Letters

Write to SOUNDS, Spotlight House, 1 Benwell Road, London, N7 7AX.

The awakening of Julie
I spent a long time thinking about The Clash. I fell head over heels for The Damned and their music, had no time to think, had no reason to, they are so bloody great. To me, they were/are exciting, loony, and their music and newness was everything, everything I wanted and could have both, and so that was it. Pure excitement, no worries just freedom and that was it. I mean they are brilliant.

But The Clash were different, more than just new and energetic musicians, these were talking about people, making statements, had views on life (not that The Damned haven't), but The Clash really kept on, and I had to stop to listen, cause I knew I'd just be posing if I went in and went crazy about the music, without being sincere. (I couldn't have gone to see them without understanding them).

So I read up on them as much as I could, thought a lot about what they were saying, and what others were saying, and what the others were like. And I started to look at what The Clash were trying to show me, I looked at people, in the street, in the buildings everywhere, and I swear I really began to understand, to see.

I've started to form opinions for myself instead of just following what everyone else is saying. I don't agree with everything, and don't understand everything. Cause sometimes what I see about me is so thick with the crap in people's minds.

Take this racist thing. It really is the first time it's been questioned to me, and I thought about it, and suddenly my brain screamed, "We all gotta live, right? And we all gotta right to live." What's the matter with everyone, why don't they wake up?

And the way I'm treated in some places, like work. Just because I'm young, given all the crappy work to do, what others won't, cause they think I won't complain. And people sit in their boring lives shouting age-old lines about subjects they won't review for themselves, they follow everyone else, and everyone is just following words that were spoken years ago.

I'm only 16, and I'm only just realising what life's about. I'm glad I got people like The Clash to show me, and The Damned, cause I'd have a tough time on my own, and I wouldn't be seein' it through my own eyes. It'd just be what the others wanted me to see, wanted me to be.

Last year it was just music and clothes, but we gotta live too, right?

As the dawn of realisation breaks within my head, I'm seein' so much more, and a lot of it makes me angry.
Julie Deadman, Orpington, Kent.

Disco boy
The DJ at the Aberdeen Clash gig would like to set the record straight with G. the Wop. I was told to play a record immediately after the band's encore by the guy behind the mixer (might even have been Bernard Rhodes himself). And it wasn't through the PA it was through my own gear. I find it interesting that the Steve Miller Band at 100 watts can subdue a Clash audience. Anyway, the Subway Sect, The Clash were great and I'm going out to get drunk.

Jon Travsdale, Please Yourself Mobile Discotheque, Aberdeen.

Woking's burning
I feel I must protest at the headline that previewed your review of the new Jam album. Here in Woking we are proud and somewhat privileged that such an excellent band as The Jam should have emanated from a town like ours. Your paper did much to dispel this fact by implying that the band's origins were in Weybridge, a small town about six miles away. The band were born in Woking, educated in Woking, and formed in Woking. Credit where credit is due my dear sir.

The Mayor, Woking, Surrey.

Fun, fun, fun
What can I say about Brum? I missed The Clash as the kid who was gonna put me up failed to turn up, so I caught the train home. Had nowhere to stay all night did I? It was a non-event.

As for the wavers (not mere 'kids' in my eyes) Brummie youth sports plastic sandals (for the girls wild make-up) with Captain Sensible shades (that I can never get hold of) in abundance, red, yellow, pink and green! Hey reader, gotta pair you don't want? Before you go, oh no! So/too outrageous. This is Brum and not London.

Being among this wildly clad clan made me think, reminisce over the fun we all had before shades, coloured hair etc, over the mess you're making of N. wave. Its youth gave me a piece/feeling of fun to take back home with me.

Just to see the marvellous way they turned out to support the cause stirred up the old feeling, the freedom of dressing how you want. Don't be dictated to by some out of touch 'figure'. Let's bring back fun fun fun fun fun before us punx bore ourselves to death.
Arcane Vendetta, editor of London These Things fanzine.

We want knockers
Do us a favour, stop giving us crap posters of pathetic punks and concentrate on posters of real musicians/singers (especially ladies with large knockers, from jam commercials). Gee thankya.
Spiney Anteater, Brentwood.
Uh, anything for you Spiney, Sir.

They're not so tough
After reading in a music paper that the West End teddy boys were attacking punk rockers, I can assure all punks that teds are about as tough as a piece of runny s. I know this is a fact because my three year old brother and I took on 27 of them in the public toilets where I spent my holidays. We drowned 12 of them in the toilets before running out of lip bits. Then I strangled another five of them with a piece of soggy toilet paper and then I threatened to do something on their drainpipes, which scared the rest of them off.

The Prime Minister, Buckingham Palace, Moscow, Hampshire, America.

PS. Believe it or not this is a false address so you wouldn't find out my name is Peter King and that I live in Winchester. This is the 379th time I have written to you this month and I haven't got a letter published, so oblige or I will pop round on my skateboard and sort you out!

You are exaggerating of course. Aren't you? Ah, tell your brother to put me down will you. I'll burn me drapecoat, honest.

Barry joins the other morons
Just who the hell does Barry Cain think he is? His review of Neil Sedaka's LP A Solo Concert just shows how fast he is joining the rest of your moron staff. I have been thinking for some time whether to cancel my RM order and now I will.

Jane Carter, Higher Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside.

PS. Barry Cain must be a punk rocker.
Sorry you're going. Pity you'll miss our marvellous coverage of Mr S in future. Actually Barry is a bit of an old hippy, but don't let on, it would ruin his cool image. (What cool image?)

What happened to Slik?
Look, forget about these rotten punks, Clash, John Rotten, The Silly Buggers and I don't know who, and tell me whatever happened to that fantastic and good looking group Slik?
Jeanette Ellis, Greenwich, SE London.
Perhaps they grew up.

Record Mirror, June 25, 1977 LETTERS PAGE:

Write to Mailman, Record Mirror, Spotlight House, 1 Benwell Road, London N7 7AX

Punk – it's a real killer
Johnny Rotten: what have I done to start all these letters coming in?
After reading that letter in Mailman last week, sent in by that cretin Chris Tomlin I would just like to say I think punk rock is a real killer! It expresses itself quite openly, no crap about how wonderful and romantic the world is, just pure facts. I think the Sex Pistols, The Jam etc should not be slagged – but worshipped for speaking openly. Here's one RM reader who's willing to buy two copies of the mag weekly (so you won't lose that imbecile's money! And congratulations on producing the world's greatest mag. Keep it up kids.
A fan from Kenton, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
How about making it eight copies?

Do you understand?
They can smash up their telephone boxes. You can't break The Heartbreakers. Or laugh off The Ramones. Sex Pistols are banging. Rod are having Damned good Clash with plenty of Jam on it. Household names are the essence. Who can Strangle that.
Jimmy Kerr, Springboig, Glasgow.
Or indeed understand it?

Variety is the spice of life
In the two and a half years I have been getting RM I have never been angered so much. How dare that unmentionable creature (Chris Tomlin) have the nerve to complain about this paper. If he's read past the first few pages where the new wave bands were featured he would see this is the only music paper that offers a variety of different appeals in music, soul, punk, disco, reggae, rock and roll and sometimes even MOR. Name any music of current popularity and it will probably be featured in RM. If he reads back at old copies of RM he will see that Rod Stewart has had three or four colour posters (three in the last year in fact, Mailman) and the punks have only had two. Why doesn't he clear off and read another paper and leave this to people who really want to read it. He'll soon come crawling back. If the paper did not go with the times, I for one would not read it. Where the paper loses old men, it gains more young readers which I'm sure the editor would prefer to have.
John Galligan, West-Malling, Kent.
We love ya

It's what you want
I'm writing this in reply to Chris Tomlin who asks: "What's the bloody idea of having these so called new wave bands featured in this paper every week?" I'll tell him what the idea is – it's what the buying public want. Record Mirror has never been in better form and it caters for all tastes in music. And another thing, I don't suppose RM gives a damn whether people like CT of Swadlincote buy their paper or not. Thanks for the smashing interview last week with the Sex Pistols.
Claire, Aberporth, Dyfed.

Play the B side
Instead of banning the Sex Pistols' God Save The Queen on radio, why not play the B side instead? Like when they played Go Buddy Go by The Stranglers instead of Peaches. What's the point in having a record chart if they can't stick to it. This record is the best-selling single this year, so why ignore it? The DJs should play what we want, not what they want, after all it's the people who buy the records. We can't see what all the fuss is about. Any other time no-one takes any notice of the Queen, but just because it's the Jubilee they all change. If they don't like the record, they can switch off. Punk rock is here to stay so why not enjoy it? Keep putting it in your paper.
Kings Irene and Roger, K Norton, Birmingham.

Just ordinary people
Thank you for the interview with the Sex Pistols (RM June 11th). It simply confirmed my opinion of them as ordinary people who are trying to make relevant comments about society, but who have tripped over their secondary school education on the way. Let me first state I like music as diverse as The Ramones to The Supremes and keep an open mind about all music. However, I feel that someone should tell the Sex Pistols to belt up or think before they speak. Sure, I think the Pistols do have many relevant social comments but the sooner they start arguing about them intelligently and leaving the Queen out of their criticisms, the better it'll be (because like it or not, the Queen is still more popular than Johnny Rotten). Then they'll find the youth of Britain is behind them.
An intelligent punk loyalist, Watford.
Didn't know there was such a species. Come back in a year when I've worked it out.

This is our turn
To all the moaners, leave RM alone. Punk is good, the words mean something. RM is the best when it comes to crazes. You've had Abba, the Rollers, Bowie and T Rex. Now it's our turn.
Mark Redding, Newbury, Berkshire.

A surprise on the tube
First of all let me say I'm not a punk rocker, nor a punk hater. But I thought the interview with the Sex Pistols was very funny and agreeable at the same time. Also I thought you gave Chris Tomlin a great lecture about his biased letter. Lastly I'd like to thank the person who three years ago left a copy of Record Mirror on a tube train from Caledonian Road station. I've bought every one since.
Trev, of Whitney fame, London.
As it's so near the office, it was probably one of the staff (drunk again!)

First cut is the deepest
I am writing in admiration of the way you skilfully handled the letters from Chris Tomlin and someone called Samantha. I thought such sharp wit had died out with the Black Death. You're not a relation of Malcolm Muggeridge by any chance are you? With such a command of hyperbole, satire and sarcasm it's a wonder you get anyone writing to

What do you eat for breakfast? Broken glass?
Keith Brett, Adeyfield, Hemel Hempstead.
Yeah, and if this is supposed to be sarcastic, how'd you like to be force-fed?

Punk this, punk that
I agree with Chris Tomlin (he's getting more mentions than the Pistols – Ed). Record Mirror used to be good, fab, even great, but now it's gone punk mad. Punk this, punk that, I wish they would punk off. Also I think Rosalind Russell's opinions of records is lousy. God save the Queen and long live the New Musical Express. Who? – Ed).
Mike Carr, Manchester.
I don't think you're too spectacular either, sweetheart – RR

Send Pistols to Uganda
The Sex Pistols must be very sick people to insult our Queen. At least she is not like that pig Idi Amin. She could be evil and send plotters to be shot. She doesn't 'cos some of us are civilised people. Send the Pistols to Uganda.
Colin Allen, Broxbourne, Herts.
You'll have to lay off watching the news, Col, you're going over the top.

Is it moron rock?
It's about time some of your readers (the young) learned what the true definition of music really is – the sweet sounds of decent, understandable lyrics. Not punk groups with their monotonous noise row they call music. This can only be described as moron rock.
R. Breach, Kenley, Surrey.
Blimey, you sound like my dad.

Cancel this one
The excruciatingly biased opinion of your journalists in favour of the Sex Pistols (when most of us common people can see them for what they really are – loud mouthed and obscene) has led me to an inescapable decision. After several years of loyalty I have cancelled my order for Record Mirror. I am not a particularly patriotic sort of person, but applaud the decision of the BBC and the IBA in not allowing the single airplay.
D. Robinson, Maidstone, Kent.
Byeee!

Keeping it clean
I have to agree with Chris Tomlin (him, again??? – MM). You have now lost 30p. And what do you mean saying punk rock is music? Even a three-eyed moron could play better than any of them. So you can keep your paper and shove it where you would put this paper.
C. Pitt, Hampshire.
I'm glad we're losing the kind of unrefined person that sends toilet paper through the post.

Having doubts
Quite recently I've begun to have doubts about you and your comrades on RM. I now believe it's because you lot are always interviewing those greasy, dozy slobs the Sex Pistols and that you're a bunch of puffs (SIC). If it wasn't for the publicity you give them in your 'Sex Pistols Weekly' they'd be unheard of. I dare say they'd still be licking the dirt off the streets of London's East and West Ends. The thought of the Sex Pistols makes me puke. If this carries on you'll lose another buyer and you're not getting my address.
Furious Sex Pistols Hater, Co. Durham.
Why have you got an obsession with puffs?

Punk Mirror
Come off it Record Mirror. I can remember when you were a decent music paper. You should be given the new title Punk Mirror as each week there's more than enough about punk rock. Don't forget there's some of us who're not into that trash. Brighten up your paper with a poster of Liverpool Express, or do they have too much talent for your paper?
Ian, Ayrshire.
No, it's not that – how about this week's punk poster instead?

Involves no art
We read your newspaper every week and we enjoy most of the articles. However, we do not support your extensive coverage of punk rock. Punk rock is to music what the hippy is to society. It is a type of music which involves no art or creation of any kind. It is merely a form of rebellion against conventional music by the people who cannot compose creatively themselves. If the current charts are spiced with punk records this is only because it is a new form of sound and at the moment it is provoking controversy. Fortunately, it is a passing phase which will sink without trace when the public inevitably realise they are being deceived. Punk rock is not a new wave of music. Punk rock is bunk.
Harvie Diamond and Pete Lockhart, Southpark Road, Ayr.
That's what our own Robin Smith said about The Beatles a hundred years ago.

Money for nothing
Seeing as punk rock is the latest thing (which I don't like) people should not put it down. But I can't understand why people put up with the Sex Pistols. Apart from looking like a set of bloody fairies, they've made all that money for doing nothing. Long live Quo!
Quo Freak, Torquay.
Yes, Quo and anyone else who sells records, including the Pistols.

You can keep it
As I live in Aberdeen I do not get the chance to see many groups. I have, however, seen Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Jam and The Clash. If these are the best groups punk rock can offer then you can keep it. At last the public are recognising Genesis – at least they can play their instruments and sing. And they don't make insulting records against the Queen. Although the English will not believe it, the Scottish National Party does not want independence from the Queen, only the English government.
Hamish McTavish, Powis, Aberdeen.
Just remember who cut whose head off.

Short
You've really done it this time. If Rock Follies isn't rock, what the hell is it? I've just got the LP and I think it's brilliant. Ask that Shella Prophet to listen to it again will you. As for calling RM Punk Weekly, I think it's a fab idea and I'm going to join Chris Tomlin, you're gonna be 30p short next week.
J. O'Connor, Whetstone, London N20.
Another one bites the dust.

Pig
I'm fed up with Jim Evans (Is he a male chauvinist pig?) (Yes – RR and SP). (Definitely – JE). It's not my fault he was born deaf. Why doesn't he retire?
Sue Haines, Freckleton, Preston, Lancs.
Pardon? JE

WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

SO WHAT'S THE bloody idea of having these called 'new wave bands' featured in this paper every single week? Every time I see a picture my blood boils at these low form creatures. If they appear like this in your paper again then that's one more sale lost.

The only good thing about your paper (oughtn't you call it Punk Weekly'") is the charts as it's the only one with the radio charts. But bloody hell, why change the layout? It's just downright stupid. So count your money cause in one week's time you'll be 15p short

Chris Tomlin, Shakes-peare Close, Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

Complaining little bugger ain't ya. Okay, you maybe entitled to your opinion but before you stop buying the paper have a quick glance at the charts and you'll find albums and singles by the Sex Pistols, Stranglers, Clash. Jam, Heart breakers. So tell me how you're gonna ignore it?

There's far too much prejudice amongst pop fans and this page bears that out. Why the hang up? It's only music after all. Don't take things so seriously, then you might even begin to enjoy what's happening. Be sides, you've got nothing to shout about. Didn't Jack Bodell come from Swadlincote.

Bristol THE CORTINAS

THE CORTINAS Nick Sheppard

WELL, YOU'RE a schoolboy in Bris-tol, a pretty well off schoolboy at that.

But that's boring ring y'know, so to alleviate the damage you form a band playing Dr Feel-good rip offs That gets boring too. Then you see the Sex Pistols.

So now you got directions sonny But you don't wanna be another voidoid and legless fascimile. That's no fun my babe. How can you write songs about dole delights when you're sunbathing in your own spacious garden?

The Cortinas' di-lemma? Not really. They don't inflict them-selves with fake identi-ties, just cigarette burns on the arm. The elevator high class structure has ensconced them firmly on the second floor and they have no particular desire to walk down.

An all embracing blanket sensing 'I'm so poor' stance is out. The false idol purveyors of the new/now musiccan go hang themselves. But I disappear up my own garrulous black hole

The Cortinas are Jeremy 'Fatty Potato' Valentine vocals, Dex-ter 'The doctor said I'm the most unhealthy teenager he's ever examined Dalwood bass, Nick Sheppard guitar. Mike Fewins lead guitar, Danny Swan drums

We're in the living room of Danny's dad's house. The band have just played an open air festival in a Bristol park Abysmal set thanks to almost non existent PA Okay. I'll say cheerio now and leave you with the boys.

"A lot of Danny people in London get the impression that we're a bunch of square kids just because we happen to be middle class. Okay, we known punk is essentially a working class thing but that doesn't mean to say we can't have a place in it as well."

"Lower Jeremy class kids are bored kids All they seem to want is football on Saturday afternoons and afterwards got out and get drunk. They don't want to think about things. It's always been down to the middle class kids to say whatever they want."

Nick "The hard up kids haven't had a chance. They've been indoctrinated since the day they were born. They don't need any-thing, their life is planned.

Danny "Working class kids often resent middle class kids and who can blame them when they get some university grad into communism trying to flog them a copy of Soviet Weekly? They'll just beat him up because they don't known what he's talking about."

Like Dexter "Certain things are expected of us Like going to university. Like getting a good job. thinking for yourself, although decisions have always been made for you." "And when Nick middle class teenagers dropped out what did they become? Hipples Living in squats Nothing positive. Now we're e saying some-thing

Like their song 'Fur-ther Education'

'Why should I sit for a board of metrication, Just to go on to further education?

What's the point of qualifications,

If it don't include the complications?

Nick "People say we should be working class but we bloody ain't"

Dexter "And we don't profess to be."

Nick "It's pointless us writing songs about class things 'cos we don't know anything about it. There will always be a class structure, that's all. If we did write like that and somebody came here and saw this house we would be maligned."

Jeremy "There's always been London. We were terrified at the prospect of playing there but when we did we soon realised that a lot of what you read about it in the music press is a fabrication I mean, we thought it was the centre of the world (laughter).

Dexter "The punk thing has already changed. It started off totally new but bands soon realised they had to use the establishment to get through

Nick "I mean, there's no real way the Clash are gonna change anything physically They had to go to CBS and get money to get their message across

Dexter "Most bands in this area despise us because we have done in one year what they haven't in 10. We loved playing R&B but after seeing the Pistols you get to thinking er See, you've got to support what you write.

Nick "It's like the bands saying they've been on the dole and they haven't. Yet they're trying to create a movement against lying.

Nick "Rebellion is getting stronger all the time. There will be another one if this one doesn't do it. I may be getting a very privi leged education but I'm also getting a higher level of backlash."

And to set the record straight about the single 'Facist Dictator'.

Jeremy "It's about a guy who doesn't want to be tied down in a serious romantic situ-ation."

'I don't want love as it's a bore,

I don't want love just some street whore. I don't want love cos it's

a waste of time, But don't forget that you are mine

BARRY CAIN

ENEMIES OF THE WORLD

Barry Cain talks to the Sex Pistols

PSSST

Wanna know a secret?

Wanna know a featurefull of secrets?

Right.

Before the coffer of cognizance is opened though there’s one or two things you’ve got to envisage.

Like the Sex Pistols. Don’t fall into the trap of simply imagining the connotation of a name. That’s the English way. Just think of a band who happen to make stunning rockers.

Got that. Good.

Now think of the BBC and the music business. I know that may be difficult for you as it isn’t pretty though. If it’s too hard just think of it as school breeding grounds.

Just one more. The British public. Think of that as being manufactured by the last two institutions.

Now shut your eyes, play school style, y’know, jelly tot. Mix all dem thoughts up good and thick. Alright? Open them and you’re inna PLAYGROUND.

Somewhere in the west end. Empty except for fun, fun, fun. Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Paul Cook. But that don’t last long.

“Get out!” screams a fat lady attendant with roundabout hips and monkey bar legs. They sneer but obey and wander out onto a nearby bench used as a club for the local pigeons.

“Rats with wings,” says Johnny and opens a bottle of pills. A golden bowls over and kicks him in the leg.

“Any more remarks like that me ol’ cocksparra an I’ll ‘av to wing up the boys down at Trafalgar Square. An’ you wouldn’t like that would ya John?”

(I guess this is as good a point as any to open the rusty hinged coffer).

“We enjoy life,” says Johnny rubbing his bruised leg. “It’s a laugh and music is a relief, to get away from the pressures.”

“Now, you get a band like The Clash. Very military in their attitudes. Even wear the same clothes. They’re too depressing. I don’t care about them.”

Joe Strummer used to be in the 101’ers. They were a country and western band. Now he’s about being on the dole,” says Steve.

“We’ve been on the dole,” says Johnny. “Big deal! We haven’t written one single song about how depressing it is to be on the dole. Getting money for nothing isn’t that depressing.”

“We only say there’s nothing to do in this country. Like we can’t get a drink now cos it’s 05.05pm.”

“Everywhere closes at two in the morning,” says Paul.

Johnny: “Promotion of opinion shouldn’t cause aggravation. It’s what you respect. Essentially it’s what you believe in that counts. People should be able to work things out for themselves. At least those that are too lazy and complacent to do that. That’s ignorance.”

“We never let things carry on without saying something. We’re totally honest with each other.” That was Steve.

“FACT. The Pistols have been spat upon, sat upon, beat upon, yet about every sliver of negative thinking you could possibly conceive. They did you no wrong.”

“We ain’t interested in politics.” Paul.

“And we must defend: they aren’t fascist.” John. “If you just listen to the first verse of the single you’ll realise that fact immediately. Calling us fascists is just a cheap excuse to get rid of us. We have a lot of enemies.”

“FACT. The Pistols have been subjected to all manners of lies slobbering off the presses of newspapers around the world.” — Paul.

“We don’t take any of this press ——. You could slag us off — it just doesn’t matter anymore. We will never consent to do what anyone wants us to do. It’s always been what we want and if nobody likes that idea they can all get f——.” — John.

“But nobody has really lost. The single is at Number 11. It’s a bit of history.” — Steve.

“It’s good to know,” Paul interjects, “that people are out there buying your records and supporting you. When we started I was right and it made the BBC and the Top redundant.”

“Our record has only been played five times in all on Radio One. So it shows you what kind of force that has in this country.” — John.

“EMI stopped ‘Anarchy’ because they were frightened of it. They were worried that it was gonna make the charts. It was sabotage.” — John.

“But what do they care. They’ve always got Cliff Richard.” — Paul.

“It’s the public that counts in the end. I know the record companies have a lot to do with what goes in the charts — but this time it’s the public that’s done it.” — Steve.

“Sir John Reid, head of EMI, goes to dinner with the Queen. He didn’t want to be associated with us when he sat down with her so he got rid of us.” — John.

“People on the shop floor supported us.” — Paul.

“Then CBS intimated an interest. But suddenly they shied off. Then A&M came along and gave us a load of b—— about the single.” — John.

“I don’t know what happened with A&M. So you have a fight. But what’s a fight got to do with selling records? Sure Sid was involved in a fight with Bob Harris and his mate. But if a fight has got to do with records how come we had to take the brunt of the blame and not the DJ?” — John.

“A lot of other DJs gave A&M an ultimatum. They told them if they didn’t get rid of us they’d never play anymore of the company’s records. And with all these Peter Frampton and Rick Wakeman get rid of them or else rumours.” — Steve.

Regret

“You should never regret anything. That’s a regressive attitude. People like Cliff Richard are the only ones who can regret their lives. Besides, it’s worked out better by saying we don’t give a f—. We don’t give a damn whether anyone chucks us off a record label or not.” — John.

“We don’t even see people from Virgin. They’re not as big as say A&M, so they ain’t got any responsibilities to live up to.” — Steve.

“‘Queen’ is banned throughout the country. They have still got their own record. Why should we sign to a small label? We want the best for our records and as many people as possible.” — John.

If you feel something, say it. 90 per cent of the population are slowly being destroyed.

Trouble at mill! Printers are refusing to have anything to do with their current advertising campaign depicting the smiling face of Elizabeth R.

“It gives the printers something to live for whether they like the ad or not. And it made Sounds look ridiculous leaving out part of the ad. They should either have used it all or not at all.” — John.

“People will use anything as a cheap excuse for a strike. Same with factories. They’ll do it when they fancy a few days off. Any excuse will do. I know. I used to work in one.” — Paul.

“What about the music papers themselves? There’s too much of a pseudo-intellectual approach. The music press should be fun. It’s just got too serious. The papers make music seem decrepit. What they don’t seem to understand is music should have as many attitudes as possible. It should also have different forms.” — John.

“Take Sounds. It’s becoming all punk. It’s drivel. NME writes the same kind of tripe, but it’s not as offensive because they take the p—. But they are still half serious about their p— taking.” — Paul.

“Melody Maker is by far the most boring. In fact, I don’t know why we ever did that interview with them. It just takes itself too seriously.” — John.

Fanzines

“Record Mirror Gulp! Well, it’s a different kind of paper.” — John.

“You don’t want to change your policy. It’s great. It’s just like I always suspected. The Pistols are a nice discerning bunch of geezers.” — Steve.

“And the fanzines are just as bad. I haven’t read a good one yet. The funniest ones are those that are unintentionally funny.” — John.

“Sniffin’ Glue is laughable. To them everything new wave is great. They just don’t slag it.” — Paul.

“I mean, they don’t say the truth — like The Stranglers are nothing more than bandwagonneers.” — John.

“Yeah, they’re worse than Chris Spedding. They’re what the over 30’s feel safe about getting into. They say how decadent and debauched they are. Never in a million years. They couldn’t strangle anything except their own vocals. See, we know we’re not gonna be sucked into the music whirlpool. But I suppose people think we have already. I don’t worry about things like that. I just don’t believe anything anyone tells me anymore.” — Paul.

“It’s accepted that we’re gonna end up like Rod Stewart. The only people that managed to get over that hurdle in the past are Marc Bolan and Gary Glitter who enjoyed the whole star trip because they were always taking the p— out of it. They turned it into a joke. I respect that.” — John.

“They made some highly enjoyable records — if not great. It’s a case of not listening to a word your record company tells you. From now on they work for us, not the other way around.” — Paul.

“Once the other new bands sign for record labels it’s their downfall.”

“God Save The Queen? Jubilee intentional publicity saturation assured?”

Jubilee

“The single was written six months ago. We played it on the ‘Anarchy’ tour. It’s just a coincidence that it happens to be Jubilee year. If we were still on EMI it would have been released ages ago.” — John.

“It was gonna be released on A&M and they wouldn’t even give us a copy of the disc. Half of the CBS distributors had a copy of it. Even one of The Clash had a copy of it. But we didn’t.”

“The Jubilee is ridiculous. It’s a bandwagon. Everyone is so patriotic, but come Christmas she’ll be slagged off for her speech by those same people.” — John.

“If a bomb dropped tomorrow you’d never see her again. She’d be well out of it. She’s a million miles away from me — and she means nothing.” — Steve.

“The Jubilee’s just a cheap excuse for a p— up. What slayed me the other day was the geezer who organised the whole thing. He died.” — Paul.

“In my area they’ve taken money out of the National Health to make the celebrations go with more of a swing. That’s absolutely appalling. What’s more important — health or a load of old cronies getting drunk? Why is it that people are proud to be British only on Jubilee year?” — John.

Contrived

“Because Liverpool won the European Cup. That’s why. Everything’s done in the name of the Queen. You must make up your own minds. When things start becoming controlled and contrived that’s when I get out.” — John.

“And there’s nothing wrong with talking someone if you think of them.” — Steve.

“People in this country are too scared to say what they think of other people.” — Paul.

“British people don’t question anything. If you feel something, say it! But no, they’re content in sitting and buying their tins of beans. Clearing their minds. 90 per cent of the population are slowly being destroyed.” — John.

“Do you know there are stores of food kept below Buckingham Palace that are thrown away every year? Just in case there’s a war. If we die the Queen should die with us. I wouldn’t miss her. She just helps to sell overseas.” — John.

“It’s all a form of hypocrisy. All her speeches are written by someone else. There’s no feeling or expression in her voice. She’s a plastic person.” — John.

Rumour One: Dave Vanian of The Damned was beaten up by Johnny Rotten at the Heathrow car park recently.

“Crap. He had a go at my brother because he happens to have long hair. I had nothing to do with it.” — John.

Rumour Two: The Pistols got their concerts banned on purpose for more publicity.

“What possible reason could we have for doing that? Do you think we enjoy that sort of publicity? That’s just typically British. The truth is always scary for them. Every council in the country has banned us.” — John.

“If you got four boys in a pub smashing it up, nothing more is said about it. But everybody is up in arms if it happens to be us. We don’t go out to cause commotion.” — Steve.

“What people just don’t seem to realise is that The Pistols are giving them a form of entertainment. We are, above all things, a dance band.” — John.

• FACT. Simply by stating “No Future” the Pistols are creating one

• FACT. Their music outshines, outflanks and outclasses much of the jetlagged ineptitude dished up by obese pop stars with suntans

• FACT. They will always be around, like a pot belly to some, but an arm to others

• FACT. The Sex Pistols make you smile

JOHNNY ROTTEN — “We enjoy life, it’s a laugh”

STARTS THIS MONTH AND EVERY MONTH ONLY IN RECORD MIRROR!

★The music of now is NOISE!

I like three or four loud, proud dudes erupting in three chord frenzies

I can't see how anyone made a penny out of The Clash tour

★ Loudness and energy is a great asset in the States

★The time is now right for Iggy

★ Rock becomes like the Hollywood star system

★ Brand new bleached jeans ain't a new look

LOVE the raw-edged energy and freshness new wave has brought to the British rock scene. The music of now is NOISE, be it beautiful, elaborate, complex, clean or bestial, primitive, political or raw. It's a wild mixture of the whole lot — such cute noise from those Gibson and Fender toys!

I can understand some people being uncertain as to its place in the history of rock, but when I think back to the R&B boom The Stones, Kinks, Beatles, The Who and many other such groups, they seemed very savage at the time.

Then you had the heavy metal boom, with groups like Led Zeppelin which appeared to be a whole new revolution in sound with skyscraping Marshall stacks.

Frenzies

And then there was glam rock. That was me, Bowie, Alice Cooper and a couple of other people. In fact, it's got very similar roots to punk rock, if you look back.

Firstly, let's kick out one thing — the word punk to me is a totally irrelevant name for a very important stance of freshness, image plus its rock roots. I like the idea of three or four proud, loud dudes erupting in three chord frenzies and the explorative trip from C to A minor.

Can you imagine what it does to young new wave heads when they find out that there are symphonies in rock 'n' roll too?

To me, it will always be the teenage dream personified. In this stale time for rock and roll maybe we'll get freedom through punk. Let's hope they try and do what I tried in the beginning and get the prices of tickets and records down and all that.

This terrible thing exists about instant wealth. People think that just because you fill a couple of concerts and get an album in the charts, you're automatically rich. The implication is that if a group is successful they can no longer be punk. And if a group plays at the Rainbow like The Clash they also had FIVE groups on the bill with them, so I can't see how anyone made a penny. Half the place was ripped to pieces and that has to be paid for.

Clash may have an album in the charts fine but even in my Tyrannosaurus Rex days when I had had four hit albums, by the end of that time I was super skint — about 10 grand! — and I'd made that sort of success.

That sort of success didn't change my life. I still lived in Notting Hill Gate, and so will these guys. You don't instantly get showered in platinum albums and millions of Rolls Royces. That's a fantasy. You work twice as hard, do twice as many gigs, get twice as many roadies and end up with twice as many headaches. But hopefully, make music that's twice as good.

Beer belly

Sometimes you lose the music completely, because the only thing you get given is lots of booze. It's automatically made available and you practically became an alcoholic. Take Rat Scabies — he was on my tour for three days and got a beer belly. And he worked it off!

The long-term effects of punk rock will be exactly the same as those of glam rock. Major figures will emerge and will last as long as this planet does, like The Stones who seem to last for ever.

And, there are a lot of groups who will never make it. Recently I mentioned that I would like to produce a new wave band in an interview and I got about a million tapes sent to me, most of which are rubbish. But I would still love to produce a good new wave band and give them freedom. If you can play three chords really fast doesn't make you good, but I think that's already been established.

It will probably take a year for the British new wave to be marketable in America simply because nearly all those groups are loud and have a lot of energy — that's a great asset in the States.

And there are others — take Iggy Pop for example. He's just broken big in America. His album went straight into the charts at Number 50. He is amazing!

The time is now right for Iggy. He's a very mature artist, great on stage and by far out-Jaggers Jagger. He is a much bigger talent on stage and for once he has a record company behind him.

The Clash success has a lot to do with the CBS people, they did a very good job. The only reason that The Damned's album didn't go Top 10 was because it was the first.

So where does new wave leave me and my friends? It's not going to affect the sales of Led Zeppelin's records, nor is it going to stop Abba selling. New wave is a whole different section of a new market.

Led Zeppelin are currently doing a very successful tour of the States. They'll go on to become the musical equivalents of Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and Robert Redford then you have Al Pacino and James Caan and under them you have the new stars like Richard Dreyfus. Rock becomes like the Hollywood star system.

Bleach

It follows the same pattern of maturity and success. It does change — Led Zeppelin matured, T. Rex are in the middle. Give me two more years and I'll be mature. I'm not a punk and I don't profess to be one. I'm not 18 and living on a council estate, I've done that — that's why I can understand it but I have no category because I'm a classless person.

The punk fashion scene is also interesting. I was the first person to have Levis and then, they were a very important thing to own. I used to put a brand new pair of jeans into a bowl of bleach to get all the holes in them, so that ain't a new look.

I wore leather jackets then. I always had a zip up leather jacket. It was part of the look. But there were two looks — you had one for one day and the next you'd wear suits like The Jam. I just had to vary the styles a bit. I had imagination.

In the same way that I can now talk about the new sound I can go home and listen to 'My Baby Left Me' by Elvis Presley and get just as much satisfaction. In fact, I've got a song called 'Mona' from the new Beach Boys album which I think is phenomenal. I played it 25 times this morning and they're supposed to be a dinosaur group!

The Clash: incredible repertoire

Clash: 'Remote Control' (CBS 5293).

Oh you silly so and so's at CBS, you have the best new wave product in your damp palms, with loads of potential hit singles in their incredible repertoire and you blow it with one of the less obvious ones. If you'd had any guts/sense you'd have put the 'London's Burning' side up on top. Still, a 'kin good band ++

Interview: Barry Cain

The Jam-music for today

Woking class heroes with union j-j-jack tenacity. The j-j-jam. "The Jam are about rock 'n' roll." Paul Weller, 18, singer, guitarist. "The Jam create today's music for today's kids," Bruce Foxton, 21, bassist, singer. "The Jam are just a band you shouldn't miss out on. I often wish I was in the audience so I could watch us," Rick Buckler, 21, drummer.

They're all from a council house Surrey with the fringe on top. Upbringing an inconclusive gesture purporting to represent the best our dear nation could offer. Occasionally such indoctrination does not have the desired effect and The Jam was formed. Working men's clubs, social gatherings, youth clubs, whammo! big record company. hit single, hit album, stars.

Old story. Yes. Fact is, the book hasn't been opened for over 10 years. It's been gathering dust on a woodworm shelf in a webbed room at the back of a house somewhere. Then like a go-ahead council, 1977 comes along and pulls the whole thing down. It's a ready steady go afternoon.

Wet, cold Monday in Carnaby Street. Bruce tries on his newly made union jacket, laughs and turns milky. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all," he says thinking of five away tourist gazes.

The three walk out of the tailor shop along a narrow alleyway and fall in beneath a 'Carnaby Street welcomes the world' sign. Their white strides hanging immaculately above winklepicked feet. Photo session number one begins. "Are they a punk rock group?" asks a policeman as they pose. "Well, how long you gonna be? This is a busy street you know. Make it quick."

Before the swinging sixties Carnaby Street was just another West End grime road. Its only claim to fame a nightclub with the laughable name 'The Blue Lagoon'. Max Bygraves and Tommy Cooper both got their breaks there. Just like that the session ends. Into cabs and on to The Mall. More photos. Next stop Westminster Bridge. 'My Generation' stance beneath Big Ben. Home James. The weekend ends here.

Change of clothes, though not sentiments, a quick freshen up, couple of drinks and we're into the interview.

"Everything is misconstrued," says Paul. "When I said I'd vote Tory everyone jumps on my back. All I meant was when the Tories are in power people have more money in their pockets. Nobody can deny that."

Red trousers, black jacket. Dishevelled hair. Kinda like a cat on the morning doorstep after a shooting star night. "Heavy weekend."

"See, things have been getting out of hand. Instead of writing songs that mean something all that's dished up is a lot of mindless crap. Now we're getting a natural revolution. It's like going against what your mum and dad say, like at school with all its set rules. I'd just like to break down all that. Make your own rules. And it's just the same with music."

Bruce and Rick sit apart from Paul. Bruce of the perpetual smile, Rick of the thinking face. "It's a case of every generation having its own cult and refusing what's gone before," says Paul. "Right," adds Rick. "It's all been underground and Led Zeppelin up until now."

Paul: "Kids should make their mark on this generation otherwise it's going to be too late. Youth was real important in the fifties and sixties but now it ain't. Maybe the kids have seen all the cults which have come to nothing and ain't bothered."

Rick: "There are so many different people around now, the leftovers from all the previous cults. But it's a good thing to be what you want to be."

Paul: "Everything goes in cycles. The present set up won't go on forever. It's like I can't imagine how anyone can go on stage at the age of 32 and sing 'My Generation' and still be a force. The sixties were so potent and when they passed it left such a void. Everyone has been out of breath for a long time."

Three schoolboys in Woking. Dinner time music sessions. Four-hour stints at local clubs during their 'Blue Moon' period. "We're more musically mature than most of the other bands around now. We don't abide by their stupid little set punk rules," says Paul. "We don't all sit around and think of what we are going to rebel against next," says Bruce.

For the Rickenbacker kids reality's so hard. But that ain't gonna stop them clearing up. The single 'In The City' is getting chart action and an album of the same name released last week is already at number 43 and pushing a lot of copies. They've been supporting The Clash on a nationwide tour and are about to embark on their own first major headline tour. Brocks would be proud of their onstage antics which are as far away from posing as Mick Jagger is from his fans. At the moment Weller emerges as the mainman wonder. He writes all the homegrown material, mono sings it and dances the night away.

"I take it as a compliment to be regarded as the new Who," he says, "but it's very funny 'cos none of us have ever seen 'em. But we are intent on becoming stars. Okay, I hate Rod Stewart, I hate Mick Jagger, but I want to be a star. Star is such a horrible word."

"I can't imagine how anyone can go on stage at the age of 32 and sing 'My Generation' and still be a force."

But look, I took a lot of stick at school from the teachers about how thick I was and how I wasn't gonna get anywhere. That made me determined to get on. I want to go back and rub it in their faces. Look what I've become.

"In places like Birmingham and Glasgow, a lot of kids have very little hope of getting a job when they leave school or even joining a rock band. We all come from working class backgrounds but to many people our council houses, surrounded by a few trees and grass, probably seem like a lower middle class set up.

ENDS

The New York invasion is underway. RM's reporters checked out three US new wave bands currently conquering Britain

A bite at the Big Apple

Ramones by Sheila Prophet

"Gee, that place last night was the hottest we've ever played." Dee Dee Ramone grins suddenly. "I was actually steaming. I couldn't believe it. I must've been nicely cooked — you could have cut a bit off me and eaten it. Hey, wouldn't that be great? The audience could get up on stage at the end of the show and eat the group: It could be the next big thing."

The other Ramones look gleeful. They take great delight in such ghoulish details. Black humour is their forte as anyone acquainted with their lyrics will know. We're travelling through Yorkshire on their coach, and in the broad light of day, our heroes look larger than life — a lot larger. In fact, they could have stepped right out of their album sleeve and onto a transatlantic plane. The Ramones have left home.

Tommy is the one with the lived-in face. He sits in the back with his lady, a pale, quiet girl who looks nothing like you would imagine. Dee Dee talks a bit, smiles a lot, and actually used to live out the lyrics of the Ramones' hairier ditties like 'Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue'. He looks with distaste at the latest Ramones T-shirt, which is hand-finished with splashes of paint. "When I pulled mine out of the bag, it smelled just like glue — reminded me of the old days."

Johnny is the most talkative member, a forceful, determined character who also seems the most together musically. And Joey is just Joey. Long and thin, he looks as if he's had an argument with a steamroller. The previous night, his onstage movements were severely restricted by the fact that his head was only a few inches below the ceiling. He stoops permanently, his face securely hidden behind shades and a curtain of black hair. When he speaks, you have to lean close to hear him — his voice has trouble finding its way out.

Their crueller critics have suggested that the Ramones are a bunch of thickos, and what humour they have is purely unintentional. Don't you believe it — these boys know what they're up to. "It's just the way we are," says Johnny. But you're conscious of the humour? "Oh yes. We'll see a situation, talk about it and then laugh. Like we might read a story about 30 people being murdered, and we'll laugh. It might be sick, but that's just the way we see things. You can't read about these things and get depressed. Besides, we always believed that the point of rock music was to have fun. It's supposed to be entertainment."

"I read in there," says Johnny, pointing to an American fanzine, "that the Dictators intend to cut out all the humour from their act. They don't believe there should be any fun in rock." They shake their heads in disbelief. Joey leans over to show me the New York magazines they've brought with them. There's 'Punk', 'New York Rocker' and 'Rock Scene', which seems to feature them in every single issue. This month it's 'The Ramones Go To Hollywood'.

They're also just beginning to feature the British new wavers, and the Ramones are eager to find out more. What are The Clash like? Is their album good? And how about The Jam? In a way, Johnny says, they feel paternal towards the other new wave groups. "We started it," he says. "The last time when we came over to play at London's Roundhouse, The Clash and The Damned both got together the same week. We saw The Damned when they played at CBGB's. Yeah, I liked them. I'm looking forward to seeing the others."

It seems to me that one of the main differences between the British and American new wave is that, this side of the Atlantic, they're much more bitter and angry. Would Johnny go along with that? "Oh I don't know," he says. "We're pretty angry when we get up onstage. We're not angry about anything in particular — just angry. And we're suffering — at least we were last night!"

Well, that club was hot. Still, you'd think they'd be used to hot clubs by now — CBGB's, their home territory, can't be any ice-box.

In fact, the group's history goes a long way further back — right back to the early sixties, when they first started playing in high school bands. "We played in different combinations," says Johnny. "I had a band with Tommy. Then I had one with Joey. Those were in the early days of the Stones and The Beatles — that was what we were listening to. And The Pretty Things. They were great. They weren't typical of high school groups at the time, though we were mostly playing soul stuff by Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett."

The bands didn't lead them anywhere, and after leaving school, they spent a long time away from music. "We're talking about oh, maybe 10 years now," says Johnny. "We stayed friends, and we went to concerts occasionally. We talked about forming groups, but nothing ever happened. Yeah, we had other jobs — I think we covered everything!"

What was the worst job you ever had, Johnny? "I worked in a supermarket, then a bar. They asked me to clean the tables, so I walked out. I wasn't cleaning any tables for a living. How about you, Joey?" "I cleared up in a massage parlour once," he says.

Finally, driven by frustration, they decided to get together again. "There was no New York scene at the time," says Johnny. "Apart from the New York Dolls — but they were into a Rolling Stones sort of thing. There were groups like Slade and T. Rex coming over from England, but we just weren't hearing what we wanted to hear. So we thought we'd do it ourselves. The frantic pace that has become the group's trademark apparently just happened. We got together and played the only way we could. Plus, we all hate slow music. We just couldn't play it any other way. Everyone else was into glitter at the time, so we thought we'd go onstage wearing what we always wore."

And the name? "We had a whole bunch of names," says Johnny, "and The Ramones just seemed the most ridiculous. We thought everyone would figure we were a bunch of Mexicans, or a Puerto Rican disco band so no one would come to see us. I guess we're pessimists — we thought nobody would like us."

At that time there was no place to play in New York apart from the infamous Max's Kansas City. But then the Ramones heard of a bar in the Bowery district called CBGB's where some groups played occasionally. So we went down, asked if we could play, and gradually built ourselves a following. It took about a year to get a contract. We didn't want to sign with a big company, we wanted a small one who'd take an interest in us. Eventually, they signed to Sire Records, and their first album came out last spring. Their newie, 'Ramones Leave Home' has just followed it, along with their smash hit single, 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker'. "Is it a hit?" says Johnny. "We don't think a song's a hit unless it's right up in the Top 20."

The songs for the new album were apparently written at more or less the same time as the last bunch. They believe in storing their material. Have you got anything in the can for the next one, Johnny? "Well, we've got a couple of things done," he says. "But it's really difficult to write on the road — there's no time. What we'll probably do is take a week off when we get back and write the rest of the album."

These boys really are high-speed workers! There's silence as the coach winds its way through a particularly quaint old village. The part that really interests the Ramones is the graveyard — they've never seen old-fashioned flat stones before. "When we were in Stockholm," says Joey, "we saw this graveyard where they had tubes going down so that they could send water to the bodies underneath! I guess that kept them happy. I used to go to funerals all the time. I used to go with my father. They always had a table of cakes and whisky down past the grave. I'd go down there, get drunk, and then be sympathetic and talk to all these people I'd never met before in my life!"

The Slits were a pioneering punk rock band from London, originally formed in 1976 by Ari Up and Palmolive, with later members Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt joining. Known for blending raw punk with reggae and dub, their debut album Cut (1979) became a post-punk landmark, noted for its unique, avant-garde sound and controversial cover art depicting the members covered in mud. The Slits initially supported bands like The Clash on tour and evolved musically, collaborating with artists from the experimental band The Pop Group. They disbanded in 1982 but reformed in 2005, led by Up and Pollitt, releasing Trapped Animal in 2009. The group's impact continued until Up's death in 2010, which marked the end of the band

Punk rockers in tour row

A RIFT between two of Britain's biggest new wave bands has forced The Jam to quit The Clash tour. But The Jam, who embark on their own British tour next month, have added three London shows to their schedule — all three concerts will be part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations.

The Jam, whose "In The City" album is number 30 in this week's MM chart, were originally due to play 10 concerts with The Clash. But, after playing at London's Rainbow Theatre last week, The Jam left the tour.

A statement from The Clash's manager, Bernard Rhodes, claimed: "The understanding at the beginning of the tour was to bring a number of relatively unknown groups on the road with us and, as The Clash and The Jam have record companies prepared to support the tour, it was decided these groups would subsidise the bands that didn't have recording contracts.

As The Jam now don't seem interested in this project, there doesn't seem any particular point in keeping them on the tour."

A spokesman for The Jam, however, alleged they had paid "a four-figure sum" to play on the tour.

The Jam play three Silver Jubilee concerts next month, starting at Chelsea Football Club's Stamford Bridge ground on June 12. Admission is £1.

The band then appears at Poplar Civic Hall in Tower Hamlets on June 18, with admission costing 60p. The final concert is at Battersea Town Hall on June 27. Admission price is 75p.

The concerts have been arranged by local boroughs and, although there are admission charges for all three shows, The Jam have given their services free.

The band, meanwhile, have added a further three shows to the tour. They now also appear at London Twickenham Winning Post on June 8 followed by Malvern Winter Gardens (25) and Middleton Town Hall (July 2).

Sunday Mirror June 12, 1977 No. 736 — 12p

PUNK ROCK JUBILEE SHOCKER

PHOTO: THE FACE OF PUNK: A girl fan watching The Stranglers in Manchester.

What’s burning up the kids?

A disturbing report on the amazing new cult

PUNK ROCK — the spitting, swearing, savage pop music of rebellious youth — is sweeping teenage Britain.

Today, after a Silver Jubilee week in which the Queen’s popularity has never been higher, she is the subject of attack by a pop group.

The Sex Pistols have burst into the Top Ten with a record which calls the Queen, a "moran".

by COLIN WILLS

EUROPUNKS STORM IN FOR LONDON FIGHTS

By JILL PALMER

London is fast be-coming a battleground for punk rockers and teddy boys from the Continent.

They are crossing the Channel armed with flick-knives, knuckle-dusters and cut-throat razors, and itching for action.

Yesterday, a special warning was given to immigration men at Britain's ports in an attempt to stamp out the pitched battles.

The were officials urged to make special searches for weapons when punks and teds arrive in the country.

Consulates were warned that foreign youths could end up in detention centres if they became involved in street clashes.

The warning came after the fourth consecutive weekend of running battles between British and Continental punks and teds in King's Road, Chelsea.

"This must stop before somebody is killed or maimed," said Alan Silverman, chairman of Chelsea Juvenile Court.

Among the youths who appeared in court yesterday was a 15-year-old French ted who was fined £5 and sent back to Paris for carrying a razor.

Punk Rockers fined for theft

TWO members of the Punk Rock group The Clash were fined after spending the week-end in cells.

The group's drummer Nicholas Headon, 22, and singer John Mellor, 24, whose stage name is Joseph Strummer, were to have appeared before magistrates at Morpeth, Northumberland, on June 3 on theft charges, but they failed to answer bail.

They were brought to the North East at the weekend from London and spent Saturday night and Sunday night in custody.

Mellor, of Forest Hill, London, admitted stealing pillows and towels worth £26 from a hotel.

Headon, of Finsbury Park, London, admitted stealing a door key and a keyring from the same hotel. Mellor was fined £60 and Headon £40.

Insp Dennis Harriman, prosecuting, said the group played at Newcastle University last month and, after they left their hotel at Seaton Burn, the items were missing.

Police discovered the stolen goods in the group's coach.

Punk pair fined

TWO of the country's top punk rockers had a taste of Jailhouse Rock in the North-East this weekend.

The lead singer and drummer of the group The Clash spent Saturday and Sunday night in the cells at Morpeth.

Joseph Strummer — real name John Graham Mellor — and Nick Headon had been arrested in London after they failed to answer bail.

Today both appeared before Morpeth magistrates on charges of theft from the Holiday Inn, Seaton Burn.

Strummer (24), of Forest Hill, London, admitted taking pillows and a towel worth £26. He was fined £60.

Headon (22), of Finsbury Park, admitted taking a key and key ring worth £12 and was fined £40.

Punk rockers' £100 clash with the law

A CLASH with the law cost two leading punk rock musicians £100 after they admitted stealing from an exclusive North-East hotel.

But yesterday lead singer John Mellor, alias Joe Strummer, and Nick Headon, the drummer in the punk rock band The Clash, said their experiences in police cells would lead to a new song.

Their brush with the law started when eight pillows, a towel and hotel key disappeared from the Commonwealth Holiday Inn at Seaton Burn on May 21. The band were staying there after their concert at Newcastle University.

Police investigations took detectives down to Hertfordshire where the group were interviewed.

Two group members were put on police bail but failed to appear at Morpeth on June 3 because they could not afford to miss part of their nation-wide concert tour.

But when Strummer was arrested for criminal damage in London, Headon gave himself up and they returned to Morpeth under police escort.

Morpeth magistrates fined Strummer (24), of Forest Hill, London, £60 for taking the pillows and the towel worth £26.

Headon (22), who admitted theft of a hotel key and key ring, was fined £40.

Strummer told police the pillows were taken to make the group's return in a van to London more comfortable. Headon asked for four other offences involving hotel keys to be considered.

Some come sooner, others later

IN WHICH ‘Beat Instrumental’ (incidentally reaching 202!) and ‘The Story of Lennon & McCartney’ join hands; the Daily Mirror goes up. Further embellishment seems a little unnecessary at this very magical moment.

BEAT INSTRUMENTAL
#Songwriting & Recording

Editorial

You would have had to go blind, as the perfect lady once said, to have missed the mountain of column inches devoted to “punk rock” which have filled the pages of many respectable music papers. Outlandish names, questionable behaviour, ability to kotch on carpets and mindless sound have been given more space than perhaps they warrant, although it is not Beat’s place to pass judgement on the editorial decisions of other publications.

In our own case, though albums and interview offers have been flooding in, we cannot reconcile the musical content of “punk” with Beat’s longstanding stance as a ‘serious’ music magazine. As a magazine ostensibly written by musicians for musicians, we will be unable to allocate editorial space to punk unless in our opinion a band comes up with some worthwhile musical ideas.

The essence of punk lies in areas outside Beat’s jurisdiction, in its vibrant aggression onstage, in its occasional sincere efforts to stir up the establishments, but no (so far) in the music itself.

We find it unfortunate that the term “punk” has been superceded by “New Wave” whose umbrella casts a longer shadow and definitely includes many sincere and capable new bands — Tom Petty for example, to whom Beat will be talking in our July issue.

Perhaps the last word should be left to the manager of the last musician approached by Beat for an attempt to set up an interview about music: *“We know nothing about music. If you want to know about music, ask Miles Davis or somebody like that. We’re still trying to find out what it is — what it’s something to do with seven notes, isn’t it?”*

THE CLASH
CBS 82000
Strongly featured this week in our Songwriting & Recording section (pages 34–35). Their latest single Complete Control is out on July 22nd.

MIRROR COMMENT: Punk future

It’s not much fun to be young today. If you think otherwise take a look at yesterday’s jobless figures.

In a single month 104,000 school leavers have gone straight from the classrooms to an idle and purposeless life on the dole.

That’s equal to the entire population of a city the size of York — and the main exodus from school is still a month away.

Is it any wonder if youngsters feel disillusioned and betrayed? Is it any wonder if they turn to anarchistic heroes like Johnny Rotten, who spat rock singer’s disdain in the face of a punk a rock the other day?

Punk rock is tailor-made for youngsters who feel they have only a punk future.

Some gain places on “work experience” schemes where they are paid to watch others working. It’s better than nothing. But demoralising just the same.

Others plan to stay at school to better their qualifications and job prospects. But hard-up parents cannot keep them, and they drift onto the dole to help meet inflated family grocery bills.

Bitter

Those who work hard and pass their exams, those who train to be teachers, are just as likely to be denied work as those who do not.

In the plight of the young, Britain is now beginning to reap the bitter harvest of inflation.

A brave new generation of talent and purpose is turning sour before our very eyes.

BIRMINGHAM: Strummer announcement, "We have just been told that Remote Control is to be our next single."

PLYMOUTH: (Worse than the Armada), Jones and Crocker chased by local police for loitering disguised as punks. When eventually apprehended and challenged they reply, "The Spaniards are coming."

BRISTOL: Opposite Colston Hall the Lord Mayor leaves function, entering his Rolls Royce, he is greeted by Strummer and Crocker, ? only punks wear chains". ..... .." Mayor of punk. A nearby police officer trots over, "Show a little respect boys" he pleads.

AMSTERDAM: Three funk bands, one country and western singer and The Clash appear at media party. The reaction of the Bols Advocaat set is mainly one of hysterical laughter.

SWINDON: Heir to furniture fortune is assisted into outdoor pool to see if he sinks, he is thereafter referred to as "Trout."

ST. ALBANS POLICE STATION: Post gig shock! Strummer and Nicky confess under interrogation to wilful theft of eleven Holiday Inn pillows.

CHELMSFORD: Jones storms out of dressing room as local counoillor is ushered in. Strummer and Paul promptly hurl abuse and bottle tops at the politician who sanctioned the show.

DUNSTABLE: Drunk, Paul and Crocker horrify party-goers by "canning" an innocent Prefect. A case of mistaken I.D.

MARBLE ARCH St. John' s Ambulance in attendance as Clash video I shown at Virgin record shop.

DON'T LET THE SUNDAY PAPERS TELL YOU HOW TO BEHAVE OR IT'LL ALL BE OVER BY CHRISTMAS. SPRAY YOUR OWN GRAFFITI.

Mick Jones, Robin Crocker

Mick PHOTO Sonia Brownell

« Whatever to happened Clair?" OF THE CLASH AS HE HACKS INTO A PILE OF RECENT 45s.... Says MICK JONES

Mick Jones, livewire lead guitarist with The Clash, agreed to listen to a cross-section of recent 45's and comment on them as the first of a regular Zig Zag singles column — singles are a vital part of the scene now so they should be treated like albums.

I thought it might look a bit staged if Mick was confronted with a bunch of new wave singles so I went round a few record companies and grabbed a cross-section of stuff coming out that week, then added a few, from the specialist shops. One thing this showed was the amount of rubbish being churned out at the moment.

We're sitting in Mick's 18th floor flat in Westbourne Park. Records are picked at random from the pile on the bed until we can stand no more! Here we go

It's what you value — George Harrison (Warner Brothers) (Takes it off half way through.)
He used to be my second favourite now he sounds like Ronnie Beatle Lane. NOT ONE FOR THE CHART! (chortle).

Spanish Stroll — Mink de Ville (Capitol)
Weak 60's soul pastione with Lou Reed singing. Let's try the 'B' side. (we do. It's called Gunslinger) It sounds like he's singing himself on that side, not Lou, but kinda weak tune. But I've got a feeling about this group. I think they're probably gonna be better than that.

Next we try the first 3 releases from Step Forward Records, the new wave label set up by Miles Copeland and Mark P.

First on is Freeze Models.
Mick recites lyric: "Thousands of people going to take a stand, eh? Oh yeah? I wonder what sort of 'Freeze' they're talking about."
We try the 'B' side, Man of the Year. It's really boring both sides.

Fascist Dictator — Cortinas
I saw them at the Rozy when they first came down and I thought they were quite good. They were doing R'n'B stuff but I thought they were quite good but something don't quite click yet. They're really young aren't they? So what do you expect, you know? It's kind of like nothin' yet. In a year's time, maybe.

Right to Work — Chelsea
"Don't take drugs, don't drink beer." What does he do for from? I hope it's singing. They really leave me confused; it's everyone else's lyrics kind of mixed up.
Sticks on 'B' side The Loner: Kinda dull really. None of these groups are up to much.

The Walls of the World — Mike Batt (Epic)
Sheer nonsense. That's all I can say to that. Womble on.

How Long — Trinity (Reggae pre-release.)
First record to survive entire duration on turntable. Mick falls back on bed with look of ecstatic delirium on face.
That's fucking great! We'll play that again. How long will it take, right. It's fucking great that stuff sends me up here. I'm gonna get this!

My Baby Thinks She's a Train — At the Wheel Asleep (Capitol) (Whipped off after about a minute.)
None of these records I can listen to all the way through. That sounds like "Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Elvis Presley. No way will THIS ever get anywhere. The two people who like that kind of thing in Zig Zag should be sentenced to listen to that for the rest of their lives! (laughs)

The Bizarros EP (Gorilla Records)
The psychedelic sounds of the Bizarros. They come from Akron, Ohio. That's really interesting, I know someone from Akron. It must be the centre of rock'n'roll. This must be some kind of psychedelic revival with the Bizarros. Like The Stranglers, but worse if there's such a thing. Plug it to someone. I won't buy it though.

Going Back — The Byrds (CBS)
I used to think The Byrds were fucking great. I used to really like The Byrds, and this is taken from "Notorious Byrd Brothers". It's great, but I don't really feel like listening to it now. I mean, I've got the Byrds albums but I dunno why they brought it out really. A hit? No. The climate isn't right for the Byrds at the moment. The Byrds' revival's gonna come about next summer. I wish they'd come up with something which was good now. I used to think The Byrds were good and this is just another re-release.

Runaway — Bonnie Raitt (Warner Brothers)
I didn't even like Del Shannon's one, no way am I going to like that. All these records are from albums, aren't they? I really like proper singles. Capitol Radio music this sounds to me. Maybe it'll get in the chart.

Mick rummages through the pile and selects the latest from Cliff Richard — When Two Worlds Drift Apart (EMI)
I'm looking forward to this, he says! I don't like Middle of the Road and I don't like what it's doing to Cliff Richard.
He leaps up and grabs a rare 1960 Cliff EP Expresso Bongo from his collection. Through the hisses and scratches comes a song from exactly the same wimp-ballad mould 'cept it's better. We both derive more pleasure from the EP's sleeve than either record.
"Look at those pink socks! Don't he look great!" (pointing at pouting Cliff flailing away at his bongos)
"Look at that jacket! I'd wear that now!"
Mick's parting shot before the next single: "Seventeen years later and he's still singing the same song!"

Red Lights — Marbles (Marbles)
I really like that. I don't believe them though, I don't think they're that desperate that they've got to sell their mother, (referring to line where earnest singer pledges to flog his mum to play in a rock'n'roll band!) but O.K. They're really still in the garage, but that was alright. Pretty pop tune stuff. I like the way the bloke looks like Brian Jones.

Television Screen — Radiators from Space (Chiswick)
(This lot have been bragging in the Sunday papers recently.) BRAG IT UP BOYS! As the chorus says "I don't like what's going down". Kind of sounds old-fashioned, dunnit? (Yes.) No hit. Let's find a hit!

SAM — Olivia Newton-John (EMI)
Dunno about a hit but it'll make a good frisbee from the 18th floor. Shit.

James Taylor's new one (CBS) (I've lost it and can't remember the title or the record for that matter.)
More shit. What can you say about these records except shit. That's all there is to it. Not a hit, well I hope not anyway.

Bermuda — Roky Erikson (Virgin)
More psychedelic revival stuff. Paul did this record in Sounde. He said "Can I have this one for Mick, he's got one of their records and he's waiting for it to be worth something." I've got one anyway now Paul, in case I don't see you!

Forgot this one too but it's by Heart (CBS)
This is the direction Olivia Newton-John should take 'cos it sounds like her with an old warhorse of a group behind her. Light-heavy group, I think this is a load of shit. If you get it on the radio enough dumb people will go out and buy it to enhance their Jubilee parties.

The Postman's Knock — Albion Dance Band (Harvest)
(Ripped off and flung across room after three seconds.)
I really hate that stuff, it makes me feel fucking ill, just thinking about it. I bet they're all happy bearded fellows.

Bob Seger EP (Warner Brothers)
Of fave raves we hear GET OUT OF DENVER. More hot rod music. It's old rock'n'roll stuff. I suppose it's quite good but it leaves me unmoved. Nothin' there that can inflame my imagination I'm afraid. It doesn't have anything you can actually home in on. I might play it or I might not. I couldn't go round going "Bob Seger Rules O.K.". Sounds the same all that stuff, dunnit?

Your Times Are Up — Eric Blair Band (Eton)
I think this is great. The guy was living over there in Windsor Street and he used to have to go into the Windsor Castle and ask for gigs, they always said no. If you're out there, Eric, start writing! I hope you're not a casualty and I hope you've found something good to do. Whatever happened to Eric Blair? I wondered. I last saw him about three years ago. They're a band that never got off — just one. (O.K.? Eric?)

Kris Needs