Sham 69 Sham 69 Seven British hit singles (including three Top 10's) and a trio of Top 30 albums is not a bad track record by anybody's standards but in Sham 69's case it's an even more remarkable achievement as not only were they a Punk group when it was not "hip" to be Punk anymore but they were hardly "media friendly darlings" - "We're the people you don't wanna know, we come from places you don't wanna go" from the classic "Angels With Dirty Faces" probably best sums up the herberts from Hersham who stomped all over the charts in the late 1970's. Sham were originally formed by vocalist Jimmy Pursey in November 1976 though initial members sush as Billy Bostick and Johnny Goodfornothing, to name but two, were soon replaced by guitarist Dave Parsons, bassist Albie Slider and drummer Mark "Dodie" Cain. Numerous gigs at legendary Punk venue The Roxy brought the band not only a considerable following but also a favourable review in the "N.M.E", a rare occurrence indeed! Leading independent label Step Forward Records were the first to recognise the band's potential and they released Sham's debut 45 "I Don't Wanna" in September '77, the band celebrated by playing a gig on the roof of The Vortex for which they were all promptly arrested! A month later, with the new bassist Dave "Kermit" Tregenna taking over from Slider, the band signed to Polydor Records - completing the journey from a Hersham rehearsal room to one of the UK's biggest record companies in just under a year! They debuted on Polydor with the brilliantly raucous "Borstal Breakout" which, though not a chart entry, added to their reputation as "the only REAL Punk band" and in the eyes of their growing "Sham Army" they were the only group who sung about things they could actually relate to - everyday life. A soldout British tour preceded the Feb. '78 release of the half live half studio LP "Tell The Truth" which showed how popular the band had become by spending two months in the British charts, eventually peaking at No. 25. Three months later and the band had cracked the singles chart with a top 20 placing for the anthemic "Angels With Dirty Faces", a song about the group's followers, which actually led to Sham getting onto "Top Of The Pops" and into the nations living rooms! The only "downside" was sporadic outbreaks of politically motivated violense at some of the band's gigs which led to many concerts being cancelled. The summer of '78 saw Sham at the No.9 spot with the "If The Kids Are United" single, a track that still to this day is regarded as one of Punk's finest recorded moments. The singalong pub anthem "Hurry Up Harry" followed "If The Kids..." into the UK Top in October of the same year, the same month that the band's second LP, the almost "concept" "That's Life" was issued. A UK Top 30 smash "That's Life" told the story of a day in the life of a "normal geezer" (the mother actually being played by "Birds Of A Feather" star Pauline Quirke!) and led to BBC's "Arena", a "serious arts" programme devoting an entire documentary to both the LP and Sham 69, Pursey being hailed as a "spokedman for the angry generation" ("Jimmy Is Our Leader" was a common sight on most inner city school walls at the time!) Continued outbreaks of violence att the band's gigs, particularly in early '79, led to growing speculation that Sham 69 were to split. Thankfully the band decided to curtail live activity rather than fold otherwise the classic "Questions & Answers", one of Pursey's strongest ever lyrics, might never have seen the light of day. A
Top 20 entry in March '79 the track kept the band's name in the (positive)
spotlight whilst Jimmy busied himself producing new acts like The Chords,
The Angelic Upstarts and The Cockney Rejects. A supposed "farwell" gig
at the Glasgow Apollo in June of the same year saw Pursey perform on
encore with ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook amid growing rumours
of a "Sham Pistols" project. However, this proposed "Punk supergroup"
failed to materialise and so Sham released the rousing "Hersham Boys"
(complete with hoe-down!) and saw it shoot to No.6 in the British charts.
The "Adventures Of The Hersham Boys" LP then spent two months in the
Top 20, peakin! g at No.8 and earning the band Silver Discs, and also
provided a minor hit single with "You're A Better Man Than I" which
also saw the debut of new sticksman Ricky Goldstein (ex-The Automatics).
A short trouble-free UK tour later in the same year seemed to indicate
that Sham 69 were now back full time. It wasn't to be, for despite a
Top 50 entry with "Tell The Children" the band's fourth studio LP "The
Game" was unreservedly (and totally undeservedly) panned by the critics
who couldn't wait to bang a nail in the band's (and Punk's) coffin.
When the "Unite and Win" single received a similar mauling Jimmy decided
enough was enough and said a final "Fanx" and called it a day in the
summer of 1980. Mark
Brennan |