The Clash | |
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Background information | |
Origin | London, England |
Genres | Punk rock, post-punk |
Years active | 1976–1986 |
Past members | Joe Strummer Paul Simonon Mick Jones Terry Chimes Keith Levene Rob Harper Topper Headon Pete Howard Nick Sheppard Vince White |
The Clash were an English punk rock band formed in 1976 initially consisting of Joe Strummer (lead vocals, guitar), Mick Jones (lead vocals, lead guitar), Paul Simonon (bass guitar), Keith Levene (guitar) and Terry Chimes (drums and percussion). Levene was dismissed in September 1976 and went on to form Public Image Ltd. Terry Chimes performed intermittently as drummer for the first year of the band's existence, playing on the debut album. Topper Headon was recruited in May 1977 as the band's permanent drummer, forming the classic Clash line-up which would remain together until 1982.
Headon was dismissed in May 1982 due to drug addiction problems and Chimes returned in Headon's place. Headon had often acted as a mediating force between the two strong personalities in the band, Strummer and Jones, and in his absence the band began to disintegrate. In May 1983 Chimes left once more and was replaced by Pete Howard. In September 1983, Mick Jones was dismissed due to continued conflict and infighting. Vince White and Nick Sheppard were recruited by band manager Bernard Rhodes as guitarists to replace the departing Jones. The recording of their final album Cut the Crap was chaotic and there was little chemistry between the new group members and the remaining core of the band. Strummer left before it was completed, leaving the final mixes to Rhodes. After a short tour in support of the album in January 1985, the band went on hiatus, which became permanent when the band officially dissolved in 1986.
Images | Name | Time active | Main instruments | Occasional instruments | Release contributions | Notes |
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Joe Strummer | May 1976–1986 (died 2002) |
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| all Clash releases | Joe Strummer was a member of the original band formed in 1976, and remained with the band until they broke up in 1986, he died in 2002. | |
Paul Simonon | May 1976–1986 |
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| Paul Simonon was a member of the original band formed in 1976, and remained with the band until they broke up in 1986. | ||
Mick Jones | May 1976–September 1983 |
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| all Clash releases except Cut the Crap (1985) | Mick Jones was a member of the original band formed in 1976. He was dismissed from the band in September 1983 after his working relationship with Strummer stopped functioning. | |
Topper Headon | May 1977–May 1982 |
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| Topper Headon joined the band after being a self-described "journeyman" drummer. He realised the potential of the band and remained with them for four albums and a B-side compilation. He was dismissed from the band when his heroin addiction affected his reliability. | ||
Image | Name | Time active | Main Instruments | Release contributions | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Terry Chimes |
| drums |
| Terry Chimes was an on-off member of the initial line-up of the band. He left and then was recruited to record the debut album. He was omitted from the photo of it, because at that time he left. He was recruited again in 1982 when Topper Headon left because of drug addiction. He left the band the following year when he couldn't deal with infighting. | |
Keith Levene | May–September 1976 (died 2022) | lead and rhythm guitar | None | Keith Levene was a member of the original band. In early September 1976, he was dismissed from the Clash. Strummer would claim that Levene's dwindling interest in the band owed to his supposedly abundant use of speed, a charge Levene has denied. [1] (Levene and John Lydon, of the Sex Pistols, would form Public Image Ltd. in 1978.) He died in 2022. | |
Rob Harper | December 1976–January 1977 | drums | Rob Harper drummed for a while during the December tour. | ||
Pete Howard | May 1983–1986 | Cut the Crap (1985) | Pete Howard was drumming for the band during the final twilight years. | ||
Vince White | 1983–1986 | rhythm and lead guitar | Sheppard and White joined the band after Mick Jones was dismissed. | ||
Nick Sheppard |
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Image | Name | Time active | Main Instruments | Release contributions |
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Allen Lanier | 1978 | piano | Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978) | |
Stan Bronstein | saxophone | |||
Bob Andrews | keyboards | |||
Mickey Gallagher | 1979–1980 |
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| 1979 | horns | London Calling (1979) | |
Tymon Dogg | 1980–1982 |
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Norman Watt-Roy |
| bass guitar |
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J.P. Nicholson | 1980 | Sandinista! (1980) | ||
Davey Payne | saxophone | |||
Gary Barnacle | 1980–1982 |
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Arthur Edward Barnacle | 1980 | trumpet | Sandinista! (1980) | |
Rick Gascoigne | trombone | |||
Lew Lewis | harmonica | |||
Ellen Foley | 1980–1982 | vocals |
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Mikey Dread | 1980 |
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Band Sgt. Dave Yates | Sandinista! (1980) | |||
Den Hegarty | ||||
Luke & Ben Gallagher | ||||
Maria Gallagher | ||||
Ivan Julian | guitar | |||
Noel "Tempo" Bailey | ||||
Anthony Nelson Steelie | keyboards | |||
Style Scott | drums | |||
Jody Linscott | percussion | |||
Allen Ginsberg | 1981–1982 | vocals | Combat Rock (1982) | |
Futura 2000 | ||||
Kosmo Vinyl | ||||
Joe Ely | backing vocals | |||
Tommy Mandel | keyboards | |||
Hermann Weindorf | 1985 |
| Cut the Crap (1985) | |
Michael Fayne |
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Period | Members | Releases |
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May–September 1976 |
| None |
September–November 1976 |
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December 1976–January 1977 |
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February–May 1977 |
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May 1977 – May 1982 (Classic lineup) |
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May 1982 – May 1983 |
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May 1983–September 1983 |
| none – live shows only |
1983–1986 |
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The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements of reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly. The band also contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that followed. For most of their recording career, the Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon.
John Graham Mellor, known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash's second studio album, Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978), reached No. 2 on the UK charts. Soon after, they achieved success in the US, starting with London Calling (1979) and peaking with Combat Rock (1982), which reached No. 7 on the US charts and was certified 2× platinum there. The Clash's explosive political lyrics, musical experimentation, and rebellious attitude greatly influenced rock music in general, especially alternative rock. Their music incorporated punk with reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, and rockabilly.
Terence Chimes is an English musician, best known as the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again from May 1982 to February 1983 both preceding and succeeding his replacement Topper Headon. Chimes also drummed for Generation X from 1980 to 1981, Hanoi Rocks in 1985, and Black Sabbath from 1987 to 1988. In 2003, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Clash.
The Clash is the debut studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash, released on 8 April 1977 through CBS Records. Recorded and mixed over three weeks in February 1977 for £4,000, it would go on to reach No. 12 on the UK charts, and has been included on many retrospective rankings as one of the greatest punk albums of all time.
Give 'Em Enough Rope is the second studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash, released on 10 November 1978 through CBS Records. It was their first album released in the United States, preceding the US version of the self-titled studio album. The album was well received by critics and fans, peaking at number two in the United Kingdom Albums Chart, and number 128 in the Billboard 200. The album is tied with Combat Rock (1982) for being the highest-charting album for the Clash in their native United Kingdom.
Combat Rock is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Clash, released on 14 May 1982 through CBS Records. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number 2, spending 23 weeks in the UK charts and peaked at number 7 in the United States, spending 61 weeks on the chart. The album was propelled by drummer Topper Headon's "Rock the Casbah" which became a staple on the newly launched MTV. Combat Rock continued the influence of funk and reggae like previous Clash albums, but also featured a more radio-friendly sound which alienated Clash fans. While the recording process went smoothly, the producing process of the album was tiring and full of infighting between Mick Jones and Joe Strummer. Headon's heroin addiction grew worse and he slowly became distant from the band while Strummer and bassist Paul Simonon reinstated Bernie Rhodes as manager, a move unwelcomed by Jones. The band had disagreed on the creative process of the album and called in Glyn Johns to produce the more radio-friendly sound of Combat Rock. Lyrically, Combat Rock focuses on the Vietnam War, postcolonialism, the decline of American society, and authoritarianism.
Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon is an English drummer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer of punk rock band the Clash. Known for his contributions to the drumming world, Headon was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the Clash in 2003.
Cut the Crap is the sixth and final studio album by the English punk band the Clash, released on 4 November 1985 by CBS Records. It was recorded in early 1985 at Weryton Studios, Munich, following a turbulent period: co-founder, lead guitarist and co-principal songwriter Mick Jones and drummer Topper Headon had been dismissed by lead vocalist Joe Strummer and bassist Paul Simonon. Jones and Headon were replaced by three unknowns: guitarists Vince White and Nick Sheppard and drummer Pete Howard. During the tense recording sessions, Clash manager Bernie Rhodes and Strummer fought each other for control over the band's songwriting and musical direction.
From Here to Eternity: Live is a live album by English punk rock band The Clash, released on 4 October 1999 through Epic Records. The album's songs were selected from various Clash concerts recorded between 1977 and 1982. Some of the recordings featured also appear in the film Rude Boy (1980). "London's Burning", "What's My Name" and "I Fought the Law" were instrumentally overdubbed to repair some technical deficiencies of the original live recording.
"Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash, released in 1982 as the second single from their fifth album, Combat Rock. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and, along with the track "Mustapha Dance", it also reached number eight on the dance chart.
Michael Geoffrey Jones is a British musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as co-founder and lead guitarist of punk rock band the Clash, until his dismissal by frontman Joe Strummer in 1983. In 1984, he formed Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts. Jones has played with the band Carbon/Silicon along with Tony James since 2002 and was part of the Gorillaz live band for a world tour in 2010–2011. In late 2011, Jones collaborated with Pete Wylie and members of the Farm to form the Justice Tonight Band.
The Clash: Westway to the World is a 2000 documentary film about the British punk rock band The Clash. In 2003 it won the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.
"Complete Control" is a song by The Clash, released as a 7" single and featured on the U.S. release of their debut album.
Clash on Broadway is a box set compilation album by the English punk rock band the Clash, released on Legacy Records in 1991. It comprises 64 tracks on three compact discs, spanning the time period from their 1977 debut single, "White Riot", through the Combat Rock album of 1982. It does not include material from the band's final sessions led by Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon, resulting in the final album Cut the Crap (1985). It was initially released in longbox form.
"I'm So Bored with the U.S.A." is a song by British punk rock band the Clash, featured on their critically acclaimed 1977 debut album, which was released in the United States in July 1979 as their second album after Give 'Em Enough Rope. It was the album's third track in the original version and second in the US version.
Capital Radio is a song and an extended play by the English punk rock band the Clash. The original song has been included as "Capital Radio" or "Capital Radio One" on the Capital Radio EP (1977), Black Market Clash (1980), The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 (1988), Clash on Broadway (1991), From Here to Eternity: Live (1999), The Essential Clash (2003), and Singles Box (2006).
Peter Howard is an English rock drummer. He was a member of the Clash from 1983 until 1986.
Live at Shea Stadium is a live album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was recorded at Shea Stadium in New York City on 13 October 1982, the band's second night opening for The Who; the concert was produced by Kosmo Vinyl. The album features Terry Chimes on drums instead of Topper Headon, who was fired for heroin abuse earlier in the year. The original recordings were unearthed by Clash frontman Joe Strummer while packing for a move. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 6 October 2008 and in the United States the following day.
The Clash were an English rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk rock, they experimented with reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, The Clash consisted of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, and Paul Simonon, with Terry Chimes or Nicky "Topper" Headon on drums and percussion. The band features in several documentaries and other films.
"Garageland" is a song by English punk rock band The Clash featured as the final track for their 1977 debut album The Clash.