John Lydon: Stories of Johnny: A Compendium of Thoughts on the Icon of an Era

319 Pages·2007·19.89 MB·English

by  Rob Johnstone

John Lydon - Stories Of Johnny
A Compendium Of Thoughts On The Icon Of An Era
Edited by Rob Johnstone
A CHROME DREAMS PUBLICATION
First Edition 2006
Published by Chrome Dreams
PO BOX 230, New Malden , Surrey
KT3 6YY, UK
[email protected]
WWW.CHROMEDREAMS.CO.UK
ISBN 1 84240 360 5
Copyright © 2006 by Chrome Dreams
Editorial Assistant Jake Kennedy
Cover Design Sylwia Grzeszczuk
Layout Design Marek Niedziewicz
Front cover photograph courtesy of Redferns.
Back cover photograph courtesy of Rex.
Inside photographs courtesy of Redferns, Rex, Retna, Barry Plummer.
While every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of
illustrations herein, this has not proved possible in certain cases. Please
contact Chrome Dreams if your copyrighted material features within
this book without prior arrangement.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without
the written permission of the publishers.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by William Clowes Ltd, Beccles, Suffolk

He saw himself now as a full grown man for whom the angels wept
Graham Greene: Brighton Rock
Oh I’m in a rage, waiting for these dynamite daze
Kevin Coyne: Dynamite Daze
Acknowledgements
First and foremost my thanks extend to the contributors involved
in the writing of this tome. Despite payments exchanged, these
were generally less than handsome and, to a man or woman, the
call of reward was exceeded.
So without further ado, please say it one time for; Greil Marcus,
Judy Nylon, Clinton Heylin, Pat Gilbert, Kris Needs, Alan Clay-
son, Barb Jungr, Legs McNeill and Nigel Williamson.
The troops at Chrome Dreams deserve more than a mention,
most notably; assistant editor Jake Kennedy, graphic designers
Sylwia Grzeszczuk and Aneta Fuks, layout and IT director Marek
Niedziewicz and Projects Manager Angela Turner. Regrettably,
for now, that’s all that’s on offer.
Special thanks go to Alan McGee for a foreword that quite says
it all, and a generosity that, in a different light, does too. In this
regard, please also raise a glass for Vanessa B, the classiest PA in
the business.
Extra special thanks go to Kris Needs and Judy Nylon for general
assistance with the project and endless supplies of good natured
responses to all manner of questions.
Contents
A Foreword
by Alan McGee 9
Introduction
by Rob Johnstone 11
1. The Ballroom Blitz: From New York To Baghdad
by Greil Marcus 29
2. Glorious Rage: The Look And The Sound Of The Voice
by Barb Jungr 41
3. Idiot Dancing: 30 Years Out On The Floor
by Kris Needs 55
4. Build Me Up Buttercup: Rotten Rubrics & Pistol Prototypes
by Alan Clayson 105
5. In With The In Crowd: The View From Under The Floorboards
by Judy Nylon 12
6. Into The Mystic: When Johnny Met Tommy
Interview by Tommy Vance 153
. No More Mr Nice Guy: The Brand New Us And Them
by Legs McNeil 163
8. Goodbye And Hello: Holding Court In Troubled Times
by Pat Gilbert 185
9. The Wrecking Ball: Public Image Limited 1978-83
by Clinton Heylin 209
10. Time Loves A Hero: The Fury Returns
by Nigel Williamson 2
11. Stir It Up: Thoughts From A Mind Less Ordinary
50 Quotes by John Lydon 301
Afterword
by Rob Johnstone 309


Stories Of Johnny
A Foreword
by Alan McGee
I first cast my eyes on the man around March 1977 in Listen
Record Shop, Buchannan St., Glasgow. I was 16. I knew about Punk
but had never seen a Punk band in my life, although I had heard a
few random plays of the Sex Pistols’ debut single, ‘Anarchy In The
UK’, from which I loved the chorus. I had no idea that what I was
about to see would change my life forever. Lydon was on some ter-
rible British pop programme singing, or more like screaming, and
having an epileptic fit, to ‘Anarchy’. It blew away every preconcep-
tion I ever had about pop music. It had been T.Rex, Slade, David
Bowie, then nothing, some awful metal gigs, then punk rock. Punk
Rock was John Lydon.
I know Malcolm McLaren and I know John and believe me,
Lydon is the original, Malcolm learned so much more from Lydon
than Lydon ever learned from Malcolm. I love Malcolm, but Lydon
was a martyr for his generation. He blew away an era past and en-
tered an era about to come on us all.
The Sex Pistols were brutally iconic, but PiL meant so much more
to me. Times change but for my generation Lydon is an icon that will
never be repeated; he is a true one-off and a true British hero. The
greatest poet and musical visionary of his generation, he will be re-
membered as a national hero in 200 years. Unfortunately, because
we live in England, he will have to die before he is lauded.
Lydon let me be me, he let an entire generation be themselves.
Lydon isn’t a pop idol, he’s a fucking religion. Lydon is our Jesus
Christ, the mainstream will understand when he’s gone.
Raise one for us all John.