Buzzcocks – Orgasm Addict (vintage 7-inch single)

Released on 4 November 1977, “Orgasm Addict” was Buzzcocks’ first single and one of the earliest flashes of punk at its most confrontational and irreverent. Written by Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto, the song delivered a frantic, hook-driven attack on compulsion, desire, and modern boredom, all within the band’s trademark blend of speed, melody, and sharp-edged wit. Its B-side, “What Ever Happened To?,” completed a debut built for volatility: short, direct, and unmistakably new.

The record was also a landmark in punk visual culture. The sleeve was conceived by designer Malcolm Garrett and realized through a now-iconic collage by artist Linder Sterling, depicting a nude female torso with smiling mouths in place of nipples and a clothes iron for a head. The image, simultaneously humorous, grotesque, and politically charged, became one of the most recognizable covers of the era. Linder later remarked that the source image was so arresting, she vowed her son could reveal it only after her death.

The single marked the first and only Buzzcocks release featuring bassist Garth Smith, who joined early in 1977 before being dismissed shortly after the record came out. Although the track did not chart — and was banned by the BBC for its sexual content — it quickly grew into a cult classic and was later included on “Singles Going Steady” and the CD editions of “Another Music in a Different Kitchen.”

More than four decades on, “Orgasm Addict” remains a defining artifact of punk’s collision of music, provocation and visual art: fast, fearless and impossible to ignore.