Cash Pussies

There was no shortage of people to hitch a ride on the Sex Pistols gravy train and in particular, Sid Vicious and his death and the Cash Pussies single was no exception. However, it’s not the worst by a long chalk. Unsurprisingly with Dave Goodman as producer, it seems to sound remarkably like a Sex Pistols riff and production on the snappily radio-friendly entitled 99% Is Shit. Not bad female vocals from the unknown Diana Rich and a little parodying of Belsen Was A Gas in the line ‘London Town where the Jews all pray.’ The B side is weaker with a more kind of folk-style vocal.

So how did someone have the bright idea to release clips of an interview by Sid Vicious over a backing track on an independent label that would be guaranteed to sell absolutely zilch.

The Cash Pussies were the brainchild (sic) of husband wife team Fred and Judy Vermorel. Fred had encountered Malcolm McLaren, the Sex Pistols manager, in 1965 at the Harrow School of Art. In August 1977 and Fred and Judy were commissioned to write the first book on the Sex Pistols. The book, The Inside Story, was completed in three months, and published by Star Books in January 1978. It featured in the main the diaries of Sophie Richmond who worked for the Sex Pistols and interviews with the Pistols and relatives. Fred & Judy were part of that arty subversive situationalist bollocks that occasionally came good.

Loveable Situationalist husband and wife duo!

In mid 1978 they begin writing a script for a film called ‘Millions Like Us’  with Throbbing Gristle to provide the music (fun, fun ,fun!). They in turn contacted Alex Fergusson, now out of ATV, to help out. Fred Vermorel would also write text which Alex would edit into song verse.

By late November, Throbbing Gristle had left the project and Alex started working on Vermorel`s new project The Cash Pussies.

Jan Parker. The stint with the Cash Pussies pretty much finished the band. We were offered parts as the band in a film that was being made by Fred and Judy Vermorel called ‘ Millions Like Us’. We became ‘The Cash Pussies’ and started gigging.

In December they played a benefit gig for Nancy Spungeon (recently deceased) downstairs at the Bedford Corner Hotel. The band, described as a sort of Sex Pistols meets Abba, featured Sarah Osborne and Jan Parker on vocals, Alex Fergusson on guitar & the bassist & drummer from Security Risk. In December The Cash Pussies headlined at Les Bains Douche’s opening night in Paris.

The line up doesn’t last long. By late November, Throbbing Gristle had left the project and Alex started working on Vermorel`s new project The Cash Pussies.

Jan Parker. The stint with the Cash Pussies pretty much finished the band. We were offered parts as the band in a film that was being made by Fred and Judy Vermorel called ‘ Millions Like Us’. We became ‘The Cash Pussies’ and started gigging.

We played a benefit for Sid Vicious in 1978.The set was made up of Alex Fergusson’s songs mixed with ours. Fred and Judy wanted us to totally follow their artistic lead and when we bucked against the idea of a total takeover, they sacked us.

In April 1979, after Sid was dead and cremated, the single was released on Dave Goodman’s (himself no stranger to exploiting the Sex Pistols) ‘The Label’ but featuring model Diana Rich not only singing on the B side but inexplicably with her face in cheesy close up on the back cover. The single was reviewed in Sounds and NME but did nothing. The A side had the audio of Sid from one of the interviews the Vermorels used for the ‘The Inside Story.’

The band comprised Diana Rich, Alex Fergusson, Alan Gruner and Ray Weston. Fred and Judy Vermorel were described grandiosely as executive producers. The cover also had the following cryptic declaration.

From the forthcoming Millions Like Us Cash Pussies: “They wanted to destroy show biz…wring the neck of entertainment…”

There was one further gig in June 1979 then nothing. No film. No more music and no more Cash Pussies.

Cheesy face, bright teeth – Diana Rich


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