The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 as a key player in the original wave of British punk rock. They also contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that emerged in the wake of punk and employed elements of a variety of genres including reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly. 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. Headon left the group in 1982 and internal friction led to Jones' departure the following year. The group continued with new members, but finally disbanded in early 1986.
John Graham Mellor, better known as Joe Strummer, was a British musician, singer, songwriter, composer, actor, and radio host who was best known as the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band The Clash. Formed in 1976, the Clash's second 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 had a far-reaching influence on rock music in general, especially alternative rock. Their music incorporated reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap and rockabilly.
The 101ers were a pub rock band from the 1970s playing mostly in a rockabilly style, notable as being the band that Joe Strummer left to join The Clash. Formed in London in May 1974, the 101ers made their performing debut on 7 September at the Telegraph pub in Brixton, under the name 'El Huaso and the 101 All Stars'. The name would later be shortened to the '101 All Stars' and finally just the '101ers'. The group played at free festivals such as Stonehenge, and established themselves on the London pub rock circuit prior to the advent of punk.
The Mescaleros were the British backing band for Joe Strummer, formed in 1999, which went on to make three albums prior to Strummer's death in 2002.
"I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, which went on to become a top-ten hit for the band in 1966. Their version of the song was ranked No. 175 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004, and the same year was named one of the 500 "Songs that Shaped Rock" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Streetcore is the third and final studio album by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros. The album was completed after the death of frontman Joe Strummer, primarily by Martin Slattery and Scott Shields, and released on 21 October 2003. The album marks the band's transition from their previous genre-bending work to a more straightforward rock album, reminiscent of Strummer's early work with The Clash. The album received a positive critical reception and is generally seen as a return to form and a high point for Strummer to have gone out on.
"Redemption Song" is a song by Bob Marley. It is the final track on Bob Marley and the Wailers' twelfth album, Uprising, produced by Chris Blackwell and released by Island Records. The song is considered one of Marley's greatest works. Some key lyrics derived from a speech given by the Pan-Africanist orator Marcus Garvey entitled "The Work That Has Been Done".
Global a Go-Go is the second album by Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, displaying trademark genre-melding folk-rock and Strummer's unique lyrical style. As the title suggests, there are world music influences on the album, mostly on the title track and "Bhindi Bhagee", a celebration of the "humble" but diverse and exciting ethnic and multi-cultural areas of London and other major cities. The album is heavy on acoustic instruments, especially in the instrumental "Minstrel Boy", a nearly 18-minute-long arrangement of a traditional Irish song. Other topics covered include Strummer's radio show, which was broadcast on the BBC World Service and left-wing political issues Strummer was well known for expounding as a member of The Clash. The album was well received by critics and fans, making much more of an impact than the group's previous effort Rock Art and the X-Ray Style. The title track, "Global A Go-Go", features backing vocals from longtime friend of Strummer, Roger Daltrey. Pete Townshend is also rumoured to be buried in the mix of "Minstrel Boy", but this has never been positively confirmed. The cover-art for the album was designed by Josh Shoes and Strummer.
Michael Geoffrey Jones is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known as the lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, co-founder and songwriter for The Clash until 1983. In 1984, he formed Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts. Jones has played with the group 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.
"White Riot" is a song by English punk rock band the Clash, released as the band's first single in March 1977 and also included on their self-titled debut album.
"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a 7-inch single, with the b-side "The Prisoner", on 16 June 1978 through CBS Records.
Tymon Dogg is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Dogg's career started early with shows at the Cavern and Peppermint Lounge in Liverpool when he was 15. As well as pursuing a solo career, he collaborated with many bands and musicians including The Clash, and was a member of Joe Strummer's last band, The Mescaleros.
Rock Art and the X-Ray Style is the debut album by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, released in 1999. This album featured the band in its first incarnation: Joe Strummer and Antony Genn on guitar and vocals, Martin Slattery playing keyboards and guitar, Steve "Smiley" Barnard on drums, Pablo Cook on other percussion instruments, and Scott Shields on bass. Richard Flack also did engineering on the album.
"English Civil War" is a song by English punk rock band the Clash, featured on their second album Give 'Em Enough Rope, and released as a single on 23 February 1979. It reached number 25 in the UK Singles Chart and number 29 in the Irish Singles Chart.
Rude Boy is a 1980 British film directed by Jack Hazan and David Mingay and filmed in 1978 and early 1979.
Let's Rock Again! is a music documentary film following Joe Strummer as he tours across the United States and Japan with his band the Mescaleros promoting their second album Global a Go-Go. The memoir was shot by filmmaker and longtime Strummer friend Dick Rude in the 18 months leading up to Strummer's death in 2002.
"Janie Jones" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It is the opening track on their eponymous debut album (1977). The song is named after Janie Jones, who was a famous madam in London during the 1970s and had been a pop singer during the 1960s.
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.
Live At Acton Town Hall is a live recording of Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros in performance at Acton Town Hall in London in 2002. It was first released in 2012 as a Record Store Day exclusive – a vinyl double LP in a limited number of 2,200 copies. The show was recorded directly off the mixing desk by fans who, with foreknowledge of Mick Jones' plans to attend, anticipated some kind of onstage reunion of the former Clash songwriting partners. The recording circulated for many years just amongst a small group of fans who knew of its existence before surfacing a decade later at Hellcat Records.
Joe Strummer 001 is a career-spanning compilation album by English musician Joe Strummer. The 32 song album was released on 28 September 2018 by Ignition Records and features 12 previously unreleased songs, as well as known favourites from his recordings with the 101ers, the Mescaleros and his extensive soundtrack work along with alternate versions of previously released songs. The album was preceded by the singles "London Is Burning", one of the last songs Strummer recorded before his death in 2002, and "Rose of Erin", an unreleased song used in the 1993 film When Pigs Fly.
