Sham 69
Sham 69 is a British punk band formed in 1975 in Hersham, Surrey. The band had their greatest success in 1978 with the track If the Kids Are United, which called for rival youth gangs to unite.
The name refers to the local amateur football club Walton & Hersham F.C. and originated when Jimmy Pursey, the band's lead singer, read a half-faded graffiti in a public men's room with the words Walton & Hersham '69, a reference to the club's 1969 Athenian League premier division title win. This was a pun on the English word sham contained in the graffiti.
History
The band was formed by singer and songwriter Jimmy Pursey along with guitarist Dave Parsons, bassist Albie Slider and drummer Mark Cain. They gave their first concert at "Guildford University", then played at every available opportunity, at London's Roxy Club and as support band for Chelsea, The Lurkers and The Cortinas at "Acklam Hall". It was there that they were discovered by John Cale, who took them on. Their first single I Don't Wanna was released by the small label "Step Forward", while they signed for the first album Tell Us the Truth with Polydor already in spring 1978. Albie Slider meanwhile became the band's tour manager and handed over the bass to Dave "Kermit" Tregunna. The album, half of which consists of live recordings, was additionally released in the USA by Sire Records.
Another live LP That's Life was also released in 1978, followed by a string of hit singles and Sham 69 became increasingly popular. However, the band attracted very different audiences and there were more and more brawls during their live concerts. They never got rid of this reputation as rioters. Some concerts became real political parties of the right-wing extremist and racist groups, although Pursey openly spoke out against the National Front.
The third album The Adventures of the Hersham Boys was again a great commercial success, but the growing violence at the live concerts was a real problem for the band. Pursey therefore began to produce other bands and take a new musical direction. Drummer Mark Cain left the band and Ricky Goldstein took his place. After the fourth album The Game received only weak reviews and was not particularly well received by the fans, Sham 69 disbanded in 1980. Rick Goldstein, Dave Tregunna and Dave Parsons then formed The Wanderers together with Stiv Bators. Jimmy Pursey tried his hand as a soloist.
In 1987 Pursey and Parsons revived the band, went on tour again and released a few records. Pursey pursued his solo career and left Sham 69 in 2006. After a break and with the new singer Tim V the band started a comeback in 2007.
Cover versions
Their hit If the Kids Are United has been covered several times, including by Atari Teenage Riot, Rancid, Manic Hispanic (If the Vatos Are United), Die Toten Hosen on the album Learning English Lesson One, and the German pop singer Benny. The punk rock band Die Goldenen Zitronen also quote this lyric in their song Für immer Punk, as does Bad Religion in their track Robin Hood in Reverse. They were also covered by e.g. the Dropkick Murphys (Hey Little Rich Boy) or the Street Dogs (Borstal Breakout).
.
