A rare Sex Pistols 7-inch vinyl single sold for just under $20,000 at auction over the weekend, reports Whatsellsbest.com.
The 35-year-old vinyl record is a 7-inch promotional record and features the band's seminal hit single, "God Save the Queen," and the Never Mind The Bollocks track, "No Feelings."
The Sex Pistols had a turbulent history with their record labels. Due to their controversial image and singles, the band was dropped several times, meaning only a small number of records were released on each imprint. According to the seller's listing, the single in question is one of only two known copies in existence.
In 2006, another Sex Pistols LTS vinyl, featuring "God Save the Queen," sold online for approximately $16,000.
The Sex Pistols only released one album together, 1977's Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. "God Save the Queen" was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977. The single was seen as an assault on Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy. It was subsequently banned from both the BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority.
To commemorate the 35th anniversary of its release -- and just in time for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee -- "God Save the Queen" was re-released on May 28, 2012.
However, Sex Pistols' frontman John Lydon disapproved of the re-release and the campaign to get it to No. 1, saying in a statement: "I would like to very strongly distance myself from the recent stories and campaign to push 'God Save The Queen' for the number one spot. This campaign totally undermines what The Sex Pistols stood for. It is certainly not my personal plan or aim. I am proud of what The Sex Pistols achieved and always will be but this campaign totally undermines what The Sex Pistols stood for. This is not my campaign. I am pleased that the Sex Pistols recordings are being put out there for a new generation, however, I wish for no part in the circus that is being built up around it."