Cockney Rejects
The Cockney Rejects are an Oi! band from London and, together with Sham 69 and Cock Sparrer, are among the most influential and famous bands of this genre. They were one of the first British Oi! bands and are also called the "inventors of Oi!" because of their song Oi! Oi! Oi! (= English call, used by the band as a substitute for the time signature "1-2-3"). The song was often covered, is considered the Oi! anthem par excellence and thus became (unintentionally) eponym of this loud, simple direction of punk.
History
The band was formed in 1978 by brothers Jeff (vocals) and Mick (guitar) Geggus, their brother-in-law Chris Murrell (bass) and Paul Harvey (drums). Turner worked as a roadie for Sham 69, whose singer Jimmy Pursey helped them get their first record deal. They recorded two singles in 1979: Flares and Slippers / Police Car / I Wanna Be a Star on Small Wonder Records and I'm Not a Fool / East End on EMI. The Rejects sang about hooliganism and, like Cock Sparrer, are fans of London football club West Ham United. They played a well-known version of the Ham chant I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, which has been sung at the stadium since the 1920s.
On their later albums, the Cockney Rejects turned to heavy metal. They released a total of six albums (Greatest Hits Vol. 1-3, The Power and the Glory, Wild Ones and Quiet Storm) with rather moderate success until their split in 1985. In 1989, a brief, rather unsuccessful reunion occurred with the album Lethal. In 2003, the band recorded another album called Out of the Gutter, followed in 2007 by Unforgiven, which is based on their beginnings.
In 2005, journalist Garry Bushell published a book about the history of the band, especially of singer Jefferson Turner. The foreword to this was written by former Smiths singer Morrissey.
The Rejects - although no longer in their original line-up - are still active, playing regular concerts in and around London, and were also present at the reunion of the hooligan grouping "InterCity Firm" in 2004, where they played a concert of their best-known tunes.
Cast
Original line-up (1978-1979)
- Jeff Geggus, aka Jeff Turner, aka "Stinky" Turner (vocals)
- Mick Geggus (guitar)
- Chris Murrell (Bass)
- Paul Harvey (drums)
1979
- Stinky Turner (vocals)
- Micky Geggus (lead guitar)
- Vince Riordan (Bass)
- Andy "Atlas" Scott (drums)
1980
- Stinky Turner (vocals)
- Micky Geggus (guitar)
- Vince Riordan (Bass)
- Nigel Woolf (drums)
1980–1983
- Stinky Turner/Jefferson Turner (vocals)
- Mick Geggus (guitar)
- Vince/Vinnie Riordan (Bass)
- Keith "Stix" Warrington (drums)
1984–1985
- Jeff Turner (vocals)
- Mick Geggus (guitar)
- Ian Campbell (Bass)
- Keith Warrington (drums)
1987–1991
- Stinky Turner/Jefferson Turner (vocals)
- Mick Geggus (guitar)
- Vince/Vinnie Riordan (Bass)
- Keith "Stix" Warrington (drums)
1999
- Jeff Turner (vocals)
- Mick Geggus (guitar)
- Tony Van Frater (Bass)
- Andrew Laing (drums)
2000–2006
- Jeff Turner (vocals)
- Mick Geggus (guitar)
- Tony Van Frater (Bass)
- Les "Nobby" Cobb (drums)
2007–2015
- Jeff Turner (vocals)
- Mick Geggus (guitar)
- Tony Van Frater (bass, † 2015)
- Andrew Laing (drums)
Andrew Laing 2013
Jeff Turner 2013
Tony Van Frater 2013
Mick Geggus 2013
