"Orgasm Addict" is a song by the English

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band

Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Manchester in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. The ...

. It was the

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...

of the Buzzcocks' first single, with "What Ever Happened To?" as the B-side, which was released on 4 November 1977 by record label

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

Cover image

The sleeve was devised by graphic designer

Malcolm Garrett Malcolm Leslie Garrett (born 1956) is a British graphic designer, and Creative Director of Images&Co, a communications design consultancy based in London, UK. He is Ambassador for Manchester School of Art and co-founder of the annual Design Ma ...

and showed a collage, created by Linder Sterling (known as "Linder"), depicting a nude woman with smiling mouths instead of nipples, and whose head is a

clothes iron A clothes iron (also flatiron, smoothing iron, dry iron, steam iron or simply iron) is a small appliance that, when heated, is used to press Clothing, clothes to remove Wrinkle, wrinkles and unwanted creases. Domestic irons generally range in o ...

. Linder has said "When I die, I'll tell my son that he can finally show the world the source image, because once you see it, you can't get it out of your head."

Release

"Orgasm Addict" was released as the Buzzcocks' debut single on 4 November 1977. The 7" French vinyl release contains different takes of the same two tracks. This was the only Buzzcocks single featuring bassist

Garth Smith Garth Smith (born Garth Davies, 10 December 1955), sometimes credited as Garth, is an English musician, known as the original bassist of the Bolton-formed punk rock band Buzzcocks. Smith played with Buzzcocks during their first concert in Apri ...

, who joined in early 1977 to replace

Steve Diggle Stephen E Diggle (born 7 May 1955) is an English musician best known as a guitarist and later lead vocalist in the punk rock, punk band Buzzcocks. In 1976, Diggle was recruited as a bassist for Buzzcocks, playing bass on the ''Spiral Scratch'' ...

, who switched to guitar. Shortly after its release, he was expelled from the band. The song later appeared on the album ''

Singles Going Steady ''Singles Going Steady'' is a compilation album by English punk rock band Buzzcocks, released on I.R.S. Records in the United States on 25 September 1979. Background ''Singles Going Steady'' was the first Buzzcocks album to be released in Nort ...

'' and also on CD reissues of ''

Another Music in a Different Kitchen ''Another Music in a Different Kitchen'' is the first full-length album by the English punk rock band Buzzcocks. It was released in March 1978 by the United Artists record label. This was the third line-up of Buzzcocks, with the guitarist Pete ...

''.

Reception

The song was controversial due to its sexual content and was banned by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. Buzzcocks singer

Pete Shelley Pete Shelley (born Peter Campbell McNeish; 17 April 1955 – 6 December 2018) was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early Punk rock, punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist ...

later said that the song "is embarrassing. It's the only one I listen to and... shudder".

Track listing

# "Orgasm Addict" (

Howard Devoto Howard Devoto (born Howard Andrew Trafford, 15 March 1952) is an English singer and songwriter, who began his career as the frontman for punk rock band Buzzcocks, but then left to form Magazine, an early post-punk band. After Magazine, he went ...

) (1:58) # "Whatever Happened To?" (Pete Shelley, Dial – alias of ex-manager Richard Boon) (2:07)

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1977 singles Buzzcocks songs Songs written by Pete Shelley Song recordings produced by Martin Rushent Songs written by Howard Devoto Obscenity controversies in music 1977 songs United Artists Records singles