|
"In
1977 I hope I go to heaven
'Cos I been too long on the
dole
And I can't work at all.
Danger stranger
You better paint your face
No Elvis,
Beatles or the Rolling Stones."
1977
- Strummer/Jones
|
 |
| It could
have all been so different if they had stuck with the name The Heartdrops!
Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Terry Chimes, Paul Simenon and Keith
Levine became The
Clash in late
1976. Inspired by seeing The Sex Pistols and the music they were making,
the boys quickly evolved a stance and image that endeared them to the punk
masses. Their first outing was a gig at their rehearsal studios in Camden
for journalists and friends which caused Giovanni Dadomo a reviewer for
Sounds to opine
"I think they're the first band to come along who'll really frighten
the Sex Pistols shitless."
Indeed their first public gig was supporting The Sex Pistols at The
Screen On The Green Islington London. Charles Shaar Murray, in a famous
quote he wishes he'd never made, said in the NME they "..are
the kind of garage band who should speedily be returned to their garage,
preferably with the motor running."
This was too much for Levine who left leaving the boys as a four piece.
|
Mk 1 Clash
Jones, Chimes, Strummer,Simonon & Levine
Chalk Farm 1976. Pic Eve Dadomo |
Rainbow
1977. Photo Erica Echenberg
|
By
Spring 1977 the boys had completed the Sex Pistols Anarchy tour, signed to
CBS and delivered their first album, The
Clash, to
critical acclaim. They had drafted in Topper Headon on drums, had a
stable line up and were going from strength to strength. One shouldn't forget Bernie Rhodes role as manager. Friend and
initial partner with McClaren they had a similar modus operandi of
running bands. For Bernie a strong visual and musical identity was
foremost and the clash certainly developed these. The highpoint of this
was their stunning Rainbow gig. A highly charged atmosphere of guitars on
stun, energy, visuals against a backdrop of stark lighting and the riots
at Notting Hill Carnival saw The Clash as an unbeatable proposition. The
crowd rioted. |
|
If 78 saw them release
the uninspiring
Give 'em Enough Rope
then '77/'78 & '79 saw them release a stream of classic punk singles.
Why were The Clash so popular? Every gig was a torrent of pure energy.
Unlike so many other bands who denied they were punk The Clash embraced it
and sang about it. Both White
Man In Hammersmith Palais
& Complete
Control name checks'
punk' while All
The Young Punks is
self explanatory. They even named a song Clash
Ciy Rockers after
their fans! For that we loved them. Always more urban and direct than
other punk bands, you felt that with the Clash anything was possible and
with the arrival of the album London
Calling you knew
it was and that music had a future.
|
Joe,
Topper, Paul & Mick
|
| The Clash were always a force to be reckoned with
and produced the goods all through their career. From
singing
Career Opportunities
in Camden 1976 to singing it
in the Shea Stadium USA 83 the Clash became, after the Pistols split, the greatest
punk band ever mixing rockabilly, ska, reggae and punk for
our enjoyment before internal dissension and drugs split
the band. To their credit they never reformed and left a body of songs
that will always stand up to repeated listening. RIP Joe Strummer.
|
|
|
| "None
of us is going to change anything. Everyone goes "Punk! Hurrah!"
But in three years time what do you think I'm going to be doing? What do
you think the guys who buy our singles are going to be doing?? I'll still
be walking around muttering to myself. They are still going to be
shovelling shit down some old chute and maybe with their wages they'll buy
The Clash's fourth album. Rock doesn't change anything."
Joe Strummer to
Caroline Coon 1988 Punk Explosion P74
|
|
Back
To Top
Good
Clash link - http://www.theclash.org.uk
|
|