THE Sex Pistols, the British group that epitomised the punk movement, are to rerelease their 1977 anti-monarchy anthem "God Save the Queen" for Queen Elizabeth's golden jubilee, Virgin Records said Friday.

A spokeswoman told AFP it hoped the single would finally secure the official number one spot in the British charts.

The song was first released to coincide with the queen's silver jubilee on the throne in 1977, and was quickly banned from all major radio stations.

Officially, it was pipped to the top of the charts by Rod Stewart, although many people believe the charts were rigged to save the queen from embarrassment.

"The aim this time round is to address that," Virgin's spokeswoman Sarah Walker told AFP.

The re-release is scheduled for May 27, just in time for the climax of the golden jubilee celebrations in early June. The single, with the lyrics "God Save the Queen, she ain't no human being," will feature the original cover, a photograph of the monarch with a safety-pin through her nose.

"What we really want is it will finally gain the number one spot," a Virgin spokeswoman said.

"It will certainly be an alternative to the jubilee."