like "Nasty Ho"! How would that fit into The Sex Pistols line of things?

I don’t think it would actually. Steve’s got this thing about women, you know, so I don’t know, that’s Steve’s thing. We’re all grown-up boys now; each to their own, you know.

Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols, why should people care about The Sex Pistols right now in 1996? Why should they care about you?

They shouldn’t! [laughs] Because we’re a great band still, but they don’t have to care. We don’t care if they don’t care. So there you go.

Thanks very much for your time, Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols. I really appreciate it, Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols. Finally, Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols

Listen, one question. Do you think people will know that it’s Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols that you’re talking to?

Well you are Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols! You were responsible for my Pink Panther Punk record! And THAT 8-track, The Sex Pistols on 8-track worth one hundred dollars! But like I said, Culture Club and these other bands are also worth a lot too because they were made so late. The Dead Boys were on 8-track

Yeah yeah yeah, you told me that already. Go on.

Stiv Bators is on 8-track.

Oh, great. Can’t wait.

Paul Cook, did your mom ever give you a punch in the nose for Christmas?

Not for Christmas. She used to give me a punch in the nose anytime she felt like it.

Because she promised to give you a punch in the nose for Christmas?

Yeah, that’s right, Mr. Smart Aleck who’s done his homework!

All right, Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols, keep on rocking in the free world, and doot doola doot doo...

Doot doo.