THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

489-Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine-Sheriff Fatman.

1989-It didn’t chart on it’s initial release, but when re-issued in 1991 it made Number 23.

Best Bit-At 3.19. I don’t wish to start a lawsuit, but this bit here sounds awfully like ‘The Waterboys’ song ‘The Whole of the Moon’ (see also best songs 755.)

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, or ‘Carter USM,’ as they were also known, were formed in 1987, in London, England, by the singer James Robert Morrison, who is known as Jim ‘Jim Bob’ Morrison, and the guitarist Leslie George Carter, who is known as Les ‘Fruitbat’ Carter, they were active until 1998, but have reformed to perform live on several occasions between 2007-2014. Prior to first playing together in the British ‘Indie Pop’ band ‘Jamie Wednesday’ between 1984-1987, the duo had plied their trade in other bands. When ‘Jamie Wednesday’ disbanded after little success, Morrison and Carter joined forces to record music in the genres of ‘Alternative Rock,’ ‘Indie Rock,’ ‘Alternative Dance,’ ‘Grebo,’ and ‘Punk Rock.’ In 1994 they added a drummer called ‘Wez,’ and the trio toured America, Japan, and Europe, and then in 1996, ‘Wez’s brother Steve joined the group on guitar, Ben Lambert was brought in as the keyboard player, and Salvatore Alessi from the English ‘Punk Rock’ group ‘S*M*A*S*H’ joined as the bass player.

The discography of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine includes six studio Albums released between 1990-1998, and 17 singles (including two re-issues) released between 1988-1995, there are also five official compilation Albums, four live Albums, and one extended play (EP) available. Five of their studio Albums have reached the UK top 40, with their third release ‘1992 – The Love Album,’ making the Number 1 spot in 1992. They have also had 12 of their singles reach the UK top 40, with ‘The Only Living Boy in New Cross,’ peaking the highest at Number 7 in 1992. In America on Billboard, two of their songs have reached the ‘Modern Rock Tracks,’ chart, now known as the ‘Alternative Airplay’ chart, with ‘Sheriff Fatman,’ making Number 29 in 1991, and ‘The Only Living Boy in New Cross,’ reaching Number 26 in 1992.

‘Sheriff Fatman’ was the only single release from ‘101 Damnations,’ which was the debut studio Album by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, from January 1990, the song was first issued in December 1989, but failed to chart, it was then featured on the influential 1990 ‘Madchester’ compilation Album ‘Happy Daze,’ released by ‘Island Records.’ Two other tracks on the compilation are also featured in this ‘1000 Best Songs’ list (see also best songs 844 and 724.) ‘Sheriff Fatman’ which finally found commercial success when re-issued in 1991, was co-written by both group members at that time, Leslie George Carter, and James Neil Morrison, with the duo co-producing the track, along with the English music producer Simon Painter. The Album ‘101 Damnations’ was recorded with a very low budget, said to be around £800. As they did not own a sampler, snippets of television shows, films, and news broadcasts, were added to the recordings via a pair of cassette decks. When Morrison asked Simon Painter how to achieve a megaphone sound for ‘Sheriff Fatman,’ he performed what he wanted by cupping his hands over his mouth, to which Painter remarked, ‘Do that.’

‘Sheriff Fatman’ is a song about a fictional ‘slum landlord,’ and the way he manipulates his tenants with threats, and violence. There are notorious figures from the past name checked in the song, including Nicolas Van Hoogstraten, who is referred to as ‘Nicholas Van what’s his face.’ Hoogstraten is a British businessman who became a convicted criminal over his property dealings. Another mentioned is Peter Rachman, (1919-1962) who was a Polish born landlord, who operated in ‘Notting Hill’ London in the 1950’s, and 1960’s, he became infamous for his exploitation, and intimidation of his tenants, in particular the Caribbean immigrant community in West London in the 1950’s.

Leslie George Carter, was born on December 12th, 1958, in London, England, prior to meeting James Morrison he had already played in several bands. The pair first met at ‘The Orchestra Pit,’ in Streatham, Greater London, in 1980, where Carter’s band ‘The Ballpoints,’ and Morrison’s band ‘Dead Clergy,’ used to rehearse. Since the split of ‘Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine,’ Carter has continued to perform live on his own and with others. James Morrison, was born in London, England, on November 22nd, 1960, since the split of ‘Carter USM,’ he has gone on to release 15 Albums between 2001-2023, and 10 singles between 1999-2020, he is also an author of two non-fiction, and five fiction books, written between 2006-2020.

‘There’s bats in the belfry, the windows are jammed. The toilet’s ain’t healthy, he don’t give a damn. Just chuckles and smiles, laughs like a madman, a born again Rachman, here comes Sheriff Fatman.’