The 4-Skins
Encyclopedia
The 4-Skins are a working class Oi!
punk rock
band from the East End of London
, England
. Originally composed of Gary Hodges (vocals), 'Hoxton' Tom McCourt (guitar), Steve 'H' Hamer (bass) and Gary Hitchcock (drums), they formed in 1979 and disbanded in 1984 – although new line-ups formed in 2007 and 2008. Many of their songs dealt with violent topics, but the band has claimed they were discussing the realities of inner city life, not promoting violence. Other 4-Skins song topics include police harassment, political corruption, war and unemployment
.
, or from following bands such as Sham 69
and Menace. Most of the original four band members were or had been skinhead
s, thus the double meaning
of the band's name. However, Steve Pear had a rockabilly
style, and Hoxton Tom McCourt
— who was a suedehead — was one of the leading participants of the mod revival
. Prior to the release of the band's debut single, "One Law For Them", The 4-Skins contributed songs to the first three Oi!
compilation albums, alongside bands such as Cockney Rejects
, Cock Sparrer
, The Business
and Angelic Upstarts
. The 4-Skins went through many personnel changes during their five-year existence, with only bassist/songwriter 'Hoxton' Tom McCourt being present in every line-up of the band. Other former members include Roi Pearce, who was also the frontman of The Last Resort, and Paul Swain, a guitarist who later joined the white power rock band Skrewdriver
.
In 2007, the band reformed with two original members — lead singer Gary Hodges and bassist Steve 'H' Harmer, plus guitarist Mick Geggus and drummer Andy Russell of Cockney Rejects. This line-up recorded two songs, "Chaos 2007" and "Glory Days" for the compilation album Kings of Streetpunk, released by the independent record label
G&R London
.
2008 saw Hodges form a new version of the band under the name Gary Hodges' 4-Skins, featuring Indecent Exposure members Tom Brennan (guitar), Graham Bacon (bass) and Sedge Swatton (drums). This line-up played three shows – one in Berlin
at the Punk and Disorderly festival, in Allentown, PA at the East Coast Oi Fest and as the headlining act on the final day of the Blackpool
Rebellion punk festival in August 2008. Two newly-recorded tracks were also released for free on The 4-Skins' official web page. Both were covers of Slade
songs – "Cum on Feel the Noize
" and "Thanks for the Memories". Following this, the band decided to continue recording and touring. On 4 April 2010, they released a studio album, The Return, on German label, Randale Records.
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 ....
punk rock
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 from 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Originally composed of Gary Hodges (vocals), 'Hoxton' Tom McCourt (guitar), Steve 'H' Hamer (bass) and Gary Hitchcock (drums), they formed in 1979 and disbanded in 1984 – although new line-ups formed in 2007 and 2008. Many of their songs dealt with violent topics, but the band has claimed they were discussing the realities of inner city life, not promoting violence. Other 4-Skins song topics include police harassment, political corruption, war and unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
.
Career
Initially the band members had known each other from footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, or from following bands such as 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...
and Menace. Most of the original four band members were or had been skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
s, thus the double meaning
Foreskin
In male human anatomy, the foreskin is a generally retractable double-layered fold of skin and mucous membrane that covers the glans penis and protects the urinary meatus when the penis is not erect...
of the band's name. However, Steve Pear had a rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
style, and Hoxton Tom McCourt
Hoxton Tom McCourt
Hoxton' Tom McCourt is the former bassist and bandleader of punk rock/Oi! band, The 4-Skins. He was one of the most influential members of the skinhead revival of 1977 to 1978, the mod revival of 1978 to 1979 and the Oi! movement from 1979 to 1984.McCourt moved to Hoxton, and was given the...
— who was a suedehead — was one of the leading participants of the mod revival
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
. Prior to the release of the band's debut single, "One Law For Them", The 4-Skins contributed songs to the first three 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 ....
compilation albums, alongside bands such as Cockney Rejects
Cockney Rejects
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...
, Cock Sparrer
Cock Sparrer
Cock Sparrer are a punk rock band formed in 1972 in the East End of London, England. Although they never enjoyed much commercial success, they are considered one of the most influential streetpunk bands, helping pave the way for the late-1970s punk scene and the Oi! subgenre...
, The Business
The Business (band)
The Business are an English Oi!/punk rock band formed in 1979 in Lewisham, South London. Their album Suburban Rebels became influential in the Oi! movement...
and Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts are an English punk rock/Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. The band espoused an anti-fascist and socialist working class philosophy, and have been associated with the skinhead subculture...
. The 4-Skins went through many personnel changes during their five-year existence, with only bassist/songwriter 'Hoxton' Tom McCourt being present in every line-up of the band. Other former members include Roi Pearce, who was also the frontman of The Last Resort, and Paul Swain, a guitarist who later joined the white power rock band Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...
.
In 2007, the band reformed with two original members — lead singer Gary Hodges and bassist Steve 'H' Harmer, plus guitarist Mick Geggus and drummer Andy Russell of Cockney Rejects. This line-up recorded two songs, "Chaos 2007" and "Glory Days" for the compilation album Kings of Streetpunk, released by the 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:...
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...
.
2008 saw Hodges form a new version of the band under the name Gary Hodges' 4-Skins, featuring Indecent Exposure members Tom Brennan (guitar), Graham Bacon (bass) and Sedge Swatton (drums). This line-up played three shows – one in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
at the Punk and Disorderly festival, in Allentown, PA at the East Coast Oi Fest and as the headlining act on the final day of the Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
Rebellion punk festival in August 2008. Two newly-recorded tracks were also released for free on The 4-Skins' official web page. Both were covers of Slade
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
songs – "Cum on Feel the Noize
Cum on Feel the Noize
"Cum On Feel the Noize" is a rock song originally released by Slade in 1973.Written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and produced by Chas Chandler, "Cum On Feel the Noize" was Slade's fourth number-one single in the UK and their first to enter straight at number one...
" and "Thanks for the Memories". Following this, the band decided to continue recording and touring. On 4 April 2010, they released a studio album, The Return, on German label, Randale Records.
Band members
1979 - 1980
- Hoxton Tom McCourtHoxton Tom McCourtHoxton' Tom McCourt is the former bassist and bandleader of punk rock/Oi! band, The 4-Skins. He was one of the most influential members of the skinhead revival of 1977 to 1978, the mod revival of 1978 to 1979 and the Oi! movement from 1979 to 1984.McCourt moved to Hoxton, and was given the...
(guitar) - Gary Hodges (vocals)
- Steve 'H' Harmer (bass)
- Gary Hitchcock (drums).
1980 - 1981
- Hoxton Tom McCourtHoxton Tom McCourtHoxton' Tom McCourt is the former bassist and bandleader of punk rock/Oi! band, The 4-Skins. He was one of the most influential members of the skinhead revival of 1977 to 1978, the mod revival of 1978 to 1979 and the Oi! movement from 1979 to 1984.McCourt moved to Hoxton, and was given the...
(bass) - Gary Hodges (vocals)
- Steve 'Rockabilly' Pear (guitar)
- John Jacobs (drums)
1981 - 1983
- Hoxton Tom McCourtHoxton Tom McCourtHoxton' Tom McCourt is the former bassist and bandleader of punk rock/Oi! band, The 4-Skins. He was one of the most influential members of the skinhead revival of 1977 to 1978, the mod revival of 1978 to 1979 and the Oi! movement from 1979 to 1984.McCourt moved to Hoxton, and was given the...
(bass) - Tony 'Panther' Cummins (vocals)
- John Jacobs (guitar/keyboards)
- Pete Abbot (drums)
1983 - 1984
- Hoxton Tom McCourtHoxton Tom McCourtHoxton' Tom McCourt is the former bassist and bandleader of punk rock/Oi! band, The 4-Skins. He was one of the most influential members of the skinhead revival of 1977 to 1978, the mod revival of 1978 to 1979 and the Oi! movement from 1979 to 1984.McCourt moved to Hoxton, and was given the...
(bass) - Roi Pearce (vocals)
- Paul Swain (guitar)
- Ian Bramson (drums)
2007
- Gary Hodges (vocals)
- Steve 'H' Harmer (bass)
- Mick Geggus (guitar)
- Andy Russell (drums)
2008 - Present
- Gary Hodges (vocals)
- Graham Bacon (bass)
- Tom Brennan (guitar)
- Sedge Swatton (drums)
Partial discography
Albums
- The Good, The Bad & The 4-SkinsThe Good, The Bad & The 4-SkinsThe Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins is the second album by English punk rock/Oi! band, The 4-Skins. Released in June 1982 on Secret Records, the album topped the UK independent and punk charts, and entered the Top 100 of the UK Albums Chart....
(Secret Records (SEC 4), 1982) - A Fistful Of...4-SkinsA Fistful Of...4-Skins-Credits:*Roi Pearce – lead vocals*Hoxton Tom McCourt – bass guitar, lead vocal on "New War"*Ian Bransom – drums*Paul Swain – guitar*Keith Bollock Brother – backing vocals*Neil Barker – backing vocals...
(Syndicate Records (SYN 1), 1983) - From Chaos to 1984From Chaos to 1984From Chaos to 1984 is a live album by English punk rock/Oi! band, The 4-Skins. Released in 1984 on Syndicate Records, it is the band's third and final album...
(Live) (Syndicate Records (SYN LP 5), 1984) - The Return (Randale Records (RAN 050), 2010)
Singles/EPs
- One Law For Them / Brave New World (Clockwork Fun (CF 101), 1981)
- Yesterdays Heroes / Justice/Get Out Of My Life (Secret Records (SHH 125), 1981)
- Low Life / Bread Or Blood (Secret Records (SHH 141), 1982)
- Turning the past into the present - The 4-Skins - Thanks For The Memories / Evil Conduct - The Way We Feel (Clockwork Firm / Randale Records (655321 CF-001 / RAN 47), 2009)
Oi! compilation appearances
- "Wonderful World", "Chaos" – 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...
(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...
, 1980) - "1984", "Sorry" – Strength Thru Oi!Strength Thru Oi!Strength Thru Oi! is a 1981 Oi! compilation album, featuring various artists and released by Decca Records.- Track listing :# "National Service" - Garry Johnson# "1984" - 4 Skins# "Gang Warfare" - The Strike# "Riot Riot" - Infa-Riot...
(DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, 1981) - "Evil" – Carry On Oi!Carry On Oi!Carry On Oi! is a 1981 Oi! compilation album, featuring various artists and released by Secret Records.- Track listing :# "United" - Garry Johnson# "Dambusters March" - JJ All Stars# "Suburban Rebels" - The Business# "Each Dawn I Die" - Infa-Riot...
(Secret Records, 1981) - "One Law for Them", "Yesterday's Heroes" – The Secret Life of Punks (Secret, 1982)
- "On The Streets" – Son Of Oi!Son of Oi!- Track listing :Side One - Arthur's Side# "Chip On My Shoulder" - Cock Sparrer# "Onwards" - Kraut# "Generation Landslide" - Prole!!# "The Young Conservatives" - Garry Johnson# "Tomorrow's Whirl" - Paranoid Pictures# "Jobs Not Jails" - The Gonads...
(Syndicate, 1983) - "Clockwork Skinhead", "Plastic Gangster", "Summer Holiday" - Lords Of Oi! (Dressed To Kill, 1997)
- "Glory Days", "Chaos 2007" - Kings of Street Punk (G&R LondonG&R LondonG&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...
, 2007)
Compilations
- A Few 4-Skins More, Vol.1 (Link Records, 1987)
- A Few 4-Skins More, Vol.2 (Link Records, 1987)
- The Wonderful World Of The 4-Skins (1987)
- The Best Of 4-Skins (1989)
- The Best Of The 4 Skins (1997 Harry May/Link Records, Limited edition including 7" singles)
- Clockwork Skinhead (2000)
- Singles & Rarities (Captain Oi! Records, 2000)
- The Secret Life of the 4-Skins (Captain Oi! Records, 2001)
- History Of... (Double CD, Taang Records, 2003)
External links
- The 4-Skins fan site with bio, lyrics and discography.
- "Oi! – The Truth" history of Oi! with information about The 4-Skins
- 4-Skins interview from Rising Free zine
- 4-Skins profile on Nostalgia Central
- G & R London website