Cock Sparrer were formed in 1974; the four initial members - Colin McFaull, Mick Beaufoy, Steve "Burge" Burgess and Steve Bruce - had known each other since the age of eleven. Playing in clubs in and around London, they developed the style that was later to be known as Oi! punk: musically influenced by early punk rock bands like The Clash but also by pub rock and raw Sixties beat as delivered by bands like the Small Faces, and combined with lyrics dealing with the daily life of the working class. In 1976, the band met with Malcolm McLaren who allegedly toyed with the idea of signing the band alongside to his newest discovery, the Sex Pistols; however, this never happened, according to the band because he refused to buy them a round of beers in the pub they were playing at.

In 1977, Garrie Lammin (Burge's cousin) joined in as second guitarist, and the band secured a record deal with Decca who were thus hoping to cash in on the now blooming punk movement. The first Sparrer single was "Runnin' Riot", published in May 1977. It did not sell well, nor did the following singles, and Decca dropped the band in 1978. They already had recorded an album's worth of material which remained unreleased. Cock Sparrer disbanded, but they were not forgotten. In 1980 and 1981, old Sparrer songs found their way onto several Oi! compilations, and interest in the band began to rise again.

They finally re-formed in 1982 and signed first to Carrie Records (who issued the anthemic England Belongs to Me single), later to Razor Records. Their debut album "Shock Troops" was finally released in fall 1983 and contained such classics as I Got Your Number and Riot Squad. The year 1984 saw Beaufoy leaving the band and being replaced by Shug O'Neill and, later on, Chris Skapis. Another album, the live effort "Runnin' Riot in 1984", was released in October 1984, then things went quiet again. The band was heard of again in 1992, playing several reunion gigs and releasing a new album, "Guilty as Charged". Since then, Cock Sparrer have been touring every now and then but seem to have withdrawn from the regular record market.

Although they never enjoyed any commercial success, Cock Sparrer were one of the best-loved Oi! bands of the early 80s and paved the way for more successful outfits like Sham 69 (who were musically very closely related to the boys from the East End but gained way more popularity).

Original members

* Colin McFaull - vocals
* Mick Beaufoy - lead guitar
* Steve Burgess - bass guitar
* Steve Bruce - drums

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