The 4-Skins are an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

working-class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

Oi! band from the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have univ ...

, England. Originally composed of Gary Hodges (

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

), 'Hoxton' Tom McCourt (

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

), Steve 'H' Hamer (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

) and John Jacobs (

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

), the group was 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 The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

political corruption Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary, but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, i ...

, war and

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refe ...

Career

The band members first met each other through mutual interest in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

or in bands such as

Sham 69 Sham 69 are an English punk rock band that formed in Hersham in Surrey in 1975. They were one of the most successful punk bands in the United Kingdom, achieving five top 20 singles, including " If the Kids Are United" and " Hurry Up Harry". T ...

and Menace. Most of the original four band members were or had been

skinhead A skinhead is a member of a subculture which originated among working class youths in London, England, in the 1960s and soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working class skinhead movement emerging worldwide in th ...

s, thus the

double meaning A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially a ...

of the band's name. However, Steve Pear had a

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and b ...

style, and

Hoxton Tom McCourt 'Hoxton' Tom McCourt (born 1961) 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 ...

— who was a

suedehead "Suedehead" is a 1988 single by English singer Morrissey, released on 15 February 1988. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's first solo release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was in ...

— was one of the leading participants of the

mod revival The mod revival was a subculture that started in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree). The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence lasted for dec ...

. 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 album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...

s, alongside bands such as

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. The band members are supporters of West Ham United, and pay tri ...

Cock Sparrer Cock Sparrer () is an English punk rock band formed in 1972 in the East End of London. Although they have never enjoyed commercial success, they helped pave the way for the early '80s punk scene and the Oi! subgenre., Their songs have been cov ...

, The Business and

Angelic Upstarts Angelic Upstarts are an English punk rock / Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. AllMusic calls them "one of the period's most politically charged and thought-provoking groups". Angelic Upstarts Biography AllMusic. accessed 3 July 2006 T ...

. The 4-Skins went through many personnel changes during their initial five-year existence, with only bassist/

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

'Hoxton' Tom McCourt being present in every band line-up. Other former members include Roi Pearce, who was also the

frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

of The Last Resort, and Paul Swain, a guitarist who later joined

white power rock White power music is music that promotes white nationalism. It encompasses various music styles, including rock, country, experimental music and folk.Messner, Beth A., Art Jipson, Paul J. Becker and Bryan Byers. 2007. "The Hardest Hate: A ...

band

Skrewdriver Skrewdriver were an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, in 1976. Originally a punk band, Skrewdriver changed into a white supremacist rock band after reuniting in the 1980s. Their original ...

. In 2007, The 4-Skins 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 An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

G&R London. In 2008, Hodges formed a new version of the band under the name Gary Hodges' 4-Skins. This line-up played three shows – one in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

at the Punk and Disorderly festival, in

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 census. It is the fastest-growing major city in Pennsylvania ...

, at the East Coast Oi Fest and as the headlining act on the final day of the

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...

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 are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...

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 An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

, ''The Return'', on German

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed ...

Randale Records.

Band members

1979–1980

(guitar) *Gary Hodges (vocals) *Steve 'H' Harmer (bass) *Gary Hitchcock (drums).

1980–1981

(bass) *Gary Hodges (vocals) *Steve 'Rockabilly' Pear (guitar) *John Jacobs (drums)

1981–1983

(bass) *Tony 'Panther' Cummins (vocals) *John Jacobs (guitar/keyboards) *Pete Abbot (drums)

1983–1984

(bass) *Roi Pearce (vocals) *Paul Swain (guitar) *Ian Bramson (drums)

2007

*Gary Hodges (vocals) *Steve 'H' Harmer (bass) *Mick Geggus (guitar) *Andy Russell (drums) *Dave Propri *Chris Caraway

2008–present

*Gary Hodges (vocals) *Bakes (bass) *Big Tom (guitar) *Sedge (drums)

Partial discography

Albums

*''

The Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins ''The Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins'' is the first 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-Skins'' (Syndicate Records (SYN 1), 1983) *'' From Chaos to 1984'' (Live) (Syndicate Records (SYN LP 5), 1984) *''The Return'' (Randale Records (RAN 050), 2010)

Collections

*''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'' (Harry May/Link Records, 1997) – 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)

Singles and 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)

Compilation appearances

*"Wonderful World", "Chaos" – ''

Oi! The Album Oi! is a 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 disaffected working-class youth. The movement w ...

'' ( EMI, 1980) *"1984", "Sorry" – ''

Strength Thru Oi! ''Strength Thru Oi!'' is a 1981 Oi! compilation album, featuring various artists and released by Decca Records, released in collaboration with ''Sounds'' magazine. The album was the sequel to ''Oi! The Album'' (1980), and itself was followed by ...

'' (

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...

, 1981) *"Evil" – '' Carry On Oi!'' (Secret Records, 1981) *"One Law for Them", "Yesterday's Heroes" – ''The Secret Life of Punks'' (Secret Records, 1982) *"On The Streets" – '' Son of Oi!'' (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 London, 2007)

References

External links

* * *
The 4-Skins
fan site with bio, lyrics and discography.
"Oi! – The Truth"
history of Oi! with information about The 4-Skins

from ''Rising Free'' zine
4-Skins profile
at Nostalgia Central
G & R London website
{{DEFAULTSORT:4-Skins, The English punk rock groups Oi! groups Musical groups from London Musical groups established in 1979 Musical groups disestablished in 1984 Musical groups reestablished in 2007 Musical quartets