Sham 69

Sham 69 are a still extant punk band formed in Hersham in 1976. Their leader and frontman, Jimmy Pursey, took the name from worn graffiti: he also wrote liner notes for their LPs and the songs in collaboration with guitarist Dave Parsons. Their debut single, I Don't Wanna, produced by John Cale (Velvet Underground) was released in October 1977 on Step Forward (later to be the first of the Fall's many labels) and led to a signing with Polydor (doubtless eager to repeat their success with the Jam). In the interim, their sole Peel Session went out, previewing their first major label single, Borstal Breakout: in this title lay the origin of their first dissolution in 1979.

Chart success had followed with songs that were basically punk football chants, such as If The Kids Are United, Hersham Boys (their biggest hit) and Hurry Up Harry. Pursey routinely sent up their appearances on Top Of The Pops with ad libs such as, "Don't turn me off, turn me up!", and violence followed them from gig to gig and a particularly egregious appearance at Middlesex Polytechnic, broken up by skinheads charging the stage, led to a cessation of gigging. Pursey attempted to change the band's image and lose the streetpunk mentality: That's Life (1978), played in full on JP's show, was a try at a punk concept album, and The Adventures Of The Hersham Boys exhibited more conventional rock elements.

This was to no avail, however: Jimmy defected to the Sex Pistols and the band folded. Pursey had dabbled in production with the Cockney Rejects and Angelic Upstarts and even collaborated with Peter Gabriel. His attempts to promote 'video parties' as a new form of entertainment came to nothing, and in 1987 Sham 69 reformed for several more albums. He was last in the public eye on a remake of Hurry Up Harry in 2006, recorded for England's World Cup campaign (and involving Graham Coxon) that cracked the UK Top 10. At the moment, there are two bands using the same name, one of which Pursey claims contains a line-up close to that of 1977.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1977 Festive Fifty: 'I Don't Wanna' #22

Sessions

 * One session, available on At The BBC (Strange Fruit).

1. Recorded: 1977-11-28. First broadcast: 06 December 1977. Repeated: 21 December 1977, 09 January 1978, 09 February 1978, 27 March 1978, 26 June 1980 (presented by Paul Gambaccini)
 * Borstal Breakout / Hey Little Rich Boy / They Don't Understand / Rip Off / What 'Ave We Got

Other Shows Played

 * 26 December 1977: 'I Don't Wanna (7")' (Step Forward) (1977 Festive Fifty #22)
 * 07 July 1978: 'If The Kids Are United (7")' (Polydor)
 * 28 July 1978: 'If The Kids Are United (7")' (Polydor)
 * (JP: 'John Walters thinks that that's going to be a number one record.')


 * 06 September 1978: 'Hurry Up Harry (7")' (Polydor)
 * 12 September 1978: That's Life LP (Polydor)
 * 1) Hurry Up Harry
 * 2) No Entry
 * 3) Is This Me Or Is This You?
 * 29 September 1978: That's Life LP (Polydor), side 1:
 * 1) Leave Me Alone
 * 2) Who Gives A Damn
 * 3) Everybody's Right, Everybody's Wrong
 * 4) That's Life
 * 5) Win Or Lose
 * 07 November 1978: 'Red London (7"-I Don't Wanna)' (Step Forward)
 * 21 November 1978: 'Is This Me Or Is This You (LP-That's Life)' (Polydor)
 * 06 February 1979: 'I Gotta Survive (7"-Questions And Answers)' (Polydor)
 * 14 February 1979: 'Questions And Answers (7")' (Polydor)
 * 21 February 1979: 'I Gotta Survive (7"-Questions And Answers)' (Polydor)
 * 18 June 1979: 'Hersham Boys (7")' (Polydor)
 * 19 July 1979: 'Hersham Boys (12")' (Polydor)
 * 24 July 1979: 'Hersham Boys' 12", live tracks:
 * 1) I Don't Wanna
 * 2) Rip Off
 * 3) I'm A Man, I'm A Boy
 * 4) Tell Us The Truth
 * 02 August 1979: 'Hersham Boys (12")' (Polydor)
 * 05 September 1979: 'What Have We Got?'
 * 11 September 1979: 'Joey's On The Street'
 * 17 March 1980: 'Tell The Children (7")' (Polydor)
 * 24 March 1980: 'Tell The Children (7")' (Polydor)
 * 27 March 1980: 'Tell The Children (7")' (Polydor)
 * 29 April 1980: 'In And Out (LP-The Game)' (Polydor)
 * 16 June 1980: 'Unite And Win (7")' (Polydor)
 * 18 June 1980: 'Unite And Win (7")' (Polydor)