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This article is about the English punk rock band. For their debut album, see The Clash (album). For other uses, see Clash.
| The Clash | |
|---|---|
 The Clash live in Oslo, 1980. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Ladbroke Grove, London, England |
| Genre(s) | Punk rock Rock |
| Years active | 1976–1986 |
| Label(s) | CBS |
| Associated acts | The 101ers, London SS, Big Audio Dynamite, Havana 3am, The Latino Rockabilly War, The Pogues, The Mescaleros, Carbon/Silicon, The Good, the Bad and the Queen |
| Website | www.theclashonline.com |
| Former members | |
| Joe Strummer Mick Jones Paul Simonon Topper Headon Keith Levene Terry Chimes Rob Harper Pete Howard Nick Sheppard Vince White | |
The Clash were an English punk rock band, active from 1976 to 1986, part of the original wave of UK punk rock in the late 1970s.Gilbert, Pat [2004] (2005). Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash, 4th edition, London: Aurum Press. ISBN 1845131134. OCLC 61177239. Topping, Keith [2003] (2004). The Complete Clash, 2nd ed., Richmond: Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 1903111706. OCLC 63129186. Gray, Marcus [1995] (2005). The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town, 5th rev. ed., London: Helter Skelter. ISBN 1905139101. OCLC 60668626. Letts Don; Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon, Terry Chimes, Rick Elgood, The Clash. (2001). The Clash, Westway to the World [Documentary]. New York, NY: Sony Music Entertainment; Dorismo; Uptown Films. Retrieved on 2007-11-26. Event occurs at 10:00–11:40; 17:30; 20:00–21:00; 28:00–30:00; 32:30–34:00; 37:00–39:00; 41:00–49:00; 49:30–67:00; 67:30–end. ISBN 0738900826. OCLC 49798077. Although a punk rock band, the band experimented with reggae, funk, rap, dub, rock and roll and rockabilly in their music.The Clash: Biography. Artists. RollingStone. Retrieved on 2007-11-17. “Their music was roots-based but future-visionary; their experiments with funk, reggae, and rap never took them far from a three-minute pop song.”The Clash (JHTML). MTV. Retrieved on 2007-11-17. “a) From the outset, the band was more musically adventurous, expanding its hard rock & roll with reggae, dub, and rockabilly among other roots musics.
b) Where the Pistols were nihilistic, the Clash were fiery and idealistic, charged with righteousness and a leftist political ideology.” The band were formed by Joe Strummer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Paul Simonon (bass guitar, backing vocals). During this time they had a revolving drumming position, including Terry Chimes who featured on the band\'s eponymous first album The Clash despite the fact that by this point of time he had already chosen to leave the band. Needing a stable drummer, they were finally joined in 1977 by Jones\' friend Nicky "Topper" Headon (drums, percussion). (March 16, 1991) "The Uncut Crap - Over 56 Things You Never Knew About The Clash". NME 3. London: IPC Magazines. ISSN 0028-6362. OCLC 4213418. Retrieved on 2007-12-11. “a, b) There were 204 drummers auditioned before The Clash settled for Nicky \'Topper\' Headon.
c) The Clash are crap businessmen. They signed a record contract that didn\'t have a clause for tour support. As a result, they lost tons of money when punk rockers trashed concert halls during their first shows. Also, they insisted that "Sandinista\' and "London Calling" were issued at budget price, meaning they didn\'t make any money out of them.”
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The Clash were a major success in the UK from the release of their first album in 1977 named \'The Clash\', and became popular in the US in 1980. Their third album, the late 1979 release London Calling is an influential album in the history of rock and alternative music; it was released in the US in January 1980, and a decade later Rolling Stone magazine declared it the best album of the 1980s.Clash star Strummer dies (STM). Entertainment. BBC News World Edition (2002-12-27). Retrieved on 2007-11-20. “a) Rolling Stone voted London Calling, their classic 1980 album (released in 1979 in the UK) as the best album of the Eighties.
b) The Clash had huge record sales, but had signed a deal with their record company that denied them huge profits. They wore this as a badge of pride, claiming it ensured they still kept to their punk ideals.” Rolling Stone also placed it at #8, The Clash at #77, and Sandinista! at #404 on their 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Special Collectors Issue. Rolling Stone (2003-11-18). Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
The Clash\'s attitude and style, as much as their music, influenced many other bands from the 1980s. Epic Records A&R director dubbed them "The Only British Band That Matters," which fans later adapted into the well known title "The Only Band That Matters".Epic Records\' Director of A&R, Bruce Harris, came up with the phrase. He is credited with convincing the company to release The Clash in the USA. His wife, Marion (Bernstein) Harris, was the product manager. She is credited with convincing Joe Strummer to include lyrics in the sleeve. They are one of the most prominent and prolific punk rock bands and their influence is far reaching.Strummer\'s lasting culture Clash (STM). Entertainment. BBC News World Edition (2002-12-23). Retrieved on 2007-11-20. “a) The band went on to be firm fixtures on the music scene in the late 70s and early 80s, having 13 UK top 40 hits and, with the Pistols, the Jam and the Specials, producing the soundtrack of an era.
b) Throughout their careers, The Clash were active in social causes, headlining Rock Against Racism concerts, while Strummer and bandmate Mick Jones were arrested for a string of offences from vandalism to stealing pillowcases.” In January 2003 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.The Clash. Induction. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (2003-03-10). Retrieved on 2007-11-19. “a) Quite simply, the Clash were among the most explosive and exciting bands in rock and roll history.
b) The film Rude Boy, a 1980 film about the Clash and their punk-rock milieu, contained concert sequences that demonstrate why they were considered one of rock’s greatest live acts.
c) The Clash followed London Calling with Sandinista!, another multi-sided opus. The Clash agreed to a diminished royalty rate so that the triple album could be affordably retailed. Despite the enormous body of material, song quality remained high throughout Sandinista!, which included the Clash classics “The Magnificent Seven” The Call Up,” “Police on My Back,” and ”Washington Bullets.” London Calling and Sandinista! both fared well in America, charting at #27 and #24, respectively - impressive showings for a double and triple album.
d) The three founding members - Strummer, Jones and Simonon - cooperated in the compiling of a live album (From Here to Eternity) and video documentary (Westway to the World), released in 1999. If not exactly a reunion, it was a rapprochement. On November 15, 2002, Jones and Strummer shared the stage for the first time in nearly 20 years, performing three Clash songs during the encore of a London benefit show by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. This raised hopes for a Clash reunion, which were dashed when Strummer died of a heart attack on December 22, 2002.” The band wanted to play at the event, but Joe Strummer\'s untimely death in December 2002, prevented this. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked The Clash #30 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.The Clash by The Edge. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone (2004-04-15). “The Clash, more than any other group, kick-started a thousand garage bands across Ireland and the UK. For U2 and other people of our generation, seeing them perform was a life-changing experience. There\'s really no other way to describe it.”The Immortals: The First Fifty. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone (2004-03-24).
In March 2008 a new live performance documentary The Clash Live: Revolution Rock will debut on US public television as well as being released on DVD.Rare Clash footage out \'The Clash Live: Revolution Rock\' DVD Produced by long time visual collaborator Don Letts, who contributed his own footage for the project, the DVD will also contain two interviews filmed in 1981.
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Most of the band\'s founding members were already active in the local music at the time of The Clash\'s formation. John Graham Mellor a/k/a Joe Strummer had previously played in the pub rock act The 101\'ers (his stage name at this point was Woody Mellor; soon he renamed himself "Joe Strummer", a reference to his rudimentary strumming skills on the ukulele as a busker in the London Underground). Mick Jones and Paul Simonon were briefly in legendary proto-punk band London SS.
Jones, Simonon, guitarist Keith Levene and "whoever we could find really to play the drums"Rowley, Scott (October 1999). "Paul Simonon\'s first ever bass interview". Bassist Magazine (10). Retrieved on 2008-01-08. “BM: Were you aware of punk at this point?
Simonon: well, it hadn’t really started. The Pistols were doing their occasional shows, but punk was something that really came about after the Grundy thing. Then it was called ‘punk’ y’know. So after probably about a year in rehearsals with just me and Mick and whoever we could find really to play the drums, and we had Keith Levene with us, we were just trying to build the group up and the Pistols were just starting to do their shows at that time, and it was only that later when we saw Strummer in the 101’ers that we thought, ‘we’ll nick him for our group’. An we did and that was the start of The Clash, really. Once we had Joe on board it all started to come together.”
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Paul Simonon came up with the band\'s name, The Clash, after they had considered alternatives including "The Weak Heartdrops" and "The Psychotic Negatives". Simonon explained how he came up with the name, "It really came to my head when I start reading the newspapers and a word that kept reoccurring was the word \'clash\', so I thought \'the Clash, what about that,\' to the others. And they and Bernard they went for it." After deciding on a name, the band found a stable drummer in Terry Chimes.
The Clash had their first gig on July 4, 1976, supporting the Sex Pistols at the Black Swan in Sheffield.Loder, Kurt (2003-03-13). The Clash: Ducking Bottles, Asking Questions. MTV News. Retrieved on 2007-11-17. “The London SS changed their name to the Clash, and made their debut opening for the Sex Pistols at a gig on July 4, 1976.” By that autumn the band had signed a contract with CBS Records.Jaffee, Larry (1987). The Politics of Rock. Popular Music and Society, pp. 19-30.
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The band released their first single ("White Riot/1977") and first album (The Clash) in 1977 to considerable success in the UK. CBS initially declined to release either in the United States, waiting until 1979 before releasing a modified version of the first album in the US, after the UK original had become the best-selling import album of all time in the United States. At the time Chimes had left the band, so only Simonon, Jones and Strummer were featured on the album\'s cover, and Chimes was credited as "Tory Crimes". In the documentary Westway to the World, Mick Jones referred to him as one of "the best drummers around". But Chimes, who had no great wish to make a career from music, said, "The point was that I wanted one kind of life – they wanted another, and why are we working together, if we want completely different things?"
The band experienced a period of changing drummers. After some time with Mick Jones handling drum duties, the band finally recruited Topper Headon, nicknamed "Topper" by Simonon, because he resembled the famous comic\'s cartoon cover star, "Mickey the Monkey". Headon had excellent musical skills, being able to play other instruments such as piano, bass and guitar. He was originally planning to stay briefly and gain a name for himself, before finding a better band. Realizing the band\'s potential he changed his plans and stayed in the band. In Westway To The World Strummer noted, "If we hadn\'t found Topper, I don\'t think we\'d have got anywhere".
With Topper Headon on drums, the Clash recorded Give \'Em Enough Rope in 1978, produced by Sandy Pearlman, whose previous credits included the American heavy metal band Blue Öyster Cult. Rude Boy, a 1980 film about the Clash, contained studio recording sessions of Give \'Em Enough Rope, and concert sequences that demonstrate why they should be considered as one of the greatest rock live acts.Hazan, Jack; David Mingay, Ray Gange, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Nicky Headon, Buzzy Enterprises, Epic Music Video. (2006). Rude Boy [Documentary, Rockumentary]. New York, NY, United States: Epic Music Video. Retrieved on 2008-01-09. ISBN 0738900826. OCLC 70850190. "2nd edition digitally restored and remastered sound."
The Clash then recorded London Calling. Produced by Guy Stevens, who had previously worked with Mott the Hoople and others, the double album was a mix of punk rock, rockabilly, reggae, rock and roll, ska and other elementsMetzger, John (11 2004). The Clash London Calling 25th Anniversary Legacy Edition. The Music Box. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. “Overflowing with ideas, the songs effortlessly leapt from rockabilly to reggae to hard rock, while folding in elements of blues, jazz, R&B, and folk, and all of it was delivered with the pummeling fury of a tempest unleashed.”The Clash. Artist History. Aversion.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-20. “a) With the release of London Calling, the band had pushed punk in a hundred different directions. From the rockabilly cover of Vince Taylor’s "Brand New Cadillac," to the ska of "Wrong ‘Em Boyo," or "Spanish Bomb’s" classical guitar, the Clash proved punk was more than the simple "1-2-3-4! Go!" of its early days.
b) Sandinista!, a three-record LP fusing punk with dub, gospel, reggae and soul, as well as with its more conventional roots.
c) the remains of the Clash split; Cut the Crap was excommunicated from the band’s official discography, with all later retrospectives ignoring the Jones-less Clash.
d) Songs on the band’s self-titled debut lash out at their world with a precision unmatched by other bands: "London’s Burning" denounces the dead-end London’s culture had backed itself into; "White Riot," urges whites to stand up against the status quo.” that recalled the band\'s earlier days, but also had greater maturity and production polish, and is regarded as one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever recorded.Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. London Calling Review. allmusic.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. “The result is a stunning statement of purpose and one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever recorded.” The album contained 2 LPs and ended with a hidden track not noted in the song list. Called "Train in Vain", it received the most airplay on album-oriented rock (AOR) FM stations in the US
The Clash planned to record and release a single every month in 1980. Their record label, CBS, balked at this idea, and these efforts resulted in the album Sandinista!. Containing elements of rock, punk, reggae (including extended dubs), ska, jazz, and disco, unified by a heavily echoed sound,Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Sandinista! Review. allmusic.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. “For its triple-album follow-up, Sandinista!, they tried to do everything, adding dub, rap, gospel, and even children\'s choruses to the punk, reggae, R&B, and roots rock they already were playing.” this 3-LP, 36-song album was their most controversial to date, both politically and musically. The album fared well in America, charting at #24, even though it had no catchy single and, in the increasingly conservative environment of AOR FM radio in the US, received minimal airplay.
The band recorded their fifth album Combat Rock, which was originally planned as a double album with the title Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg, but the idea was scrapped after wrangling within the group. Mick Jones had produced the first cut, but the other members were dissatisfied and producing duties were handed to Glyn Johns at which point the album became a single LP. The original cut has since been bootlegged. Simpler and more straightforward than Sandinista!, the album contained the single "Should I Stay or Should I Go" which received heavy airplay in the US on AOR FM stations. The following single, "Rock the Casbah", a song about the Iranian clampdown on imports of Western music, was a Top 40 hit in the US, with heavy rotation on MTV.
After Combat Rock, the Clash began to disintegrate. Topper Headon was asked to leave the band just prior to the release of the album, due to his heroin addiction, which was hurting his health and drumming.Cromelin, Richard (January 31, 1988). "Strummer on Man, God, Law and the Clash". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. “a) Headon had been fired because of his drug use, and Jones was given the boot in \'83.
b) There was one more album with a revamped lineup, 1985\'s Cut the Crap, but Strummer regretted that move, even referring to that band by a different name: the Clash Mark Two.” The band\'s original drummer, Terry Chimes, was brought back for the next few months. The loss of Headon brought much friction, as he was an essential part of the band and well-liked by the others. Jones and Strummer began to feud. The band opened for The Who on a leg of their final tour in the U.S, playing New York\'s Shea Stadium. Though the band continued to tour, relationships within the band continued to fracture.
The band continued to tour, but by 1983, the years of constant touring and recording took their toll. They were growing as musicians and individuals, but they were not able to cope with the tension and stress. Chimes left the band after the 1982-1983 Combat Rock tour, due to the in-fighting and turmoil.
In 1983, drummer Pete Howard joined the band for the US Festival in San Bernardino, California, of which The Clash were, along with David Bowie and Van Halen, co-headliners. The crowd of roughly half a million was by far the biggest of the Clash\'s career. This was Jones\' last appearance with The Clash. In September 1983, Jones was fired due to his problematic behaviour and divergent musical aspirations. Jones went on to found Big Audio Dynamite (BAD) with Don Letts. Strummer later tried to contact Jones to reform The Clash, but Jones was too busy with Big Audio Dynamite.Ex-Clash singer breaks ground. joestrummer.us. Retrieved on 2008-01-03. “a, b, c) After the disbandment, Strummer followed Mick Jones on holiday to ask him to reform the Clash. "I was trying to undo my mistake. But Big Audio Dynamite was taking off, so he just laughed at me." Nevertheless, Strummer and Jones did start to collaborate again, firstly on songs for Alex Cox\'s Sid Vicious biopic Sid and Nancy, then on material on the second BAD album, which Strummer co-produced.
d, e) Finally, Strummer washed his hands of the album, Rhodes and the Clash. "CBS had paid an advance for it so they had to put it out. I just went, \'Well fuck this\', and fucked off to the mountains of Spain to sit and sobbing under a palm tree, while Bernie had to deliver a record." Cut the Crap was issued in November 1985. Its music was as crass as it\'s cringe-making title - a bizarre cross between an attempt to get back to the Clash\'s punk roots and an assimilation of more contemporary trends, with its amateurish horn and synth overdubs, shot through with cartoonish (and somewhat Americanised) punk imagery and Sham 69-style terrace chanting.”
The band picked Nick Sheppard, formerly of the Bristol-based Cortinas, and Vince White as the band\'s new guitarists. Howard continued to be the drummer. The band played its first shows in January 1984 with a batch of new material and launched into a self-financed tour, dubbed the "Out of Control" tour, and they toured heavily over the winter and into early summer. At a striking miners\' benefit show ("Scargill\'s Christmas Party") in December 1984, they announced that a new record would be released early in the new year.
The recording sessions for Cut the Crap were chaotic, with manager Bernie Rhodes and Strummer working in Munich, Germany. Most of the instruments were played by studio musicians, with Sheppard and later White flying in to come up with guitar parts. Struggling with Rhodes for control of the band, Strummer returned home. The band went on a busking tour, playing in public spaces in cities throughout the UK where they played acoustic versions of their hits and popular cover tunes.
After a gig in Athens, Strummer went to Spain to clear his mind. While Strummer was gone, the first single from Cut the Crap, "This Is England" was released to mostly negative reviews at the time. However, respected critic Dave Marsh later championed "This Is England" as one of the top 1001 rock singles of all time, in his book "The Heart of Rock & Soul",Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. London: Penguin. ISBN 0140121080. OCLC 59149603. “#106 The Clash This is England” and the single has also received retroactive praise from Q Magazine and others. "CBS had paid an advance for it so they had to put it out. I just went, \'Well fuck this\', and fucked off to the mountains of Spain to sit sobbing under a palm tree, while Bernie had to deliver a record", said Joe Strummer later in an interview .
"This Is England", much like the rest of the album that came out later that year, had been drastically re-engineered by Rhodes, with synths, drum machines, and football-style chants being added to Strummer\'s incomplete recordings. For the remainder of his life Strummer publicly disowned the album, although he did express the sentiment that "This Is England" was the last good Clash single. Other songs played on the tour remain unreleased to this day, including "Jericho" and "Glue Zombie," while a live version of "(In the) Pouring Rain" finally saw release in 2007 on the soundtrack to Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten, a documentary about Joe Strummer. Although Howard was an adept drummer, virtually all of the percussion tracks were produced by drum machines. The Clash were effectively disbanded in early 1986, and the members went on to other projects.
On 2 March, 1991, The Clash scored their first #1 UK single with the reissue of “Should I Stay or Should I Go”. Joe Strummer reportedly cried and was very distraught when the band\'s hit and its title "Rock the Casbah" were used while bombing Iraq the same year[citation needed].
In 1999, Strummer, Jones and Simonon cooperated in the compiling of the live album From Here to Eternity and video documentary Westway to the World. On 15 November, 2002, Jones and Strummer shared the stage, performing three Clash songs during a London benefit show by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. In January 2003 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band wanted to play, but the death of Strummer in December 2002 prevented the potential reunion. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked The Clash #30 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
In 2007, the late Joe Strummer was featured in a documentary directed by Julien Temple, called Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten. It comprises archive footage of him spanning his life, and interviews with friends, family, and other celebrities along with extensive interviews by Jones, Headon, Simonon and Terry Chimes. It debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Orshoski, Wes (2006-11-07). Exclusive: Strummer Documentary To Premiere At Sundance (JSP). News. Bilboard.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-29. “"The Future is Unwritten," Julien Temple\'s new film on the life and career of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer, will have its US premiere in mid-January at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.”BBC - Somerset - In Pictures - Joe Strummer (SHTML). Where I Live - Somerset - Celebrities and Events. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-11-29. “Julien Temple\'s biopic of The Clash front man, entitled Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten, receives its premiere at The Palace in Bridgwater on Saturday, 5 May, 2007. This photo is of a campfire in Somerset.”Kelly, Kevin (2007-01-26). Sundance Review: Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten. cinematical.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-29. “If you can imagine what it would be like to try to document the life of one of your closest friends after their death, and to assemble everything into feature film length, you can probably see how difficult the process might be.”
On January 11, 2008, Carbon/Silicon, the new band of Mick Jones, Tony James, Leo Williams and Dominic Greensmith, played a show at the Carbon Casino Club, The Inn on the Green, 3-5 Thorpe Close, Portobello Green, London. Headon joined the band on stage during The Clash\'s "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)". An encore followed with Headon playing drums on "Should I Stay or Should I Go". This performance marked the first time since 1982 that Headon and Jones had performed together on stage.Harper, Simon (2008-01-12). The Carbon Casino – The Clash reunited! Pair jam after 25 years. Clash Music. Retrieved on 2008-01-15. “For the first night of their six-week residency in West London\'s Inn On The Green, Carbon/Silicon had promised surprises, but few had realised that meant the reunion of Mick Jones and the powerhouse drummer of The Clash, Topper Headon.”Clash members Topper Headon and Mick Jones reunite on stage. Punknews.org (2008-01-13). Retrieved on 2008-01-15. “For the first time in 25 years, former Clash members Mick Jones and Topper Headon have shared the stage together. The reunion took place at Carbon/Silicon\'s "Carbon Casino" residency, and comes five years after Mick joined Joe Strummer on stage at the Brixton Academy.”The Clash\'s Mick Jones and Topper Headon reunite after 25 years. NME News. NME.com (2005-01-14). Retrieved on 2005-01-15. “Clash drummer joins Carbon/Silicon at London show”
The band\'s music was often charged by a leftist political ideology. They are credited with pioneering the advocacy of radical politics in punk rock, and were known as the "Thinking Man\'s Yobs" by many simply for voicing a political slant other than anarchism. They were never driven entirely by money; even at their peak, tickets to shows and souvenirs were reasonably priced. The group insisted that CBS sell their double and triple album sets London Calling and Sandinista! for the price of a single album each (then £5), succeeding with the former and compromising with the latter by agreeing to sell it for £5.99 and forfeit all their royalties on its first 200,000 sales. These "VFM" (Value For Money) principles meant that they were constantly in debt to CBS, and only started to break even around 1982.
Like many early punk bands, The Clash protested against monarchy and aristocracy. However, unlike many early punk bands, The Clash rejected the overall sentiment of nihilism. Instead, they found solidarity with a number of contemporary liberation movements. The Clash\'s political views, especially those of Joe Strummer, were very leftist. Their politics were expressed explicitly in their lyrics, in early recordings such as "White Riot", which encouraged disaffected white youths to become politically active like their black counterparts, "Career Opportunities," which expressed discontent about the alienation of low-paid, production line style employment and the lack of alternatives, and "London\'s Burning", about the bleakness and boredom of life in the inner city.
They were also involved directly with the Anti-Nazi League, and heading Rock Against Racism concert in in London\'s Victoria Park for 80,000 people in April 1978,TRB Rock Against Racism. tomrobinson.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-20. “The most memorable Rock Against Racism event was the April 1978 Carnival against the Nazis. A huge rally of 100,000 people marched the six miles from Trafalgar Square through London\'s East End - the heart of National Front territory - to a Rock Against Racism concert in Victoria Park, Hackney. X-Ray Spex, The Clash, Steel Pulse, and the Tom Robinson Band were on the bill - a diverse selection of music for a diverse multi-cultural crowd.” where Strummer wore a controversial t-shirt bearing the words "Brigate Rosse" with the Red Army Faction (Baader-Meinhof) insignia in the middle. He later said in an interview that he wore the shirt not to support the left-wing terrorist factions in Germany and Italy, but to bring attention to their existence. Strummer and Jones were arrested for a string of offences from vandalism to stealing a pillowcase. Caroline Coon stood up for what The Clash were doing during this period: "Those tough, militaristic songs were what we needed as we went into Thatcherism".
The group also supported other musicians\' charity concerts, most notably at the December 1979 Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, presented by Paul McCartney. The benefit album released from the concerts features one song by The Clash, "Armagideon Time." The Clash offered some support to the Sandinista and other Marxist movements in Latin America (hence the title of their 1980 album, Sandinista!). By the time of the December 1979 album London Calling, the Clash were trying to maintain punk energy while developing musically. They were especially wary of their own emerging stardom: they always welcomed fans backstage after shows and showed open-mindedness, genuine interest and compassion in their relationships with them.
The title of London Calling evokes American radio newsman Edward R. Murrow\'s catchphrase during World War II, and the title song announces that "...war is declared and battle come down..." It warns against expecting them to be saviours — "... now don\'t look to us / Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust..." — draws a bleak picture of the times — "The ice age is coming, the sun\'s zooming in / Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin" — but calls on their listeners to come out and take up the fight without constantly looking to London, or to The Clash themselves, for cues — "Forget it, brother, we can go it alone... Quit holding out and draw another breath... I don\'t want to shout / But while we were talking I saw you nodding out..." — finally asking, "After all this, won\'t you give me a smile?"
Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer in NYC 2002
In 1986, Joe Strummer collaborated with ex-bandmate Jones on BAD\'s second album, No. 10 Upping St., co-producing the album and co-writing seven of its songs. Strummer acted in a few movies, notably Alex Cox\'s Walker, and Jim Jarmusch\'s Mystery Train, as well as a cameo in Aki Kaurismäki\'s I hired a Contract Killer, in which he sings "Burning Lights/Afro-Cuban Be-Bop". He did songs for movie soundtracks (notably "Love Kills" for the film Sid and Nancy), and he co-produced the Grosse Pointe Blank soundtracks with John Cusack. As well, he experimented with different backing bands with limited success. In 1989, he released the first of his solo albums, Earthquake Weather, which was neither a commercial nor critical success. He toured with a new backing band, The Latino Rockabilly War, which contributed five songs to the soundtrack of the movie Permanent Record, including an instrumental and the song "Trash City", which was also released as a single. In 1991/92 Strummer joined The Pogues after their split with former frontman Shane MacGowan for a series of concerts across Europe. In the late 1990s, Strummer formed a backing band he called The Mescaleros. In 1996 Strummer recorded with Black Grape (band of vocalist Shaun Ryder, ex Happy Mondays) their football anthem "England\'s Irie", which became a Top Ten hit. In 2002 Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros performed a benefit gig for the striking Firefighters of London (FBU) at the Acton Town Hall, London (later referred to as "The Last Night London Burned"). For the encores, Mick Jones joined the band. They were: "Bankrobber", "White Riot" and "London’s Burning". His final gig was at Liverpool Academy on 22 November 2002.On 22 December 2002 Joe Strummer died suddenly of a congenital heart defect at the age of 50. The Mescaleros’ album he was working on at the time, Streetcore, was released posthumously to critical acclaim in 2003. Jones commented in the press that, after the brief reunion on Westway to the World in 1999, the foursome were considering reuniting for a tour.
In 2007, a film has been made about Strummer\'s life, called Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten. The documentary film, directed by Julien Temple, premiered January 20, 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten (2007) - Release dates. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
Mick Jones in 1987
Mick Jones
After his expulsion from The Clash, Mick Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite (often shortened to B.A.D.) in 1984 with film director Don Letts who directed various Clash videos and Westway to the World.
The band\'s debut album, This is Big Audio Dynamite, was released the following year with the song "E=MC²" receiving heavy rotation in dance clubs. The next album, No. 10 Upping St., reunited Jones with Strummer. Jones released three more albums with Big Audio Dynamite before reshuffling the line-up and renaming the band Big Audio Dynamite II. The band was later renamed Big Audio in the mid-1990s because they found that it was much more suitable for the type of genre they were influenced by at that particular time.
Jones featured on the two studio albums by The Libertines as producer and also produced the debut Babyshambles album. Jones is currently touring and recording with his new band, Carbon/Silicon.
Paul Simonon
Paul Simonon at the Eurockéennes 2007
Following the break-up of The Clash, Paul Simonon formed a group called Havana 3am, which recorded only one album in Japan and quickly folded. Then Simonon returned to his roots as a visual artist, mounting several art-gallery shows and contributing the cover for Jones\' third BAD album, Tighten Up Vol. 88.
Simonon\'s reluctance to play music again has largely been cited as the reason why The Clash were one of the few 1970s British punk bands that did not reform to cash in on the punk-nostalgia craze of the late 1990s. Simonon was quoted in Westway to the World as saying that The Clash are over and that "suits him fine".
He is currently collaborating with Damon Albarn, of Blur, Simon Tong of The Verve, and Tony Allen, main founder of the afrobeat and drummer of Fela Kuti to form The Good, the Bad and the Queen. Their first gig took place on the 26 October 2006 at the Roundhouse.
After a seven year gap Simonon is exhibiting paintings again. He will be having a show at Thomas Williams Fine Art on Bond St from the 17th April 2008.
Topper Headon
By 1982, Topper Headon had been dismissed by the rest of the band due to the heroin addiction. His addiction eventually landed him in jail for supplying an addict who later overdosed and died. Except for forming a short-lived R&B band (in 1986 he recorded a LP called Waking Up as well as a 12" E.P. titled Drumming Man), Headon disappeared from the music business until the filming of Letts\' retrospective documentary about The Clash, Westway to The World, where he sincerely apologised for his addiction. Headon also attended a subsequent presentation to Strummer, Jones, Simonon, and Headon of a Lifetime Achievement British Music Award. After many years of rehabilitation, he has overcome his addiction, and is performing live again.
On January 11, 2008, Headon shared the stage with Mick Jones during a Carbon/Silicon gig at the Carbon Casino Club, The Inn on the Green, 3-5 Thorpe Close, Portobello Green, London. Headon played together with Jones and Carbon/Silicon two Clash\'s song, "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go". This performance marked the first time since 1982 that Headon and Jones had performed together on stage.Harper, Simon (2008-01-12). The Carbon Casino – The Clash reunited! Pair jam after 25 years. Clash Music. Retrieved on 2008-01-15. “For the first night of their six-week residency in West London\'s Inn On The Green, Carbon/Silicon had promised surprises, but few had realised that meant the reunion of Mick Jones and the powerhouse drummer of The Clash, Topper Headon.”Clash members Topper Headon and Mick Jones reunite on stage. Punknews.org (2008-01-13). Retrieved on 2008-01-15. “For the first time in 25 years, former Clash members Mick Jones and Topper Headon have shared the stage together. The reunion took place at Carbon/Silicon\'s "Carbon Casino" residency, and comes five years after Mick joined Joe Strummer on stage at the Brixton Academy.”The Clash\'s Mick Jones and Topper Headon reunite after 25 years. NME News. NME.com (2005-01-14). Retrieved on 2005-01-15. “Clash drummer joins Carbon/Silicon at London show”Gittins, Ian. "Carbon/Silicon", The Guardian, 2008-01-14. Retrieved on 2008-01-16.
| 1976 Original line-up |
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| 1977 |
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| 1977-1982 Classic line-up |
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| 1982-1983 |
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| 1983 |
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| 1983-1986 Final line-up |
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