Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (frequently shortened to Carter USM) were a British indie rock band formed in 1987 by singer Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter. They made their name with a distinctive style of power pop, fusing samples, sequenced basses and drum machines with rock 'n' roll guitars and off-beat wordplay-loaded lyrics. They reached the height of their fame in 1992. Over the following years the band took on new members, topping out as a six-piece, but struggled to regain their earlier popularity. They initially split up in 1998 after releasing seven albums.

History

Starting out

Based in Lambeth in South London, England, Fruitbat and Jim Bob originally played in an indie band called Jamie Wednesday, which released two singles - "Vote For Love" and "We Three Kings of Orient Aren't". On discovering they had a gig booked but no-one else to play there, they quickly formed Carter USM, reputedly named for Fruitbat's diligence, aptitude, and stamina. They recorded the backing track of drums, synths and samples, and fused Fruitbat's guitar with Jim Bob's lyrics. The debut single "A Sheltered Life" was released later in 1988 on the Big Cat label, but it was not until the classic second single "Sheriff Fatman" in 1989 that the band began to receive recognition. The song was written about a South London slumlord and was followed by the album 101 Damnations - a critical account of life south of the River Thames, full of black humour, cynicism, wordplay and puns. The album went straight to the top of the indie charts.

The band's gigs became well known for a wall of white stage lights that threw off enormous heat and contributed to the sweaty, stage-diving crowd scenes that became part of the band's image. Such scenes are depicted in the video In Bed With Carter, filmed at the Brixton Academy.

Rough Trade

In 1991 - having signed to Rough Trade Records - Carter USM released the album 30 Something which, thanks to non-stop touring, entered the UK Albums Chart at number eight. The accompanying '30 Something' long-sleeved t-shirt became a defining image of the early 1990s indie generation. One of the singles released from the album, "Bloodsport For All", an attack on racism and bullying in the army, was released at the start of the Gulf War and consequently banned by the BBC. Spurred on by infamy, Jim Bob and Fruitbat toured Japan, Yugoslavia and the United States (with EMF) and made a second-on-the-bill appearance at the Reading Festival, with some feeling they upstaged the headline act James. The band also made its first Top Of The Pops appearance with the single "After the Watershed (Early Learning The Hard Way)", a song about child abuse that would become more famous for its subsequent legal battle with The Rolling Stones' publisher over the use of the lyrics "Goodbye Ruby Tuesday" in the chorus. The band also hit the headlines when Fruitbat rugby tackled the children's TV presenter Phillip Schofield in front of millions of television viewers at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party in 1991.

Chrysalis Records

The demise of Rough Trade records necessitated a change of label, and Carter made the switch to Chrysalis Records to work on their third album. That album, 1992 - The Love Album, went straight to number one in the UK charts, propelling the band to pop stardom. Also, in 1992, the band headlined the Glastonbury Festival where Fruitbat, annoyed at the shortening of their headline set due to other bands overrunning insulted Michael Eavis and was subsequently banned from the festival forever. The band was unhappy, however, and this came across in the anger and cynicism of their next record, Post Historic Monsters.

In 1994, Carter's friend Wez, from former support band Resque, joined the band on drums and the newly inspired trio played America, Japan and Europe, including a major concert in Croatia which was recorded and later released on video. The recording was also given away as a free live album with Carter's fifth studio LP, Worry Bomb - a punk-pop album with upbeat material such as "Let's Get Tattoos" and slow acoustic songs such as "My Defeatist Attitude".

Cooking Vinyl

In 1996 Carter left Chrysalis Records and joined Cooking Vinyl. With Salv from the band S*M*A*S*H on bass, Wez's brother Steve on guitar, and teenager Ben Lambert on keyboards, Carter became a six-piece band.

After signing to Cooking Vinyl they released a mini-album, A World Without Dave, and started their longest ever UK tour. The band then went back to Canada and the U.S. They decided to split shortly after their 10th anniversary, and their final studio album, I Blame The Government, was released in January 1998. Two further albums, Live! and BBC Sessions, were released in the same year, in June and October respectively.

Post-USM projects

Rarities compilation The Good, The Bad, The Average And Unique

Les Carter currently plays with the band Abdoujaparov as well as appearing as a presenter on the Brentwood radio station Phoenix FM. James Morrison's projects include the band Jim's Super Stereoworld and solo albums including Angelstrike!. He has also written a book, Goodnight, JimBob, detailing his experiences on the road with Carter USM, and a currently unpublished novel.

EMI released Anytime Anyplace Anywhere, a "best of" record featuring tracks from the band's birth until their switch to Cooking Vinyl. This reportedly annoyed the band as they were not consulted or even made aware of the release of the record. In 2004 two new Carter CDs were released: a live album of BBC concerts from the early 1990s, and Brixton Mortars, a compilation album of tracks from their final two studio albums. In 2006, Carter released a new compilation of unreleased tracks and rarities called The Good, The Bad, The Average And Unique. Echoing the earlier Starry Eyed And Bollock Naked, the sleeve features a Volkswagen Beetle - this time a bright green new model convertible. Autumn 2007 saw the release of a band-authorised best of compilation album spanning their entire career on EMI, under the title, You Fat Bastard. The title came from a chant performed by the crowd at gigs. It originated from one time manager Jon "Fat" Beast's topless on stage band introductions.

Reunions

In 2001 and 2002, Jim Bob and Fruitbat toured as Who's The Daddy Now? The pair's two bands, Jim's Super Stereoworld and Abdoujaparov, would play a set each, after which the pair combined to perform a number of Carter USM songs. Until 2006, Who's The Daddy Now? was the closest thing to a Carter USM regrouping after their split in 1997.

On 4 March 2007, almost 10 years after the band last performed, Carter USM's original two-man line-up played a set of four songs as part of a gig to celebrate the life of former Mega City Four frontman, Darren 'Wiz' Brown, who died in December 2006. The band had been booked to play acoustically but surprised the audience by playing a traditional electric set at the last moment.

Due to the success of this performance, Carter reunited for two 'farewell' gigs later that year. The first show took place on 2 November 2007 at London's Brixton Academy with support from Sultans of Ping. This sell-out prompted another concert to be arranged, which took place at Glasgow Barrowlands on 20 October 2007. This was another sell-out show and was recorded for the "Back In Bed With Carter" DVD that contained the whole gig, along with an interview and rehearsal footage. This is the only Carter DVD to be recorded in 5.1 surround sound. Support at The Barrowlands came from The Frank and Walters and Chris T-T.

The re-union celebrated twenty years since the band's foundation and ten years since their split. The gigs were performed as the original two-piece of Fruitbat and Jim Bob, who kept their promise to play "all the hits and all the favourites" with sets that lasted almost two hours (a lot longer than their standard seventy minute headline sets of the nineties).

To coincide with the re-union EMI released a two CD anthology, You Fat Bastard. All 36 songs and running order were decided by Jim Bob and Fruitbat. The artwork was also approved and developed with the band. The songs were digitally remastered at Abbey Road studios. This was released in conjunction with the majority of their back catalogue (albums and promo videos) being made available digitally for the first time by EMI.

On 6 February 2008 Jim Bob and Fruitbat hinted at the possibility of further Carter USM gigs when they sent an e-mail to members of the band's mailing list. Two dates were then announced for Birmingham Academy and Brixton Academy for 21 and 22 November 2008. Support came from EMF at both gigs. Carter also performed at a secret warm-up gig on 17 November at the Southampton Joiners. This sell out show was a tribute for promoter Mint Burston, a friend of the band who helped give them a break in the early 1990s.

Carter USM are to give two gigs in London in 2009. On 13 November they will perform at the HMV Forum, London Kentish Town, whilst on the next day they are at the O2 Academy, Brixton. Their first four albums will be performed in their entirety, split over the two nights.

Sheriff Fatman Facebook Campaign

In October 2009 a group of Carter USM fans started a Facebook group as a campaign to get Sheriff Fatman back into the UK singles charts in time for the two London gigs in November 2009^[1]. The idea behind the group is that everybody should download the track week commencing Monday 2nd November 2009 so that it will be in the UK singles charts on Sunday 8th November.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

• Official Carter USM website - Maintained by Fruitbat
• Carter USM's AMG entry
• An essay on Carter from Freakytrigger
• An essay on Carter USM from Rob Townsend
• An interview with Fruitbat about the 2008 shows from Culturedeluxe