The Exploited – The Exploited Record Company – 1980

Army Life

Fuck The Mods / Crashed Out

The Expoited’s debut single, following on from a post several months ago featuring the band’s second release ‘Exploited Barmy Army’ into that post’s text, I had written that I would not like to upload this debut record due to the vile track on the B-side.

That said I feel that the browsers on this site have (just about) enough intelligence nowadays to NOT take up the rallying cry on this dodgy track, 28 years after the initial release, unlike the Exploited fans from 1981 that were involved in the Michael Sobel Centre / Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park tear up after the gig when the Jam fans were wondering down towards the station. I am sure that the mods gave as good as they got on the night, but it’s not really the point. This track stinks in any language, but the other two tracks are pretty decent attempts at basic pogo fare.

Strangely there seems to be no history of the early line up of The Exploited featuring Hayboy and Mark on the guitars, all sites (including the official one) seem to start at the Big John and Gary line up that were featured on the second single released in 1980, and throughout 1981 for the recording of the ‘Dogs Of War’ single, the LP ‘Punks Not Dead’ and ‘Dead Cities’, the single that was featured on Top Of The Pops.

If anyone has the details of this early line up then feel free to confide the information via the comments.

UPDATE

Here’s an early picture of Beki Bondage of Vice Squad for the folks who have mentioned her in the comments attached to this post!

78 comments
  1. Steve
    Steve
    October 2, 2008 at 7:41 pm

    Linda Lusardi’s brother engineered the legendary ‘lost’ Subway Sect LP – fact!

  2. W
    W
    October 2, 2008 at 11:39 pm

    Funnily enough the night I saw Vice Squad at Cov Poly was one of those also spent avoiding lairy boneheads on the way back to the train station. It seemed to me that a good proportion of the audience seemed fixated on trying to grope Beki Bondage on stage. Very punk rock.

  3. Alex Taylor
    Alex Taylor
    October 3, 2008 at 4:51 am

    The older guys at school all loved The Exploited and I have an interest in all things Punk but was born too late to fully appreciate it.

    Did ”Big” John Duncan come from the village of Muirhead on the outskirts of Glasgow? There was always talk of this round my area but having left a long time ago, I’m not sure if it was all just talk.

    Ta.

  4. Nic
    Nic
    October 3, 2008 at 9:22 am

    I never had a rabbit Andus, unfortunately – can I have one now?

    W: being reminded of those kinds of events reminds me of why I don’t get my hair cut into a mohican for a weekend at ‘Rebellion’ / ‘Holidays in the Sun’…
    🙂

  5. andus
    andus
    October 3, 2008 at 9:57 am

    Of course you can Nik, I will buy loads of them for Christmas,but beware, don’t get eating them and living on a diet of pure rabbit, you will starve to death if you do.
    I never went to those Holidays in the sun events, terrible isn’t it these twice a year punks, its a shame the don’t sell strap on bald heads with mohicans on them like they used to sell hippy wigs.
    run rabbit run rabbit run run run
    don’t give the punk rocker his fun fun fun
    he’ll get buy without blinding your eye
    so run rabbit run rabbit run run run

  6. andus
    andus
    October 3, 2008 at 10:02 am

    Right I am gonna check this bailout out, Gold is at £200 an ounce. it will be 500- £600 an ounce in twelve months, so get ya money out the bank and start buying that gold now before the whole shithouse comes down.

  7. andus
    andus
    October 3, 2008 at 10:04 am

    I am ready for the collapse, I have my sas survival guide, and I know how to cook worms

  8. alistairliv
    alistairliv
    October 3, 2008 at 3:45 pm

    Just posted a pic of Beki here, taken from Alternative Sex, a fanzine written by Val, Nicky, Elaine, Mouse, Beck, Steph, Debbie and Mouse in 1983.

  9. Nic
    Nic
    October 3, 2008 at 8:09 pm

    Nice one, AL…

  10. Justin Sane
    Justin Sane
    October 4, 2008 at 9:59 pm

    I remember being chased / threatened etc. when I was growing up in the early 80’s. It was sometimes done by mods, sometimes by skins but lets not forget the casuals. Britain’s youth at that time was often divided into the most absurd youth culture groups. All the groups were shite – there were a lot of out-and-out cunts around. It’s easy to look back with rose tinted glasses, but there was a lot of violence, a lot of intimidation (got 10p mate?) & although I like this site, some of the comments are a bit nostalgic sometimes. Anyone remember the end of Minor Threat’s Salad Days? Funnily enough, I hated the Exploited then, but don’t mind them now. I can’t forget though when my friend, who drew / designed one of their sleeves, was ordered to make Thatcher & Regan more “mutant” and punk & had to re-do the sleeve.

  11. baron von zubb
    baron von zubb
    October 5, 2008 at 11:25 am

    There was alot of cunts around for sure but;
    Got 10 p mate?
    Ans? yes/no.
    Intimidation?
    Begging is the profession of the chosen.
    I still do it, for nostalgic reasons.

  12. Jay Vee
    Jay Vee
    October 5, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    Have to agree with baron von zubb there; a simple yes or no from the person being scrounged wouldn’t hurt, is not quite intimidation unless grabbed by the scruff of the neck in a narrow alley for example, and if persistently asking same person, then harrassment I would say, but I know what you mean; as an example of real intimidation / threat / harrassment from early eighties : in the gents loo at Digbeth Civic Hall Birmingham, Crass gig 1984, skinheads surrounded my mate and held a knife to his throat because he didn’t give them 50p when asked first time, so the old knife to the throat trick did the job.

  13. Justin Sane
    Justin Sane
    October 5, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    Yeah, similar things happened to me then too. I suppose things change too. I was a skinny little 14 / 15 year old in ’82 & I suppose an easy looking target. I still go to gigs & stuff, but nobody fucks with you when you’re older.
    What was it that Crass said back then? “what did you know? what did you care? anarchy’s become another word for, “got 10p to spare?” another way of saying, “i’m ok, sod you out there.” another token tantrum to cover up the fear. another institution, another cross to bear.”
    I’ve got no problem with begging baron von zubb; but the fashion of “Got 10p mate?” got really out of control back then (it was the title of a single by someone, wasn’t it?).
    It’s water under the bridge now, anyway.

  14. Jay Vee
    Jay Vee
    October 5, 2008 at 9:07 pm

    The single you mean is by The Ejected – Have you got 10p – I like the way they chant “Not me!” in it – wonder if Dick Lucas got the idea for a song from that…? 😉

  15. baron von zubb
    baron von zubb
    October 6, 2008 at 3:48 pm

    I always asked for 20p…
    Muggings a nasty business.
    Unforgivable really.Some of us did it, the blacks did it, the skins did it.
    Not good. Still goes on , for phones & ‘stuff like that’
    But as I said on a big thread them boneheads got their karma at Hanborough Tavern Southall.
    Last time someone treid to mug me was at Carnival in ’86 or something. I was then 24/25. Muggers never go for the strong target, its the young or the old. Or the solitary. He & his mates were 17? It seemed that me telling them to fuck off worked. It was the age thing. I noticed that at drum n bass events too. The posses would be on top of each other but me an oldie, early 30’s was no threat. Odd that.
    .

  16. Nic
    Nic
    October 6, 2008 at 7:37 pm

    The Ejected – Have You Got 10p?

    See you down the social getting your dole:
    You’re a real scrounger, you’re a real arsehole.
    See you in the city down the Marquee,
    Going up to people – now you’re coming up to me:

    “Have you got 10p?” “Have you got 10p?”
    “Have you got 10p?” “No, not me!”

    Blond spikey hair, bondage strides –
    You got no class, you ain’t got no pride.
    See you in the city standing with a mate,
    10p a person: it’s the going rate.

    🙂

  17. Nic
    Nic
    October 6, 2008 at 7:39 pm

    I liked the way that the group would feature their girlfriends / partners on their record cover: a demonstration of the harmonious power of love sadly lacking in many Punk bands…Oh, and their song which had the chorus “I’m gonna get a gun – you better fucking run”…

    Top notch…
    🙂

  18. Chris
    Chris
    October 6, 2008 at 9:20 pm

    QUOTE: I can’t forget though when my friend, who drew / designed one of their sleeves, was ordered to make Thatcher & Regan more “mutant” and punk & had to re-do the sleeve.

    What? Had he forgotten that it was mandatory on any punk record sleeve for both to be flanked by missiles and a mushroom cloud? and DON’T TELL ME he hadn’t given the post-apocalyptic zombies rising from the earth around their feet MOHICANS???!!!

  19. Graham Burnett
    Graham Burnett
    October 6, 2008 at 9:29 pm

    What about the photo of the row of skulls cut out from that circa 1980 CND leaflet that it was also mandatory to stick on any zine or record cover, or did he find an exemption clause loophole that was later closed under the 1982 review of the original Anarchopunk Record Sleeves Act?

  20. Graham Burnett
    Graham Burnett
    October 6, 2008 at 9:47 pm

    I also trust that this record had the requisite “Warning – HM Government Can Damage Your Health” notice attached (usually to be applied beneath said row of skulls or picture of ‘Maggie’ and ‘Ronnie’ with their missiles and mushroom cloud)

  21. Chris
    Chris
    October 6, 2008 at 11:59 pm

    “Warning – HM Government Can Damage Your Health”

    hahaha! I’d forgotten about that one! Classic! 🙂

  22. Billy McChord
    Billy McChord
    April 8, 2009 at 9:51 pm

    I remember the Wester Hailes Education gig well Chris.

    I also remember Bushell visiting the Blair Street rehearsal space, it’s scary how many seedy characters that you meet in the course of your life.

    Don’t think Jamzy, the Fakes bassist ever did play for Exploited he has reinvented himself as Mr Egg living in Milton Keynes and still making bizzare electronic dance stuff.

    Haven’t seen Watty in years I remember bumping into him in Princess St in the eighties. Don’t know how serious he was but he asked if I would be interested in managing a european tour he had coming up at the time. Big John was with them then and that swayed it for me-life’s hard enough without looking for trouble.

  23. chris
    chris
    April 9, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Great to hear from ya Billy!
    Yes, you’re right. Don’t think Jamzy did play for them. Think his next ‘serious’ band after The Fakes were New Youth who were pretty fucking brilliant actually. Sure i’ve still got their demo packed away somewhere. Think I may have bought my first drum kit off their drummer, Les, I think, Cornton Crescent, for £50!
    Didn’t know he was in Milton Keynes now. I saw his Mr Egg sets many times around Edinburgh clubs. Mental stuff.
    By-the-way, have you ever come across that book about the Scottish Punk scene? There’s a chapter on The Fakes!! It’s a UK published book (maybe on Cherry Red) but i’ve only ever come across it in Tokyo! Where, incidentally, i’ve seen a copy of ‘Production’ going for £80 !!

  24. Billy
    Billy
    April 9, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    Hi Chris

    I reckon Jamzy wrote the stuff for the Cherry Red book. haven’t seen it myself. It tickles me to think of Production going for £80 in Tokyo. If everything had gone to plan I would be in Japan this week however I have postponed my trip until next year. Might take a couple of copies of the single with me 🙂

    Billy

  25. chris
    chris
    April 10, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    Billy, if you’ve still got copies you could probably finance a trip over to Japan by flogging them on Ebay (though I know Penguin who runs this site is after a copy too!!)

    Incidentally, only last night I came across another site which has stuff about the fakes http://asfm.blogspot.com/2008/09/fakes-production.html
    and added a few posts. Couldn’t remember if it was yourself or that guy who worked in the Other Record Shop for a while who’d put the Ankle File together but unearthed my old copy at my old dear’s last week. I told her you’d popped up on this site and she sends her regards 🙂

  26. chris
    chris
    April 10, 2009 at 4:21 pm

    two other things that spring to mind, Billy. Do you by any chance have a copy of that Wester Hailes gig tape (with Belsen Horrors, Screaming Babies, Exploited) or was it Jamzy who had the only copy. Also, don’t suppose you have any copies of (or can even remember the name of) that wee Stirling punk zine thing (A5 size, printed on yellow paper, only a few issues I can recall) that had features on most of the bands around then. And if I remember right a bit on The Fakes when they were called THE CUNTS? unless I have totally imagined that 🙂

    In fact, didn’t you do a fanzine back then too? I seem to remember a funny photo of you at that 1977 Damned gig at Stirling Uni in some fanzine printed on Pink paper that Jamzy lent me.

    How’s Johnny by the way? Last time I saw him was when I was on a bus decades ago and he was looking very Marlon Brando in The Wild Ones.

  27. kev
    kev
    June 22, 2009 at 8:38 pm

    “But as I said on a big thread them boneheads got their karma at Hanborough Tavern Southall”.

    You really haven’t got a clue you prick

  28. Nick Hydra
    Nick Hydra
    July 4, 2009 at 11:25 am

    I never really had a problem with the Oi!/Streetpunk bands apart from the fact that they were rubbish.

    I know a lot of the Anarcho stuff was a bit ropey once you moved beyond the ‘1st division’, but I didn’t like that stuff either. To be fair there were 8-10 really good bands on the anarcho scene and then loads of really bad ones (as the Overground Anarcho-Punk compliations demonstrate. “We got a track on Bullshit Detector, but never managed to geta single out”. Yeah – coz you were shit).

    Essentially The Exploited were a lot better than most of the Oi! bands, but they were still rubbish. Just fucking thick really. “Oh that’ll do – it doesn’t make any sense but it rhymes.”

    I went as far as Sham / Upstarts and I quite liked ‘Bad Man’ by the Rejects, but that was it really.

    It’s got nothing to do with middle class / working class. The working class didn’t ruin punk – idiots ruined punk.

    The fact that Gary Bushell is is a cock is nothing to do with him being working class, it’s to do with him being an egotistical wanker. There were loads of really sharp working class people involved in the punk scene (Rotten etc), and lots of really stupid middle class people as well.

    The best thing about Punk to me is it’s liberating, transforming nature. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what matters is who you are. And if you choose to re-invent yourself as a fucking idiot, then you’re a fucking idiot. If you choose to re-invent yourself as a polysexual polymath, then that’s what you are.

    It was always about thinking “I’m not going to be the person everyone expects me to be. I’m going to be who I want to be.”

    Rant rant rant.

  29. Chris
    Chris
    July 4, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    And a very commendable rant in my view 🙂

  30. kev
    kev
    July 4, 2009 at 11:54 pm

    (Nic Says:

    September 30th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
    Definitely Chris: the Two Tone lads were always up for a knock – Black and White kids united with a common goal…to batter anyone who wasn’t in their gang…

    It’s interesing that the first couple of waves of Punk were characterised by nice boys and girls who had been to art school (with a smattering of rough ‘n’ tumble types to give an air of decadent slumming)…
    and then the horrible ‘Working Class’ turned up with their Abrasive Wheels, their Exploiteds and their Vice Squads…
    Face it: the ‘Working Class’ ruined Punk!)

    The first wave of punk bands were mostly made up of art school pricks, I don’t have to name them for you surely, the working class punk bands were overlooked until the Skinheads took them onboard (Menace, Skrewdriver & Cocksparrer) Now Sparrer are the best thing since sliced bread but remember they got where they are now because they appeared on not just one, but a lot of Oi! compilation’s. We are the working class.

  31. Nic
    Nic
    July 5, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    Nick / kev: I was taking the piss with my comment…

    It was meant to be a ‘humourous’ comment on those people who say that Punk became irrelevant when more people started to be interested in it and who dismissed all the ‘Street Punk’ bands completely (an attitude which always seemed to have an underlying tone of “All those horrible working class oiks have come and ruined our club – some of them even live outside London”)…

    Sorry if it came across otherwise…

  32. andus
    andus
    July 5, 2009 at 4:03 pm

    Nic, your’e very lucky man, I’ve just been up Kings Heath today, You almost had a visit off me but I couldn’t remember your house number.

    As for your comment about the working class ruining punk, I took it as a joke as well. But what did ruin punk, nothing in my opinion, it just slowly faded away like a lot of other fashions and cults do, Its no ones fault. The Anarcho scene, that was a little different, I would argue that is was moralism and bigotry that wrecked that.

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