The Professionals

The Professionals

The Professionals are a punk rock band from London, formed in 1978 by guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook, both formerly of the Sex Pistols. The group comes out of the post-Sex Pistols period, after Johnny Rotten leaves the Sex Pistols and Jones contributes lead vocals on the late Sex Pistols recordings of “Silly Thing” and “Lonely Boy”. Andy Allen, who plays bass on those recordings as a session musician, is part of the earliest line-up.

Early singles and label

After the Sex Pistols split and sever ties with manager Malcolm McLaren, the line-up continues as The Professionals and signs to Virgin Records, the former Sex Pistols label. The band releases its first single, “Just Another Dream”, in 1980, followed by “1-2-3” later that year. “1-2-3” reaches number 43 in the UK Singles Chart.

Line-up changes and recordings

After “1-2-3”, Allen leaves and is replaced by Paul Meyers, formerly of Subway Sect. Ray McVeigh also joins as a second guitarist. This line-up records “Join the Professionals”, released in 1981. That song later appears in the film Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, alongside three other Cook/Jones compositions: “Conned Again”, “La La La” and “Don’t Blow It All the Way”.

After Allen’s departure, he sues Virgin Records, saying he has not been paid. The band then re-records earlier material so that he is not owed further royalties.

Album, touring and split

Producer Nigel Gray helps record the band’s first full-length album, I Didn’t See It Coming, released in 1981. The album is supported by UK and US touring, and the band issues the single “The Magnificent”. Its American tour ends early after Cook, Meyers and McVeigh are injured in a car accident. The group later returns to the United States in 1982, is offered an opening slot with The Clash, declines it, and breaks up.

Later activity

The Professionals reform in 2015, release a new album in 2017, and continue touring.