Career
Cockney Rejects were formed in 1977 by brothers Jeff and Micky Geggus, with their brother-in-law Chris Murrell on bass and Paul Harvey on drums. Their first demo, "Flares n' Slippers", caught the attention of Small Wonder Records owner Pete Stennett, who introduced the band to Bob Sergeant. With Sergeant, they recorded their single "Flares n' Slippers", 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," "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles " and "We Are the Firm" — all from 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. Jeff and Mick Geggus (who are brothers) had both been amateur youth boxers, and had fought at the national level. Bass player Vince Riordan's uncle was Jack "The Hat" McVitie, a Cockney gangster who was murdered by Reggie Kray.
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. 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.
EMI records released a definitive Rejects retrospective on 29 August 2011. Called Join the Rejects, the Zonophone years '79-'81, it was a three-disc collection of all their EMI recordings including all the Peel sessions and rare demos from the day. Also included was a colour booklet with a blow-by-blow account of the stories behind the music by Micky Geggus.
The Rejects movie East End Babylon and an album of the same name were released in 2013.
Tony Van Frater died in October 2015, aged 51.
In February 2016, it was announced that former Cockney Reject bass player Vince Riordan had re-joined the band again.
The group were slated to perform their first Australian shows in February 2019, however a family emergency necessitated the postponement of the concerts to July. The concerts were later rescheduled to October and went ahead that month to critical acclaim.
http://www.cockneyrejects.com/
https://myspace.com/readytoruck/bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockney_Rejects
https://www.facebook.com/TheCockneyRejects
http://www.discogs.com/artist/254787
The New Song
Cockney Rejects Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out with the old
This is a new way
New truth to be told
Don't wanna sing about a factory
I ain't something that appeals to me
Don't wanna be part of the disco craze
Don't wanna sing about
The governments ploys
I just wanna make a noise
Let me show you what it's all about
It's gotta be raucous, one big shout
The Cockney Rejects's song The New Song is a rebellious anthem that rejects the old ways of writing songs and embraces a new, raucous sound. The song is about breaking away from the factory-like production of society and creating something fresh and exciting. The Rejects turn away from the disco craze and bands that are conforming to the popular trends. Instead, they want to create a raw, original sound that truly represents who they are and what they stand for.
The lyrics of the song also touch on the Rejects' frustrations with the government and politics. They don't want to sing about the same old government ploys, but instead want to make a statement with their music. By creating a "big shout," they hope to get their message across loud and clear. This song is not just about music, but also about rebelling against the status quo and standing up for what you believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a new song
We are introducing a fresh, unheard tune
Out with the old
We are leaving behind the outdated, conventional ways of music
This is a new way
We are carving a unique path for ourselves
New truth to be told
We have a new message to deliver through our music
Don't wanna sing about a factory
We are not interested in singing about typical working class themes
I ain't something that appeals to me
It does not appeal to our personal preferences or style
Don't wanna be part of the disco craze
We do not want to conform to the popular disco music trend
And all them bands who wanna change their ways
We do not want to follow other bands who are trying to switch up their sound
Don't wanna sing about the governments ploys
We do not want to address political agendas in our lyrics
I just wanna make a noise
Our goal is to create a commotion with our music
Let me show you what it's all about
We want to demonstrate our unique musical style and attitude
It's gotta be raucous, one big shout
We want our music to be loud, wild, and impactful
Contributed by Eva O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ruud Van Looy
I saw them live in London at around 1979 or so. Most impressed.
barnowl01292
Still the same today Ruud..
BudBundy007
This is a great album.
p a b l o
Q foda namoral
Mark Boon
Sick