The 1970s gave birth to the Punk movement — in recordings, in clothing, and in outrageous behavior! During that time, the late and legendary Svengali Malcolm McLaren rose to fame. Make that, infamy. The London-born singer/songwriter/designer found a way to interject his artistic eye into the world of fashion, commerce and music, both as a performer and as a promoter of such bands as the New York Dolls. He and his then-girlfriend Vivienne Westwood helped create costumes for The Rocky Horror Picture Show on stage in 1973 and Ken Russell’s biopic Mahler (1974) on screen. When Malcolm wasn’t operating the Chelsea boutique called SEX (a store that sold bondage gear and other related paraphernalia), the busy bloke was the manipulating money-grubber behind the iconic Sex Pistols. While the band took on its chaotic concert goers firsthand, McLaren hoarded their profits in the palm of his hands. His dubious management earned him the nickname “The Embezzler.” After Johnny Rotten left the group in 1978, McLaren was without his cash cow. In an attempt to further strike gold on the band’s name, the greedy (yet clever) guy teamed up with filmmaker Julien Temple to release the musical mockumentary The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle (1980). The flick features Steve Jones on guitar, Sid Vicious on bass, Paul Cook on drums, and Malcolm on his own organ! As the nude dude takes a bath, he unloads his flesh pistol — spouting off his revolutionary approach to hijacking the record industry. Thanks for the show, Malcolm!
