Keeping Up with the Joneses … and their Les Pauls

Jerry McCulley | 07.24.2008

Hard to imagine that two musicians who share the same surname could have found themselves farther apart during the rock culture wars of 1977, yet that was the fate of Mick and Steve Jones, ax men of Foreigner and the Sex Pistols, respectively. But the veteran guitar player who helped define the era’s mega-platinum arena rock and the punk upstart from Shepherd’s Bush who many argued was trying to destroy it shared one crucial element in common: Gibson’s classic Les Paul guitar. Now Mick and Steve’s signature ebony ’n’ ivory Customs have been reissued in editions that honor their key, if disparate musical accomplishments. 

Here’s the original promo video for Foreigner’s 1977 hit single, “Cold As Ice,” with Mick Jones taking the solo on his trademark black Les Paul Custom.




Steve Jones shows off his LP Custom (formerly owned by New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain) in this 1977 Sex Pistols performance of “Anarchy in the UK” in Sweden.



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