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 tribute to the club with their hit cover version of " I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", a song traditionally sung by West Ham supporters.

Career

Formed in East London in the late 1970s, the Cockney Rejects rejected the art-school punk scene, delivering a fiercely working-class sound. Their lyrics reflected the realities of inner-city life—police harassment, street battles, and football—striking a chord with the youth of the time.

Signed by EMI after just four gigs, the Rejects quickly rose to fame with sell-out UK tours and a chart-topping debut album. Their wild antics on Top of the Pops earned them a ban from the show, adding to their rebellious reputation. In 1980, they recorded the iconic “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” to celebrate West Ham United’s FA Cup final.

In the 1990s, the Rejects gained new fans as bands like Rancid and Green Day cited them as inspirations. Returning to the stage in 2000, they have since performed to massive audiences worldwide, known for their high-energy live shows.

In January 2024, the band evolved. Lead singer Jeff “Stinky” Turner now fronting a revitalized line up featuring Olga ( Toy Dolls) on guitar, JJ Kaos (Last Resort, Anti-Nowhere League) on bass, and Ray Dust (The Business, Argy Bargy) on drums. This “punk rock supergroup” is bringing the Cockney Rejects’ legacy to fans right across the globe.

East End Babylon - The Story Of The Cockney Rejects - The Movie

Formed in the turbulence of late Seventies East London as an answer to the dominant art school punk, Cockney Rejects cornered their patch with their brand of terrace singalong classics and a white hot live set. "East End Babylon" The movie, originally released in 2013 through Cadiz Music is the no-holds-barred and acclaimed documentary that tells their story through interviews, rare archive footage of the band and their East End roots plus dynamic live footage. As well as the film itself, the DVD release includes over 90 minutes of outstanding bonus extras including unseen music and interview footage.

Members

;Current members
* Jeff Geggus (Stinky Turner) – vocals (1978–present)
* Michael Algar (Olga) – guitar (2024-present)
* JJ Pearce – bass (2024-present)
* Ray Bussey – drums (2024-present)

;Former members
* Mick Geggus – guitar (1978–2024)
* Vince Riordan – bass (1979–1983, 1987–1991, 2015–2024)
* Chris Murrell – bass (1978–1979)
* Paul Harvey – drums (1978–1979)
* Andy Scott – drums (1979–1980)
* Nigel Woof – drums (1980)
* Keith Warrington – drums (1980–1985, 1987–1991)
* Ian Campbell – bass (1983–1985)
* Tony Van Frater – bass (1999–2015; died 2015)
* Andrew Laing – drums (1999–2000, 2007–2017; died 2023)
* Les Cobb – drums (2000–2007)
* Joe Perry Sansome – drums (2017–2024)

Timeline

Discography

Albums

* '' Greatest Hits Vol. 1'' (EMI, 1980)
* '' Greatest Hits Vol. II'' (EMI, 1980)
* '' The Power and the Glory'' (EMI, 1981)
* '' The Wild Ones'' (A.K.A. Records, 1982)
* '' Quiet Storm'' (Heavy Metal Records, 1984)
* '' Lethal'' (Neat Records, 1990)
* '' Out of the Gutter'' (Captain Oi Records, 2002)
*
Unforgiven
' (CD - G&R Records, 2007 / Vinyl LP - Cadiz Music, 2024)
*
East End Babylon
' (CD, LP - Cadiz Music, 2012)
*
Power Grab
' (CD, LP, Boxset - Cadiz Music, 2022)

EPs and singles

* "Flares & Slippers" b/w "I Wanna Be A Star" / "Police Car" (7-inch, EP) (Small Wonder, 1979)
* "I'm Not a Fool" b/w "East End" (7-inch single) (EMI, 1979) UK No. 65
* "Bad Man" b/w "New Song" (7-inch) (EMI, 1980) UK No. 65
* "The Greatest Cockney Rip Off" b/w "Hate Of The City" (7-inch. Limited Edition in Yellow Vinyl) (EMI/Zonophone, 1980) UK No. 21
* " I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" b/w "West Side Boys" (7-inch) (EMI/Zonophone, 1980) UK No. 35
* "We Can Do Anything" b/w "15 Nights" (7-inch) (EMI/Zonophone, 1980) UK No. 65
* "We Are the Firm" (7-inch) (EMI/Zonophone, 1980) UK No. 54
* "Easy Life" (7-inch, Live EP) (EMI/Zonophone, 1981)
* "On the Streets Again" (7-inch) (EMI/Zonophone, 1981)
* "Till the End of the Day" (7-inch) (AKA 1982)
* "Back to the Start" (7-inch) (Heavy Metal Records, 1984)
* "It's Gonna Kick Off!" (7-inch, EP) (Cadiz Music, 2016)
*
Goodbye Upton Park/Bubbles"
(7-inch) (Cadiz Music,2016)
*
Bubbles/The Rocker
(7-inch Picture Disc) (Cadiz Music, 2019)
*
Chapecoense/Boss Of Bosses
(7-Inch)(Cadiz Music, 2019)

Compilation and live albums

* ''Greatest Hits Vol. 3 (Live & Loud)'' (1981)
* ''Unheard Rejects'' (1985 - collection of demo tracks recorded between 1979 and 1981)
* ''We Are The Firm'' (1986)
* ''The Best Of The Cockney Rejects'' (1993)
* ''The Punk Singles Collection'' (Dojo, 1997)
* ''Oi! Oi! Oi!'' (Castle, 1997)
* ''Greatest Hits Volume 4: Here They Come Again'' (Rhythm Vicar, 2000 - reissued as ''Back on the Street'' - Victory Records, 2000)
* ''Join the Rejects, the Zonophone years '79-'81'' (EMI, )

Hammer - The Classic Rock Years
(4CD Box - Cadiz Music 2013)

Appearances

* '' Oi! The Album'' (1980)
* ''Total Noise'' (7-inch EP - 1983 - as ''Dead Generation'')
* ''Lords Of Oi!'' (Dressed to Kill, 1997)

''DVD''

East End To The West End
- Live At The Mean Fiddler 2007 - DVD & CD

East End Babylon
- The Story Of The Cockney Rejects - DVD

References

External links

Cockney Rejects Official website
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Cockney Rejects Instagram

Cockney Rejects Twitter

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Street punk groups
Musical groups established in 1979
Oi! groups
English punk rock groups
EMI Records artists
Punk rock groups from London
Association football fandom