=>Beginning History
Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly of The Rolling Stones cover band Tumbling Dice, formed Skrewdriver after seeing the Sex Pistols in Manchester. Skrewdriver at first had a punk appearance, but they changed their image into a skinhead look in 1977. They also temporarily had a rocker/biker look, around the time they released the EP Built Up Knocked Down. In 1978, Donaldson moved to Salford, where he recruited guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith. This lineup toured extensively, but many venues were reluctant to book the band because of their reputation as a violent skinhead band attracting audience fights.
Performing largely for a skinhead fan-base, the first versions of the band released one album and two singles on the Chiswick label. This version of the band split up in January 1979 after a concert in Warrington, but Donaldson resurrected the name Skrewdriver in 1982 using new musicians. Several past individuals associated with the group, many of them politically left-wing or centrist, have condemned the latter third position incarnation.
=>Band Musicians And More History
As mentioned, Skrewdriver inherited its first line-up from it’s predecessor, the band Tumbling Dice, which Donaldson had formed in 1975. They felt influenced by contemporary hard rock as well as seminal punk contemporaries such as the Ramones and The Clash. They were Ian Stuart Donaldson, Kev McKay, John Grinton and Phil Walmsley. When the band changed from punk to skinhead, Walmsley bowed out and was substituted with skinhead Ron Hartley. The 1977 release All Skrewed Up managed to give the group considerable underground success, and it's been regarded since as an early punk classic. However, by 1978, the band disbanded.
Both moving to Salford’s Cheetham Hill, McKay and Donaldson reformed the band in 1979 with local Manchester talents Glenn Jones and Martin Smith. Skrewdriver became a regular act at the Mayflower club in Belle Vue and toured local gig venues around Greater Manchester. The version of the band was to be short-lived and, after an ill-fated concert in Warrington in 1980, the band fell apart again.
This time, Donaldson left all the others behind and moved on his own down to London. By 1981, Skrewdriver had reformed for the 3rd time, still with Ian Stuart Donaldson of course. The new additions were Mark Neeson, Mark French and Geoff Williams. French and Williams had previously played with The Elite.
It was this line-up that released the 12” EP 'Back With A Bang' on Last Resort Records in 1982. External pressure on the band took its toll, and, by 1984, all three had left the band. Donaldson recruited Mark Sutherland, Adam Douglas, and Murray Holmes. Holmes, an Australian, had previously played with the band Quick And The Dead. Skrewdriver soon released their LP Invasion on the newly-signed West German label Rock-o-Rama Records, which would stay faithful to the band until the tragic end. The line-up was strengthened with Steve Roda coming in the following year.
Touring extensively once again, by 1987 the line-up is described on artwork as Ian Stuart (Donaldson), Mark Sutherland, Martin Cross, Ross McGarry, Merv Shields, and John Burnley who was the brother of No Remorse’s Paul Burnley. Steve Calladine, better known as Stigger, joined Skrewdriver in late 1987. Donaldson also launched a solo career as Ian Stuart with the release of solo material backed by a group known as 'Strikeforce', which essentially was the remaining band. Skrewdriver as a band continued, however, in parallel with Donaldson’s solo career.
In 1990, the sprawling line-up was added to with John Hickson. Over the 80s, the group released a variety of albums, many of them striking a chord with disillusioned British youths unhappy with both Thatcherism and the Labour alternative, much to the alarm of the mainstream press. Skrewdriver concerts were, although planned in advance, highly secretive, and Donaldson faced many attempts on his life. Releases at this time prominently included the albums Boots & Braces, Blood & Honour, and Hail The New Dawn.
On the 24th of September 1993, Ian Stuart Donaldson died from the injuries sustained in a car-crash the previous evening and with him the band Skrewdriver ceased. Although subject to a large variety of conspiracy theories, most fans have agreed that the death was a surprising, sudden accident. Since then, countless benefit and remembrance gigs has been played in his and the band’s honour, with virtually every rock against communism band worth their salt, producing a Skrewdriver cover.
=>Labels
During their 17-year career, Skrewdriver were signed by five labels:
1977 - Chiswick Records
1979 - TJM Manchester
1982 - Last Resort Sounds
1982 - White Noise Records
1984 - Rock-O-Rama Records
(This list does not include compilations and spin-off work)
=>Members List
(Initial Band)
Ian Stuart Donaldson - Vocals & Guitar
Phil Walmsley - Guitar
Ron Hartley - Guitar
Kev McKay - Bass
John "Grinny" Grinton - Drums
(Other Members)
Glenn Jones
Martin Cross
Dave Cording
Bradley Napier
Mark French
Geoff Williams
Mark Neeson
Joseph Smith
Adam Douglas
Merv Shields
Murray Holmes
Dave Wane
Paul Swain
Stiv "Iena" Roda
Stigger
John Burnley
Colin Smith
Mushy
Mike French
Mark Radcliffe
Andrew Skinner
Ford Freemantle
White Power
Skrewdriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stand watch my country, going down the drain
We are all at fault, we are all to blame
We're letting them takeover, we just let 'em come
Once we had an Empire, and now we've got a slum
Chorus:
White Power! For England
White Power! Today
White Power! For Britain
Before it gets too late
Well we've seen a lot of riots, we just sit and scoff
We've seen a lot of muggings, and the judges let 'em off
(Repeat Chorus)
Well we've gotta do something, to try and stop the rot
And the traitors that have used us, they should all be shot
(Repeat Chorus)
Middle Eight:
Are we gonna sit and let them come?
Have they got the White man on the run?
Multi-racial society is a mess
We ain't gonna take much more of this
What do we need?
(Repeat Chorus)
Well if we don't win our battle, and all does not go well
It's apocalypse for Britain, and we'll see you all in hell
(Repeat Chorus) x2
The lyrics to Skrewdriver's song "White Power" convey a message of despair and urgency in the face of what the band perceives as the downfall of England. The song's opening lines emphasize the singer's disappointment with the country's decline, suggesting that he feels that everyone bears the responsibility for this situation. The song then goes on to suggest that England is being overrun by non-white immigrants, and that the country is in danger of becoming a "slum." The chorus of the song, punctuated by the chant of "White Power!," calls for a renewed sense of nationalism and pride, as well as a commitment to stopping immigration before it's too late.
The middle eight of the song suggests that there is a certain urgency to the situation at hand. The band argues that the multi-racial society that has arisen in England is a "mess," and that something needs to be done in order to prevent the situation from worsening. The repetition of the chorus serves as a reminder of the sense of urgency that the song conveys. If the band's calls for action are not heeded, they warn, the country will be doomed to apocalypse.
Line by Line Meaning
I stand watch my country, going down the drain
I am keeping a close eye on my country as it slowly falls apart
We are all at fault, we are all to blame
Everyone is responsible for the current state of our country
We're letting them takeover, we just let 'em come
We are allowing other groups to take over and dominate
Once we had an Empire, and now we've got a slum
Our once great Empire has now turned into a poor, run-down place
Chorus:
White Power! For England
White Power! Today
White Power! For Britain
Before it gets too late
We need to assert White power in our country before it is too late for England and Britain
Well we've seen a lot of riots, we just sit and scoff
We've seen a lot of muggings, and the judges let 'em off
We have witnessed riots and criminal activity, yet we do nothing. Even worse, the judges are not punishing the criminals
Well we've gotta do something, to try and stop the rot
And the traitors that have used us, they should all be shot
We need to take action to stop the decay of our country. Anyone who has betrayed us should be severely punished
Middle Eight:
Are we gonna sit and let them come?
Have they got the White man on the run?
Multi-racial society is a mess
We ain't gonna take much more of this
What do we need?
Are we just going to stand by and let other groups take over? Is the White man being threatened? Our multi-racial society is causing problems and we cannot sit idle. What needs to be done?
(Repeat Chorus)
We need to assert White power in our country before it is too late for England and Britain
Well if we don't win our battle, and all does not go well
It's apocalypse for Britain, and we'll see you all in hell
If we do not succeed in our efforts, Britain will suffer a terrible fate and we will all face the consequences
(Repeat Chorus) x2
We need to assert White power in our country before it is too late for England and Britain
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@WallyTony
I always worked security for those events. The people were always super nice.
@lilwoodiewood3457
Dosent matter if there nice if u brandish hate symbols your a ignorant fk face ... it's that simple the fact u associated with those people and were friendly with them ... is utterly pathetic ... just say your racist your comment would've been shorter
@nocturne1924
@@lilwoodiewood3457 oh no do you need a diaper change?
@elaine1047
I am not white but I really want to see one of the bands live. Hope they dont hate crime me in there lol
@jobloluther
@@elaine1047let them live there life
@plamoretti673
@@elaine1047 they will
@britishgroyper3555
Great I was looking for new music
@holzmichl9795
Same. WP from Austria
@nigeriansoldierfromtheeast3731
@Vanja Soskic agreed
@angelmatters7648
@@holzmichl9795 white power is the biggest oxymoron ever. Like saying dead alive