Friday 7 April 2017

Red Gold & Green #16 / Version City #60 - Horace Andy sings The Clash


A newsflash guaranteed to make a few of us shuffle a little uncomfortably in our seats.........the debut LP by The Clash is 40 years old this weekend. So by way of a tribute to the only band that mattered, here's Horace Andy's 2016 cover of 'Straight to Hell', the centrepiece of 1982's 'Combat Rock'. If you'd like to compare and contrast, Swiss Adam recently shared the original longer unedited version of The Clash's last masterpiece here.

Horace Andy - Straight to Hell

7 comments:

Rol said...

I think the Clash would approve of that cover. Not that I'm an expert.

"The only band that ever mattered"? I had to read up on that as I'd never heard it before. The question was posed on a message board as to why they were described thus, and some of the reactions are hilarious...

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=552564

"They were kinda the Nirvana of their day."

(Your captcha just asked me to 'select all images with a gas station'. Not sure Strummer would approve.)

Swiss Adam said...

Nice version.
'The only band that muttered' according to Strummer.

The Swede said...

Rol. The phrase became a kind of shorthand to describe the band, much like 'The Fabs' for The Beatles, 'Da Bruddas' for The Ramones and later 'The Modfather' for Weller. There are some great quotes in that link :-)

Swiss Adam. Haha, that too!

C said...

I am shuffling more than a little uncomfortably in my seat!
I've decided that reggae versions of Clash songs are always going to work, in just the same way that Clash versions of reggae songs do.

Anonymous said...

Was listening to the radio the other day and someone said it was 40 years since the Clash debut. Nearly fell over. I still remember the thrill of purchasing my copy in the original, wonderfully grotty, Virgin Records in Bristol. BTW, making what I hope will be a lighthearted and, maybe, therapeutic return at www.roadofgoldendust.blogspot.com No proper posts yet but here's hoping. As for Horace Andy - love the man and this is a fine version.

The Swede said...

C. I like your reasoning!

Singing Bear. I won't go on, but I can't tell you how pleased I am to see your name popping up around these parts again. I've added your new gaff to my sidebar and am heading over there pronto.

Charity Chic said...

He's no Kylie!

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