The Clash
As vibrant and readily distinguished in nature as they were, this English rock band became recognized as one of the most original bearers of British punk rock. There were other staunch bands that had emerged before they did, but The Clash earned themselves a reputation of being one of the ardent minds through which British rock music evolved.
Despite the group’s sole nature to release songs and albums that had political and social lyrical influences, they employed versatility in their musical style and genre, from the Jamaican originated genres of Reggae and Ska, to the subgenre Dub, a part of electronic music principally consisting of instrumentals blends of recordings in existence, to the African American genre of Funk.
Primarily characterized as a punk rock band, The Clash did not last long in their musical career. For the most part of their existence, however, they earned the respect of music lovers as one of the few groups that meant something to the Rock N’ Roll community.
The line-up for the group included the following:
- John Graham Mellor(songwriter, rhythm guitarist & co-lead vocalist), popularly known as Joe Strummer
- Michael Geoffrey Jones (lead guitarist, songwriter and co-lead vocalist)
- Julian Keith Levene (guitarist & composer)
- Paul Gustave Simonon (bassist)
- Nicholas Bowen Headon also known as Nicky “Topper” Headon
- Drummer Rob Harper
- Drummer Terence Chimes.
Subsequently, there were other members that joined the group including Nick Sheppard(lead guitarist), Peter Howard (drummer), and Gregory Stuart Lee White (guitarist) well known as Vince White. Some members of the band left at the beginning of the formation, others in the middle of its existence, and others stayed with the band till its disbandment in early 1986.
Achievements
The Clash released their first album a year after their formation in 1977. Its commercial success was so swift that their third album London Calling earned substantial popularity in the UK and the United States in December 1979.
Rolling Stone magazine declared “London Calling”, the best album of the 1980s almost a decade afterward.
They continued on the road of success to release their fifth studio album, Combat Rock on May 14th, 1982, which swept the No. 2 spot on the UK charts and stayed on the charts for 23 weeks.
It also reached No.7 on the US charts and remained there for approximately 61 weeks. Combat Rock also earned a double-platinum certification in the US and ranks as the band’s best-selling album.
The punk rock band was ranked number 28 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” in 2004. They were inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
Their influence can be felt in numerous American political punk bands including Green Day, Bad Religion, Rise Against, Rancid, NOFX, among others.
Facts about The Clash
Since The Clash’s formation in 1976 in London, the group has encountered several fascinating events that are not commonly known to fans. A few of these are listed below:
The Clash’s musical career produced many more garage bands in the UK and across Ireland. The group’s benefaction to the British punk industry motivated many other upcoming bands to indulge in numerous pop-oriented styles.
The band’s double A-single “Should I Stay or Should I Go” which was released in 1982 was written by Mick Jones about his then-girlfriend Ellen Foley, an American actress and singer.
“Should I Stay or Should I Go” was featured in episodes of the Netflix drama series, Stranger Things (2016).
As a new band that had only played thirty gigs in a year and a half of their career, they got signed to the eminent worldwide record label, Columbia Records. Columbia signed them on January 25, 1977 for a whooping £100,000 contract. The terms of their contract were considered nearly impossible for any band at that time.
The band’s self-titled debut album The Clash which was released in 1977 was not allowed its release by the American CBS record in America. Hence, it was treated as an import from the UK.
Despite the band’s inability to release their debut album in the USA, they sold over 100,000 copies in the country making them the largest selling import album of their time.
The Clash were the first white band ever to be painted on the wall of the famous Jamaican record producer, Lee “Scratch” Perry in Jamaican, which was very unusual at that time.
In the ten year- lifespan of the group, bassist Paul Simonon had been the only consistent member of the band until its disbandment.
The band’s first scheduled gig was prohibited by the authorities before they even got the chance to perform.
Simonon only started playing the bass because he found it difficult to learn how to play the lead guitar when Mick Jones was trying to teach him. Paul admitted that he found the bass guitar to be an easier option because it only had four strings, as compared to the six strings on the lead guitar.
In the early stages of the band’s career, they were very broke.
In All…
The Clash was one of the most exciting and combustible bands of their time; playing an important role in shaping the punk movement in Britain. The band members, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones’s exceptional lyrical and composing styles have consistently remained prominent in the hearts of their fans to date.
Famous The Clash Songs
Below are some of the top songs by The Clash:
- “White Riot”
- “Train in Vain”
- “Tommy Gun”
- “This Is Radio Clash”
- “This Is England”
- “The Magnificent Seven”
- “The Call Up”
- “Straight to Hell”
- “Somebody Got Murdered”
- “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
- “Rudie Can’t Fail”
- “Rock the Casbah”
- “Remote Control”
- “Police on My Back”
- “London Calling“
- “Know Your Rights”
- “I Fought the Law”
- “Hitsville U.K.”
- “Groovy Times”
- “English Civil War”
- “Complete Control”
- “Clash City Rockers”
- “Clampdown”
- “Bankrobber”
- “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais”
