He attended Christopher Wren Boys' School, in Shepherd's Bush, where he met Paul Cook and Steve Jones, who were also pupils.

[2][3] Jones and Nightingale stole high-quality instruments and equipment from professional headline musical acts (including Bob Marley, Rod Stewart, and David Bowie) by breaking into venues where they were due to perform.

[7] During this period Nightingale wrote the music for "Did You No Wrong", a song which eventually became the B-side of the Sex Pistols' single "God Save the Queen".

[8] By this time, Bernie Rhodes had shown an interest in managing the band (which was now called The Swankers), but their only public performance was in early 1975 at a birthday party for one of Cook's friends in Chelsea.

At the short three-song gig, the line-up consisted of Jones on vocals, Nightingale on guitar, Matlock on bass and Cook on drums.

[10] Jones, who did not feel comfortable in the singer's role, had been covertly working hard for several months to learn to play guitar.

In a later interview Nightingale recalled watching them perform at the 100 Club in Oxford Street, commenting that his old bandmates Jones and Cook: "wouldn't even talk to me.

He co-founded a band named Key West in 1981, and a demo of four songs was submitted to Warner Bros. Records, who initially showed interest.

Performing Rights societies databases recognise Nightingale as the song's co-author, with Cook, Jones, Lydon and Matlock.