SLEEVE NOTES    Nederlandstalige versie               

IF THE BARKEEPERS ARE UNITED,
THE SCUMS WILL NEVER BE DIVIDED

Side 1

Musical part recorded on 30/12/89
Lead-vocals recorded on 15/03/90, except "Born to run" on 22/06/91
Backing-vocals recorded on 24/03/90
Mixed on 24/03/90, except "Born to run" on 22/06/91

Side 2

Recorded live on 06/10/90 during a gig in Waarschoot
Backing-vocals rerecorded on 09/12/90
Mixed on 09/12/90

Recorded and mixed by Studio M - Tielt
Released in February '92
Produced by The Dirty Scums
Engineered by Filip Vanlancker
Cover-concept inspired by Sham 69
Booklet-concept by Pik
Art-work by Trien
All explanatory notes by Pik
Thanx to Karel for help in the "studio"
Thanx to Lea for backing-vocals on side 1
Thanx to M.-Christine for checking our English

Our usual line-up:
Dirty Pik - vocals/guitar
Dirty Zjantie - drums/backing vocals
Dirty Jenz - bass/backing vocals

The songs you hear on side 1 of this tape are all written in the same period as the songs of our third album THE BOOZE AND THE CHICKS. For a while we considered to take THE TOOTS WITH THE BITCH as a title this time, as a continuation on the album, but on second thought the flag wouldn't have completely covered the charge. Of all songs we made in that period that were not selected for the album, we wanted to keep these ones for our posterity. The first reason why, is that after all we think they aren't that bad, second reason is, we don't want to refuse you the right to some new musical ànd cultural food. Yes, despite the fact that you sometimes forget to buy a record of us, we don't have the heart to forget you. Maybe this annoys you, but we understand that you are still young. In two subjects, you can clearly notice that it already concerns songs that are a bit of age: Gol is no minister nor vice-premier anymore, just as mister Pik Botha. Thank God.

The musical part of the songs was recorded on the 30th of December '89 in - as it suits a band of our kind - a pub in Tielt. To make things not too difficult, the songs were recorded on two tracks of a four-track-recorder. We didn't want any audience, but that doesn't take away the fact that the sale of drinks was extremely high that day. The lead-vocals were recorded on the 15th of March '90 on a third track, this time to our regret not in a pub but simply at the engineer's home. The backing-vocals on their turn were recorded on the 24th of March on the remnant fourth track, again simply at home, after which we mixed the whole bunch from four tracks to two tracks, which required but exceptional few work. Of one song, BORN TO RUN, we weren't totally satisfied of the vocals, and this song was resung and remixed on the 22th of June '91. The lyrix written by PIK are accompanied by some things worth knowing, JENZ preferred not to do this as for his lyrix. Our excuses for the maybe amphibious result caused by this.

SIDE 2

This second side was recorded on the 6th of October '90 through the P.A. on a four-track recorder, during a gig in Waarschoot (Belgium). In fact it was the intention that these songs were recorded much earlier, but due to a lack of gigs this couldn't happen before. Shame on you, organizers ! With this we like to thank the organizers of the gig in Waarschoot, who call themselves very suitably THE UGLIES. We couldn't have invented it better. As something went wrong with the live-recording of the backing-vocals, these were rerecorded on Sunday the 9th of December '90, naturally not live anymore this time, and on the same day everything was mixed.

As right-minded punx we never made a secret of our adoration for the streetband SHAM 69, and the persons who have seen us regularly live, will confirm this unconditionally. A short piece of history.

In '86 when we formed the occasional coverband DIRTY NUMBERS with two members of fellow-citizens the late NO NUMBERS (JENZ and PIK of THE DIRTY SCUMS and the singer and drummer of NO NUMBERS) and NO NUMBERS' singer also seemed to be a big fan of SHAM 69, it may not be a big surprise to you that the lion's share of the repertory of DIRTY NUMBERS consisted out of SHAM 69-covers (THE DIRTY SCUMS already played BORSTAL BREAKOUT for a long time then), next to covers of MUD, SEX PISTOLS, ... When NO NUMBERS split (altogether THE DIRTY SCUMS played sixteen times together with NO NUMBERS between November '83 and December '86) and DIRTY NUMBERS indirectly also separated after four gigs (and proved unintentionally to be indeed an occasional band), we couldn't find it in our hearts not to play these songs of SHAM 69 anymore. That's why THE DIRTY SCUMS kept on rehearsing them regularly and we even added some more to the list.

For some of you this will maybe be the first acquaintance with SHAM 69 - which is plain scandalous - but in the meanwhile THE DIRTY SCUMS have done a good deed once more (yes, again !). For the next historical story (under the motto of our former professor of history: by studying the past, you learn to better understand the present) some research had to be done, we hope there aren't any inaccuracies in it (corrections and completions are always wellcome). The 69 out of their name has remarkably enough nothing to do with the amusing soixante-neuf sex-pose, but refers to an event that happened in '69 in their home-port HERSHAM. This was mentioned in between the grafitti on a toilet-door of a local pub, but because the grafitti or the door had partly decayed, only SHAM 69 was left. SHAM 69, briefly SHAM pour les intimes, was formed in '75, played for the first time as a punkband in June '76, but became only really a bit successful from January '77 onwards with the arrival of guitarplayer Dave Parsons. Only three of the twelve covers that are played here didn't appear on single, namely "It's never too late" (to appear on single maybe), "That's life" and "Rip off". Seven songs come from TELL US THE TRUTH (Polydor), the first album of SHAM, released in March '78, which is recorded partly live, partly in studio (just like this tape !). "If the kids are united" is only released on single (together with the album HERSHAM BOYS also a maxi-single appeared with an extensive version of this song, as well as of "Borstal Breakout"). At the same time it inspired us to find a title for this tape ! "Sunday morning nightmare", "That's life", and "Hurry up Harry" come from THAT'S LIFE (Polydor), released in December '78, their second album, which is at the same time a conceptalbum (about a day in someone's life from when he wakes up till he goes to sleep). "Questions and answers" comes from their third, HERSHAM BOYS (Polydor), out in September '79. After that they made a fourth studio-album, THE GAME (Polydor), in July '80. In January '81 came out a good compilation, namely THE FIRST THE BEST AND THE LAST (Polydor). And for good times' sake, we like to remind you that the first edition of our late fanzine THE TRUTH IS REVOLUTIONARY (edited in August '84) contained an extensive article on SHAM 69 that was translated out of a copy of SOUNDS of '79.

What happened further with SHAM 69 ? In '80 the band splits, but in fact simply continues under the name THE WANDERERS, with a new singer instead of Jimmy Pursey, namely Stiv Bators of DEAD BOYS. DEAD BOYS is one of the first American punkbands, descends from the American state Ohio but operates from New York (while SHAM 69 is a British band), and they have three albums: in '77 YOUNG LOUD AND SNOTTY (Sire Records), in '78 WE HAVE COME FOR YOUR CHILDREN (Sire Records), and in '81 NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD BOYS (Bomp Records, later also on Lolita and Line Records). In between Stiv Bators made a solo-album in '80: DISCONNECTED (Bomp Records, Line Records). In May '81 THE WANDERERS release their only album: ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (Polydor). After that, in the autumn of that year, a part of the band becomes LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH. This band is formed in London as a kind of a super-band and is made of half of THE WANDERERS, namely singer Bators and bass-player Dave Treganna (as the only remaining member of SHAM 69), plus guitar-player Brian James (DAMNED) and drummer Nicky Turner (BARRACUDAS). Brian James originally played in LONDON SS, formed in March '75, in which also played Mick Jones (CLASH), Paul Simonon (CLASH) and Tony James (GENERATION X). DAMNED itself was formed in May '76 and gave their first gig on 6th of July '76 as support act for the SEX PISTOLS (who gave their first gig on 6th of November '75) in Londen's 100 Club. Their first single NEW ROSE from November '76 is generally seen as the first ever punk release. They are also the first punkband with an album, namely DAMNED, DAMNED, DAMNED (Stiff Records), released on 8th of April '77. And as this isn't yet enough, they are also the first UK punk group to play the US, namely at CBGB's in New York. After DAMNED split a first time on 28th of February '78, James was also the former of TANZ DER YOUTH, who didn't exist very long (with amongst others drummer Alan Powell, ex-member of HAWKWIND (you know, from which Lemmy of Mötörhead was a member from August '71 till May '75)). After that he still formed BRIAN JAMES' BRAINS. When DAMNED was reformed again on 5th of September '78 (till 7th of January '79 under the name DOOMED), Brian James was the only original member who didn't join the band anymore, he was replaced by Alasdair Ward of the SAINTS, who formed his own band TANK in the beginning of '80 (who in '82 will be on tour together with Mötörhead through Europe) and was replaced on his turn in February '80 by Paul Gray of EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS, who also quitted DAMNED in March '83. Small detail: on the reunion-gig of DAMNED on 5th of September '78, LEMMY plays the bass. Small coincidence: in November '77 DAMNED make a British tour with US band DEAD BOYS. Now where was I, with LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH I think ? In '82 this band releases the album LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH (Illegal Records), in September '83 IS NOTHING SACRED ? (IRS Records), in '84 THE METHOD TO OUR MADNESS (A&M Records), and in '85 there's the compilation-album KILLER LORDS (IRS Records). Meanwhile, in '84, Bators brings out a solo-album again: THE CHURCH AND THE NEW CREATURES (Lolita Records). In '88 there's SCENE OF THE CRIME (Perfect Beat), a double live-album of a concert on 19th of January '85 in Zürich. In '89 LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH definitely splits (in '85 they had already split for a short time), but meanwhile DEAD BOYS is reformed. In '88 appeared the double live LIVER THAN YOU'LL EVER BE (Perfect Beat), recorded in New York on 26th of December '87, and in August '89 appears a new studio-album: YOUNGER LOUDER AND SNOTTIER (Necrophilia Records). In '90 however, during new recordings in Paris, Stiv Bators walks under an unhealthy car and dies. Amen. Furthermore LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH still left us the live album LIVE AT THE SPIT (Illegal Records).

In the meantime Pursey isn't quiet either: in fact before the release of HERSHAM BOYS, under the name THE SHAM PISTOLS he had already something to do with Jones and Cook from the SEX PISTOLS (who formed THE PROFESSIONALS after this, who release in '81 I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING (Virgin Records), and from who appears in September '90 on Limited Edition Records their so-called previous unreleased second album, but from which four songs however stood also on their first), but now he releases four solo-albums: in October '80 IMAGINATION CAMOUFLAGE (Polydor), in April '82 ALIEN ORPHAN (Epic Records), in '83 REVENGE ... IS NOT THE PASSWORD (Turbo Records/Epic Records), and in '84 THE LAND DIVIDES (Eskimo Green). End '86 SHAM 69 is reformed, ànd in June '88 they make a new album: VOLUNTEER (Legacy Records/Indisc Records). In fact in the new SHAM 69 is left only the ancient heart of the band, Pursey and Parsons, the others are new members.

The business falls upon SHAM 69 as well, and sad to say this manifests itself too much in the release of inferior (for what concerns the recording quality) and each time the same material. The first in the new series compilation albums appears in '86 on Receiver records: THE BEST OF (ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES). In the known punkalbum-series LIVE AND LOUD !! (Link Records) an album comes out in December '87 and in April '88, with on each old live-stuff, from which the sound sometimes is a torture to the ear. Also in '88, in July, another album comes out under the name THAT'S LIVE (Skunx Records). In May '89 another almost unlistenable live-album comes out, it's even a double-album: THE BEST OF AND THE REST OF SHAM 69 LIVE (Receiver Records), from which the second album contains an interview. And again in '89, in March, their first four original studio-albums are brought out on Receiver Records, as two times a double-album. In September '89 there's still THE COMPLETE SHAM 69 LIVE (Castle Classics). And it's not finished yet: still in '89 SHAM'S LAST STAND (Link Records) appears, which should contain their very last gig. It's recorded at the Rainbow in London, but no date is mentioned. At any rate the sound here is decent. In '90 appears a record of SHAM in the series LIVE AT THE ROXY CLUB (Receiver Records), in February '91 we have the interesting RARE AND UNRELEASED (Limited Edition Records), and further on in '91 an album with four songs in the series THE EARLY YEARS LIVE.

So if you're now still maintaining you have never heard of SHAM 69, well, ..., we can't do anything for you anymore, except to pay you a visit and to beat it into you personally as our father always used to say.