Carter the Unstoppable Sex

Machine
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Carter the Unstoppable Sex

Machine

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (1989)

Background information
Also known as Carter USM
Origin London, England
Genres Alternative rock, indie rock,
 Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (1989)
Background information
Also known as Carter USM
Origin London, England
Genres Alternative rock, indie rock,
alternative dance, grebo,
punk rock
Years active 1987–1998
2007–2014
Labels Rough Trade
Chrysalis
Cooking Vinyl
Major League Productions
(MLP)
Associated Jamie Wednesday
acts Abdoujaparov
Jim's Super Stereoworld
Jim Bob
Resque
Keith TOTP
Website www.carterusm.co.uk

Members Jim Bob

Fruitbat

Past members Wez

Steve
Ben Lambert
Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (frequently shortened to Carter
USM) were an English indie rock band formed in 1988 by singer Jim
"Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter. They made their
name with a distinctive style of power pop, fusing samples, sequenced
basses and drum machines with rock 'n' roll guitars and off-beat
wordplay-loaded lyrics. They reached the height of their fame in 1992.
Over the following years the band took on new members, reaching a six-
piece, but struggled to regain their earlier popularity. They initially split
up in 1998 after releasing seven albums.

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External linksHistory[edit]
Starting out: 1987–1990[edit]
Based in Lambeth in South London, England, Carter and Morrison
originally played in an indie band called Jamie Wednesday, which
released two singles - "Vote For Love" and "We Three Kings of Orient
Aren't". Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine was formed on Thursday 6
August 1987[1], when Carter and Morrison were the only band members
to turn up for a charity gig at the London Astoria, and went on stage to
perform as a duo with backing tapes.[2] The debut single "A Sheltered
Life" was released later in 1988 on the Big Cat label, but it was not until
the second single "Sheriff Fatman" was released in 1989 that the band
began to receive recognition. The song was followed by the album 101
Damnations – a critical account of life south of the River Thames, full of
black humour, cynicism, wordplay and puns. The album reached number
29 on the UK Albums Chart.
The band's gigs became well known for a wall of white stage lights that
threw off enormous heat and contributed to the sweaty, stage-diving
crowd scenes that became part of the band's image. Such scenes are
depicted in the video In Bed With Carter, filmed at the Brixton Academy.
Rough Trade: 1991[edit]
In 1991 – having signed to Rough Trade Records – Carter USM
released the album 30 Something which, thanks to non-stop touring,
entered the UK Albums Chart at number eight. One of the singles
released from the album, "Bloodsport For All", an attack on racism and
bullying in the army, was released at the start of the Gulf War and
consequently banned by the BBC. Spurred on by infamy, Jim Bob and
Fruitbat toured Japan, Yugoslavia and the United States (with EMF) and
made a second-on-the-bill appearance at the Reading Festival, where
some people feel they upstaged the headline act, James. The band also
made its first Top Of The Pops appearance with the single "After the
Watershed (Early Learning The Hard Way)", a song about child abuse
that would become more famous for its subsequent legal battle with The
Rolling Stones' publisher over the use of the lyrics "Goodbye Ruby
Tuesday" in the chorus. The band also hit the headlines when Fruitbat
rugby tackled the children's TV presenter Phillip Schofield in front of
millions of television viewers at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party in
1991.
Chrysalis Records: 1992–1995[edit]
The demise of Rough Trade records necessitated a change of label, and
Carter made the switch to Chrysalis Records to work on their third
album. That album, 1992 - The Love Album, went straight to number one
in the UK charts, propelling the band to pop stardom. Also, in 1992, the
band headlined the Glastonbury Festival where Fruitbat, annoyed at the
shortening of their headline set due to other bands overrunning insulted
Michael Eavis and was subsequently banned from the festival forever.
The band was unhappy, however, and this came across in the anger
and cynicism of their next record, Post Historic Monsters.
In 1994, Carter's friend Wez, from former support band Resque, joined
the band on drums and the newly inspired trio played America, Japan
and Europe, including a major concert in Croatia which was recorded
and later released on video. The recording was also given away as a
free live album with Carter's fifth studio LP, Worry Bomb - a punk-pop
album with upbeat material such as "Let's Get Tattoos" and slow
acoustic songs such as "My Defeatist Attitude".
Cooking Vinyl: 1996–1998[edit]
In 1996 Carter left Chrysalis Records and joined Cooking Vinyl. With
Salv from the band S*M*A*S*H on bass, Wez's brother Steve on guitar,
and teenager Ben Lambert on keyboards, Carter became a six-piece
band.
After signing to Cooking Vinyl they released a mini-album, A World
Without Dave, and started their longest ever UK tour. The band then
went back to Canada and the U.S. They decided to split shortly after
their 10th anniversary, and their final studio album, I Blame The
Government, was released in January 1998. Two further albums, Live!
and BBC Sessions, were released in the same year, in June and
October respectively.
Post-USM projects: 1999 – present[edit]
Les Carter currently lives in Folkestone and plays with the band
Abdoujaparov and was announced on 27 November 2014 as the new
guitarist for Ferocious Dog. He plays bass with Keith TOTP. He is also a
former presenter on the Brentwood radio station Phoenix FM, having
presented a regular weekly show between 2001 and 2011. James
Morrison's projects included the band Jim's Super Stereoworld before
moving on to solo albums including Angelstrike! He has also written four
books: Goodnight, Jim Bob, detailing his experiences on the road with
Carter USM; and three novels - Storage Stories, Driving Jarvis Ham ,
The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81,and Frank Derrick's
Holiday Of A Lifetime. He also appeared in Gutted - A Revengers
Musical that debuted at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
EMI released Anytime Anyplace Anywhere, a "best of" record featuring
tracks from the band's birth until their switch to Cooking Vinyl. This
reportedly annoyed the band as they were not consulted or even made
aware of the release of the record. In 2004 two new Carter CDs were
released: a live album of BBC concerts from the early 1990s, and
Brixton Mortars, a compilation album of tracks from their final two studio
albums. In 2006, Carter released a new compilation of unreleased tracks
and rarities called The Good, The Bad, The Average And Unique.
Echoing the earlier Starry Eyed And Bollock Naked, the sleeve features
a Volkswagen Beetle - this time a bright green new model convertible.
Autumn 2007 saw the release of a band-authorised best of compilation
album spanning their entire career on EMI, under the title, You Fat
Bastard. The title came from a chant performed by the crowd at gigs. It
originated from MC (and lighting man) Jon "Fat" Beast's topless on-
stage band introductions. Jon "Fat" Beast died on 27 July 2014.[3]
Reunions[edit]
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In 2001 and 2002, Jim Bob and Fruitbat toured as Who's The Daddy
Now? The pair's two bands, Jim's Super Stereoworld and Abdoujaparov,
would play a set each, after which the pair combined to perform a
number of Carter USM songs. On 4 March 2007, almost ten years after
the band last performed, Carter USM's original two-man line-up played a
set of four songs as part of a gig to celebrate the life of Darren 'Wiz'
Brown, former frontman of the Mega City Four, who had died in
December 2006. The band had been booked to play acoustically but
surprised the audience by playing a traditional electric set at the last
moment.
Due to the success of this performance, Carter reunited for two 'farewell'
gigs later that year. The first show took place on 2 November 2007 at
London's Brixton Academy with support from Sultans of Ping. Another
concert was later arranged, which took place at Glasgow Barrowlands
on 20 October 2007. This was recorded for the "Back In Bed With
Carter" DVD that contained the whole concert, along with an interview
and rehearsal footage. Support at The Barrowlands came from The
Frank and Walters and Chris T-T. The reunion celebrated twenty years
since the band's foundation and ten years since their split. The gigs were
performed as the original two-piece of Fruitbat and Jim Bob.
To coincide with the reunion EMI released a two-CD anthology, You Fat
Bastard, compiled by Jim Bob and Fruitbat. The songs were digitally
remastered at Abbey Road studios. This was released in conjunction
with the majority of their back catalogue (albums and promo videos)
being made available digitally for the first time by EMI.
On 6 February 2008, Jim Bob and Fruitbat hinted at the possibility of
further Carter USM gigs when they sent an e-mail to members of the
band's mailing list. Two dates were then announced for Birmingham
Academy and Brixton Academy for 21 and 22 November 2008. Support
came from EMF at both gigs. Two further sell out gigs followed in
London in November 2009, titled "The Drum Machine Years". Further
concerts followed in November 2011, with the band playing Manchester
Academy on Friday 18 November and London O2 Academy Brixton on
Saturday 19 November.
In February 2012, more reunion concerts were announced, in Leeds O2
Academy on 9 November and London O2 Academy Brixton on Saturday
10 November. EMI also announced re-mastered versions of the albums
30 Something and 1992 – The Love Album to coincide with these
concerts. Carter announced in February 2014 that they would play
another one-off gig at the Brixton Academy on 22 November that year,
billed as the final ever Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine live show -
The Last Tango in Brixton. Due to popular demand a further date was
added at Shepherd's Bush Empire on 21 November.
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]

Chart
position
Yea s Certifications
Title (sales
r SW thresholds)
UK
[4][5]
E
[6]

101 Damnations
199
• Released: 1990 29 –
0
• Labels: Chrysalis
30 Something
199 • UK:
• Released: February 1991 8 –
1
• Labels: Chrysalis Gold[7]

1992 – The Love Album

199 • UK:
• Released: May 1992 1 35
2 Gold[7]
• Labels: Chrysalis
Post Historic Monsters
199 • Released: September
5 –
3 1993
• Labels: Chrysalis
Worry Bomb
199
• Released: February 1995 9 –
5
• Labels: Chrysalis
I Blame The Government
199 92
• Released: January 1998 [8] –
8
• Labels: Cooking Vinyl
Other albums[edit]

UK
Year Title [4]

Starry Eyed And Bollock Naked

1994 • Released: March 1994 22
• Label: Chrysalis Records
Straw Donkey... The Singles
1995 • Released: October 1995 37
• Label: Chrysalis Records
A World Without Dave
1997 • Released: March 1997 73
• Labels: Cooking Vinyl
Sessions
1998 • Released: October 1998 –
• Label: Cooking Vinyl
Live!
1999 • Released: February 1999 –
• Label: Cooking Vinyl
The Good, the Bad, the Average and Unique
2005 • Released: December 2005 –
• Label: Who's The Daddy Now?
You Fat Bastard
2007 • Released: October 2007 –
• Label: EMI
This Is the Sound of an Eclectic Guitar
2007 • Released: October 2007 –
• Label: Chrysalis Records
The Drum Machine Years
2009 • Released: 13 November 2009 –
• Label: Concert Live
The Final Comedown
• Released: December 2014 (Limited to 4000
2014 –
Copies)
• Label: Nyquest
Singles[edit]
 Chart
Positions
U.
Relea S.
se |Title Mo Album
U IR
der
date K L
[4] [9]
n
Ro
ck
[10]

19 O
ct "A Sheltered Life" – – – —
88
N
19
o "Sheriff Fatman" – – – 101 Damnations
89 v
J
u "R.u.b.b.i.s.h" – – – —
19 n
90
O "Anytime Anyplace 8
ct – –
Anywhere" 3
J 30 Something
4
a "Bloodsport For All" – –
n 8
J
19 "Sheriff 2
u – 29 101 Damnations
91 n Fatman" (Reissue) 3

"After the Watershed

O 1 2
ct (Early Learning the –
1 1
Hard Way)"
—
J
"R.u.b.b.i.s.h" (Reissu 1 1
a –
n e) 4 3

A "The Only Living Boy 1

pr 7 26
In New Cross" 8
19
92 J
"Do Re Me So Far 2 1992 - The Love
u – –
n So Good" 2 Album
N
"The Impossible 2
o – –
v Dream" 1
A
"Lean On Me I Won't 1
u – –
19 g Fall Over" 6 Post Historic
93 Monsters
O 4
ct "Lenny and Terence" – –
0
F
 u – – 1992 - The Love
n So Good" 2 Album
N
"The Impossible 2
o – –
v Dream" 1
A
"Lean On Me I Won't 1
u – –
19 g Fall Over" 6 Post Historic
93 Monsters
O 4
ct "Lenny and Terence" – –
0
F
2 Starry Eyed and
e "Glam Rock Cops" – –
b 4 Bollock Naked
19
94 N
3
o "Let's Get Tattoos" – –
v 0
Worry Bomb
J
"The Young 3
a – –
n Offender's Mum" 4
19
95 S
"Born On The 5th Of 3
e – – Straw Donkey
p November" 5

References[edit]
1 ^ "Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine Gigography, Tour History & Past
Concerts – Songkick".
2 ^ "Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine". www.carterusm.co.uk. Archived
from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
3 ^ Brown, Jonathan (28 July 2014). "Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
pay tribute to Jon 'Fat' Beast, dead at 51". The Independent. Retrieved 10
May 2015.
4 ^ Jump up to:
a b c "Chart Stats - Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine". chartstats.com.

Retrieved 14 September 2008.

5 ^ "Chart Stats - Carter USM". chartstats.com. Retrieved 14 September
2008.
6 ^ "swedishcharts.com - Discography Carter the Unstoppable Sex
Machine". © 2006-2010 Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
7 ^ Jump up to:
a b "British certificates: searchable database". bpi.co.uk. Archived from the

original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2011.

8 ^ "Chart Log UK:Cabana - Chazz". Official Zobbel Website. Retrieved 14
September 2008.
9 ^ "The Irish Charts". IRMA. Archived from the original on 26 January
2010. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
10 ^ "Artist Chart History - Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine". Billboard.
Retrieved 19 September 2008.
External links[edit]
 • Official Carter USM website - Maintained by Fruitbat
• Carter USM's AMG entry
• An essay on Carter from Freakytrigger
• An interview with Fruitbat about the 2008 shows from
Culturedeluxe
Auth • BNF: cb13943288g (data) GND: 10295646-7 ISNI: 0000 0001
ority 0945 3733 LCCN: no98028406 MusicBrainz:
contr 91e3c213-51d0-47f1-bafa-0951e31c20c4 NKC: xx0131246
ol VIAF: 151448632 WorldCat Identities (via VIAF): 151448632
<img src="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1"
alt="" title="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;" />
Categories: Carter the Unstoppable Sex MachineEnglish indie rock
groupsEnglish alternative rock groupsAlternative dance musical
groupsChrysalis Records artistsRough Trade Records
artistsMusical groups established in 1987Musical groups
disestablished in 1998

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