The clash

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The clash
Theclash-logo.svg
The Clash live in Oslo (1980)
The Clash live in Oslo (1980)
General information
origin London , England
Genre (s) Punk , new wave
founding 1976
resolution 1986
Website http://www.theclash.com/
Founding members
Joe Strummer († December 22, 2002)
Vocals, bass
Paul Simonon
Vocals, guitar
 Mick Jones (until 1983)
Vocals, guitar
 Keith Levene (1976)
Terry Chimes (1976, 1977, 1982-1983)
Last occupation
Vocals, guitar
 Joe Strummer †
Vocals, bass
 Paul Simonon
Guitar, vocals
 Nick Sheppard (from 1983)
guitar
 Vince White (from 1983)
Drums
 Pete Howard (from 1983)
former members
Vocals, drums
 Nicky "Topper" Headon (1977–1982)
Drums
 Rob Harper (1976-1977)

The Clash ( Engl. "The clash") was a British rock band that in 1976 in London was founded. The Clash is considered one of the most influential early punk bands alongside other groups like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols . They processed influences from reggae , folk and various pop music .

Band history

The Clash was formed in June 1976 in the first wave of the English punk movement in London. Paul Simonon and Mick Jones (both members of the band London SS ) were introduced to Joe Strummer , who was locally successful with the 101'ers at the time , on May 31 by their manager Bernie Rhodes . Keith Levene , who was initially supposed to be the second guitarist , said goodbye soon after the actual formation and later played with Johnny Rotten at Public Image Ltd. , a post-punk band. They found a drummer in Terry Chimes .

The Clash's first concert took place on July 4, 1976 as the opening act for the Sex Pistols . In February 1977 they signed a major contract with CBS Records , shortly afterwards the first single White Riot and the album The Clash were released , which became sales successes.

The contract with CBS later turned out to be a big mistake, as it required them to deliver eight albums. The band members later admitted that it was reckless to sign it. The Clash also agreed with their label to bring double or triple LPs to the market for their mostly youthful and therefore less affluent audience at a relatively low retail price. The loss of income was borne by the band, so that they did not earn a lot of money on some of their records, but initially - despite good sales figures - even owed their record company.

Shortly after their debut album, which was named after the band, Terry Chimes said goodbye and was replaced by Topper Headon .

The second album Give 'Em Enough Rope was released in November 1978. In July 1979, the American version of the debut album was released. In it three songs (including Protex Blue ) of the English version were exchanged. The highest position on the Billboard charts was 100th.

In December 1979 the most famous and successful album, London Calling , came out, followed by the much more experimental - and less successful - Sandinista in December 1980 ! followed. The Clash film "Rude Boy" was also released in 1979, in which the band played a part and several concert excerpts can be seen, including from their famous concert in London's Victoria Park. The film is about the porn seller Ray, who hangs out in the punk and skinhead scene, drinks beer and later hires The Clash as an unreliable roadie.

Then, in 1982, The Clash crashed. The manager Rhodes, who had been fired a few years earlier, was brought back on board by Strummer against Mick Jones' will. Disputes developed between the important band members. Yet their next release in May of the same year was hugely successful: Combat Rock contains their most famous classics, Should I Stay Or Should I Go? and Rock The Casbah . The album made it to number 2 in the UK and number 7 in America.

Shortly after the release, Topper Headon had to leave the band because of his heroin addiction. He was replaced again by Terry Chimes , who left again in 1983 and took his place Pete Howard. Mick Jones was also pushed out of the band by Strummer and Simonon, not least at the instigation of Rhodes.

The line-up of the last album Cut the crap , which was released in November 1985, consisted of Strummer, Simonon, Howard, the guitarist Nick Sheppard ( The Cortinas ) , who joined in 1983, and Vince White. The album reached number 16 in the UK charts.

The end

Joe Strummer (2001)

After a festival tour across Europe, Strummer called the members of the band together in the fall of 1985 and decided with them to break up the band.

In the spring of 1991, the title Should I Stay Or Should I Go once again enjoyed great popularity and topped the charts when it was used for an advertising campaign for the jeans brand Levi's .

In December 2002 Joe Strummer died of a congenital heart defect that was undetected during his lifetime.

In 2003, The Clash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .

influence

The band had a great influence on the further music scene. She influenced the later Britpop, particularly through the combination of catchy hooklines and an aggressive demeanor. The Manic Street Preachers in particular refer to the band, but also other alternative greats such as Green Day , The Levellers , U2 , The Cure or REM They also influenced the experimental sound of Manu Chao . Die Toten Hosen call themselves Clash fans and have covered songs by The Clash on various albums. They also dedicated the song Goodbye Garageland to Joe Strummer , the text of which consists mainly of quotations from various clash songs.

The Clash have been covered by various bands - for example, the Celtic punk rockers The Levellers covered “English Civil War” in 1994 - or, directly influenced (current examples are The Dead 60s , The Libertines or Hard-Fi ), what their influence on underpinned the music culture of the post-punk era and everything that followed. The Beatsteaks also dedicated their song "Hello Joe" to Joe Strummer. The American political and hardcore punk band Anti-Flag covered the clash hits "Should I Stay or Should I Go?", " I Fought the Law ", " London Calling ", "Clash City Rockers" and "Career Opportunities". The Algerian-French musician Rachid Taha published an alternative version of "Rock The Casbah" in 2004 - although Taha told the media that the piece originally came from him and that it came to The Clash via a demo recording.

The Rolling Stone listed the band is ranked 28 of the 100 greatest players of all time .

Song rights

The clash management registered the company Nineden Limited on January 31, 1977 , which belonged to the clash manager and the band members and administered both the incoming royalties and the general rights of the songs. The band thus owned their own music publisher and therefore retained commercial control over their material, unlike other artists.

Appearance of the band members on the studio albums

Band member album instrument
The clash Give 'Em Enough Rope London Calling Sandinista! Combat rock Cut the crap
Joe Strummer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Guitar, vocals
Paul Simonon Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Bass, vocals
Mick Jones Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Guitar, vocals
Topper Headon Yes (USA) Yes Yes Yes Yes No Drums, vocals
Keith Levene No No No No No No Guitar, vocals
Nick Sheppard No No No No No Yes Guitar, vocals
Vince White No No No No No Yes guitar
Terry Chimes Yes No No No No No Drums
Pete Howard No No No No No Yes Drums
Rob Harper No No No No No No Drums

Discography

Studio albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
DE DE AT AT CH CH UK UK US US
1977 The clash - - - UK12
gold
gold

(16 weeks)UK 		US126
gold
gold

(6 weeks)US
US version 1999: UK: silversilver; UK version 1999: UK:goldgold
1978 Give 'Em Enough Rope - - - UK14th
gold
gold

(2 weeks)UK 		US128 (10 weeks)
US
1979 London Calling - AT17 (2 weeks)
AT 		- UK9 (20 weeks)
UK 		US27
gold
gold

(33 weeks)US
1980 Sandinista! - - - UK19th
silver
silver

(9 weeks)UK 		US24
platinum
platinum

(20 weeks)US
1982 Combat rock - - - UK2
gold
gold

(22 weeks)UK 		US7th
Double platinum
× 2
Double platinum

(61 weeks)US
1985 Cut the crap - - - UK16
silver
silver

(3 weeks)UK 		US88 (12 weeks)
US
1999 London Calling - - - UK21st
platinum
platinum

(19 weeks)UK 		-

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

Compilations

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
DE DE AT AT CH CH UK UK US US
1980 Black Market Clash - - - UK74 (16 weeks)
UK 		-
1988 The Story of The Clash - Volume 1 DE53 (8 weeks)
DE 		- - UK7th
gold
gold

(20 weeks)UK 		-
1991 The Singles - - - UK68 (2 weeks)
UK 		-
1999 The Story of The Clash - Volume 1 - - - UK70 (2 weeks)
UK 		US-
platinum
platinum
US
From Here to Eternity - - - UK13
gold
gold

(5 weeks)UK 		US193 (1 week)
US
Live compilation
2003 The Essential Clash - - - UK18th
gold
gold

(4 weeks)UK 		US99 (2 weeks)
US
2004 London Calling 25th Anniversary - AT17 (2 weeks)
AT 		CH72 (1 week)
CH 		UK26th
silver
silver

(2 weeks)UK 		-
2005 The Singles - - - UK13
platinum
platinum

(9 weeks)UK 		-
Box set with all 7 "singles
2008 Live at Shea Stadium - - - UK31 (2 weeks)
UK 		US93 (2 weeks)
US
Live recording from 1982
2013 The Clash Hits Back - - - UK13
gold
gold

(3 weeks)UK 		-
Sound system - - - UK53 (1 week)
UK 		-

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

More compilations

  • 1992: Twelve Inch Mixes
  • 1993: Super Black Market Clash
  • 2000: Clash on Broadway
  • 2003: The Ultimate Collection (Best-Of-Album)

Singles

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
DE DE AT AT CH CH UK UK US US
1977 White Riot
 - - - UK38 (3 weeks)
UK 		-
Complete control - - - UK28 (2 weeks)
UK 		-
1978 Clash City Rockers
 - - - UK35 (4 weeks)
UK 		-
White Man In Hammersmith Palais
 - - - UK32 (7 weeks)
UK 		-
Tommy Gun
 - - - UK19 (10 weeks)
UK 		-
1979 English Civil War
 - - - UK25 (6 weeks)
UK 		-
The Cost of Living EP
 - - - UK22 (8 weeks)
UK 		-
London Calling
 - - - UK11 (10 weeks)
UK 		-
1980 Train in Vain
 - - - - US23 (14 weeks)
US
Bank robbers
 - - - UK12 (10 weeks)
UK 		-
The Call Up
 - - - UK40 (6 weeks)
UK 		-
1981 Hitsville UK
 - - - UK56 (4 weeks)
UK 		-
The Magnificent Seven
 - - - UK34 (5 weeks)
UK 		-
This Is Radio Clash
 - - - UK47 (6 weeks)
UK 		-
1982 Know your rights
 - - - UK43 (3 weeks)
UK 		-
Rock the Casbah
 - - - UK30 (10 weeks)
UK 		US8 (24 weeks)
US
Should I Stay Or Should I Go
 - - - UK17 (9 weeks)
UK 		US45 (23 weeks)
US
1985 This Is England
 - - - UK24 (5 weeks)
UK 		-
1988 I Fought the Law
 - - - UK29
silver
silver

(6 weeks)UK 		-
London Calling
 - - - UK46 (3 weeks)
UK 		-
Republication
1990 Return to Brixton
 - - - UK57 (2 weeks)
UK 		-
1991 Should I Stay or Should I Go
 DE5 (20 weeks)
DE 		AT5 (12 weeks)
AT 		CH4 (20 weeks)
CH 		UK1
platinum
platinum

(9 weeks)UK 		-
Republication
Rock the Casbah
 - - - UK15th
gold
gold

(6 weeks)UK 		-
Republication
London Calling
 - - - UK64
gold
gold

(2 weeks)UK 		-
Republication

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

More singles

  • 1977: Remote Control
  • 1991: Train in Vain (re-release)

Video albums

  • 1999: Westway to the World (UK:goldgold)
  • 2005: Rude Boy - The Movie (UK:platinumplatinum)

literature

  • Barry Miles : The Clash. Omnibus Press, London 1980, ISBN 0-86001-803-2 .
  • Pennie Smith : The Clash Before After. Photographs. Eel Pie Publishing, London 1980, ISBN 0-906008-23-9 .
  • John Tobler, Barry Miles: The Clash. A Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press, London 1983, ISBN 0-7119-0288-7 .
  • Barry Miles, John Tobler, Mal Peachey: The Clash. The New Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press, London et al. 1992, ISBN 0-7119-3004-X .
  • Julian L. Yewdall: Joe Strummer with The 101'ers & The Clash. 1974-1976. Image Direct, London 1992, ISBN 0-9519216-0-6 .
  • Marcus Gray: Last Gang in Town. The Story and Myth of the Clash. Fourth Estate, London 1995, ISBN 1-85702-146-0 .
  • Paul Du Noyer: The Clash. Modern icons. Virgin Publishing, London 1997, ISBN 1-85227-604-5 .
  • Johnny Green, Garry Barker: A Riot of Our Own. Night and Day with the Clash. Faber & Faber, New York NY 1999, ISBN 0-571-19957-7 .
  • David Quantick: The Clash. Thunder's Mouth Press, New York NY 2000, ISBN 1-56025-269-3 .
  • Marcus Gray: The Clash. Return of the last gang in town. New edition. Helter Skelter, London 2001, ISBN 1-900924-16-1 .
  • Bob Gruen : The Clash. Vision On, London 2001, ISBN 1-903399-33-5 .
  • Keith Topping: The Complete Clash. Reynold & Hearn, Richmond 2003, ISBN 1-903111-70-6 .
  • Alan Parker: Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg. Abstract Sounds, London 2004, ISBN 0-9535724-9-8 .
  • Antonio D'Ambrosio: Let Fury Have the Hour. The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer. Nation Book, New York NY 2004, ISBN 1-56025-625-7 .
  • Kris Needs: Joe Strummer And The Legend of The Clash. Plexus Publishing, London 2005, ISBN 0-85965-348-X .
  • Pat Gilbert: Passion Is A Fashion. The real story of the clash. Da Capo Press, Cambridge MA 2005, ISBN 0-306-81434-X .
  • Tony Fletcher: The Clash. The Complete Guide to Their Music. Omnibus Press, London et al. 2005, ISBN 1-84449-506-X .
  • Chris Salewicz: Redemption Song. The Ballad of Joe Strummer. Faber & Faber, New York NY 2006, ISBN 0-571-21178-X .
  • Nick Johnstone : The Clash "Talking". Omnibus Press, London 2006, ISBN 1-84609-400-3 .
  • Vince White: Out Of Control. The Last Days Of The Clash. Moving Target, London 2007, ISBN 978-0-9555038-0-1 .
  • Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon: The Clash. Atlantic Books, London 2008, ISBN 978-1-84354-788-4 .

Web links

Commons : The Clash  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

swell

  1. ↑ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Clash in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  2. ↑ Nuclear fusion , Robin Denselow, The Guardian, May 28, 2001 (Eng.)
  3. ↑ 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone , December 2, 2010, accessed August 8, 2017 .
  4. ^ [1] Companies House entry + Pat Gilbert: Passion Is A Fashion (page 138)
  5. ↑ a b c chart sources:
  6. ↑ Music Sales Awards: UK US