Cockney Rejects
Encyclopedia
Cockney Rejects are an English punk rock
band
that formed in the East End of London
in 1978. Their 1980 song
"Oi, Oi, Oi" was the inspiration for the name of the Oi!
music genre
. The band members are loyal supporters of West Ham United
, and pay tribute to the club with their hit cover version
of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
", a song traditionally sung by West Ham supporters.
owner Pete Stennett, who introduced the band to Bob Sergeant. With Sergeant, they recorded their single
"I Wanna Be A Star", which sold out its first pressing. Murrell and Harvey were then replaced by Vince Riordan on bass and Andy Scott on drums, from fellow East End London
band, The Tickets. This became known as Cockney Rejects' classic lineup, and its debut at the Bridge House in Canning Town
in June 1979 is considered a turning point for the band. In September of that same year, the band signed with EMI
and released their album Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 in February 1980.
Their biggest hit single in the United Kingdom
, 1980's "The Greatest Cockney Rip-Off", was a parody of Sham 69
's song "Hersham Boys". Other Cockney Rejects songs were less commercial, partly because they tended to be about hard-edged topics such as street fighting
or football hooliganism
. Other singles to appear in the UK were "Bad Man," "We Can Do Anything," and "We Are the Firm" — all from 1980.
The violence depicted in their lyrics
was often mirrored at their concert
s, and the band members often fought to defend themselves (often from supporters of opposing football
teams) or to split up conflicts between audience members. Jeff and Mick Geggus (who are brothers) had both been amateur youth boxers
, and had fought at the national level.
Cockney Rejects expressed contempt for all politician
s in their lyrics, and they rejected media
claims that they had a British Movement
following, or that the band members supported the views of that far right
group. In their first Sounds
interview, they mockingly referred to the British Movement as the "German Movement" and stated that many of their heroes were black
boxers. Jeff Turner's autobiography Cockney Reject describes an incident in which the band members and their supporters had a massive fight against British Movement members at one of Cockney Rejects' early concerts.
The band released their most recent album, Unforgiven, on the G&R London
independent record label
in May 2007.
EMI records are releasing a definitive Rejects retrospective on August 29. Called Join the Rejects, the Zonophone years '79-'81, it's a 3-disc collection of all their EMI recordings including all the Peel sessions and rare demos from the day. Also included is a colour booklet with a blow-by-blow account of the stories behind the music by Micky Geggus.
The Rejects movie East End Babylon is in post production, and is due to be released in February 2012, with an album of the same name due to be released at the same time.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
that formed in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
in 1978. Their 1980 song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Oi, Oi, Oi" was the inspiration for the name of the Oi!
Oi!
Oi! is a working class subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads and other working-class youths ....
music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
. The band members are loyal supporters of West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, and pay tribute to the club with their hit cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" is a popular song which debuted in 1918 and was first published in 1919.-Creation:The music was written by John Kellette. The lyrics are credited to "Jaan Kenbrovin", actually a collective pseudonym for the writers James Kendis, James Brockman and Nat Vincent...
", a song traditionally sung by West Ham supporters.
Career
Cockney Rejects were formed in 1978 by brothers Jeff and Micky Geggus, with their brother-in-law Chris Murrell on bass and Paul Harvey on drums. Their first demo single, "Flares n' Slippers", caught the attention of Small Wonder RecordsSmall Wonder Records
Small Wonder Records was a UK independent record label owned and managed by Pete Stennett, that specialised in releasing records by punk rock and post-punk bands. It operated out of a record shop of the same name at 162 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17, east London...
owner Pete Stennett, who introduced the band to Bob Sergeant. With Sergeant, they recorded their single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"I Wanna Be A Star", which sold out its first pressing. Murrell and Harvey were then replaced by Vince Riordan on bass and Andy Scott on drums, from fellow East End London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
band, The Tickets. This became known as Cockney Rejects' classic lineup, and its debut at the Bridge House in Canning Town
Canning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
in June 1979 is considered a turning point for the band. In September of that same year, the band signed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and released their album Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 in February 1980.
Their biggest hit single in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, 1980's "The Greatest Cockney Rip-Off", was a parody of Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
's song "Hersham Boys". Other Cockney Rejects songs were less commercial, partly because they tended to be about hard-edged topics such as street fighting
Street fighting
Street fighting is a colloquial term used to denote unsanctioned, illegal in some countries, hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people....
or football hooliganism
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
. Other singles to appear in the UK were "Bad Man," "We Can Do Anything," and "We Are the Firm" — all from 1980.
The violence depicted in their lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
was often mirrored at their concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s, and the band members often fought to defend themselves (often from supporters of opposing football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
teams) or to split up conflicts between audience members. Jeff and Mick Geggus (who are brothers) had both been amateur youth boxers
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and had fought at the national level.
Cockney Rejects expressed contempt for all politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s in their lyrics, and they rejected media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
claims that they had a British Movement
British Movement
The British Movement , later called the British National Socialist Movement , is a British neo-Nazi organisation founded by Colin Jordan in 1968. It grew out of the National Socialist Movement , which was founded in 1962...
following, or that the band members supported the views of that far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
group. In their first Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
interview, they mockingly referred to the British Movement as the "German Movement" and stated that many of their heroes were black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
boxers. Jeff Turner's autobiography Cockney Reject describes an incident in which the band members and their supporters had a massive fight against British Movement members at one of Cockney Rejects' early concerts.
The band released their most recent album, Unforgiven, on the G&R London
G&R London
G&R London is an independent record label based in London, England which was established in 2007.The label was set up by Cockney Rejects guitarist, Mick Geggus and the original East End Badoes bassist Andy Russell with the intention of recording and promoting new material from established as well...
independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
in May 2007.
EMI records are releasing a definitive Rejects retrospective on August 29. Called Join the Rejects, the Zonophone years '79-'81, it's a 3-disc collection of all their EMI recordings including all the Peel sessions and rare demos from the day. Also included is a colour booklet with a blow-by-blow account of the stories behind the music by Micky Geggus.
The Rejects movie East End Babylon is in post production, and is due to be released in February 2012, with an album of the same name due to be released at the same time.
1978-1979
- Jeff Geggus, AKA Jeff Turner, AKA "Stinky" Turner (Vocals)
- Mick Geggus (GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) - Chris Murrell (Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) - Paul Harvey (DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s)
1979
- Jeff Geggus (Vocals)
- Mick Geggus (Guitar)
- Vince Riordan (Bass)
- Andy "Atlas" Scott (Drums)
1980-1983
- Jeff Geggus (Vocals)
- Mick Geggus (Guitar)
- Vince/Vinnie Riordan (Bass)
- Keith "Stix" Warrington (Drums)
1984-1985
- Jeff Geggus (Vocals)
- Mick Geggus (Guitar)
- Ian Campbell (Bass)
- Keith Warrington (Drums)
2000-2006
- Jeff Geggus (Vocals)
- Mick Geggus (Guitar)
- Tony Van Frater (Bass)
- Les "Nobby" Cobb (Drums)
Other members
- Micky Burt (Drums) (1989) (did not actually play any gigs; he was not available for the May 1989 gig in Berchem, Belgium, so Keith Warrington was brought back)
- Record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Peter Wilson played drums on the "Flares & Slippers" EPGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
Albums
- Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (1980)
- Greatest Hits Vol. 2Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (Cockney Rejects album)Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is the second album by the band Cockney Rejects released in 1980.- Track listing :#"War On The Terraces" - 2:39 #"In The Underworld" - 2:46 #"Oi! Oi! Oi!" - 3:26 #"Hate Of The City" - 3:05 #"With The Boys" - 2:20...
(1980) - The Power and the GloryThe Power and the Glory (Cockney Rejects album)The Power and the Glory is the third album by the band Cockney Rejects released in 1981.- Track listing :# "The Power & The Glory"# "Because I'm In Love"# "On The Run"# "Lumon"# "Friends"# "Teenage Fantasy"# "It's Over"# "On The Streets Again"...
(1981) - The Wild Ones (1982)
- Quiet StormQuiet stormQuiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
(1984) - Unheard RejectsUnheard RejectsUnheard Rejects is the 6th album by the band Cockney Rejects released in 1985.- Track listing :# "It Can't Be True"# "1984"# "Nobody Knows"# "I Need It Again"# "Dead Generation"# "No Time"# "It Will Only Ever Be"# "Going Back Home"...
(1985) - LethalLethal (Cockney Rejects album)- Track listing :# Bad Man Down # Penitentiary # Struttin' My Stuff # Lethal Weapon # Rough Diamond # Go Get It # Down 'N' Out # One Way Ticket # Once A Rocker...
(1990) - UnforgivenUnforgiven (Cockney Rejects album)Unforgiven is an album by the band Cockney Rejects released in 2007.- Track listing :# Cockney Reject# Come See Me# It's Alright Bruv# Fists Of Fury# Big Time Charlie# Unforgiven# Useless Generation...
(2007)
EPs and singles
- "Flares & Slippers" (7-inch, EP) (Small Wonder, 1979)
- "I'm Not a Fool" (7-inch singleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
) (EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, 1979) UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#65 - "Bad Man" (7-inch) (EMI, 1980) UK #65
- "The Greatest Cockney Rip Off" (7-inch. Limited Edition in Yellow Vinyl) (EMI/Zonophone, 1980) UK #21
- "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" (7-inch) (EMI/Zonophone, 1980) UK #35
- "We Can Do Anything" (7-inch) (EMI/Zonophone, 1980) UK #65
- "We Are the Firm" (7-inch) (EMI/Zonophone, 1980) UK #54
- "Easy Life" (7-inch, Live EP) (EMI/Zonophone, 1981)
- "On the Streets Again" (7-inch) (EMI/Zonophone, 1981)
- "Till the End of the Day" (7-inch) (AKA 1982)
- "Back to the Start" (7-inch) (Heavy Metal Records, 1984)
Compilation & Live albums
- Oi! The AlbumOi! The AlbumOi! The Album is a 1980 Punk compiltation album, released in 1980 by EMI, then re-released by Captain Oi! and Cleopatra.- Track listing :Side One# "Oi! Oi! Oi!" - Cockney Rejects# "Rob A Bank " - Peter and the Test Tube Babies...
(1980) - Greatest Hits Vol. 3 (Live & Loud) (1981)
- Total Noise (7-inch EP) (1983)
- The Punk Singles Collection (Dojo, 1997)
- Greatest Hits Volume 4 (Rhythm Vicar, 1997)
- Oi! Oi! Oi! (Castle, 1997)
- Lords Of Oi! (Dressed to Kill, 1997)
- Back on the Street (Victory Records, 2000 - Reissue of Greatest Hits Volume 4)
- Out of the Gutter (Captain Oi Records, 2003)
- Addicted to Oi! (2001)