The Complete Singles Collection

When they formed in 1979, South London Oi!-sters The Business were led by singer Micky Fitz, with Steve Kent on guitar, Martin Smith on bass and drummer Nick Cunningham. They made their vinyl debut in October 1980 with the track Out In The Cold on the A Sudden Surge Of Sound compilation on VU, which also featured UK Subs. It took until seminal single Harry May, however, for The Business to really make their mark. It was issued by Secret (as were most of the band’s early records) in November 1981 but, by the time of its release, everyone but Fitz had decided to jump ship. Replacements were found in guitarist Steve Whale, bassist Mark Brennan and drummer Kev Boyce, who arrived as a job lot from fellow South London outfit The Blackout. Regarded by Fitz as “the real original Business, as the original members didn’t stay long enough”, a string of fine, pop-tinged punk’n’Oi! releases followed, including controversial singles Smash The Discos and Drinking, along with an eclectic range of covers. Though a nice set, collectors should note that this is a straight reissue of the 1995 Anagram release, with the artwork even carrying that date.