Punk

These graphics date from the final days of Jamie Reid's relationship with the
Sex Pistols and Virgin Records. They articulate, all too clearly, his disgust with
the whole music industry. None of these were ever used at the time, except for
the guitar swastika - minus the explanatory caption -- which found its way on to
the inner label of another Virgin cheapie, 'Sid Sings' (released 7.12.79, Virgin
V2144) comprising live tapes recorded by John Tiberi aka Boogie at Sid's 1978
Max's Kansas City dates).

Below are some details on the use of swasticas in artist Jamie Reids work in
punk. Plus an interview conducted in 1986 by Jon Savage with Jamie Reid
which was taken from Savage's book on the artist called Up They Rise! The
Incomplete Works Of Jamie Reid (Faber And Faber, ISBN 0-571-14762-3)
that came out in 1987. And finally a letter written to the British music paper New
Musical Express by Jamie Reid, explaining the inspiration for his "stratoswasticastor" .

The poster on the right uses a leafed cannabis swastica
border with the "stratoswasticastor" in the centre over layed on
a 'Holidays In The Sun' poster beach scene.. It was printed
in orange and dark green, for the UK release of the Dead
Kennedys' 'California Uber Alles' 45 by Bob Last's Fast
Product, Autumn 1979.

UP THEY RISE Interview.
Q:    One thing I wanted to ask you about was the use of
swastikas which you made at this stage.
A:    It was to do with the situation at Virgin at the time. I had
this graphic of a swastika made out of cannabis leaves which
I'd done for a Dead Kennedys poster - partly as a dig at them
and the whole California thing -and I re-used it for very
specific reasons.
Q:    Like?
A:    It was this whole thing about hippies becoming media
people, like Richard Branson. You'd go into Virgin Records,
and you'd meet someone you'd never met before, and it would
be intimate first names, and have a joint, it's cool. We always
tried to insist that we called people Mr Branson, Mr Draper, Mr
Slater � none of this chummy chummy thing, it's business.
The cannabis swastika summed up what I felt about Virgin,
and the guitar swastika summed up what I felt about the music
industry at that stage, which had just beaten us in a prolonged
power struggle. It never saw the light of day.
Q:    It did on the Sid Sings Ip label.
A:    Well that wasn't my choice. Things had fallen apart by then.
Q:    I know the 'God Save The Queen' swastika graphic never came out but there were a lot of swastikas used in early punk, maybe rather indiscriminately.
A:    I think the joke was overplayed, not not so much about the Queen but her as a representative of the British establishment.
Q:    Couldn't it have been misconstrued?
A:    Yes, but only for a particular reason - because it is pop
and pop gets media attention. To a considerable extent, it's
pretty minimal compared to what really changes anything
politically. A few punks wearing swastikas � or even the very
few sleeves that might have references to swastikas on them -
was nothing to what we were going to get under Thatcherism.
You could write ten books on it. I doubt every move I've made
personally and I sometimes feel very guilty - or not so much
guilty as responsible for a lot to do with the Pistols. And for
other things that I was involved in, from direct action to the
Suburban Press. For many years, I thought terrorism was the
only answer. I don't now. If you have to come up with one line,
I suppose it's being true to yourself. I know that, if I link the
Suburban Press days with the Pistols days, it's taken me a
long time to get over a lot of scars.
Jamie Reid talking to Jon Savage, August 1986

Swastika Saga Goes On
Now Artist Rushes To His Own Defence
After last weeks letter to Thrills(NME) from Richard Branson comes a letter from Jamie Reid, the artist responsible for the swastika design. Once again, we'll let you make up your own minds who's right.
Dear Thrills/Danny Baker,
Thanks By printing the "Stratoswasticastor" on your Thrills page. It will be seen by perhaps 600,000 instead of the odd sixty thousand that may buy the Sid Sings album. Before going into the reasons why it is better seen by as many people as possible, here is some background information.
The story goes at least as far back as the Some Product record. This was the first album to be released after the Court Case in which British justice combined with the music industry � in the form of Virgin Records � and others to bring about the demise of Glitterbest. (The company was put into the hands of the receivers, a firm of accountants called Spicer and Pegler, who still run it today). Virgin were then in a position to pick up the lucrative pieces and make some money. Jamie Reid, who had previously done all the Sex Pistols artwork decided to carry on and see if there was a way in which sleeves and advertisements could be used to show the exploitative and oppressive nature of the music industry.
The sleeve for 'Some Product' was designed by Jamie Reid and Trevor Key. The record itself was described by its producer as being "forty minutes of absolute rubbish" and the problem facing them was how to design a cover which would actively discourage sales and demythologise the Sex Pistols, who by that time didn't even exist as a band. It seemed an unhealthy situation had developed, in which the Hero status of the Sex Pistols couldn't be broken. People would buy anything that had their name on it. Like Henry Cooper and Brut, the Sex Pistols name was being used to sell a record which was nothing at all to do with -them. The sleeve would, of course, have to be acceptable to the record company. Incidentally, neither Reid nor Key are employed by the much maligned and abused Virgin Art Dept. � there isn't one.
The collection of products on the sleeve is an attempt to show that the music industry, like any other, will thoroughly exploit all avenues open to it to make noney, using all the conventional "marketing practices and product spin-offs. The title of the album was thought up by Trevor Key and not the record company. Anyone who would listen to this record after seeing the sleeve must have been suspending disbelief and anyone buying it after listening to it, obviously wanted it. Next comes the Credit Card on The Great Rock'N'Roll Swindle'. This single was already on the album of the same name and releasing it was a breach of contract (only four singles per album and this was the fifth -again the music industry was cashing in on a record, which none of the people involved in making it had any control over its release and received very little money for it. So again, how to design a telling sleeve.
Record companies and their employees are constantly maligned in the music papers for their expense account lunches and their eagerness to wave their American Express cards (though why is unclear, since who would want to carry that much cash). So why not use this symbol to show the way in which record companies (and not just Virgin � they're all at it) use the talents of their artists to make money and then more money. The Credit Card, then, is shown with the Sex Pistols (or the artist) as being the supplier of cash/credit and Virgin Records (the music business) as the insatiable recipient of the money earned by the artist. In the event, American Express took exception to the sleeve and injuncted the record. Right results � wrong reasons.
Now, coming back to the use of the swastika. This was designed by Jamie Reid to be used on a poster for 'California Uber Alles' by The Dead Kennedys (the lyrics are about the new style of "fascism" by the so-called liberal Jerry Brown). It was subsequently decided by Jamie Reid and Trevor Key to use it on as many music industry products as possible. Its use is to try and show the oppressive nature of the music industry. That people are being fed pap to keep them from thinking and acting. That the music industry is set up with the sole single aim of making money. That it is condoned by the powers that be, simply because it is a sop to people who might otherwise be constructive about their own dire circumstances.
In each and every instance the music papers have failed to pick up on any one of these visual pointers. They could reveal the true nature of an industry which sees talent as product and product as money and money as power. "Art" is a swear word in the music industry. But the journalists trudge on, supported defending the musio-industry, by occasionally attacking one company or another for releasing a record for purely financial reasons. All records are relsased to make money. Don't be surprised to see the "Stratoswasticastor" on Andy Williams' next record.
JAMIE REID - 1980

Dead Kennedys 'California Uber Alles' - 1979