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Incredible collection of five 10.5-inch reel-to-reel tapes containing recordings of the Sex Pistols from the end of their first and final American tour, which famously concluded at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California, on January 14, 1978. The collection derives from the estate of Norman Davis, a co-host of the pioneering punk rock radio show The Outcastes, which aired on KSAN-FM in San Francisco. The tapes include various interviews, a Winterland post-concert report, and the soundcheck for the band’s concert at the Winterland Ballroom, the very last of the band’s influential Sid Vicious era. The reels are as follows:
10.5˝ Ampex reel, with upper three labels that read, “Sex Pistols, Winterland, 1/14/78,” “Soundcheck – original master,” and “7.5 ips, Tail-out,” with accompanying Scotch 3M box annotated on the left spine: “Sex Pistols Soundcheck.”
10.5˝ Scotch reel, with two annotated labels, “Sex Pistols - Winterland, 1/14/78” and "7.5 ips, tail-out,” with accompanying Scotch box marked on spine, “Live show on KSAN, 1-14-78,” with label to left side, “Sex Pistols #3.”
10.5˝ Scotch reel, with annotated label, “Sex Pistols on KSAN, 1-15-78, #1, with Norman,” with accompanying Scotch box marked on left and right spines, “Sex Pistols #1” and “Norman Ds SP,” with the left spine bearing a label, “Sex Pistols #1.” Included sheet from Keith Bollinger from May 14, 2002, reads: “Reel: ‘Sex Pistols #1,’ 10 ½.’ This is ½ track, running at 7 ½ ips. Baked at 130 degrees F for 90 minutes, plays clean w/ no shedding. Stored ‘Tail-in.’ Although the dates are difficult to track down, research shows that Davis’s interview was likely conducted on January 14th and not the 15th, which would have occurred after the band’s final concert.
10.5˝ reel with four annotated labels, “1. Outcastes 1/14/78 #2,” “2. Bonnie Simmons & Rotten, Vicious, 1/14/78,” “3. Scoop Nisker Post-Concert Report, 1/15/78,” and “All = 7.5 ips, tail-out, with label to spine of accompanying TWAC box reading: “Sex Pistols #2.” An included track sheet mirrors the label information, while also noting that The Outcastes show featured “Sex Pistols, Paul Cook & Steve Jones.”
10.5˝ Scotch reel with label, “Sex Pistols #4,” with the spine of the accompanying Scotch box bearing an identical label. The reel includes two handwritten sheets, one with a track list, and another from Bollinger dated May 16, 2002. The track list reads: “1. Nail spot for ‘Bullocks’ LP, :40,” “2. Howie Klein interviews Paul Cool (drummer) and drunk Steve Jones (Guitar) (at KSAN) around midnite before live ‘Outcastes’ show 1/14/78, 17 m,” “3. Sheila Rene interviews Steve Jones for KSJO abt 12-min,” “4. Sheila Rene interviews Sex Pistols fans abt 15 min,” and “5. KSJO interview & show with Steve Jones and Paul Cook abt 20 min.” The Bollinger sheet: “Reel ‘Sex Pistols #4,’ Content is ½ track, 7.5 ips. Baked at 130 degrees F for 90 min, plays w/ minimal shed or residue. Final (fifth) item on reel is 3.75 ips; tape spliced between #4-5, and leader tape added to end. Fifth segment transferred to 7˝ reel; and is titled ‘Sex Pistols #4, last segment, KSJO Cook & Jones.’ Both 10.5˝ & 7˝ reels stored ‘Tail-Out.’”
The tapes are untested and in overall fine cosmetic condition. Accompanied by original period Scotch reel boxes and a cassette tape marked "'The Outcastes,' KSAN 1-14-78, Sex Pistols."
From 1976 to 1978, KSAN in San Francisco aired The Outcastes, America’s first regular punk rock radio show. Conceived by Norman Davis and Chris Knab (owner of Aquarius Records), the show was born from their shared fascination with the explosive new sounds coming from England. Davis secured a 2–4 a.m. Friday slot, and Knab—on air as ‘Cosmo Topper’—brought in writer and punk enthusiast Howie Klein as co-host. Debuting in October 1976, The Outcastes became legendary for its wild energy and guests like The Sex Pistols, Devo, The Cramps, Roky Erickson, The Nuns, The Dead Boys, and Iggy Pop. The show gained a cult following until June 1978, when Davis was fired for refusing to play management-selected music. His replacement, Sean Donahue, continued the punk legacy with Cosmo and Howie under a new name: The Heretics.
