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.
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side. It crosses various genres including funk, reggae, jazz, gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, disco, and rap. For the first time, the band's traditional songwriting credits of Strummer and Jones were replaced by a generic credit to the Clash. The band agreed to a decrease in album royalties in order to release the 3-LP at a low price.
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.
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.
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.
Mescalero is a main subdivision of the Apache Native American nation.
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.
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.
Scott Shields is a Scottish film composer, musician and record producer, best known as a member of Joe Strummer's band The Mescaleros.
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.
Martin Paul Slattery is an English multi-instrumentalist and composer.
Antony Genn is a British musician formerly in Pulp.
The Hours are an English rock band, formed in 2004 by Antony Genn and Martin Slattery.
Meeting Joe Strummer is a two-handed play by Paul Hodson
Distractions is the third release on Fat Wreck Chords by punk band The Loved Ones. It is an EP that consists of three original songs and three covers. The covers are "Johnny 99" by Bruce Springsteen from his 1982 album Nebraska, "Lovers Town Revisited" from Billy Bragg's 1983 album Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy, and "Coma Girl" by Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros from their 2003 album Streetcore. "Spy Diddley" and "Lovers Town Revisited" are taken from the band's Keep Your Heart album sessions.
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 & the Mescaleros: The Hellcat Years is a MP3 digital download album consisting of the entire remastered catalog of music that was recorded by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros during their tenure with Hellcat Records from 1999 to 2003.
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.
