Professionals - The Complete Professionals
by Anthony Strutt
published: 11 / 1 / 2016
Label:
Virgin
Format: CD Box
intro
Finely-packaged three CD retrospective which compiles together the complete works of Steve Jones and Paul Cook’s post Sex Pistols band, the Professionals
What happens when your band are truly hated but influential and then they split up? Well, Paul Cook and Steve Jones carried on as the Sex Pistols for a while, writing new songs, doing covers for the then new film, ‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’, but it wasn't the same, so they moved onto new territory with the Professionals. The Professionals had a rather bad time. Their 1980 eponymous debut album was aborted because of a legal dispute and remained unreleased until 1991, It was a shame as it was much better than their official 1981 debut, ‘I Didn't See It Coming’, a reference to a near death experience for the band after they were involved in a car crash on an American tour. So, how do you follow such a great band as the Sex Pistols? Well, in John Lydon's case, he formed the groundbreaking Public Image Limited, while Cook and Jones founded the Professionals, who at the time were respected for who they were. You get the sense that they were trying to look forward when you listen to this three CD compilation which compiles together their entire output. The best of their music, however, had the edge and darkness of those days in 1976 and 1977. ‘Little Boys in Blue’ is about the police who gave punk rockers a hard time, but the second track ‘Mods Skins Punks’ on the aborted ‘I Didn't See It Coming’ is for me their best work, “Are you mod?/Are you a skin/?Are you a punk/Or are you just faking?” Jones asks, making the point that back then with so much of youth it was a case of what tribe your loyalty rested with. All of those groups were outcasts anyway, as disco was the strongest music of the time. This is a fine collection that deserves to be housed next to your ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’ re-master. Featuring all of the aborted ‘The Professionals’ album, which is much stronger then the poorer over-produced ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’, along with sessions and demos galore, ‘The Complete Professionals’ will make many old punks’ Christmas a very special one.
Track Listing:-
1 The Magnificent2 Payola
3 Northern Slide
4 Friday Night Square
5 Kick Down The Doors
6 Little Boys In Blue
7 All The Way
8 Crescendo
9 Madhouse
10 Too Far To Fall
11 Just Another Dream
12 Action Man
13 1 2 3
14 White Light/ White Heat
15 Baby I Don't Care
16 Join The Professionals
17 Has Anybody Got An Alibi
18 Join The Professionals
19 Conned Again
20 La La La
21 Don't Blow It All Away
22 Natural Born Killer
23 Some Play Dirty
24 Join The Professionals (John Peel Session, London, UK / 1980)
25 All The Way With You (John Peel Session, London, UK / 1980)
26 Crescendo (John Peel Session, London, UK / 1980)
27 Kick Down The Doors (John Peel Session, London, UK / 1980)
28 Join The Professionals (Mike Read Session, UK / 1980)
29 Madhouse (Mike Read Session, UK / 1980)
30 Crescendo (Mike Read Session, UK / 1980)
31 Little Boys In Blue (Alternate Recording)
32 Mods Skins Punks
33 Kick Down The Doors (Alternate Recording)
34 Kamikaze
35 All The Way (Alternate Recording)
36 Crescendo (Alternate Recording)
37 Madhouse (Alternate Recording)
38 Rockin' Mick
39 Northern Slide (Demo)
40 The Magnificent (Demo)
41 Home From Home (Demo)
42 The Magnificent (Dub)
43 Love Man (Rough Mix)
44 Payola (Monitor Mix 3)
45 Join The Professionals (Remix)
46 Just Another Dream (Monitor Mix)
47 Join The Professionals (Monitor Mix)
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/theprofessionalsbandhttps://twitter.com/OfficialPros
Label Links:-
http://www.virginrecords.com/https://www.facebook.com/virginrecords
https://twitter.com/virginrecords
https://instagram.com/virginrecords/
interviews |
Interview (2020) |
John Clarkson speaks to Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook about the reformation of his band the Profesionals, their acclaimed album 'What in the World’ and three new EPs. |
reviews |
Best Of The Professionals (2006) |
Welcome retrospective of the Professionals, Steve Jones and Paul Cook's flawed but often unfairly maligned follow-up to the Sex Pistols |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesBill Wyman - Drive My Car
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Philip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Deep Purple - =1
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Jules Winchester - The Journey
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart