Sham 69 - Tell The Children
I told you i'd started posting Sham records! No, sadly i've not been called a hippy. I slung this on the turntable on the weekend and was pleasantly surprised (after six Blackthorn) how good it still sounded. In fact the B side 'Jack' wouldn't sound out of place on the last Stratford Mercenaries album.
Which is ironic really, as I only got into Crass as a kid cos someone told me they sounded a bit like Sham & leant me a couple of records. 2 records infact.
Put on the first 7 inch 'Reality Asylum' what the fuck!!!!!!! Flip it over 'Shaved Women' argghhh!!! (little bit better, still no Sham mind.) Try the album, wrong speed, still some man/Satan thing going on? Change speed, fuck it's that scary 'exorcist' shit from the single again. It's still no 'Tell Us The Truth' by a million miles. Stay with it son. Next track 'Do They Owe Us A Living'. Yup i'm in. Sounds like Jimmy to me. Still does.
I wonder now, if this is where James T, first stared losing the plot. 'The Kids' are now 'Children' for a start. Jim you've just lost your core audience there mate.
I know i've mentioned it before, but you have to hear (or read), Henry Rollins piece in 'Get In The Van' where he & Ian Mackaye go & visit Mr Pursey. He tries passing on his trousers & all sorts.
I still love this single by the way!
They're playing Cardiff in October. But what is the point in Sham without James T? Still can't get it.
Sham 69 - Tell The Children
posted by John Liedown at 9:48 PM
8 Comments:
Sham 69 with no James Pursey, is just wrong! but not as wrong as Lords Of The New Church without Stiv, now that was just so fuckin' wrong!
Any chance that you can upload the hersham boys 7 inch? Last one missing for me!
Nuzz,
I know! Why do they do these things! Money or ego? Or both? The money can't be that great considering the venues & stuff. I saw SLF @ Beautiful Days a few weeks back (must have seen them upwards of 12 times over the years) & they were fantastic. Best gig i've ever seen them do & it was pissing down! Likewise when i've seen the Buzzcocks over the last few years they've been great evey time. The Damned are getting better if you ask me. But reforming without your lead singer whats the point? I'd rather go and see a tribute band. At least it would sound like them.
J
Just wait for The Ramones tour.
Bound to happen! :)
j
Hi setback,
Of all of them i'm surprised your missing that one. I think i've still got 12 & 7 inch of it. I'll wind up the old radiogram on the weekend and see what I can do.
Cheers for comment
J
It's hard for me to encapsulate in a short comment entry how important Sham were and still are to me. I was already well versed in a lot of English punk and American HC when I first heard "Tell Us The Truth" and it still blew my mind. Here was a band that really was about the kids, even though I was a middle class American, not a blue collar Cockney, hearing the album a solid six years after it came out. As much as I loved the Pistols and The Clash, I always felt like an observer to their music and lyrics. Sham was about everyone, go ahead and call me a hippy for it! In that way I always thought they were quite similar to Crass. Plus, not being that into the mohawk/spiky leather side of things it was cool to see a band as unfashionably dressed as I was, ha ha.
Jim may be batsh## crazy but his heart is usually in the right place. I took a bus trip across State to see them in '88 but the gig got cancelled. I saw them in 2005 at CBGB's and they were great. Worth the twenty year wait for me.
Much respect to Dave Parsons for his hard work over the years but I can't fathom Sham without Pursey.
As for my own blog John, thanks again for the compliment. Maybe one day mate!
Sascha 69
Hi john! Very nice of you. I sold my old record collection back in 2001 and I forgott to record that one because it was a odd one, but now I miss it in my digital collection.Sham rules.
Favourite bit in this sascha, 'Jim may be batsh## crazy but his heart is usually in the right place.'
:) I think your right on the mark there.
This is why you should blog. Top comments. I think i'll post stuff, wait for you to comment. Then update the posts nicking all your lines.
Always a pleasure.
J
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