Genius

Monday Long Song

A couple of ongoing family issues have been occupying my mind of late, leaving me with little head-space or enthusiasm for online matters. During one of my brief dips into the blogosphere however, I was pleased to note Drew's return to active service and look forward to properly catching up with his (and everyone else's) posts one of these days. I was particularly interested to see that he's kicked off a new series, Monday's Long Song, and that I may have inadvertently played a small part in planting the seed of the idea for it. This week Swiss Adam has joined in the fun. Given that my own last post (nearly two weeks back) contained a 24 minute epic, you could be forgiven for thinking that I unknowingly jumped the gun, but, in reality, over the last few days there has been only one long song on my mind and turntable.

Joe Strummer - 15 Years Gone

Fifteen years ago today, the world lost Joe Strummer. Husband, father, guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor, 101er, Latino Rockabilly Warrior, Mescalero and Punk Rock Warlord of The Clash.

Joe Strummer - Nitcomb (Live)

Gonna Scrape the Trouble Off My Boots....

The brief story of how even Joe Strummer's discarded footwear is now worth a small fortune, from the American version of The Antiques Roadshow.

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

Farewell Bill Price

The dismal year of 2016 landed one final blow on Monday, with the belated announcement of the death of noted producer and engineer Bill Price on December 22nd, at the age of 72. In a career which started in 1965, Price twiddled the knobs for a rich and varied cast of characters over the years, including Tom Jones, Pete Townshend, Davey Graham, Englebert Humperdink, Peter Cook, The Pretenders, Bill Fay, Free, Paul McCartney, British Sea Power, Mott the Hoople, Human League, Camel, Sparks, Roxy Music, The Saints, TRB, Elton John, XTC, Guns N' Roses and many more - plus of course he worked with both The Clash and The Sex Pistols, virtually simultaneously.

Bill Price was a quiet giant of the recording industry for over 40 years and his passing will be mourned by artists and audiences alike. Here are just three examples of his production talent.

Racing Cars - They Shoot Horses Don't They (1976) 

Jesus & Mary Chain - Happy When It Rains (1987) 

The Waterboys - The Return of Pan (1993)

Above and Beyond

On this day 36 years ago, I was laid low with a nasty case of the mumps - eating, drinking and even breathing with considerable difficulty. In the evening, my best mate unexpectedly knocked at my parents' front door and we stood for a moment, one of us at each end of the hall, about 10 feet apart. I was in no condition to hold a conversation, so few words were exchanged and I was puzzled as to why he'd chosen to put his health on the line to visit me when he could've just picked up the phone to find out how I was. He reached into his backpack, pulled out a record in a carrier bag, crouched down and slid it along the floor, the length of the hall. 'I thought you'd want this, however rough you're feeling', he said. I picked it up and took the record from the bag. It was 'Sandinista' by The Clash, which had been released that very day. A brief nod of gratitude was all I could muster in my fevered state. He turned, opened the front door and was gone.

The Clash & Mikey Dread - If Music Could Talk / Living in Fame

A Clash Hot Shot

Back in January, Brian, over at Linear Tracking Lives, announced his intention to take us on an ambitious 12 month A-Z journey through his record collection. The good news is that he's been digging out some absolutely belting tunes along the way, many of which I've never previously encountered. The bad news from his point of view is that it's already July and he's only got as far as the letter 'C'. So the very, very good news for us then, is that his cracking series should run and run, hopefully - and long may it do so.

The most recent entry in Brian's journey (here) finds me on more familiar terrain than usual, as his featured slab o' wax is the 'London Calling' LP by The Clash. During the course of the post Brian asked us, his readers, to nominate our own respective favourite Clash tracks of all time. It's just this kind of question that could easily see me lose a whole day while I cogitate on the matter, though on this occasion, in a moment of extraordinary discipline, I plumped for the very first tune to jump into my head - 'Bankrobber'. My default version of the song is this extended one, lovingly crafted by a fan and downloaded from a blog many many moons ago. I've seen a few similar mixes crop up here and there in subsequent years as the technology has improved, but this one'll do for me.

The Clash - Bankrobber (Extended Version) 11.44

Dread at the Controls

The late Michael Campbell, a.k.a Mikey Dread, was born 62 years ago today. Broadcaster, producer and performer, Mikey brought a good deal of fun along with his own brand of roots rock reggae, just listen to the wonderful 'African Anthem' LP if you don't believe me. It's an album crammed full of crucial Dread at the Controls dub-plates, interspersed with a selection of brilliantly individual jingles, created for his late 1970's Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation radio show. If you've never heard 'African Anthem', do yourself a favour and take a listen here.

For all his many achievements, it's Mikey Dread's work with The Clash for which he's possibly best remembered. Spinning dubwise selections before a show, performing support slots (sometimes with Joe and Mick skanking in the shadows) and often joining the band onstage for a couple of songs during their headlining set. Plus of course Mikey got involved in the studio, producing the 'Bankrobber' single and sections of the 1980 triple LP, 'Sandinista!'

In the mid-noughties, Mikey Dread (fronting American band The Blizzard of 78) recorded 'Silicone on Sapphire', his contribution to 'The Sandinista! Project', an ambitious tribute to the Clash's epic LP, which was eventually released in May 2007.

In October of 2007 it was announced that Mikey was receiving treatment for a brain tumour. Mikey Dread passed away on March 15th 2008.

Mikey Dread - Silicone on Sapphire

As a bonus, here's the great Wreckless Eric with his one-man-band reading of 'The Crooked Beat', another track taken from 'The Sandinista! Project'.

Wreckless Eric - The Crooked Beat

London Calling

As I write these words, the old bone-shaker is at the garage being fine tuned in preparation for the journey and by the time you read this we should be speeding our way down the M11 towards London, where Mrs S has an important three day artistic gig in the heart of the sprawling metropolis. And me? I'll be ticking off a few odd jobs for my two elderly East End-based Aunts. Curtain changing, plant watering, a little gentle tidying - you name it, I'll probably be dusting it. It promises to be a flat out, non-stop, nose-to-the-grindstone few days for me, with interruptions only for extended coffee breaks (with hefty slabs of homemade cake, natch) and taking the dear old ladies in question out for a leisurely lunch or two. I'll be glad to get back home on Tuesday for a rest.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've managed to catch at least one London date (often several) on every UK Bob Dylan tour since 1981. The one exception was in November of 2005 when work pressures prevented me from attending. So imagine my utter dismay when I checked the setlists online following Bob's Brixton Academy shows, to find that he'd commenced his encores with a brief snatch of 'London Calling', a direct nod to the city and of course, the mighty Clash, the only band that mattered.

Version City #44 - Choir! Choir! Choir! sing The Clash

Based in Toronto, Choir! Choir! Choir! is a twice weekly gathering of musically open-minded people who just love to sing. In their 4 year history they've tackled songs by a wide variety of artists, such as Big Star, Haddaway, Fleetwood Mac, Sex Pistols, The Muppets, Wilco, Pink Floyd and dozens of others (see here for a full list) in addition to performing in concert with Patti Smith and Tegan & Sara.

There's a whole host of Choir! Choir! Choir! performances available to check out on their YouTube channel (here). Their stirring interpretation of 'London Calling' had the hairs on the back of this old Clash fan's neck standing to attention.

Good Times Bad Times

Anniversaries abound. Yesterday it was exactly 37 years since my first Clash concert and today it's 37 years since my first Bob Dylan gig. Life has never been quite the same since that magical 24 hour period in 1978.

Sadly, yesterday also marked the 35th anniversary of the death of Malcolm Owen, lead singer of The Ruts. The Ruts were one of the few groups with the potential to rival The Clash in terms of passion and musical versitility. Certainly they were the only band who got anywhere near The Clash when it came to reggae. If you don't believe me, check out the 'Rhythm Collision Vol.1' LP, released as Ruts DC in 1982. Meanwhile, here are a pair of roots rockers from 1979. We remember you Malcolm.

Give the Drummer Some - Happy Birthday Topper Headon

He was the engine room of the only band that mattered and his beats have been sampled almost as much as those of James Browns' funky drummer, Clyde Stubblefield. Happy 60th birthday to the great Topper Headon.

Ex Libris

Imagine you kept all your toys and comics from when you were a kid and never threw away any of your books or magazines when you were a teenager. Then you formed one of the most influential bands of the late 20th Century and kept souvenirs of that and all your subsequent adventures too. That's exactly what Mick Jones did and from time to time he displays his vast personal collection under the banner, The Rock'n'Roll Public Library.

I've been fortunate enough to browse through Mick's fascinating collection twice, both several years ago, firstly in Ladbroke Grove and later in Norwich. Now the Rock'n'Roll Public Library is opening its doors once again, this time in Venice! To coincide with the event, Mick Jones is releasing a six track mini-album of atmospheric instrumentals entitled 'Ex Libris'. Excellent it is too. Read more about the whole darned thing here.

55 From 55 - 1980

55 songs in 55 days - one for every year of my life...so far.

Skinny as a rake and honing my people skills behind the counter of the record shop in early 1980. After leaving home my diet consisted mainly of beans on toast and beer. The moustache was not long for this world.

In mid-December 1979, The Clash released my favourite LP of all time, the mighty 'London Calling'. In 1980 the band hit the road on the '16 Tons' tour to promote it. I caught a number of shows that year, where The Clash were supported Joe Ely, who was introduced by Mick Jones as 'the new Hank Williams', and the 'Dread at the Controls', Mikey Dread. I already knew Mikey from his brilliant 1979 dub album, 'African Anthem' and in the Summer of 1980, to coincide with his raised UK profile, he put out the great, 'Rockers Delight'.

55 From 55 - 1978

55 songs in 55 days - one for every year of my life...so far. 

Two hugely pivotal events in my musical life, occurred in 1978 - within the space of 24 hours. On Friday July 14th I traveled to Bury St Edmunds and finally saw The Clash in concert for the first time. As I've reluctantly admitted previously, on this monumental night I was wearing both flares and a moustache - ouch. Flares were ditched from my wardrobe not long after, though the ill-advised moustache remained resolutely above my top lip for a further 18 months. What was I thinking? The gig came towards the end of the 'Out on Parole' tour, where at the early shows, Suicide occupied the support slot. By the time The Clash rolled into Suffolk they had a new opening act, The (Coventry) Specials.

Just prior to the appearance of the dreaded moustache. April 1978.

I couldn't hang around for too long after The Clash had completed their set, as I had an prompt start arranged for the following day. Bright and early the next morning, a hired minibus, driven by the hippy husband of a woman I worked with, pulled up outside my house. I got in. We were off to see Bob Dylan at Blackbushe. From a few hundred people at the Bury St Edmunds Corn Exchange, to 200,000 in a Surrey aerodrome within the space of 24 hours.

Souvenirs of Blackbushe.

I'll no doubt write in a bit more detail about these two massively important gigs one day, but for now I'm just marveling at the ongoing ramifications of that 24 hour period. Over the next 6 years I saw The Clash a further 21 times. And Bob? So far I'm on around 56 shows - and of course I'm still hoping to add to that tally, next time he comes to town.

 --------------------------------

One of the self-imposed rules for this series is to exclude my all-time favourite artists, so no Bob or Clash tunes today. Instead, here's 'Where Were You?' by The Mekons, one of the truly great singles of the period and another song introduced to me by the late great Johnny P.

This Here Music, Mash Up the Nation - London Calling at 35

'London Calling' by The Clash was released 35 years ago this week. When discussing the album, I invariably paraphrase Brian Clough; 'I wouldn't say it's the best LP ever, but it's in the top one.'

Version City #26 - The Clash sing Sonny Okosun

If you'd've come round to my house in late 1978, chances are that one of the records on my turntable would've been 'Fire in Soweto' by Nigerian artist Sonny Okosun. It was a staple. So imagine my surprise (albeit 26 years later) to discover that The Clash demoed the very same song, retitled 'Where You Gonna Go (Soweto)', the following summer, for possible inclusion on 'London Calling'. A poor quality recording of that demo appeared on the 25th Anniversary edition of the album in 2004.

Should It Stay or Should It Go?

There's been some discussion of late, among the folks who gather at the old watering hole, concerning how we buy, store and even listen to music in 2013. We each have our own problems, solutions and suggestions in this regard, but the common thread that binds us is that we are all in it for the long haul. By whatever means necessary, we'll be grooving to our favourites and digging the new, until we drop.

My primary issue is one of space. I've no doubt that if I had the funds and enough square footage, I would have a music collection of John Peel proportions. In the real world, however, we have a front room that I have to occasionally remind myself actually is a room, so crammed is it with boxes of books, CD's, records and sundry other stuff accumulated along life's highway. It needs addressing, both to reclaim the room and to be able to unbox and enjoy the stuff we do have. To that end, I've purchased a 4tb external hard-drive and begun wading through CD's, ripping as I go. It's a bittersweet experience I can tell you, as nearly every one of them is a memory of some kind. My aim is to get the physical collection down to a manageable level while backing-up and dispatching what's not essential, though, as we all know, what might appear non-essential today may well be life-affirming tomorrow.

In my dreams....minus the carpet

On the subject of life-affirming, I had long ago discounted a purchase of the forthcoming Clash box-set on the grounds that a) it isn't as comprehensive as it could be, b) I have all the music on it (sometimes in multiple copies), c) the expense and d) the dimensions! It would take up a ton of potential shelf-space that I'm trying to free-up. I was pleased with my resolve and proud of my self-restraint. Then, a few days ago, the following footage appeared online.

Familiar stuff to the average Clash fan, but in drastically better quality than has previously been available. As I watched this glorious performance, two of the four songs played by the band on the US TV show 'Fridays' in April 1980, my resolve melted, my self-restraint ebbed away and I slipped, tripped and fell in love all over again. I ordered the box-set. Something slightly less life-affirming will have to go to make way for it.

Happy Birthday Joe

This is Radio Clash

While not wishing to become a permanent advert for the BBC, another short programme aired yesterday evening on Radio 4 that deserves wider recognition. Front Row dedicated it's entire ½ hour to The Clash, including a new interview with Mick, Paul and Topper, reunited to promote the forthcoming box set. In addition, fiery excerpts from a vintage Joe Strummer interview were also broadcast and, if you ask me, were worth the 30 minutes of your time alone.