Sputnik Music Forums - Band Profile- Sham 69

Sham 69

1977- That’s Life, Tell Us the Truth
1978- Adventures Of The Hersham Boys
1980- the Game
1989- the Complete Sham Live
1995- Information Libre
1997- the A Files
1998- the Punk Singles Collection

+ Various other 7”, 12” and CDs. And loads of bootlegs.

Never as fashionable as fellow pioneers the clash and The Sex Pistols, Sham 69 was the voice of the public in the first wave of British punk. Sham were common and proud of it (“if you’re proud to be a cockney clap your hands”), normal men who had big impacts. They enjoyed chart success in their heyday and continue to influence Oi! and Street Punk development over 30 years later.

Sham 69 formed in the working class community of Hersham in 1975, led by lyricist and vocalist Jimmy Pursey. Whilst others have come and gone, Pursey has lead the band throughout, writing infectious sing-a-long choruses (“If the Kids are United, then we’ll never be divided”) which demonstrated their accessible sound mixed with their populist politics.

The original line-up of Pursey (vocals), Neil Harris (guitar), Johnny Goodfornothing (guitar), Albie Slider (bass) and Billy Bostik (drums) was short lived, and lasted only a year before Pursey fired the rest for a lack of commitment. Pursey started again with Dave Parsons (guitar), Dave Tregann (bass) and Mark Chain (drums) and Sham rolled out amongst the punk greats. Regular gigs at the legendary London punk venue the Roxy earned them a dedicated following, with fans picking up on sham’s cutting edge excitement. Playing alongside the likes of the Buzzcocks, Slaughter And The dogs, and the Adverts, Sham were by many considered the first true punk band. Resolutely unstylish and even less image conscious, they were the epitome of punk. They played to put a smile on your face (“we’re Sham 69 and we ain’t gonna tell ya to f’uck off `cos we want to have a great time, but that isn’t very fashionable is it? It’s alright though, `cos we’re the support act and punks take no notice of the support acts do they”). Pursey was fighting against the way punk was becoming a fashion, and the fact that you were only considered punk if you wore bondage boots and had a Mohawk, something which they along with the Subhumans became renowned for.

Sham released their first single on the small independent label of Step Forward in 1977, and they went on to join the roster of Polydor amongst a feeding frenzy of major labels, keen to cash in on punk. Their next official single entitled “Borstal Breakout” shows Sham at their best, breaking into Top Of The Pops territory. They also gained a high position in the album charts with the album “Tell Us The Truth”.

Sham’s second album released in 1978 also contained the major hit singles “Hurry Up Harry” and “Angel’s With Dirty Faces” attracted more fans, but things began to get harder for the band, and unfortunately the bands rowdy sing-a-long attitude began to attract a violent and undiscriminating audience. Fighting became common and the band found that their gigs were becoming recruitment stops for the National Front, an extreme right wing and racist party. Ironically, Pursey had often spoken out against these organisations in the same way that ska legends the Specials had done, however both bands repeatedly ended up cancelling shoes due to racial tensions.

Their next single was the one that would cement their place in history. “If The Kids Are United” became a youth anthem across the country. Sham’s spirit came through in their “have a beer and have a laugh attitude”, however problems persisted at shows and Pursey took the unprecedented stand of cancelling live shows.

As these tensions subsided sham began to play again, touring and releasing new material, as legendary bands should. Scheduled tours of the United States had to be cancelled due to the US Embassy’s refusal to allow entry although the reasoning was less than clear. Shams were clearly not going to abolish the monastery, and had none of the anarchic presence of the Pistols. No Entry USA was written about the incident, and the band later managed to gain entry.

Whilst the Sex Pistols were like a modern day boy band, put together for commercial value, and the clash were led by the son of a diplomat, Sham could be called the first true punk band and have inspired punk to the position it is in today. Pursey and Parsons continue to tour under a new line up.

Links are down so i din't add any :)