Recently, the famed ’70s punk band Sex Pistols has announced that they will be releasing a new compilation of old material from the band’s heyday, entitled Sex Pistols: The Original Recordings. The collection will feature 20 tracks written primarily between 1976-1978, including material from the band’s studio album Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols. The compilation is currently set to release May 27. While many are excited about the upcoming compilation, there is one person who is furious about the release: the lead singer of the Sex Pistols, John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten.
Consequence Sound reports that on March 30, Lydon took to Facebook to air his disdain about the Pistols’ upcoming compilation. In his brief post, the singer explicitly states that he “has not approved this compilation and does not endorse or support it. He has not approved the artwork or tracklisting.” His statement makes clear that neither he nor his team has had any role in the production of the album. Lydon’s post concludes by taking a jab at the quality of the project, explaining that he considers the compilation “substandard compared to previous Universal releases since 2012.”
Lydon’s objection to the new compilation follows a recent history of the frontman opposing recent work associated with the band. Previously, the singer expressed disgust at the Hulu miniseries on the band produced by guitarist Steve Jones titled Pistol. This led to Lydon attempting to prevent the documentary from using the band’s music, which caused the band to file a lawsuit against Lydon for the rights to use the music, on the basis that decisions about the music should be determined by a majority vote of the band. Lydon lost this lawsuit, which allowed the Sex Pistols to use the music both in the miniseries, and, now, in the new compilation.