Representative Albums: "Punk Singles Collection," "Wild Ones/Lethal," "The Very Best of Cockney Rejects"
Representative Songs: "Police Car," "The Greatest Cockney Rip Off," "Flares and Slippers"
Biography
Inspired by the critically reviled working-class punk of Sham 69, the Cockney Rejects helped give voice to the punk subgenre tagged Oi!, partly thanks to the group's 1980 song "Oi! Oi! Oi!" The Rejects' sound was loud, brash, and crudely performed, with an irreverent sense of humor and an inclination towards mindless anarchy that made them appealing to frustrated lower-class youth and, unfortunately, the more extreme right-wing racist faction amongst the growing skinhead movement, an association the group did not encourage but for which they were soundly berated. Vocalist Jefferson Turner, guitarist Micky Geggus, bassist Vince Riordan, and drummer Keith Warrington were discovered in London's East End by Sham 69 singer Jimmy Pursey, who helped the group get a record deal. The Rejects' initial output was voluminous; their first two albums were both released in 1980 and jokingly titled Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 and 2. Greatest Hits Vol. 3 (Live and Loud), featuring "live" versions of their best-known songs (actually recorded in a studio with an audience), and The Power and the Glory followed in 1981. The latter album found the group trying to broaden their approach, employing acoustic guitars and a more melodic orientation. 1982's The Wild Ones marked a shift towards heavy metal; unsure of their direction, the Rejects eventually disbanded in 1985, with several compilations of live and unreleased material appearing (1985's Unheard Rejects, 1987's Live and Loud!! The Bridgehouse Tapes). The Cockney Rejects reunited in 1990 for the album Lethal, which failed to make much of an impression. Ten years later saw the release of Back on the Street. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Their biggest hit record 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. The band members are loyal supporters of West Ham United F.C., and pay tribute to the club with their hit cover version of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", a song which has been sung by the West Ham supporters at the match since the 1920s. Other singles to chart in the UK were "Badman," "We Can Do Anything," and "We Are the Firm" (all 1980).
The violence depicted in their lyrics was often mirrored at their concerts, and the band members often fought to defend themselves (often from supporters of opposing football teams) or to split up conflicts between audience members.[2] 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 politicians 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.[1] 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.[2]
