Girish Mahajan (Editor)

The 4 Skins

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Also known as
  
Gary Hodges' 4-Skins

Website
  
www.the4-skins.co.uk

Origin
  
East End of London (1979)

Genres
  
Oi!

Genre
  
Oi!

The 4-Skins httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommons77

Years active
  
1979 – 1984 2007 – present

Labels
  
Clockwork Fun Secret Records Syndicate Records G&R London Randale Records Clockwork Firm

Past members
  
Hoxton Tom McCourt Roi Pearce Paul Swain Ian Bramson Gary Hitchcock Steve 'Rockabilly' Pear John Jacobs Tony 'Panther' Cummins Pete Abbot Steve 'H' Hamer Mick Geggus Andy Russell

Members
  
Hoxton Tom McCourt, Gary Hodges, Steve Harmer

Albums
  
The Good - The Bad & The 4‑Ski, A Fistful Of4‑Skins, From Chaos to 1984, The Best of the 4‑Skins, Singles & Rarities

The 4-Skins are an English working class Oi! 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.

Contents

The 4 skins the good the bad the 4 skins 1982 full album


Career

The 4-Skins Punky Gibbon The 4 Skins

Initially the band members had known each other from football, or from following bands such as Sham 69 and Menace. Most of the original four band members were or had been skinheads, 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.

The 4-Skins The 4Skins Wikipedia

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.

The 4-Skins The 4 Skins The Good The Bad amp The 4 Skins at Discogs

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 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.

1979–1980

  • Hoxton Tom McCourt (guitar)
  • Gary Hodges (vocals)
  • Steve 'H' Harmer (bass)
  • Gary Hitchcock (drums).
  • 1980–1981

  • Hoxton Tom McCourt (bass)
  • Gary Hodges (vocals)
  • Steve 'Rockabilly' Pear (guitar)
  • John Jacobs (drums)
  • 1981–1983

  • Hoxton Tom McCourt (bass)
  • Tony 'Panther' Cummins (vocals)
  • John Jacobs (guitar/keyboards)
  • Pete Abbot (drums)
  • 1983–1984

  • Hoxton Tom McCourt (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)
  • Bakes (bass)
  • Big Tom (guitar)
  • Sedge (drums)
  • Albums

    The 4-Skins The 4 Skins SingalongA4Skins

  • The Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins (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

    The 4-Skins The 4Skins Betrayed YouTube

  • 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 (EMI, 1980)
  • "1984", "Sorry"  – Strength Thru Oi! (Decca Records, 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)
  • Songs

    One Law for ThemThe Good - The Bad & The 4-Skins · 1982
    Plastic GangsterThe Good - The Bad & The 4-Skins · 1982
    Yesterday's HeroesThe Good - The Bad & The 4-Skins · 1982

    References

    The 4-Skins Wikipedia