[2] 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.

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".

[2] 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.

[2] 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.

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.

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.

EMI released Anytime Anyplace Anywhere, a "best of" record featuring tracks from the band's birth until their switch to Cooking Vinyl.

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.

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.

To coincide with the reunion EMI released a two-CD anthology, You Fat Bastard, compiled by Jim Bob and Fruitbat.

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 email to members of the band's mailing list.