Sham 69 are an English punk rock band that formed in Hersham in 1976. The band was one of the most successful punk bands in the United Kingdom, achieving five Top 20 singles. The original unit broke up in 1979, with frontman Jimmy Pursey moving on to pursue a solo career.
In 1987 Pursey and guitarist David Parsons reformed the band, joined by new personnel. Although subsequently going through a number of lineup changes, Sham 69 remained active and was still playing shows as of 2014.
Sham 69 formed in Hersham in 1976. The band's name is said to have derived from a piece of graffiti that founder Jimmy Pursey saw on a wall. It originally said Walton and Hersham '69 but had partly faded away, and made reference to when Walton & Hersham F.C. secured the Athenian League title in 1969.
The 12 November 1976 issue of NME noted that Sham 69 was rehearsing in 1976, although only Pursey would remain from this early line-up twelve months later. Sham 69 did not have the art school background of many English punk bands of the time, and brought in football chant backup vocals and an inarticulate political populism. The band attracted a large skinhead following (left wing, right wing and non-political). Their concerts were plagued by violence, and the band ceased live performances after a 1979 concert at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park was broken up by National Front-supporting white power skinheads fighting and rushing the stage.
Sham 69 released their first single, "I Don't Wanna", on Step Forward Records in August 1977, produced by John Cale (formerly of the Velvet Underground), and its success in the independent charts prompted Polydor Records to sign the band. Their major label debut was "Borstal Breakout" in January 1978, followed by UK Singles Chart success with "Angels with Dirty Faces" (reaching No. 19 in May 1978) and "If the Kids Are United" (No. 9 in July 1978). These were not included on the group's debut album, Tell Us the Truth, a mixture of live and studio recordings.
The group had further chart success with "Hurry Up Harry" (No. 10 in October 1978), which came from their second LP and first full studio album, That's Life. The band's popularity was enhanced by their performances on Top Of The Pops, and the band performed in the 1980 film, D.O.A.. Sham 69 would ultimately be one of the most successful UK punk rock bands, releasing five singles that cracked the Top 20 chart in the United Kingdom.
The band eventually started to move away from punk rock, to embrace a sound heavily influenced by classic British rock bands such as Mott the Hoople, The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Faces. This was demonstrated by their third album, The Adventures of the Hersham Boys.
Albums
That's Life - Polydor 1978
Tell Us The Truth - Polydor 1978
The Adventures Of Hersham Boys - Polydor 1979
The Game - Polydor 1980
Live And Loud!! - Link Records 1987
Live And Loud!! Volume 2 - Link Records 1988
Volunteer - Bad-Ming-Ton Music, Helidon 1988
Live At The Roxy Club - Receiver Records Limited 1990
Live At CBGB's 1988 - Dojo Limited 1991
Information Libre - Rotate Records 1992
Kings & Queens - Creative Man Discs 1993
BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert - Windsong International 1993
Live In Japan - Creativeman Disc 1993
Soapy Water And Mister Marmalade - TUG Records 1995
The A Files - Empty Records 1997
Live In Italy (CD) Castle Music ESMCD733 1999
Direct Action: Day 21 (CD, Album) The Store For Music SFMCD005 2001
Western Culture - Bad Dog Records 2007
Who Killed Joe Public (CD, Album) Step-Forward Records, One Media Publishing none, OMP010 2010
Sham 69 / Klasse Kriminale - Dal Vivo In Italia (LP, Album, Ltd) Anfibio Records ANF 039 vinyl 2012
Their Finest Hour (CD, Album) Treatment Records TRT 001 2013
Live (CD) Emporio Hallmark Unknown
Singles & EPs
I Don't Wanna - Step-Forward Records 1977
Song Of The Streets (7", S/Sided) Not On Label none 1977
There's Gonna Be A Borstal Break-Out - Polydor 1978
If The Kids Are United - Polydor 1978
Angels With Dirty Faces - Polydor 1978
Hurry Up Harry / No Entry - Polydor 1978
Sham 69 / Child - If The Kids Are United / It Might As Well Rain Until September (7", Single, MP, Sol) Polydor 2059 050 1978
Borstal Breakout - Polydor 1979
Questions And Answers - Polydor 1979
You're A Better Man Than I - Polydor 1979
Hersham Boys - Polydor 1979
Tell The Children - Polydor 1980
Unite And Win - Polydor 1980
Voices (7", EP) Polydor, Polydor RIOT ONE, 2816 028 1980
Sham 69 / The Only Ones - Lost On Highway 46 (7", EP, Ltd) XSF XS 003 1981
Rip And Tear - Legacy Records 1987
Ban The Gun (7") Legacy Records LGY 70 1987
Outside The Warehouse - Legacy Records 1988
As Black As Sheep / Mr Know It All (7", Promo) Legacy Records LGY-73 1988
Thats Live! (12") Skunx Recordings SHAM X1 1988
The Early Years Live (12") Receiver Records Limited REPLAY3016 1991
Uptown - CMP Discs UK 1992
M25 (12", Promo, W/Lbl, Maxi) Rotate Records ROT ST 03 1992
Action Time Vision (CD, EP) Creative Man CMCDS 002 1993
Girlfriend (CD, Single) A Plus Eye Records AISCD 001 1995
Listen Up - Empty Records 1996
Swampy (Run To The Forest) (CD, Single, Smplr) Scratch Records AI CD 005 1997
Die Toten Hosen / Sham 69 - If The Kids Are United / Individual - Musical Tragedies 1998
Sham 69 & The Special Assembly - Hurry Up England (The People's Anthem World Cup 06) - Parlophone, EMI 2006
Sham 69 Featuring Jimmy Edwards - Dare To Win (CD, Single) Only Fit For The Bin Records OFFTB017 2011
Compilations
The First The Best And The Last - Polydor 1980
Angels With Dirty Faces - The Best Of Sham 69 (LP, Comp) Receiver Records Limited RRLP 104 1986
The Best Of & The Rest Of Sham 69 Live - Receiver Records Limited 1989
The Complete Sham 69 Live - Castle Classics 1989
Shams Last Stand - Link Records 1989
Rare And Unreleased - Limited Edition Records 1991
Hersham Boys + The Game - Receiver Records Limited 1989
Tell Us The Truth / That's Life - Receiver Records Limited 1989
The Best Of Sham 69 - Essential, Castle Communications 1995
Live (CD, Comp) Emporio EMPRCD582 1995
Sham 69 / 999 - Live & Loud (CD, Comp) Step-1 Music STEPCD 053 1995
The Very Best Of The Hersham Boys - Castle Select 1998
The Masters (2xCD, Comp) Eagle Records EDM CD 030 1998
The Punk Singles Collection 1977 - 1980 (CD, Comp) Cleopatra CLP 0221-2 1998
Borstal Breakout (2xCD, Comp) Recall 2cd SMD CD 141 1998
Angels With Dirty Faces 2-CD Anthology (2xCD, Comp) Castle Communications ESDCD 780 1999
Green Eggs And Sham (Live) (CD, Comp) Big Ear Music EAZ 4023 1999
The Best Of Sham 69 - Cockney Kids Are Innocent - Castle Music 2001
If The Kids Are United • The Best Of... - Anagram Records 2001
Sham 69 vs The Damned - Their Greatest Hits (2xCD, Comp, RM) Castle Music CMDDD 284 2001
Cockney Cowboys - The Very Best Of Sham 69 (CD, Comp) Metro METRCD102 2003
If The Kids Are United The Best Of Sham 69 (CD, Comp) BMG UK & Ireland, Camden 82876 501972 2003
The Punk Singles Collection 1977- 80 (CD, Comp) Captain Oi! AHOY CD 251 2004
The Complete Collection (3xCD, Comp) Sanctuary Midline SMETD021 2004
The Albums (5xCD, Album, RE, Comp + Box) Castle Music CMXBX1136 2005
The Albums (4xLP, Album, RE, Comp + Box) Earmark EM 301, EM 3011, EM 3012, EM 3013, EM 3014 2005
They Don't Understand (2xCD, Comp) Ambitions 223134-311 2005
The Very Best Of The Hersham Boys (CD, Comp) Sanctuary Midline SMBCD401 2007
If The Kids Are United • The Best Of... (2xCD, Comp) Universal, Sanctuary Records SPECXX2062, 00602527627694 2011
Hurry Up Harry The Collection (CD, Album, Comp) Spectrum, Universal SPEC2092 2012
Set List - The Anthology - Secret Records Limited 2013
Videos
The Adventures Of Sham 69 In Concert Hersham Boys (DVD-V, NTSC/ PAL) Secret Films SECDVD104 2003
http://www.sham69.com/http://www.facebook.com/pages/SHAM-69-Jimmy-Pursey/169683163090992https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sham_69http://www.discogs.com/artist/263210-Sham-69
