The Professionals (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Professionals


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Origin = London, England
Genre = Punk rock, hard rock
Years_active = 1979 – 1982
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Associated_acts = Sex Pistols
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Current_members =
Past_members = Steve Jones
Paul Cook
Ray McVeigh
Andy Allen
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The Professionals were an English punk rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Career

The band was formed in 1979 by Steve Jones and Paul Cook, both formerly of the Sex Pistols. As in the Pistols, Jones played guitar, while Cook played drums. Jones supplied lead vocals. Andy Allen, a friend of Jones, joined the band as bass player. He was later ousted and was replaced by bassist Paul Myers (formerly of Subway Sect). Also joining the band was guitarist Ray McVeigh. They signed to Virgin Records in early 1980. Their first release with Virgin was the single "Just Another Dream". They released the album "I Didn't See It Coming" in November 1981. [cite web
url=http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2006/12/06/still-packing-heat.php
title=The Prague Post Online: Night & Day: Still packing heat
publisher=www.praguepost.com
accessdate=2008-04-07
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The band split up in 1982 after the end of their second US tour. This was prompted in part by a car accident involving all the band apart from Jones and the fact that Jones remained in the US when the rest of the band went back to the UK.

A best-of album was released in 2005 despite the band only ever recording one album, four singles and an album of demos.

Tributes

Their song "Black Leather" was covered by The Runaways on their 1978 album "And Now... The Runaways" and by Guns N' Roses on their 1993 album ""The Spaghetti Incident?"". Joan Jett and the Blackhearts also released a live version of "Black Leather" on their "Fetish" album. Their song "Join The Professionals" was covered by the Epoxies. "The Magnificent" was said to be about Sid Vicious.

In other media

Cook and Jones appeared in the 1981 film "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains".

Discography

Singles
* "A Merry Jingle" (B-side "A Merry Jangle") (Anthem Records, 1979). Appeared on Top of the Pops. First pressings were credited to "The Greedies", an early name of The Professionals. NOTE: In the UK this was only ever released under the name The Greedies which in fact is a band made up of Cook, Jones and various members of Thin Lizzy. This was their only recorded work. The Greedies played live as The Greedy Bastards

* "Black Leather" (B-side "Here We Go Again") (1980, Virgin Records) NOTE: In the UK this was in fact released under the name Sex Pistols as part of the 'Pistols Pack' - a limited edition 6x7" singles compilation.

* "Just Another Dream" (B-side "Action Man") (1980, Virgin Records)
* "1-2-3" (B-side "Baby, I Don't Care" & "White Light, White Heat") (1980, Virgin Records)
* "Join The Professionals" (B-side "Has Anybody Got An Alibi") (1981, Virgin Records)
* "The Magnificent" (B-side "Just Another Dream") (1982, Virgin Records).

Albums
*"I Didn't See It Coming" (1981,Virgin records)
*" Join The Professionals" (1990,Limited Edition records) NOTE: This is actually an aborted album which was recorded and never released at the time. It features rawer more punk versions of many of the tracks which would make it onto "I Didn't See It Coming" and a few tracks that didn't.
*"The Professionals" (1997) Another album primarily made up of tracks from the aborted album
*"Best of The Professionals" (2005)

Personnel

*Steve Jones − lead guitar and vocals
*Ray McVeigh − rhythm guitar
*Andy Allen − bass (1979–1980)
*Paul Myers − bass (1980–1982)
*Paul Cook − drums

References