Jail Guitar Doors

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"Jail Guitar Doors"
Song by The Clash
from the album The Clash (U.S. edition)
ReleasedJuly 1979 (1979-07)
RecordedOctober & November 1977
Genre Punk rock
Length3:05
Label CBS
Songwriters
Producers

"Jail Guitar Doors" is a song by the Clash, recorded during October and November 1977 and released on 17 February 1978 as the B-side of their fourth single, "Clash City Rockers". The song is featured on the US release of their debut album, [1] as well as on the 1993 compilation album Super Black Market Clash [2] and the 2006 Singles Box compilation. [3]

Contents

The song began life as "Lonely Mother's Son" by Joe Strummer's former band the 101ers, sharing the same chorus, which begins, "Clang clang go the jail guitar doors."[ citation needed ] The song opens with the lines, "Let me tell you 'bout Wayne and his deals of cocaine", referencing the imprisonment of MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer for cocaine possession. [4] The second verse line, "And I'll tell you 'bout Pete, didn't want no fame", refers to Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, while the third verse line, "And then there's Keith, waiting for trial", refers to the way friends of Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards treated him while he awaited trial for a drug-related arrest. [5] Kramer later performed "Jail Guitar Doors" in concert. [6]

Jail Guitar Doors initiative

Named after the Clash song, Jail Guitar Doors is an independent initiative set up by Billy Bragg with the aim of providing musical equipment for the use of inmates serving time in prisons and funding individual projects such as recording sessions in UK prisons and for former inmates throughout the United Kingdom. Jail Guitar Doors, USA is an independent initiative set up by Bragg, Wayne Kramer and Margaret Saadi Kramer in the United States in 2009. [7] Jail Guitar Doors aims to provide musical instruments to inmates across the United States, assists in coordinating volunteer teaching programmes, and organises prison outreach programmes. JGD advances new solutions to diminish prison violence and works towards policy reform. [8] [9] [10] [11] Wayne Kramer and Jail Guitar Doors USA volunteers visited their 100th prison on 8 September 2017. [12]

Notes

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Clash [US] - The Clash". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Super Black Market Clash - The Clash". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  3. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Singles [Box Set] - The Clash". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  4. ↑ "OUR STORY". jailguitardoors.org. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  5. ↑ Kocher, Frank (February 2017). "Jail Guitar Doors: Rob Bird's Musical Prison Quest". San Diego Troubadour . Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  6. ↑ Video on YouTube
  7. ↑ "Wayne Kramer on Jail Guitar Doors: 'We have no shortage of prisons'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Bragg, Billy. "Jail Guitar Doors". jailguitardoos.org.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  9. ↑ Topping, Alexandra (7 July 2007). "Rock stars urge prisoners to escape through music". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. OCLC   8082962 . Retrieved 30 December 2007. Bragg and ex-Clash member offer inmates guitars and a chance to change their lives
  10. ↑ "BBC - Berkshire - Entertainment - Something to Bragg about" (SHTML). BBC Berkshire Website. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  11. ↑ "BBC - Berkshire - Local bands - Jail Guitar Doors Campaign" (SHTML). BBC Berkshire Website. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  12. ↑ "Wayne Kramer and Jail Guitar Doors Charity Bring Music to 100th Prison – California Rocker". Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.

References

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