Sham 69
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1975 in Hersham, Surrey, England |
| Founder | Jimmy Pursey, Neil Harris, John Goode, Albie Slider, Billy Bostik |
| Headquarters | Hersham , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, international |
Key people | Jimmy Pursey (lead vocals), Dave Parsons (guitar), Dave Tregunna (bass) |
| Products | Punk rock music, albums, singles |
Number of employees | Various members over time |
Sham 69 is a punk rock group originating from Hersham, Surrey, established in 1975. Their musical direction shifted notably after witnessing a live performance by the Sex Pistols in early 1976. Recognized as one of the UK's leading punk outfits, they secured five singles within the top 20 charts, including hits like "If the Kids Are United" and "Hurry Up Harry". Their widespread acclaim earned them spots on BBC’s Top of the Pops as well as inclusion in the documentary film D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage. The founding members dissolved the original band in 1980, with lead vocalist Jimmy Pursey embarking on a solo path.
In 1987, Pursey teamed up again with guitarist David Parsons to revive Sham 69, incorporating fresh musicians. Despite numerous changes in personnel over time, the band has persisted and was still active as of 2024.
Formation
Sham 69 came into existence in Hersham, Surrey, during 1975 and were initially referred to by some as Jimmy and the Ferrets. The band's name was inspired by graffiti alluding to Walton & Hersham F.C.’s achievement of winning the Athenian League in 1969.
By the end of 1976, Jimmy Pursey was the sole member remaining from the original ensemble. Early participants Johnny Goodfornothing and Neil Harris were replaced by Dave Parsons; meanwhile, drummer Billy Bostik gave way to Mark Cain. Albie Slider appeared on their debut single released in 1977 before Dave Tregunna joined the group. The lineup consisting of Pursey, Parsons, Tregunna, and Cain remained consistent until 1979, when Ricky Goldstein took over drumming duties for their fourth album.
Distinguishing themselves from many punk bands that emerged from art school backgrounds, Sham 69 incorporated football chant-style backing vocals combined with a populist lyrical approach. This attracted a varied skinhead audience spanning different political affiliations. Their concerts often experienced violent outbreaks, most notably at a 1979 event at the Rainbow Theatre where skinheads supporting the National Front engaged in intense clashes.
Recordings
Sham 69's initial single, "I Don't Wanna", was released through Step Forward Records in August 1977, with production by John Cale (formerly of the Velvet Underground). Its popularity on the independent music charts secured them a deal with Polydor Records. Their first release under a major label was "Borstal Breakout" in January 1978, which was followed by UK Singles Chart successes "Angels with Dirty Faces" (No. 19, May 1978) and "If the Kids Are United" (No. 9, July 1978). Notably, these singles were excluded from their debut album, Tell Us the Truth, which combined live recordings and studio tracks.
Additional chart achievements included "Hurry Up Harry" (No. 10, October 1978), featured on their second album and first fully studio-recorded LP, That's Life. Their profile increased due to appearances on Top of the Pops and a role in the film D.O.A.. Sham 69 emerged as one of the leading UK punk bands, securing five singles within the Top 20 of the UK charts.
The band transitioned from their punk origins toward a style influenced by classic British rock legends such as Mott the Hoople, The Who, the Rolling Stones, and Faces, a direction evident on their third album, The Adventures of the Hersham Boys.
Demise
Following the release of their fourth album, The Game, the original lineup of Sham 69 disbanded in 1980. Pursey openly criticized this album as "a pile of shit," comparing the music business to a "roulette wheel" where success was entirely uncertain.
Subsequently, Pursey formed Sham Pistols alongside former Sex Pistols members Steve Jones and Paul Cook, before embarking on a solo career. His debut solo album released by Polydor failed both commercially and critically. The follow-up record, Alien Orphans, was produced under CBS Records France. For his third solo effort, Revenge Is Not the Password, Pursey financed the recording himself to maintain full creative authority.
In 1981, Pursey teamed up with Peter Gabriel for the single "Animals Have More Fun," which did not achieve commercial success. Concurrently, he worked in London producing videos characterized by anarchic visual styles.
Meanwhile, Rick Goldstein, Dave Parsons, and Dave Tregunna joined forces with Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys to form the glam punk/gothic rock group the Wanderers. Later on, Tregunna and Bators established the Lords of the New Church along with Nick Turner (the Barracudas) and Brian James (the Damned).
1987 and later
In 1987, Pursey and Parsons reassembled Sham 69 with fresh members: Ian Whitewood on drums, Andy Prince handling bass duties, Tony Hardie-Bick ("Tony Bic") on keyboards, and Linda Paganelli playing saxophone. This lineup produced the album Volunteer along with singles "Rip and Tear" and "Outside the Warehouse". The live album Live at CBGB's captures performances from this formation. The subsequent studio release, Information Libre, featured Patricia de Mayo on keyboards. Andy Prince later joined the Magic Mushroom Band, while Whitewood was replaced by Sonny Boy Williamson on drums for the recording of Soapy Water and Mister Marmalade and its accompanying singles "Uptown", "Action Time & Vision", and "Girlfriend".
2006 split and subsequent events
Towards the end of 2006, Sham 69 dissolved following a contentious dispute between Pursey and Parsons. Parsons declared his intention to carry on using the name 'Sham 69' independently. On 26 January 2007, BBC News reported the separation, quoting Parsons who attributed the breakup to frustration over Pursey’s inconsistent live appearances and last-minute cancellations. Parsons and Whitewood maintained Sham 69 with Tim V as vocalist and Rob Jefferson handling bass duties. This formation toured across the United States, performed at prominent European punk festivals, and launched the album Hollywood Hero in August 2007.
Meanwhile, Pursey and Sargent established Day 21 alongside Rev and Snell from Towers of London, opting for a name inspired by Sham 69’s final album to prevent fan confusion. Day 21 recorded an album titled 4:10am which remained unreleased but issued the single "'Aving It Rock 'N' Roll" in 2009.
Rob Jefferson departed from Parsons’ Sham 69 and was succeeded by Alan Campbell, formerly of U.K. Subs. In 2009, Sham 69 made history as the first major punk band to tour China. Their album Who Killed Joe Public was released towards the end of 2010.
2011–present
In May 2011, Parsons announced via his website that Sham 69 had disbanded; however, this claim was contested by other members. By July 2011, Pursey revealed on Twitter the reunion of most of the original 1977 lineup—Pursey, Parsons, and Tregunna—resulting in two concurrent bands operating under the Sham 69 banner: one featuring Pursey, Parsons, and Tregunna, and another led by Harris. In June 2012, Pursey secured the trademark for the Sham 69 name. As of 2016, both ensembles continued performing under this name, with Pursey’s group frequently promoted as the "Original 1977 line-up," while the other identified itself with the "Tim V" label.
On 28 January 2018, co-founder Neil Harris passed away from cancer at age 63. Drummer Robin Guy succumbed to cancer on 12 September 2024 at age 54.
Legacy
Sham 69 is widely acknowledged as a significant influence on the UK punk subgenre Oi! during the late 1970s as well as on the working-class street punk movement throughout the 1980s.
Present line-up
- Jimmy Pursey – lead vocals (1975–1980, 1987–2006, 2011–present)
- Dave Parsons – guitar and backing vocals (1977–1980, 1987–present)
- Dave Tregunna – bass guitar and backing vocals (1977–1980, 2011–present)
- Spike T. Smith – drums (2023–present)
Former members
- Neil Harris – guitar (1975–1977; deceased 2018)
- John Goode – guitar (1975–1977)
- Albie Slider (Albert Maskell) – bass (1975–1977)
- Billy Bostik – drums (1975–1977)
- Mark Cain – drums (1977–1979)
- Ricky Goldstein – drums (1979–1980)
- Andy Prince – bass (1987–1993)
- Mat Sargent – bass (1994–2006)
- Ian Whitewood – drums (1987–2011)
- Tim V – vocals (2007–2011)
- Rob Jefferson – bass and backing vocals (2007–2009)
- Al Campbell – bass (2009–2011)
- Danny Fury – drums (2011–2012)
- Robin Guy – drums (2012–2023; deceased 2024)
- Ryan Monshall – bass (2016–2021)
Current members
- Tim V – lead vocals (2007–present)
- Paul Brightman – guitar (2014–present)
- Chris James – bass guitar (2024–present)
- Chris Bashford – drums (2024–present)
Past Members
- Dave Parsons – guitar, backing vocals (2007–2011)
- Neil Harris – guitar (2011–2018; deceased 2018)
- Tony Feedback – guitar (2011–2014)
- Rob Jefferson – bass, backing vocals (2007–2009)
- Al Campbell – bass (2009–2011)
- John Woodward – bass (2011–2016)
- Ryan Monshall – bass (2016–2021)
- Tom Austin-Morgan – bass (2021–2023)
- Ian Whitewood – drums (2007–2023)
Studio Albums
| Album | Release Year | UK Chart Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Tell Us the Truth | 1978 | 25 |
| That's Life | 27 | |
| The Adventures of the Hersham Boys | 1979 | 8 |
| The Game | 1980 | — |
| Volunteer | 1988 | — |
| Information Libre | 1991 | — |
| Kings & Queens | 1993 | — |
| Soapy Water and Mister Marmalade | 1995 | — |
| The A Files | 1997 | — |
| Direct Action: Day 21 | 2001 | — |
| Hollywood Hero (U.S. release)
(also known as Western Culture in UK/Europe) |
2007 | — |
| Who Killed Joe Public | 2010 | — |
| Their Finest Hour | 2013 | — |
| It'll End in Tears | 2015 | — |
| Black Dog | 2021 | — |
| To the Ends of the Earth | 2024 | — |
Singles
1977 January 1978 April 1978 July 1978 October 1978 March 1979 July 1979 October 1979 March 1980 June 1980 July 1987 February 1988 March 1993 October 1993 1995 1996 1996 2006| Release Date | A-side | B-side(s) | Record Label | Catalogue Number | Associated Album | UK Chart Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1977 | "I Don't Wanna" | "Red London" / "Ulster" | "Step Forward" | "SF 4" | — | ||
| "Song of the Streets" (also titled "What Have We Got") | (Self-released) | — | |||||
| "Borstal Breakout" | "Hey Little Rich Boy" | "Polydor" | "2058 966" | "Tell Us the Truth" | 59 | ||
| "Angels with Dirty Faces" | "Cockney Kids Are Innocent" | "Polydor" | "2059 023" | "That's Life" | 19 | ||
| "If the Kids Are United" | "Sunday Morning Nightmare" | "Polydor" | "2059 05" | 9 | |||
| "Hurry Up Harry" | "No Entry" | "Polydor" | "POSP 7" | "That's Life" | 10 | ||
| "Questions and Answers" | "Gotta Survive" (live) / "With a Little Help from My Friends" | "Polydor" | "POSP 27" | The Adventures of the Hersham Boys | 18 | ||
| "Hersham Boys" | "I Don't Wanna" (live) / "Tell Us the Truth" (live) / "Rip Off (Live)" / "I'm A Man, I'm A Boy (Live)" | "Polydor" | "POSP 64" | 6 | |||
| "You're a Better Man Than I" | "Give a Dog a Bone" | "Polydor" | "POSP 82" | 49 | |||
| "Tell the Children" | "Jack" | "Polydor" | "POSP 136" | The Game | 45 | ||
| "Unite and Win" | "I'm a Man" | "Polydor" | "2059 259" | — | |||
| "Rip and Tear" | "The Great American Slowdown"
Legacy LGY 69 rowspan=2: Volunteer style="text-align:center;" |181 |
||||||
| "Outside the Warehouse" | "Outside the Warehouse" (version)
Legacy LGY 71 style="text-align:center;" |— |
||||||
| "Uptown"
"Borstal Breakout" C.M.P. CMP 1T Information Libre style="text-align:center;" |— |
|||||||
| "Action Time & Vision"
'"Bosnia"/ "Hey Little Rich Boy"/ "Reggae Giro"' C.M.P. CMCCD 002 Kings & Queens style="text-align:center;" |— |
|||||||
| "Girlfriend"
'"25 Years"/ "Rainbow Warrior (Greenpeace)"' Red Cat AISCD 001 Soapy Water and Mister Marmalade style="text-align:center;" |— |
|||||||
| 'Swampy (Run to the Forest)'
'"Geoffrey Thomas"/ "Studenthead"/ "Window Stare"' Cleopatra Records AI CD 005 The A Files style="text-align:center;" |— |
|||||||
| 'Listen Up'
'"25 Years"' Empty Records MT-359 Soapy Water and Mister Marmalade style="text-align:center;" |— |
|||||||
| 'Hurry Up England'
N/A Parlophone CDR 6704 N/A style="text-align:center;" |10 |
Compilation Albums
- The First, the Best and the Last (1980)
- The Punk Singles Collection 1977–80 (1998)
- Angels With Dirty Faces 2-CD Anthology (1999)
- Laced Up Boots and Corduroys (2000)
- If The Kids Are United - The Best of Sham 69 (2001)
- The Best of Sham 69: Cockney Kids Are Innocent (2002)
- The Complete Collection: 3-disc (2004)
- Sham 69 - Set List: The Anthology (Re-recorded Greatest Hits on CD & LP) – Secret Records
- Hurry Up Harry: The Collection (2017)
Appearances on Compilations
- Lords of Oi! (1997)
- Teenage Kicks (2005)
- The Original Punk Album (2007)
- Punk 77/2007 30th Anniversary (2007)
- Live versions of "Rip Off" and "Borstal Breakout" by Sham 69, recorded at Roundhouse Studios in 1981
Live Recordings
- Live and Loud!! (1987)
- The Complete Sham 69 Live (1989)
- Live at the Roxy Club (1990)
- Live in Italy (1996)
- Live at CBGB's (1998)
- Green Eggs & Sham (1999)
- SHAM 69 Live (2011)