The Clash

In contrast to Mr Rotten and Co, The Clash manipulated the energy of punk as a vehicle for political protest and musical experimentation. Their debut LP, 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 criticism and despite the best efforts of the label, the record failed to crack the US Top 100. It had, however, made Number 2 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 their 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 (it 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  the returning Terry Chimes (who dubbed himself Tory Crimes) who had left after the 1977 debut.

Combat Rock was to be their last hurrah. A communiqué from the band on 10 September 1983 read, "Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon have decided that Mick Jones should leave the group." 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. He was just 50.