"The Fits formed in Blackpool in October 1979, with an initial line-up of Mick Crudge (vocals), Andy Baron (bass guitar), Kev Halliday (drums), and Bill Hughes (guitar). They played their first gig only four days after forming. After four gigs, Bill was replaced by Steve Withers. Their first release was a tape called 'You Named Us', which was really a rehearsal recording with an interview tagged on at the end. Their first single 'You Said We'd Never Make It' was recorded in June 1980, and was sold through the used record store of Barry Lights. When the initial run of 1,500 had sold out, Lights repressed it on his own label 'Beat The System', where it eventually reached number 2 on the 'Sounds' punk chart.
Increased exposure saw them supporting more established punk bands such as the UK Subs, then signing with the Rondelet label in November 1981. Rondelet issued their second single 'Think For Yourself' on New Year's Day 1982. In March 1982 they entered the studio to record the 'You're Nothing, You're Nowhere' LP. They were collectively disappointed with the record, enough for Kev and Andy to leave soon after. Tez McDonald of One Way System and Ricky McGuire of Chaotic Youth stepped in to replace them. The new line-up had immediate success with the 'Last Laugh' EP, which entered the 'UK Indie Chart' in December 1982, peaking at number 44.
McGuire left in February 1983, his eventual replacement being Gaz Ivin. The band then released the 'Tears Of A Nation' 7" through Corpus Christi. The success of that record as well led Crudge and Withers to relocate to London. McDonald remained in Fleetwood with his family, and did not travel to all of the band's gigs, so Ogs from 'Peter and the Test Tube Babies' would stand in. A split EP was then issued on Test Tube Babies' 'Trapper' label. Trapper released two more singles, 'Action' and 'Fact Or Fiction', both of which again sold well, but the growing violence at gigs of the time affected the group too much, and they split up in November 1985. In 1995 'Captain Oi!' records released a 27-track retrospective, simply called 'The Fits Punk Collection'."
