The Clash
 The
Clash formed in London in 1976. After a riotous tour supporting The
Sex Pistols, their manager Bernie Rhodes obtained them a deal with
major label big boys, CBS. The band subsequently unleashed the two
minute classic White Riot - a chant-along stomp that smashed
into the Top 40 and announced the arrival of a band whose impact was
second only to the Pistols. In contrast to Mr
Rotten and Co, The Clash manipulated the energy of punk as a vehicle
for political protest and musical experimentation.
The Clash
(released in 1977) was a blinding statement of intent. I'm So Bored
With The USA and Career Opportunities rallied
against inertia, while a cover of Police And Thieves was the
first of many sporadic forays into dub reggae.
The album went Top 20, lauded by many critics as
the definitive punk set, while a further two classic singles (not on
the album), Clash City Rockers and White Man In Hammersmith
Palais made the Top 40 (the latter addressing the issue of racism
- a subject never far from the band's agenda).
 CBS
(and no doubt the band themselves) were keen to break in America,
subsequently enlisting the production services of Blue Öyster Cult
guru Sandy Perlman for their follow-up set, Give 'Em Enough Rope
(1978). The album's less frenetic approach met with some criticism and
despite the best efforts of the label, the record just failed to crack
the American Top 100. It had, however, made number two in Britain and
spawned the band's first Top 20 hit in Tommy Gun.
The Clash then set out to tour the States, while
British fans lapped up The Cost Of Living EP and it's
incredible cover version of Sonny Curtis' I Fought The Law.
Finally, in late 1979, The Clash delivered their marathon master work,
London Calling. Overseen by seasoned producer Guy Stevens, the
double album showed The Clash at an assured creative peak, from
the anthemic echo of the title track to the brooding Guns Of
Brixton. A UK Top 10 hit, the LP finally cracked the US where it
hit the Top 30.
The Bankrobber and The Call Up
singles followed before the band issued the sprawling, album
Sandinista in December 1980. The triple album (that would have
made a brilliant single album!) was of a highly experimental nature
and earned a critical pasting with the bulk of the tracks failing to
withstand repeated listening. Its relatively poor sales forced a back
to basics re-think for Combat Rock (1982).
 Although
this album was a healthy seller, it sounded laboured - Ironically it
became the band's biggest selling album in America, where the Rock
The Casbah single made the Top 10. Drummer Topper Headon was
already long gone by this point and was replaced by Terry Chimes (who
dubbed himself Tory Crimes) who had left after the 1977 debut. Mick
Jones was kicked out the following year (for political reasons they
said at the time, although Strummer soon blamed the sacking on manager
Bernie Rhodes and unsuccessfully begged Jones to return).
The band hired some kid off the street (we could
look it up, but his name isn't really important) because he looked and
sounded a bit like Jones. Needless to say, the band stumbled on for
only one further album, Cut The Crap, in 1985 (it was absolute
dogshit) before finally calling it a day the following month. While
Jones enjoyed mid-80's success with Big Audio
Dynamite, Joe Strummer
embarked on a low key solo career before working with his pal Shane
McGowan in The Pogues.
Clash fever gripped the UK once more in 1991 when
Should I Stay Or Should I Go? (a Top 20 hit in 1983) hit the
charts again after being used in an advert for Levi jeans. A "Best Of
" double album, The Story Of The Clash Vol 1, flew off the
shelves and rumours were rife of a Clash reunion. The rumours were
unceremoniously quashed by Joe Strummer.
January 2003 brought the tragic news that Joe
Strummer had died in London. |
