Punk Vinyl Records

The most recognisable punk band in the U.K. has to be the Sex Pistols with the formidable and raw sound of the band playing along side the raucous voice of Johnny Rotten, they were not to be forgotten in a hurry! Although they were first U.K. punk band, it was another group called The Damned who released the first punk 45rpm single. It was the first U.K. punk 45rpm released called New Rose back in 1976 on the STIFF label. The STIFF label was started in 1976 and it was Nick Lowe who had the first release on the stiff label. Going back to the Punk vinyl, along with the Damned came more Punk and New Wave acts from this new great label such as Richard Hell, Elvis Costello, The Adverts, The great Ian Dury, Lene Lovich and a lot more great artists.

I started collecting punk vinyl around 1979 or '80, i cannot remember my very first punk or new wave single, but i would guess that it would have been something fairly easy going at the time such as Blondie or similar! I slowly progressed into the such likes of the Sex Pistols (my favourite) the Stranglers, U.K. Subs, Angelic Upstarts and Stiff Little Fingers (another great band) - they were all great, just some were more listened to than others and i listened to them a lot.
Once i started working, the money started coming in and i could buy more vinyl and build up the collection, but by now i was buying back catalogues of vinyl, things i missed first time round. Then came me getting a car, i could go to out of town record shops and for me this was great, but by the time this happened punk was on it's way out, new wave was still around and still some good music out there just a little less raw, you could hear what we now know as the early 80's pop coming in with the different bands coming.
I then found out about bands on the Crass label, the so called anarcho punk, "Big A little a bouncing B, the system might have got you but it won't get me" a great line from Crass, i loved the sleeves they were in, they were brilliant poster type sleeves and the art work on them was fantastic, i think this was maybe the only reason i collected some of the crass label stuff. Oi punk also was good, Cockney Rejects and the Greatest Cockney Ripoff and the brilliant Flares and Slippers.

Sadly i let my vinyl go by the time i got to around 30 or 35 years of age, many years later i am in the process of trying to rebuild a collection again, i know i will never get back some of what i had and the condition i had them in, i bought 90% of what i did have from new and the were in fantastic condition when i sold them, sadly i am having to buy second hand (which is understandable) just you have to take into account the conditions of them are nowhere near what i want them to be, you get the odd one that is just as new, but rare to get anything relating to Near Mint.

Punk does come in many guises and is back nowadays and has been in some form or other for a number of years with bands like Green Day, for me though, real punk music will always be the late 70's early 80's.

Here is a list of what i consider to be Great Vinyl, we all have our own tastes and for me the list is more than i put below, this is just a few that came to mind -

Sex Pistols - never mind the bollocks LP
Angelic Upstarts - Never 'ad nothin' 45
Buzzcocks - everybody's happy nowadays 45
Buzzcocks - orgasm addict 45
U.K. Subs - tomorrows girls 45
Cockney Rejects - flares 'n slippers 45
Damned - i just can't be happy today 45
Sex Pistols - god save the queen 45
Dead Kennedys - california uber alles 45
Dickies - fan mail 45
DR Feelgood - as long as the price is right 45
Stranglers - X-cert live LP
U.K. Subs - another kind of blues LP
Penetration - danger signs 45
Public Image Ltd - public image 45
Ruts - something that i said 45
Sham 69 - that's life LP (this really is a must listen to LP)

For more search yours here - Punk Vinyl