Friday 23 September 1977

Complete Control 7"


Complete Control 7" single released Discogs

UK chart

Wikipedia




INDEX

Intro
Recording
Release
Adverts
Posters
Snippets
UK Articles
US Articles
International Articles
Fanzines
Social Media
Sundry
Photos





Background

Back to the top






Release

SOUNDS September 24, 1977, Clash Single  137 words

Sounds, Next Clash single

Clash single THE CLASH’S next single will be called ‘The City Of The Dead’ . No release date has yet been fixed for the record by CBS . As previously reported in SOUNDS , the Clash will be undertaking their second major British tour starting in late October. Before that they will be playing a couple of dates in Ireland .





COMPLETE CONTROL, SIGNED 7"

THE CLASH SIGNED 7". A copy of The Clash - Complete Control (S CBS 5664) signed to front of sleeve in blue ink by Joe Strummer, Paul Simonon, Mick Jones, Topper Headon. According to vendor testimony this item was signed in London before soundcheck at the first of two nights at the Roxy in London in late October 1978. Authenticated by Roger Epperson prior to this sale. Sold for £400 Hammer Price





Unknown Publication, September 23, 1977 , Page Unknown, Clash bait their masters.

Clash bait their masters

Clash bait their masters

THE CLASH release their new single “Complete Control” on the CBS label on September 23 . Said a spokesman: “It tells a story of conflict between two opposing camps. One side sees change as an opportunity to channel the enthusiasm of a raw and dangerous culture in a direction where energy is made safe and predictable. The other is dealing with change as a freedom to be experienced so as to understand one’s true capabilities, allowing a creative social situation to emerge.” Next week: sten guns in Soho Square ?





Publication: Unknown (possibly NME or Sounds), Date: c. September 1977, Page: Unknown, Title: CLASH CONTROL

Release and short review

THE CLASH : ‘ Complete Control ’/‘ City Of The Dead ’ ( CBS 5664). The Westway Wonders meet up with rastaman Lee Perry who uses dem Trenchtown Echoplexes to give real depth to that ridiculously simple but supremely successful Clash formula. Chords like Council Demolition Squads . Anthemnlike refrains as strident as Ladbroke Grove graffitti. Pity the words on ‘ Complete Control ’ aren’t too clear. But like E.C ( Cochran , that is) said "WHO CARES? C'mon Everybody!" These two tracks EXPLODE!

CLASH CONTROL

THE CLASH release their new single ‘ Complete Control ’ / ‘ City Of The Dead ’ next Friday. The band’s manager has this to say about the record: “' Complete Control ' tells a story of a conflict between two opposing camps, both of which are using the tool of change to further their own beliefs . . . We all want change, so find out what side you’re on and try to get complete control.”





SOUNDS , September 17, 1977, Page 5, " Clash want complete control " 266 words:

CLASH WANT COMPLETE CONTROL

THE CLASH : single out next week

Clash want complete control

THE CLASH'S new single, released on September 23, is 'Complete Control' coupled with 'City Of The Dead' . The single is produced by reggae hero Lee Perry and Micky Foote .

The Clash said this week: " 'Complete Control' tells a story of conflict between two opposing camps both of which are using the tool of change to further their own beliefs."

"One side sees change as an opportunity to channel the enthusiasm of a raw and dangerous culture in a direction where the energy is made safe, predictable and palatable."

"The other is dealing with change as a freedom to be experienced so as to understand ones true capabilities and restrictions allowing a creative less boring situation to emerge."

"We all want change so find out what side you're on and try to get complete control."

Enlarge



Back to the top






Adverts


Music Magazine adverts

Lots of variations


NME


Sounds

Back to the top






Posters

Shop poster






THE CLASH ON PAROLE | Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/





(1980s) THE CLASH/“COMPLETE CONTROL” VINTAGE PROMO POSTER/1984 |

Complete Control poster 2 (modern)

Punk Memorabilia For Sale Or Trade | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/

£250. A rare and original 1984 promo poster. Item is in fantastic condition and measures around 25in by 36in. One on eBay for way more. Looks stunning framed. Pnp is £6.50

Andrew Strayler - This was made in the mid to late 80s. It doesn’t exist as a 1977 promo poster.

Back to the top






Snippets

Alan Blyth / Editor, Record Mirror , March 4, 1978, Page Unknown, Feedback: Mick Jones of The Clash 173 words

LETTER CC MICK

A reader asks if a white-label promotional copy of The Clash 's " Complete Control " is a valuable rarity. The editor dismisses its monetary worth, calling it a common industry "freebie." 

Feedback

FEEDBACK answers your questions. Send your letters to: Record Mirror , 40 Long Acre , London WC2E 9JT . Please don't send a stamped addressed envelope as we can't answer your letters individually.

[Image Caption]: MICK JONES of The Clash

About a month ago I obtained a copy of "Complete Control" by The Clash , and when I took it out of the picture sleeve I noticed that the label on the record wasn't the normal CBS label — instead, it was white and had a large red A stamped on it with "Promotion Record Not for Sale" in small print. Have I got a rare record? — Alan , Blyth

● 'Fraid you're gonna be disappointed kid. You have inadvertently joined the ranks of the Grand Order of Liggers . . . your would-be vinyl rarity is no more than a promotional copy — a freebie which is usually sent out to radio stations, music papers and the like. True, there are less of these in existence than records with the normal company label, but I can't see it breaking the bank in "Going For A Song." You neglected to say where you obtained your copy . . . any impoverished RM reporters up your way???

4 March 1978 - Enlarge





The Clash (Artists), CBS Records , October 1977, London, "Complete Control" Promotional Correspondence. 142 words

Handwritten Note from Paul, & dole card

This memorabilia set features a personal letter from Paul Simonon to a fan, a signed Complete Control record sleeve, and a mock-defaced unemployment card signed by The Clash .

Handwritten Note

Dear Hutchie

here’s our new single, and I got the rest of the group to sign it. your card is enclosed + sign as well. we are on tour soon, and we are playing the north. So we’d probably see you then. hope you like the single —

PaulThe CLASH


Unemployment Benefit Card (The "Dole Card")

PLEASE READ THESE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY

1 This card is sent to you with payments of benefit or supplementary allowance or with enquiry forms. You should hand it in each day when you attend to claim benefit. But do NOT delay attending if for any reason you cannot bring it with you.

Enlarge





Mark Jay , The Mark Jay Collection , 1977 , Page 172, The Clash A 'Prostitutes/Complete Control' T-shirt.

A 'Prostitutes Complete Control' T-shirt

This catalog entry describes an extremely rare, limited-run The Clash T-shirt from 1977 , hand-printed by Mark Jay at Rehearsal Rehearsals specifically for the band and their immediate circle.


The Mark Jay Collection: The Clash Item Description

1977 , white jersey, with black pink print The Clash A 'Prostitutes/Complete Control' T-shirt, 1977 , white jersey, with black/pink print

This version, with the overprinted "Complete Control" lyrics, was printed from two original silk screens found upstairs in Rehearsal Rehearsals (where Mark’s 'Skum' fanzine printing business was located) and at the request of Bernie Rhodes and/or Mick Jones . It's a first album lyric, which would date it to early 1977 . A run of about five was printed onto simple white cotton T's for the band . Mark retained one - the example offered here.

Mark was also commissioned to make several other custom shirts that Mick Jones wore, from other screens that were lying around the studio , including one of Rocco's first album 'Running Police' photographs. The original photograph and a screenprint of this are included in this collection.

The Mark Jay Collection . Lots 172-232.





Complete Control badge

THE CLASH ON PAROLE | Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/

Back to the top






UK Articles

Brian Hogg , Away From The Numbers Issue 1, October 1977 , Pages 1–2, 6, 8,

COMPLETE CONTROL, CITY OF THE DEAD REVIEW

Issue #1 consists of 10 one sided pages, which feature Scottish punk band The Jolt, a few record reviews (including the first Talking Heads album and Complete Control by The Clash - this has to be the single of the year!)

Brian Hogg , Away From The Numbers Issue 1, October 1977 , Pages 1–2, 6, 8,

COMPLETE CONTROL, CITY OF THE DEAD REVIEW

AWAY FROM THE NUMBERS FANZINE

ISSUE 1.

'Away From The Numbers' is published from Flat One , Castellau , Dunbar , East Lothian , Scotland .

All material copyright to Big/Sky/You Tore Me Down Productions .

Written and published by Brian Hogg . Editors:- Brian Hogg , jacki .

Contents:- Jolt interview; Battle of the Bands : the Damned v. The Jam . Reviews:- singles: Clash & the Damned ; albums: the Boys , Talking Heads & Dwight Twilley Band . Reggae:- Burning Spear & Culture . U.S. New Wave .

Interested in '60's stuff? Send for a sample issue of 'Bam Balam' ; a mag. devoted to '60's pop & psychedelia. Past issues have included the Move , Creation , Jook , the Seeds , the Flamin' Groovies & lots more. 35p. inc. p&p from the above address. Future issues will have Merseybeat , the Scottish beat boom, Downliners Sect & more. All good stuff. New issues in November / December .

A Ramones logo badge ( Johnny , Joey , Tommy , Dee Dee ) like the one on page 7, is also available from the Dunbar address. It's 40p. including p&p. Write & ask about other punk badges too. Please address it to jacki .

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Hi. This is the first issue of 'Away From The Numbers' . It's an outgrowth of Bam Balam , a mag. written around '60's pop and new releases. As 1977 has provided more relevant releases; more exciting music than most others, there simply wasn't enough room to do both in the one magazine. Thus 'Away From The Numbers' . Now there's space to do both old & new, without having to miss things out. There's two reasons for the title. I love the Jam ; and 'Away From The Numbers' is my fave Jam song. Also, the mag. is that; away from the numbers; away from the detail & discographies of 'Bam Balam' . 'Away From The Numbers' is about pop; about the excitement of the new music.

1. Complete Control: Clash.

2. Your Generation: Generation X.

3. Talking Heads 77: Talking Heads.

4. Truly: The Jayes with Ranking Trevor.

5. The Boys: the Boys.

6. Put You In The Picture: PVC 2.

7. You're Cold: the Jolt.

8. Twilley Don't Mind: Dwight Twilley Band.

9. My Generation: Patti Smith.

10. I Got A Right: Iggy Pop & James Williamson.


Bubbling Under :- Egyptian Reggae : Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers . Two Sevens Clash : Culture . The Young Ones : Secret .

See ya next time, Brian Away From The Numbers 1 . October 1977 .


(Missing text) … connection makes it more original. It's teen and it's fun; and it's one to play. RIP TOFF .


Talking Heads : TALKING HEADS 77 ( Sire Import).

77 is a great album; quirky & innovative. But it's a little disappointing too. Live, the group are a group, they're tight and David Byrne & Jerry Harrison make it tighter; cutting chords at each other across the stage. 77 isn't like that. Songs which were live songs live, become studio songs. I don't know. I guess it's different. But that's all the bad bits. 77 is hard to pin down, David's songs are so original. Only on 'Don't Blame The Government' does any influence come thru' ( 10cc. ) & there only for a moment. Anyway, it's not important; all of the influences have been completely reshaped into something completely original. David's voice dominates. There's guitars & pianos but it's a vocal record, especially on 'Pulled Up' , where he gasps for breath twice. He sings like it's a habit. I like 'No Compassion' & 'Psycho Killer' the best. 'Compassion' is powerful, musically & in it's feel. 'Psycho Killer' is more tense; like the Otis / Stax stuff. It's the drumming; Chris Frantz is so good, he pulls all the songs in if they start to wander. The rest's great too. There's a new 'New Feeling' showing how the group has changed. Yeah, the more I hear it, the less the disappointment. In a month I'll wonder what the doubts were. JOHNNY ROMANTIC


Dwight Twilley Band : TWILLEY DON'T MIND ( Island / Shelter ).

Something's gone wrong. Last year, they put out 'Sincerely' which was great. Now this. Which isn't. Like, it isn't bad, it's just less exciting. It sounds like they've played for safety. 'Sincerely' was crammed with snappy pop songs. These songs are much less catchy much more careful. 'Invasion' is most like the old stuff, like the Twilley's who pumped out songs for fun. At the other end is 'Sleeping' , 6 minutes long, with strings. Even worse; some of the cuts have horns. Ok so the Clash use a sax on the flip of 'Control' , but these are the real toot-toot ones. There is lots to like, 'Invasion' , 'Here She Comes' , 'Looking For The Magic' (yeah, me too) & 'Trying To Find My Baby' , but nothing matches 'I'm On Fire' or 'You Were So Warm' or 'Sincerely' itself. Apparently, they had about three albums' worth of stuff to choose from. Maybe that's the problem. They tried too hard. BLANK FRANK .


The Clash : 'Complete Control' / 'City Of The Dead' ( CBS ).

I love this single. So many new-wavers, like the Stranglers , are stuck. The Clash aren't. They've expanded musically, Mick Jones gets a solo, but it is still very much the Clash . It's a protest; about something close to the feelings of the group, so the anger is more real. Strummer spits out the words; disgusted; and the group play tight and intense. It's raw; like 'I Can't Explain' or 'You Really Got Me' . Not musically; it's clashmusic, but in feel & urgency. And the slight Lee Perry touch is marvellous.


'City Of The Dead' is great too. Saxophones, harmonies ( Clash 'uns) & a stunning riff blast thru'. This has to be the single of the year. ALBERT RAMSBOTTOM .


The Damned : 'Problem Child' / 'You Take The Money' ( Stiff ).

The Clash progress, and succeed. The Damned try, and slip. 'Problem Child' isn't the worst single ever as I've heard it described, but it's disappointing. Now Scabies has quit too so there's problems ok. It's not powerful. Where they try to zoom in on the chorus, it doesn't work. I guess you can blame Nick Mason , but the group must have liked it too. It isn't bad; just weak, and so's the flip too. Even the pic. sleeve is bad. Certainly, If this is Lu's beginning; why he was brought in, then they were better without him. But then the new album (all with Nick the Pink ) is meant to be great. We'll see.


Shorts:- I've not heard the Jolt single yet, but live the song is great. The weeklies have pulled it apart & somehow I can't see it's that bad. Tell ya in issue 2. The Secret have a fun version of 'The Young Ones' out. Jerry Nolan has split from the Heartbreakers , but the tour goes on. Rat Scabies may replace him. First Chelsea , now the Damned & the Heartbreakers . Howard Devoto (ex Buzzcocks ) has formed a new group called Magazine . Also coming to Edinburgh (see page 5) are the Tom Robinson Band , but not 'til November .


BATTLE OF THE BANDS BATTLE OF THE BANDS BATTLE OF THE BANDS BATTLE OF

The Battle of the Bands was a US sixties thing where a whole bunch of local groups would play each other to find a winner. Here's another; this time on paper: the Jam v. the Damned .

Score out of ten:- Debut album: Jam 7, Damned 9. Non-album singles: Jam 5 songs (one point per song (includes new single)) Damned 4 points. Pic covers 3 points each. Rare artifact single: Damned 5 points for 'Stretcher Case Baby' / 'Sick Of Being Sick' . Image: Jam 10 points, Damned 3 points. Album cover: Jam 6 points, Damned 4 points. Single pic sleeves: both groups 10 points each for having all 45s in pic covers. Production: Damned would have had 10 for Nick Lowe but get cut to 5 for Nick Mason . Still they tried Shel Tamy .....7 points. (mind you they should lose some for giving him up). Jam 8 points coz their production fits perfectly. Say hello to the 60's: Jam 10 points Damned 5 points (for 'Help' ) Say hello to the 70's: Jam 4 points Damned 8 points (for 'Help' ) Best 3 cuts from the album: Jam :- 'Away From The Numbers' 10 'In The City' 10 'Sounds From The Street' 9 Damned : 'Neat Neat Neat' 10 'Fan Club' 10 'New Rose' 10. Rare artifact album: 5 points to the Damned for the 'Rods' cover. Best single pic cover: Jam 10 points for 'All Around The World' ; Damned 7 points for 'New Rose' . (Maybe they should get 10 for 'Sick Of Being Sick' . Nah. That wasn't generally available.)



Link




Editor, Newcastle Journal , Friday 07 October 1977, Page Unknown, Quick spins

Quick Spins

The Clash : Complete Control ( CBS ). A bit like Newcastle United — lots of energy and aggression, but not enough skill. It’s a protest number about Big Business exploitation of punk rock, but you can’t hear what Joe Strummer is saying. The repetitive riffs show no sign of any influence from co-producer Lee Perry , the king of reggae.





SOUNDS, September 24th 1977, Singles Review, Chas de Whalley, 81 words

THE CLASH: ‘Complete Control’/‘City Of The Dead’ (CBS 5664)

The Westway Wonders meet up with rastaman Lee Perry who uses dem Trenchtown Echoplexes to give real depth to that ridiculously simple but supremely successful Clash formula. Chords like Council Demolition Squads . Anthemnilke refrains as strident as Ladbroke Grove graffitti. Pity the words on ‘ Complete Control ’ aren’t too clear. But like E.C ( Cochran , that is) said “ WHO CARES? C’mon Everybody! ” These two tracks EXPLODE !





Ian Birch , Melody Maker , September 24, 1977, Page 14, " Clash conquer all ",465 words

MELODY MAKER CLASH CONQUER ALL

Critic Ian Birch hails The Clash’s " Complete Control " as a "knife-edged masterwork," praising its successful fusion of punk and reggae produced by Lee Perry , while also reviewing The Stranglers .

Ian Birch , Melody Maker , September 24, 1977, Page 14, " Clash conquer all ",465 words

MELODY MAKER CLASH CONQUER ALL

Singles Reviewed by Ian Birch

Clash conquer all

Essential

CLASH : " Complete Control " ( CBS ). Without a shadow of a doubt, let me present you with the most imaginative and significant single yet from the new wave (excuse the threadbare term). Good though the Pistols' singles are, this knife-edged masterwork makes mincemeat of them.

Reggae and punk are forever talked of in the same breath, companion soul brothers in the current explosion. So far attempts at actually mating the two have been dicey to say the least. Generation X , for example, have toyed with dub versions of Gary Glitter stompers. They also jammed with the Cimarons on the rasta anthem " M.P.L.A. "

But now the relationship has been consummated. The Clash , arguably new wave's premier band, have recruited in addition to stalwart Micky Foote , JA producer Lee Perry , (also) arguably reggae's most distinctive control operator. Perry's normal style relies heavily on phasing, echo, a bass-accented rhythm, a light drum sound (which can often be as minimal as a brushed cymbal) and a constantly changing, multi-textured sound.

The Clash's style you all know. Bring the two together and the result is stunning. Neither one influence dominates, as should be the case in a new hybrid. The perpendicular frenzy eases out and gives way to a strong melody line with a pared-down, slightly echoed (I suppose the most identifiable Perry touch) middle break which is as surprising as it is effective.

The song follows fascinating twists and turns, and the only disappointing aspect is not being able to disentangle much of Strummer's vocals.

There is an official comment: " It tells the story of conflict between two opposing camps. One side sees change as an opportunity to channel the enthusiasm of a raw and dangerous culture in a direction where energy is made safe and predictable. The other is dealing with change as a freedom to be experienced so as to understand one's true capabilities, allowing a creative social situation to emerge. "

My bet is that the lyrics condense all that into a couple of razor couplets. Terrorise your neighbourhood with this record.

Major League

STRANGLERS : " No More Heroes " ( UA ). " Whatever happened to Leon Trotsky? / He got an ice pick that made his ears burn. " The Stranglers explode myths (" They watched their Rome burn ") while — however unwittingly — they are in the process of becoming one themselves.

But that is unimportant. The song once again confirms their position in the new wave Top Three (the other two being the Pistols and Clash , naturally). Hugh Cornwell snarls out the lyrics with incisive clarity and paces them expertly between the instrumental breaks.

As usual, Dave Greenfield's ... [text cuts off]

Enlarge image





Tony Parsons , New Musical Express , September 24th, 1977, Page 26, “Clash ‘n’ Scratch in complete control” 1,032 words

NME, Scratch 'n' Scratch Complete Control

Tony Parsons delivers a biting, high-energy review of The Clash's "Complete Control," praising its rebellion against corporate manipulation. The column also critiques new releases from Kraftwerk , Linda Ronstadt , and Fleetwood Mac .

Tony Parsons , New Musical Express , September 24th, 1977, Page 26, “Clash ‘n’ Scratch in complete control” 1,032 words

NME, Scratch 'n' Scratch Complete Control

Clash ‘n’ Scratch in complete control

DEAD HEAT FOR THE SINGLE OF THE WEEK. SO, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER . . .

THE CLASH: Complete Control (CBS). “I don’t trust YEW! Why do YEW trust ME? Haaaahhh?” Scratch City Rocker benefiting immeasurably from Lee Perry’s J.A. connection, The Upsetter sharing production credits with the Boy Wonder Producer Mickey Foote , sound-scourge of their studio/workshop.

“Rehearsals, Rehearsals.” The alliance was forged when Lee Perry spent some time in the studio with The Clash a few weeks back — mutual respect blossoming when he heard the band’s worthy version of the Perry/Junior Murvin classic “Police And Thieves.”

It’s a Protest Song, of course, concerning the friction between punks and business men after they’ve legally agreed to use each other. High Finance Capitalism opens its jaws to feed and if you think it wants to kiss you on the mouth you run the risk of getting chewed and swallowed.

Clipped chord-change dynamics open the song, redolent of “Pretty Vacant” and the best of their album’s material, and Joe snarls the story of The Single That Should Never Have Been. “They said that, ‘It’s’ Remote Control’, / We didn’t want it on the ley-hey-bel!” Nemesis for making The Sound Of The Westway blush with humiliation. P-A-R-A-M-O-U-N-T-F-E-D! The Press went MAAAAAD! On the road hauled at every Holiday Inn where they found shelter, a weak album track was pushed out by CBS for product to follow-up the “White Riot” single. “Ooooo-oooh, some-one’s REALLY SMART! Complete Control, you feel like a LAAARF!”

There’s stunning plectrum fluidity by Mick Jones , and Joe flexing his sense of humour/sharing a tender moment with the guitarist as he shouts over, “You’re MY guitar-hero!” But the solo’s too Lofgren -length for comfort — put it down to the Poodle-Cut . A barricade of sound assaults the record company offices. The rhythm section of Topper and Paul are offbeat and in their element.

“They said we’d be artist-ically free / That was just a bit of paper / They meant, ‘WE’LL MAKE YOU LOTS OF MON-EEE / WORRY ABOUT IT LATER!’” There’s a quasi- Jon Landau sense of The Epic to the climax of the tirade, the harmonies still terraces-derived, but far off and spiritual, like those The New York Dolls ripped off The Herd’s “From The Underworld” hit single for their own “Trash.”

“TOTAL! C-O-N CONTROL / TOTAL C-O-N CONTROL / This Is The Punk Rockers!” Even paranoids got enemies.


SECOND SINGLE OF THE WEEK

KRAFTWERK: Showroom Dummies (Edited Version) (Capitol). “EINS! ZWEI! DREI! VIER!” The introduction sets the neo- Cabaret ambiance-precision-honed Disco-Muzak soundtrack. A triumph of technological skill that dissolves the mind and stimulates the souls of your feet better than a shot of Novocaine pain-killer.

“We’re standing here / Exposing ourselves / We are show-room dummies / We are show-room dummies.” They don’t share your pleasures, don’t share your pains, they go down the Mecca , and robotonize their brains. The machine will always outlast the man. Relentless, cold as a numb Nun , as dehumanised as turning a screwdriver 30 degrees every 30 seconds for an eight-hour graveyard shift on a car plant assembly line. But it’s a pay-cheque, Jack .

“We look around and we change our pose / We are show-room dummies / We start to move and we break the glass / We are show-room dummies / We are show-room dummies / We go to a club and we start to dance / We are show-room dummies / We are show-room dummies.” They’ve got a wonderful sense of humanity and humour. But they’ve got problems.


REVIEWS BY TONY PARSONS (CONT.)

BUNNY WAILER: Get Up, Stand Up (Island). For your RIGHTS . Excel in thy life, celebrate Jah , Jeff’s brought some cider. The Marley/Tosh classic receives fine tribute from Bob’s old comrade, although inevitably it suffers in comparison to the spiritual orgasm the song evokes (must have been having one of Zoe Hot Flushes ) at the end of the album at the Lyceum Wailers album. But you can still hold your head up to it.

LINDA RONSTADT: Poor, Poor Pitiful Me (Asylum). I hear that Laurel Canyon is full of famous stars and, if the sordid experiences confessed on the latest waxing from the silver-larynxed songbird are anything to go by, a few of them could sure use a copy of my Dating Do’s And Don’ts . The peaceful, easy palliative sounds like The Eagles with their necks expanding a couple of inches and turning decidedly crimson. The opening verse has Linda trying to End It All by laying her neck on a railway line in the hope of a bit of self-immolation. Unfortunately, the line is disused so it’s true confessions time. All you dope-smoking weekend gardeners can start licking your vicarious psyches as you glimpse the blood and tears on the cheek of the tarnished woman. “Met a man out in Hollywood / Now I ain’t naming names / Well, he really worked me over good / Just like Jesse James / Yes, he really worked me over good / He was a credit to his gender.” The bounder sounds like he needs a damn good thrashing. Makes The Stranglers look like clean-cut college kids. You can untie yourself from the railway line now, Linda . Five Hail Marys and stop smiling at me like that, Linda .

ROSE-ROYCE: Do Your Dance (Whitfield Records). “Whoo-woo-hey!” Repeat numerous times over liberal dosage of hand-clapping. Then add a funky- Norman bass line, cool to commercial viability with K.C. Sunshine hornblown instructions to get down and have fun all night, party to the morning light, and so forth. Add modicum of pseudo-joyous/heroic strings so that they sound worthy of a “Hawaii Five-O” theme-tune and the lumpenprole can consume the product without remembering that they are not watching television. Or else stay home and wash your car in the garage. Preferably with the garage door closed and the engine running. Stop, I take that back. That would be cruel. You must realise, Carbon Monoxide gets in your eyes.

GOLDEN EARRING: Radar Love (Polydor). Next patient, nurse. “Wewe gotta theeeeng called Ray-dar Luh!” The radio screams her forgotten song, an unsavoury commercially tested re-release although this time in Danish bacon bits, sizzle, spit LIVE version. The Dutch boys let their enthusiasm get the better of them now they’re free from the confines of a studio and their almost Abbarante -like charm is suffocated under the gross portentous overkill that made “A Day In The Life” unlistenable to these earbuds.

MILLIE JACKSON: If You’re Not In Love By Monday (Spring). The title’s a sort of young divorcee’s variation on the “Life Begins At Four O’Clock” of school-daze, innit? Sod ya, then. Mellow marriage on the rocks, this is like Billy Paul’s “Me And Mrs Jones” with the hapless hubby in tow. Will Millie’s success match the track record of Gladys? Will Mister Jones accept his wife’s offer of a few more shots at it before the rift is final? Are the rumours true about Stan Ogden and Len Fairclough? Does anybody care?

VINCENT PRICE: The Monster Mash (EMI). Dave Vanian’s Dad sings like Richard Harris with a sense of humour on the charming crypt-kicking oldie that Jimmy Osterberg grave-robbed and mutated for “Funtime” on “The Idiot.” Hopefully both this sick beauty and “Nellie The Elephant” will see chart action and yet another generation of ankle-biters will grow up to be animal-loving necrophiliacs.

FLEETWOOD MAC: You Make Loving Fun (Warner Brothers). Great dance record for all pop-kids who like to be asleep when they work out, buyber, work out, and it looks as if the Platinum-Gold-Platinum status of Fleetwood Mac’s “White Album” and now “Rumours” — from whence this single is culled — will be reflected in album transplants selling like sliced bread in 45 format. There’s tasteful interplay of acoustic and electric guitars, everything in the garden is blooming most rosy, and the entity is so devastatingly innocuous that I can feel my inner-being blanding into oblivion . . . The Bottomless Pit . . . aaaaahhhhhh . . . there is no light here . . . ooooohhhhh . . . my eyes, Lord , the spirits of Peter Frampton shall inherit the earth. I’ll bring the shovel.

BE BOP DELUXE: Japan (Harvest). Chronic mock oriental pastiche of “We Are Siamese If You Please / And Likewise If You Don’t Please” with Willy De Nelson slanting his eyes and voice and musical sensibility (or not) with such . . .

Continues page 29

NME Singles review - Enlarge


NME: Clash 'n' Scratch in complete control

Complete Control single review - 24 September 1977

Left: Link - Right: Link

Left: Clash City Collectors | Facebook





Tom Robinson , Melody Maker , August 5, 1978 , Page 8, " How Clash won complete control " 1,021 words

HOW CLASH WON COMPLETE CONTROL

Tom Robinson chronicles The Clash’s evolution from underground catalysts to mainstream contenders. Despite industry cynicism and internal struggles, their integrity and powerful live performances solidified their status as punk's enduring leaders.

Tom Robinson , Melody Maker , August 5, 1978 , Page 8, " How Clash won complete control " 1,021 words

HOW CLASH WON COMPLETE CONTROL

How Clash won complete control

Something was happening. Anywhere you went from Aberdeen to the Rhondda Valley there was a new restlessness in the air at local rock gigs, youth clubs, school dances, discos and parties every Friday and Saturday night.

One moment people would be chatting, drinking, leering, posing, waiting for that night’s band to come on; the next, drinks, seats and conversations would be abandoned in a mad rush for the dance floor, which exploded with manic energy and pogoing bodies.

New rumours, new ideas, new styles, new energies — hundreds of new bands, venues and magazines springing up from nowhere at grassroots level across the country.

Word was out. The nightly detonator would be an ordinary 7in single: sometimes a bootleg " Anarchy " but more often a new CBS single by a group called the Clash .

For the vast majority of disaffected rock ‘n’ roll youth around Britain , punk didn’t die the day Clash signed to CBS , it was born the day " White Riot " reached their record shops.

In the ensuing months word spread like wildfire despite an almost total radio and TV embargo (pace John Peel ) and was fuelled by the revolutionary Clash album, three monumental singles by the Pistols , and — let it be said — a great deal of hoo-hah in the music papers.

Incidentally, mass coverage in these papers doesn’t by any means automatically result in mass popularity; the Damned had a major push from the music press well before the Clash , but never fired popular teenage imagination on the same scale.

The simple difference was that the Clash also made good records. As did the Jam and Stranglers , but that’s another story.

That summer punk rock sprang to national prominence and notoriety, becoming a rallying point for rebellious youth across the country like Presley and the Stones had been before them.

"There are many who feel revolted at the thought of entering a studio or negotiating with the slick executives who run the networks. They detest, or profess to detest, the very machinery of the industry, and would like to withdraw into some abode of refinement. Of course, no such refuge really exists. The seemingly exclusive is just another, slightly more expensive, line of styling within the same giant industry combine." EUZENSBERGER: Industrialization Of The Mind.

"Punk died the day Clash signed to CBS ."MARK PERRY.

The principle remained true: anything your parents hate that much has to have something in it.

For a while the Clash were somewhat eclipsed by the Pistols , whose swashbuckling exploits brought on them the brunt of Establishment retaliation (and the all-important martyr’s crown).

The average redneck on the street had never heard of Joe Strummer , but held extremely strong views on J. Rotten and Co, as subsequent violence proved.

This, along with some ferocious records, quickly won them legendary status and undying support, not only among hundreds and thousands of rock ‘n’ roll rebels the world over, but even managed to awe the blasé London in-crowd who usually shout "sell out" as soon as the mass public get their cloddish hands on any trend invented by the capital’s elite.

The Clash were less fortunate; while they encountered similar wrangles with petty officialdom which hampered their attempts to play live, they had none of the enthusiasm and support from CBS that Virgin had been giving the Sex Pistols .

Journalists began to write of Strummer’s "hollow rhetoric" where only months previously they had eulogised "the sound of the Westway ."

Plus they were broke. There were signs of faltering and demoralisation within the band now their initial impetus had slackened.

For all their tough image, the guys in Clash are far more easily disheartened by dumb allegations of going "bigtime" than either the Stranglers (who’re utterly certain it isn’t true) or indeed Bob Geldof (who’s utterly certain that it is).

There’s always harsher criticism of those who attempt something and fall short than there is of those who don’t even try, and for a while the Clash took it to heart.

How on earth do you follow songs like " London’s Burning " and " Complete Control "?

How on earth do you maintain any kind of ideals or integrity when faced with endless criticism for decisions you never made, matters beyond your control, and when everything you do is wrong in somebody’s eyes?

It looked as though their entire future hung in the balance.

We needn’t have worried; in the event they did the only thing possible — carried on regardless.

As Joe Strummer said later, "You go crazy if you listen to all that. You just do what you think is right."

Once they got themselves back out on the road it must have suddenly dawned on them that they’d never been away, and that in the last analysis the only factor that counts is a band’s individual relationship with its own audience. ( Bands like Quo , BJH , ELP , etc, etc, have proved this again and again.)

Unlike the Pistols , Clash had taken the trouble to get out and play to the people, in full-size venues under their own name.

Plus they were a far better performing band onstage. And gradually, with the Ulster gigs, Anti-Nazi League Carnival and general dedication of the band, the cynics and critics began to realise what the fans had never doubted: that the Clash really do mean it, maan.

Personally, I can’t see the point in the current who-cares-the-most sincerity contests. The decisive factor in Clash’s return to supremacy as the number one punk band is simply the fact that they’ve continued to make good records.

" Clash City Rockers " was essentially in the same vein as previous songs, though much tighter and improved.

" (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais ," however, is something else again. It’s certainly the first single I’ve bought in 15 years, and I don’t even have a record player.

The blend of reggae and powerpunk is effortless — much as the Stones built up a new white urban pop style based on black r&b, the style is uniquely Clash’s own; while the lyrics knocked me personally for six with their range and honesty.

It’s a new side to Clash that can afford to admit the contradictions we all face, that there are no easy answers; to indulge in an ironic laugh, or the romantic self-image of the drug-prowling wolf in the sun.

The atmospheric production also shows that they can deliver the goods: Sandy or no Sandy .

Frankly, it’s extremely hard to write objectively about people you know; any criticism you're either bitching, being bitchy, anymore than you're either arselicking or patronising.

Actually, I’ve liked the Clash ever since " White Riot " and as individuals they’ve also given a lot of other bands help and encouragement (including mine) right from the earliest days.

They’ve opened the door to a whole new three-dimensional musical vista with " Palais ," (while " Stay Free " promises more of the same).

Most Clash records sell through small "alternative" outlets which never show up on the national chart returns; added to the no-compromise stance which they mutually share with the electronic media resulting in little or no TV / radio play, it’s a real breakthrough that " Palais " made the Top 30 .

Ironically, the Rolling Stones had a No. 1 hit album the same week — Jagger and co. must have felt much the same back in their own subversive days when Elvis was chalking up monster hits with drivel like " Crying In The Chapel ."

Never mind, each successive Clash single gets progressively higher (unlike some of us whose records do the opposite!).

As the Buzzcocks , Sham and Spex start smashing into the chart the same old cries of "sellout" and "punk is dead" are heard.

Hey, it’s only just beginning to reach the people it was meant for, what are you talking about?

And when the Clash come busting in, which they will real soon, they’re gonna deserve every minute of it. And punk rock will be here to stay.

TOM ROBINSON

Enlarge image





Unknown Author, Unknown Publication , September 1977, Page Unknown, THE CLASH'S new single .

NEWS SOUNDS - Complete Control review

THE CLASH'S new single, released on September 23 , is 'Complete Control' coupled with 'City Of The Dead' . The single is produced by reggae hero Lee Perry and Micky Foote .

The Clash said this week: " 'Complete Control' tells a story of conflict between two opposing camps both of which are using the tool of change to further their own beliefs."

"One side sees change as an opportunity to channel the enthusiasm of a raw and dangerous culture in a direction where the energy is made safe, predictable and palatable."

"The other is dealing with change as a freedom to be experienced so as to understand ones true capabilities and restrictions allowing a creative less boring situation to emerge."

"We all want change so find out what side you're on and try to get complete control."

Enlarge





Record Hunter, February 1991 # pages

The Clash: The First 12 Months

— Danny Kelly's 1991 article for Record Hunter charts the first year of The Clash, from their 1976 formation after seeing the Sex Pistols to their landmark releases and tours.

— Recording their debut album and early singles "White Riot" and "Complete Control," produced by Lee Perry.

— Their first gig at The Black Swan supporting the Sex Pistols and the "White Riot" Tour and the London's Rainbow Theatre gig.

Read the article

PDF1 ––– PDF2





Back to the top






US Articles

Back to the top






International Articles

Back to the top






Fanzines

Dream Deferred | The Clash a riot of our own

By Hassan Mahamdallie |
8 January 2018
Added to BMC July 2024

Online or Archived PDF

Punk and New Wave exploded onto the musical stage in 1976-77. The new music brought the bloated rock scene that came before it crashing down - and punk has shaped much of the music that has come since. Two years ago Hassan Mahamdallie began his occasional series on this blog - a personal, musical and political journey. He ends the series looking at one of the most important - if not the most important - punk bands of all time, the Clash.

Retrospective review of

White Riot 7"
Police and Thieves
Clash City Rockers 7"
Compleet Control 7"
Armagideon Time (LC12)
Live at Lyceum December, 1978

The Clash: a riot of our own

https://www.dreamdeferred.org.uk/2018/01/the-clash-a-riot-of-our-own/

The Clash. Pic credit: Sonic Collective)

Punk and New Wave exploded onto the musical stage in 1976-77. The new music brought the bloated rock scene that came before it crashing down – and punk has shaped much of the music that has come since. Two years ago  Hassan Mahamdallie  began his occasional series on this blog – a personal, musical and political journey. He ends the series looking at one of the most important – if not the most important – punk bands of all time, the Clash.

Next week we will posting Hassan’s list of his 10 favourite punk debut singles. We also intend to publish a downloadable compilation of Hassan’s music posts here, with an introduction by a very special guest.


The Clash. Single No 1:  White Riot  (1977)

It’s quite something, when you think about it, that the debut single of the most successful punk band of all, and my personal favourite, clocked in at just one minute fifty-eight seconds and was widely misinterpreted at the time as having racist overtones.

The Sex Pistols’  Anarchy in the UK  exploded in November 1976 like a random depth-charge, blowing all the accepted musical rules out of the water, but instant converts like myself had to wait another six months until we had something else to compare it to. So we could begin to join the dots: “That song is punk, and this one is also punk, so this must be what punk is. This is what it sounds like and this is what it is all about.” All we could do in the intervening period was tune into the BBC Radio One John Peel show in the evenings to hear what new bands he was raving about.

If  Anarchy in the UK  had slashed a big X in the centre of a new soundscape, the Clash’s debut single  White Riot , released in March 1977, would be an arrow pointing us in a particular direction. Or at least that was the theory. But what direction? What exactly was a White Riot I asked myself? Wasn’t that something that the razor-wielding Teddy Boys had been up to in Notting Hill in 1958 when they had attempted to pogrom the local West Indian population? Or what the Enoch brigade and the National Front (NF) would like to do us ‘pakis’ given half a chance?

It wasn’t until the Clash included their interpretation of one of my all-time favourite songs, Junior Murvin’s masterpiece  Police and Thieves  on the first album, that I realised where the Clash stood.

Police and thieves in the streets (oh yeah)
Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition
Police and thieves in the street (oh yeah)
Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition…


Junior Murvin’s  Police and Thieves : 12” version. Produced by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry (1976)

Later I came to understand that  White Riot  was a song of praise for the Black youth who had bravely fought the Met police to a standstill during the 1976 Notting Hill Carnival, and an admonishment to white youth who had yet to find their own route to confrontation with the state. Indeed  White Riot  was composed out of the first-hand experience of Clash singer Joe Strummer, bass player Paul Simonon and manager Bernie Rhodes, who had been caught up in, and participated in the rebellion against state repression and racism that flared in Notting Hill in the August of that searing long hot summer of ’76.

White riot – I wanna riot
White riot – a riot of my own
White riot – I wanna riot
White riot – a riot of my own

Black people gotta lot a problems
But they don’t mind throwing a brick
White people go to school
Where they teach you how to be thick

…All the power’s in the hands
Of people rich enough to buy it
While we walk the street
Too chicken to even try it

Everybody’s doing
Just what they’re told to
Nobody wants
To go to jail!

White riot – I wanna riot
White riot – a riot of my own
White riot – I wanna riot
White riot – a riot of my own

Are you taking over
or are you taking orders?

Are you going backwards, Or are you going forwards? the song concluded, echoing CLR James’s eloquent insight:

Times would pass, old empires would fall and new ones take their place. The relations of countries and the relations of classes had to change before I discovered that it is not the quality of goods and utility which matters, but movement, not where you are, or what you have, but where you have come from, where you are going and the rate at which you are getting there.


Single No 4:  Clash City Rockers  (1978)

The Clash were as much an expression of the UK reggae scene and Caribbean culture and rebel politics as they were of the pub rock and art-school scene. Joe Strummer had lived in a communal squat in Maida Vale, just north of Notting Hill. Mick Jones had been a south London schoolboy in Tulse Hill. Paul Simonon had been raised in Brixton and Ladbroke Grove, had grown up in and around London’s Black community, and was a huge reggae fan – clearly manifested in his ska/reggae bass-playing style.

Before going on to manage the Clash, Bernie Rhodes had run a record shop in Kilburn specialising in reggae imports. Apart from using photo imagery from the ‘76 riot as backdrops to their gigs and on their record sleeves, the Clash were visually inspired by artwork they came across adorning Jamaican reggae album covers.

In 1977 the journalist, cultural activist and maybe best chronicler of punk Vivian Goldman wrote an insightful article in Sounds magazine that traced out the punky-reggae conversation that was going on at the time. Goldman wrote that, setting aside Don Letts’ famed reggae DJ sets at punk gigs:

The main impetus for punk enthusiasm for reggae is down to the musicians. The Clash definitely lead the way – their cover of ‘Police And Thieves’ is the strongest vinyl evidence to date of new wave sympathy for their black peer group. Even down to the shot of the rioting under the Westway at the ’76 Notting Hill Carnival on their album sleeve, the Clash have always laid their souls on the red, green and gold line. Bernie Rhodes was right when he described them as “a roots band.



Single No 3:  Complete Control  (1977)

Complete Control

In September 1977 the Clash released their third single  Complete Control . I rate it as one of their best. The composition, the guitar wall-of-sound, Strummer’s incomprehensible growl, Mick Jones plaintive backing vocals, Nicky ‘Toppe’r Headon’s energetic beat, all come together – perfectly formed from start to finish.

Complete Control  was produced by unique and hallowed Jamaican musical innovator Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, who had admired the band’s version of Junior Murvin’s hit (although its disputed how much of his studio mix made it to the final cut), and the front cover was a photo of a reggae sound system bass speaker set.

In June 1978 the Clash were to return to the inspiration of Police and Thieves with the distinctive single  (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais :

White youth, black youth
Better find another solution
Why not phone up Robin Hood
And ask him for some wealth distribution.

And then of course there were the covers – notably Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert’s (of Toots and the Maytals) Pressure Drop and Willi William’s Studio One anthem Armigideon Time, as well as their own songs – including Paul Simonon’s personal tribute to The Frontline –  The Guns of Brixton  – complete with reference to the anti-hero of the famous crossover 70s Jamaican rude boy movie:

You see, he feels like Ivan
Born under the Brixton sun
His game is called survivin’
At the end of the harder they come



Single No 10:  Armagideon Time . The flip side to London Burning (1979)

Single No 9: The Cost of Living EP included a version of 1960s Bobby Fuller standard  I Fought The Law . The EP was released in May 1979 to coincide with the General Election which put Margaret Thatcher in power.

Between 1977 and 1979 the Clash never stopped evolving their sound and subject material, and widening their political reach into areas I could appreciate and agree with, the opposite of their early “rivals” the Sex Pistols, who, for whatever reason you like to give, never moved forward musically, rapidly descended into both tragedy and farce.

In the same month as  (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais  was released, what was left of the Pistols messily exited musical history with the 12” single  No One Is Innocent  – a seedy karaoke sing-a-long with sad-sack train-robber in exile Ronnie Biggs:

God save Martin Boorman and Nazis on the run
God save Myra Hindley God save Ian Brady
Even though he’s horrible and she ain’t what you call a lady

Charming.

The icing on the cake? The Clash were the most exciting live band I have ever experienced – even beating my old favourites The Damned. I saw the Clash perform at The Rainbow, Finsbury Park in December 1977, at the Victoria Park Rock Against Racism gig in April 1978, Harlesden Roxy in October 1978 and at the Lyceum Ballroom on the corner of The Strand, central London, in December 1978.

In those days you had to rush to the venue ticket office as soon as the weekly music press announced that tickets had been released, queue up for hours, put up with passers-by stopping to gawp at the assorted rabble slumped untidily in the road (me and my fellow Clash fans), and hopefully make it to the box-office grill before the gig sold out, passing over some greasy bank notes to the ticket lady who had drawn the short straw that day. I remember going up to The Strand and queuing up to buy two tickets for a fiver –and thinking at the time that was a bit steep and it had better be worth it.



December 1978: The Lyceum ballroom in The Strand

It was a phenomenal gig – Strummer spitting out lyrics through his crooked teeth, his left leg furiously pumping up and down to the beat, Mick Jones fronting up to his left, Paul Simonon, low slung bass across his hip to the right and Topper Headon hard at it on the drum kit at the back.

Tune after tune rocketed out from the stage into the auditorium one after the other in feverish bursts of hot energy –  White Riot, City of the Dead, Remote Control, Janie Jones, What’s My Name, Garageland, Tommy Gun, Drug-Stabbing Time, Capital Radio, Police and Thieves, I Fought The Law, Stay Free …I staggered away at the end, drenched with sweat, my ears ringing (as they would continue to do so for days after), completely numbed, on autopilot I crossed The Strand and over the Thames towards Waterloo Station and home.

Whatever individual thoughts and emotions that had been with me that day had been burned clean out of my skull. Strummer later recalled that those were the nights “when it burns. When you cease to be even anybody at all. Your just part of something. You don’t know what your doing or saying. It burns and that is was the audience want to be part of, that burn”.

You can watch a very good 9-minute film of the Clash live, from October 1977 below.


Back to the top






Books

by Nick Assirati (Author)

The Clash: every album, every song





by Marti Popper (Author)

The Clash: All the Albums All the Songs





Back to the top



Social Media

23 September 1977 - Complete Control is released with City of The Dead on the B side

https://www.facebook.com
search results | Facebook
Video | Facebook Reel

The Clash Official - Complete Control" is a song by The Clash, released as a 7" single and featured on the U.S. release of their debut album. B-side City of the Dead. Released 23 September 1977 (UK)
The Clash Official | Facebook





23 September 1977 - Complete Control is released with City of The Dead on the B side

The Clash Complete Control - search results | Facebook

Complete Control (1977)
UK Release date: September 23, 1977
UK singles chart position: # 23
A:  Complete Control , B. City of the Dead 
A-side produced by Lee Scratch Perry, B-side produced by Mickey Foote. 
Format: 7"






Complete Control (1977) UK Release date: September 23, 1977 UK singles chart position: # 23

The Clash | Facebook

Complete Control (1977) UK Release date: September 23, 1977
UK singles chart position: # 23
A: Complete Control
B. City of the Dead
A-side produced by Lee Scratch Perry,
B-side produced by Mickey Foote. Format: 7"







Cited as one of punk's greatest tunes

Post Punk - A Short Term Effect | Facebook

Lots of comments

Released 45 years ago on this day in 1977 ... the third single "Complete Control" by #punk pioneers The Clash often cited as one of punk's greatest tunes! #TheClash #CompleteControl

Back to the top






Sundry

Back to the top






Photos

Back to the top











Extensive archive

of articles, magazines and other from the Anarchy Tour


INDEX

PAGE 1 - The Anarchy Tour, pre Bill Grundy
Anarchy Tour 'Dates' - pre Bill Grundy show
Articles - before Bill Grundy Show
Posters

PAGE 2 - The Bill Grundy Show, the outrage
LWT (ITV) Bill Grundy Show
Bill Grundy front page newspaper headlines
The 'moral-outrage', moral panic that followed
EMI's response

PAGE 3 - The fallout, Tour collapses
Revised Dates following the Grundy outrage
Anarchy Tour Adverts, before and after
The fallout from Bill Grundy show
Feature Magazines
Books (Anarchy Tour)

PAGE 4 - The Clash, restrospectives, photos
Anarchy Tour Photos
The Clash & The Anarchy Tour
1976 feature magazines
1976 Sundry









www.blackmarketclash.co.uk

email blackmarketclash.co.uk@gmail.com

THE CLASH
1976  1977  1978  1979  1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  THE CLASH: ALBUM BY ALBUM, TRACK BY TRACK 

STRUMMER, BAD, Pogues, films + : THE SOLO YEARS
THE 101ers: 1974-1976   SOLO YEARS: 1986-2025

STRUMMER & THE LATINO ROCKABILLY WAR
ROCK THE RICH 88-89   ROCK THE RICH 99-00  

STRUMMER & THE MESCALEROS
ROCK ART TOURS 1999   ROCK ART TOURS 2000   GLOBAL A GO GO TOURS 2001   GLOBAL A GO GO TOURS 2002   STRUMMER DEMOS OUTAKES

BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS & FEATURE MAGAZINES
THE CLASH YEARS –– 1975-1986 
THE SOLO YEARS –– 1987-2002 
RETROSPECTIVE FEATURE MAGAZINES –– 2002-2025  
BOOKS  OTHER LINKS  

THE CLASH AUDIO & VIDEO
THE CLASH INTERVIEWED – INTERVIEWED / DOCS

Sex Pistols / The Jam / The Libertines / Others
The Sex Pistols  The Jam  The Libertines  other recordings-some master

Discography

Wikipedia
A fantastic concise listing
Compilations
Black Market Clash
The Story of the Clash, Volume 1
1977 Revisited
The Singles (1991)(2007)
Super Black Market Clash
The Essential Clash
The Clash Hits Back
Joe Strummer 001
Joe Strummer 002
Box sets
Clash on Broadway
Singles Box
Sound System
5 Album Studio Set
Albums
The Clash
Give 'em Enought Rope
London Calling
Sandinista
Combat Rock
Cut the Crap
* Spirit of St Louis
Live albums
Live at Shea Stadium
From Here to Eternity
Singles
Capital Radio
White Riot
Remote Control
Complete Control
Clash City Rockers
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
Tommy Gun
English Civil War
The Cost of Living
London Calling
Bankrobber
The Call Up
Hitsville U.K.
The Magnificent Seven
This Is Radio Clash
Know Your Rights
Rock the Casbah
SISOSIG / Straight to Hell
This Is England
Fingerpoppin
* Shouting Street
* Love Kills
* Are You Ready for War
* Shouting Street
* Janie Jones & The Lash
London Calling 1988
I Fought the Law 1988
SISOSIG 1991
Rock the Casbah 1991
Train in Vain 1991
Return to Brixton
Video albums
1982 The Clash: Live in Tokyo
1985 This Is Video Clash
2003 The Essential Clash (DVD)
2008 The Clash Live: Revolution Rock
The Clash - London Calling DVD

Film/documentaries
1980 Rude Boy
2000 Westway to the World
2006 The Clash: Up Close and Personal
2007 Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
2012 The Rise and Fall of The Clash
2013 Audio Ammunition
Music videos
White Riot
Complete Control
Tommy Gun
London Calling
Clampdown
Train in Vain
Bankrobber
The Call Up
This Is Radio Clash
Rock the Casbah
Should I Stay or Should I Go (live at Shea Stadium)
Career Opportunities (live at Shea Stadium)
I Fought the Law
Should I Stay or Should I Go
The Magnificent Seven
Documentary videos
JOE STRUMMER - A Tribute - Roots Rock Rebel DVD
Lets Rock Again DVD
London Calling & Other Clash DVD
Punk Generation DVD
Punk in England DVD
Punk In London Orig DVD
Straight to Hell DVD
Live/ Revolution Rock DVD
London Calling DVD Unofficial Documentary
Music In Review DVD 01 DVD
Music In Review DVD 02 DVD
Music Master Collection Box Set 3xDVD & Blu-ray
Ultimate Review - Punk Icons DVD
Up Close and Personal Ray Lowry DVD
The Greatest Punk Hits DVD
The Punk Rock Movie DVD
Tory Crimes & Other Tales; Bored with the USA DVD
Tory Crimes & Other Tales; The Punk Era DVD
Viva Joe Strummer DVD