This, the debut 4-Skins' album, didn't hit the streets until June 1982, some two or three years after their formation. Like their Secret Record Label mates The Business, the debut album was to feature the band's second line-up, as all the earlier Hodges material was discarded. A start to this trend, was the second single "Yesterday's Heroes" (this single version is in fact a different version to the track on this album) which was to chart highly in the indie listings and it was as if the line-up had never changed.

Mini-tours were arranged to support the release of the single and the album, which went relatively quiet compared to rumours being circulated by the scare-mongers who were predicting a sort of Southall riot comes to your town'.

When released the album went straight to the top of the indie and Punk charts, as well as crashing into the UK top 100, making it the sixth consecutive Secret Records album to hit the top 100 ... not bad for an indie! Presswise, the album was to receive mixed reactions, as their past, politics and image became more relevant to the music reviewers than the music itself. For those of you actually interested in the music, the album features some classic tracks, none less than the Ska-ish "Plastic Gangsters" (apparently a searing attack on Punk Scribe Gary Bushell and his antics, brought on by his overnight cooling of interest in the band after Southall) which features vocals by the bands manager Gary Hitchcock, who like bassist Hoxton Tom, really were The 4-Skins, and it was them that had kept the whole show together through the rough years and the damaging line-up changes. Other tracks of note on the studio side are "Jealousy", "Jack The Lad" and "Manifesto". The second side captured an early live recording of the then new line-up, and caught the band on true form, especially Panther who wisecracked his way through a powerful set.

Future recordings from this line-up included a cover of the old Slade hit "Merry Christmas Everybody" which was featured on the "Bollocks To Christmas" EP which they shared with The Business, The Gonads and Max Splodge. The single "Lowlife/Bread Or Blood" was this line-up's last recording, and was recorded some three months before they broke up, as John Jacobs and Pete Abbott left for pastures new.

Gary Fielding, "THE LINK"

Panther - Vocals
Tom McCourt - Bass
John Jacobs - Guitars/Drums
Pete Abbott - Drums

Produced by Gary Hitchcock and Tom McCourt. Recorded at Matrix Studios, London.

In mid 1984, the 3rd line up of the 4-Skins finally decided to call it a day. The knockers, resenters and full time backstabbers had taken their toll and the band decided to quit on their own terms with their pride intact. To record this moment and how they felt they amassed some close friends and played their last gig in a studio in Waterloo. This album is the result of that recording and captures them pounding their way out of the music business that took everything and gave them nothing but grief. It also gave Roi a chance to sing the 4-Skins classics on vinyl and acts as a testament to this line up's live show. The only complaint about the album was that quite a few fans moaned there were no Last Resort standards but as Roi said at the time "This is the 4-Skins not The Last Resort ... enough said."

This album, like their other Syndicate release "A Fistful of 4-Skins", suffered from mysteriously low indie chart placings even with high sales but that's another story!

When this album was released a lot of people, or should I say critics of the band, sighed with relief as the band they hated and were for some reason scared shitless of, were dead and gone. Well gone maybe but never dead in spirit and never forgotten as a recent "Best of" proved with high sales. This band, whatever line up, are no longer with us as performing artists but their spirit, guts, humour, wit and attitude will never die and the longer the mugs moan about it the longer they live on!!!

Gary Fielding

Roi Pearce - Vocals
Paul Swain - Guitars
Hoxton Tom - Bass
Ian Davis - Drums