John
Lydon Solo Discography
Time
Zone |
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| This one-off single with Africa Bambaataa was arguably the first real 'hip-hop meets rock' collaboration; predating Run DMC's 'Walk This Way' by two years. Truly groundbreaking, the apocalyptic 'World Destruction' was recorded in New York back in October 1984; and is cited as a major influence on later rock/rap crossover's. The single was arranged by Bill Laswell after Lydon and Bambaataa had acknowledged respect for each others work. Bambaataa had told Laswell he wanted to work with someone who was "really crazy" and Laswell suggested John Lydon! Laswell and Lydon would go onto record PiL's 'Album', and they later claimed 'World Destruction' was used as a way of “checking each other out” prior to working together. As well as featuring Laswell, the single also includes Bernie Worrell, Nicky Skopelitis & Aiyb Dieng who would later play on 'Album'. Bambaataa & Laswell, not Bambaataa & Lydon share the publishing credit on the track. Time Zone was one of Bambaataa's side projects, and had previously released the 'Wild Style' single. He later resurrected the name in the nineties. However, no other Time Zone track features John Lydon. A promo video for the song featuring both Lydon and Bambaataa was also filmed. 'World Destruction' has been remixed and released various times, therefore, we've decided to only include the basic UK releases; along with a couple of interesting variations... |
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| 7": WORLD DESTRUCTION 7" MIX / 7" INSTRUMENTAL MIX (p/s) |
VIRGIN VS743 |
(12/84) |
| Features slightly different artwork to the 12" version. |
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| 12": WORLD DESTRUCTION 12" MIX / 12" INSTRUMENTAL BLAST (p/s) |
VIRGIN VS74312 |
(12/84) |
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| 12": WORLD DESTRUCTION 'INDUSTRIAL REMIX' / 12" INSTRUMENTAL BLAST (p/s) |
VIRGIN VS74313 |
(12/84) |
| Special Bill Laswell remix 12". (with sticker on sleeve) |
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| CASSINGLE: WORLD DESTRUCTION 12" MIX / 12" INSTRUMENTAL BLAST / 7" MIX / 7" INSTRUMENTAL MIX |
VIRGIN TVS74312 |
(12/84) |
| (Sleeve incorrectly states that all 4 tracks are repeated on both sides) |
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| US 12": WORLD DESTRUCTION MELTDOWN REMIX (INSTRUMENTAL BLAST) / EDITED FOR RADIO MIX (7" MIX) / DANCE MIX (7" INSTRUMENTAL MIX) (p/s) |
CELLULOID CEL191 |
(?/85) |
| US re-issue with alternative remix titles, and slightly different sleeve (UK titles in italics).
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| CD SINGLE: WORLD DESTRUCTION 12" MIX / INST BLAST / 7" MIX / 7" INST MIX |
VIRGIN CDT29 |
(3/90) |
| (3" gatefold sleeve) |
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| US CD SINGLE: WORLD DESTRUCTION 12" MIX / 7" MIX / MELTDOWN REMIX (INSTRUMENTAL BLAST) / WILD STYLE / HARD CELL EDIT (INDUSTRIAL MIX) |
RESTLESS 772661-2 |
(?/92) |
| US,
1992 CD single reissue with completely different artwork, and the
alternative US remix titles (UK titles in italics). Also includes Bambaataa's 'Wild Style' as a bonus track. |
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| The track has been re-issued various times over the years and included on countless compilation albums. The 'Industrial Remix' was released on CD for the first time on the 1993 Post-Pistols compilation CD 'After The Anarchy', CONNOISSEUR VSOP188. |
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Golden Palaminos |
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| Something of an obscure release, this track was another guest collaboration arranged through Bill Laswel. This time with Anton Fier's floating band The Golden Palaminos. John Lydon contributes lead vocals; with Laswell playing bass. 'The Animal Speaks' was a far more low-key release than ‘World Destruction’, and only really received a small North American release. John contributes vocals only; and does not write the track (which is credited to "Robert Kidney") . Another version of 'The Animal Speaks' was also recorded with Cream's Jack Bruce on vocals. This version is included on the B-side of the 12" release. It's fair to say this is not the strongest track John Lydon has ever appeared on. |
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| US LP: VISIONS OF EXCESS |
CELLULOID CEL6118 |
(12/85) |
| (Features 'The Animal Speaks') |
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| US 12": THE ANIMAL SPEAKS (p/s) |
CELLULOID CEL190 |
(12/85) |
| (John Lydon vocal) / (Jack Bruce vocal) |
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| 'Visions of Excess' was later reissued on CD. 'The Animal Speaks' has been included on at least three Golden Palaminos compilation CD's; as well as featuring on the 1993 Post-Pistols compilation CD 'After The Anarchy', CONNOISSEUR VSOP188. |
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Leftfield Lydon |
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| Another groundbreaking collaboration; this time with dance duo Leftfield… John Lydon had known Leftfield's Neil Barnes for sometime, and was a fan of the band's previous output. They also had a mutual friend in John "one of the John's" Gray; who had a hand in getting the collaboration together. This wasn’t a case of Johnny Rotten going dance; Leftfield were schooled in PiL and their peers. Modern music had finally came round to Rotten’s way of thinking... The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett later stated it was his inspiration for ‘Firestarter’ and said it was a record he “wished he had made…” 'Open Up' would be Leftfield's biggest hit single, peaking at number 11, and arguably the record that broke them to the mainstream. Ironically, it could easily have been a bigger hit, but received limited airplay due to forest fires that engulfed California at the time of the record's release: “Burn Hollywood Burn” indeed. Leftfield would later remix a couple of tracks on John Lydon's 'Psycho's Path' album. Neil Barnes also teamed up with John Lydon to remix 'God Save the Queen' in 2002. One of the most popular and influential dance anthems of the nineties, 'Open Up' has been remixed and re-released several times (as well as being included on countless compilation albums over the years). Therefore, we've decided to only include the basic UK releases; along with a couple interesting imports... A promo video featuring Leftfield and Lydon was also filmed for the single. |
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| 12": OPEN UP FULL VOCAL MIX / DERVISH OVERDRIVE |
HARDHANDS OO9T |
(11/93) |
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| 12":
OPEN UP REMIXES |
HARDHANDS 009R |
(11/93) |
| Remix 12", with slightly different coloured sleeve, & sticker. A slightly different mix of The Dust Brothers remix appears on the 'Chemical Reaction' compilation CD (AFRODESIA AFRCD 01, ?/97) |
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| CASSINGLE: OPEN UP RADIO EDIT / FULL VOCAL MIX / DERVISH OVERDRIVE |
HARDHANDS 009MC |
(11/93) |
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| CD SINGLE: OPEN UP RADIO EDIT / FULL VOCAL MIX / DERVISH OVERDRIVE |
HARDHANDS 009CD |
(11/93) |
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| GERMAN CD SINGLE: OPEN UP REMIX |
HARDHANDS
/ LOGIC |
(11/93) |
| RADIO EDIT / SABRES OF PARADISE : 'I HATE PINK FLOYD' / 'OPEN DUB' REMIXES / DUST BROTHERS MIX (aka Chemical Brothers) Unique German CD import featuring mixes previously only available on UK vinyl. |
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| CD: LEFTISM |
COLUMBIA/HARD HANDS HANDSCD2 |
(1/95) |
| Features an edited version of 'Open Up': Full Vocal Mix. The album has been re-issued various times. |
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| US CD SINGLE: OPEN UP RADIO EDIT / FULL VOCAL MIX / DERVISH OVERDRIVE |
COLUMBIA/HARD HANDS |
(?/95) |
| US
CD single issued to promote the release of the 'Leftism' album in
1995. Features unique artwork. Most likely because the original
UK police car/mansion artwork would be deemed unsuitable. |
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| CD: JOHN LYDON : PSYCHO'S PATH |
VIRGIN CDV130 |
(6/97) |
| Features 'Open Up': Chemical Brothers Mix Edit', an edited version of the 'Dust Brothers Mix', (by this time the duo were forced to call themselves the Chemical Brothers).
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John Lydon: Psycho's Path |
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| Released in 1997 Psycho's Path was John Lydon's first solo album. As you'd fully expect John writes all the material himself, but in a marked departure from PiL he also plays almost all the instruments too. You name it – keyboards, accordions, toilet rolls, cardboard boxes – anything that came to hand, and sounded right! He also co-produces along with Mark Saunders (who'd previously worked with Tricky), and if that wasn't enough he designed all the artwork for the sleeve and packaging. A "solo" album in the real sense of the word. After deciding to put PiL on hold in 1992, and then concentrating on other projects, 'Psycho's Path' was recorded over three years in John's own 'Rotten Studios' at his Los Angeles home. After an aborted deal with Atlantic Records the album was eventually released by Virgin Records. Virgin never fully understood, or backed the project, and poor promotion and distribution saw it almost go unnoticed. Released a year after the Sex Pistols 'Filthy Lucre' tour it was largely panned by cynical critics, and also divided the fans. Especially the fans who thought John had returned to more 'rockier' roots. You never know what to expect from John Lydon records, that's the beauty of them. Something of a rough diamond 'Psycho's Path' is perhaps John Lydon's bravest work to date. There's no doubt he put his neck on the block, it truly was sink or swim. There was no hiding. This was John at his rawest and most vulnerable, and in turn at his strongest. From sweet melodies to full on raging Rotten 'Psycho's Path' is without question Lydon's most varied and accomplished vocal work, and musically his most underrated. And that's a fact. See the JohnLydon.Com 'Psycho's Path' micro-site for full info… |
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| JAPANESE CD: PSYCHO'S PATH |
NIPPON/COLUMBIA COCY-80551 |
(3/97) |
| GRAVE RIDE / DOG / PSYCHOPATH / ANOTHER WAY / SUN / DIS HO / TAKE ME / A NO AND A YES / STUMP / ARMIES Japanese issue released
three months before anywhere else, featuring different versions
of 'Another Way' & 'Armies', plus a slightly different mix of
'Stump'. However, it does not include the bonus remixes later featured
on the UK and US versions. |
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| CD: PSYCHO'S PATH |
VIRGIN CDVUS130 |
(6/97) |
| GRAVE RIDE / DOG / PSYCHOPATH / SUN / ANOTHER WAY / DIS-HO / TAKE ME / A NO AND A YES / STUMP / ARMIES / & bonus remixes OPEN UP (DUST BROTHERS MIX EDIT) / GRAVE RIDE (MOBY MIX) / SUN (LEFTFIELD MIX) / PSYCHOPATH (LEFTFIELD MIX) / STUMP (DANNY SABER MIX) |
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| CD SINGLE: SUN (LEFTFIELD REMIX) / SUN (LYDON REMIX) / PSYCHOPATH (LEFTFIELD DUB REMIX) / PSYCHOPATH (LEFTFIELD REMIX #3) |
VIRGIN VUSCD122 |
(7/97) |
| UK CD single, features the Leftfield Mix of 'Sun' as the lead track, plus three previously unreleased remixes, most notably an off-the-wall remix of 'Sun' by John and his brother Martin. The single peaked at no.42 in the UK charts. |
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| 12": SUN (LEFTFIELD REMIX) / GRAVE RIDE (MOBY REMIX) / PSYCHOPATH (LEFTFIELD DUB REMIX) / PSYCHOPATH (LEFTFIELD REMIX#3) (p/s) |
VIRGIN VUST122 |
(7/97) |
| UK 12" single. Substitutes the Lydon Mix of 'Sun' from the CD single for 'Grave Ride'. However, despite the sleeve stating that the Moby Mix of 'Grave Ride' is featured. In fact, it includes the original Lydon album version... The single peaked at no.42 in the UK charts. |
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| PROMO 12": SUN (LEFTFIELD REMIX) / (LEFTFIELD DUB REMIX) / LYDON REMIX / GRAVE RIDE / PSYCHOPATH (LEFTFIELD REMIX#3) / (LEFTFIELD DUB REMIX) |
VIRGIN VUSTDJ 122 |
(7/97) |
| UK promo-only release. Contains all the tracks included on the 'Sun' CD single and 12" release, plus the commercially unreleased Leftfield "Dub Remix" of 'Sun'! Again, the original version of 'Grave Ride' is included instead of the Moby remix. |
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| CD BOOTLEG: JOHN LYDON PUBLIC IMAGE: LIVE IN JAPAN 1997 COMPLETE! |
N/A |
(?/00) |
| SUN / ARMIES / ANOTHER WAY / TAKE ME / PSYCHOPATH / TIE ME TO THE LENGTH OF THAT / RISE / DOG / PUBLIC IMAGE / CAREERING / UNDER THE HOUSE / STUMP / GRAVE RIDE / A NO AND A YES / DIS-HO Japanese bootleg CD recorded live at Kawasaki, Club Citta, Japan 25.9.97. Rare live recording of one of the few 1997 live performances. |
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John Lydon: The Best of British £1 Notes |
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| 'The Best of British £1 Notes' is a unique singles' compilation covering John's whole career from the Sex Pistols, through PiL, to his solo records and collaborations, and ending with a brand new track: 'The Rabbit Song'. The compilation was released as a standard single CD, and a limited edition 2 CD special edition featuring a bonus disc of 12" mixes and album tracks specially picked by John. There is also an additional DVD release featuring a collection of promo videos, along with some great bonus material such as Sex Pistols live footage, and unreleased PiL studio mixes from 'Metal Box'! There have been Sex Pistols compilations, and there have been PiL compilations – and very good they were too – but there's never been anything quite like this… See the JohnLydon.Com 'The Best of British£1 Notes' mini site for full info… |
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| CD: THE BEST OF BRITISH £1 NOTES |
VIRGIN/EMI RECORDS LYDON1 |
(10/05) |
| ANARCHY
IN THE UK - SEX PISTOLS Standard 1 CD edition. |
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| CD: THE BEST OF BRITISH £1 NOTES (Special Edition) |
VIRGIN/EMI RECORDS LYDOND1 |
(10/05) |
| ANARCHY
IN THE UK - SEX PISTOLS Bonus Disc Limited edition 2 CD special edition, housed in card slip case. Features additional bonus disc of remixes and album tracks selected by John Lydon |
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