Video - Clash on Broadway Reels -

UPDATE

81 05 29 News Reports (Don Letts footage/handheld)

Mick red top, white pants, Joe red top, black t-shirt, red pants
Brand New Cadilac (Snippet) (News Report)
I'm So Bored with the USA (Snippet) (News Report)
Armagideon Time (Snippet) (News Report)
Bankrobber (Snippet) (News Report)
Magnificent 7 (Snippet) (News Report)
London Calling (Snippet) (News Report)

81 06 02 (Shot by Don Letts/handheld)

Magnificent 7 (incomplete/partially dubbed)
Mick has a blue denim? jacket, dark knotted scarf, Joe red top, black t-shirt

81 06 03 (Rumoured to be full show)

81 06 13e Pro Shot

Mick blue blazer, white t-shirt, Joe red top, black t-shirt
Lond Calling (most) (Westway extras)
Guns of Brixton (most) (Westway extras)
Safe European Home (most/dubbed) (Westway extras)
Charlie Don't Surf (most) (Westway extras)
Radio Clash (most) (Westway extras)
Charlie Don't Surf (complete) (Other)
Going Onstage (snippet)
Guns of Brixton (complete) (Other)
Live footage (No Audio) (Other)

Unknown (Don Letts footage/handheld)

Live footage (No Audio) Mick white top red pants
Live footage (No Audio) Joe white top
Live footage (No Audio) Joe white top, Mick red top
Live footage (No Audio) Joe blue top, Mick Green





Clash On Broadway Reels

"all the original reels have been found and are now with Sony.

UPDATE1 The footage the footage that was found is very expensive to transfer. Don hasn't yet ID'd the film boxes (03/2015).

UPDATE2 On the Facebook page dedicated to the summer 1981 Nyc residence, from one Kevin Bud Jones that was hired by Don Letts to help shout ing The Clash on Broadway docufilm:

"We shot one complete show with multiple cameras and a 24 track mobile recorder. We also shot most of every show with one camera and in house 8 track recording. The band wore the same gear every night and Topper was such a consistent drummer - and the band well rehearsed - that we were able to build edits from different nights with no trouble at all."‬ (03/2015)"

There are around 36 tapes in all, each of which would cost at least £500 per tape to transfer (the prohibitive cost is why the filmakers didn't have this material transferred at the time) - it's on a rare early video format called EIAJ.

Sam





From a camerman

Facebook The same guy who posted that also wrote this in the comments (bold emphasis mine):

"We shot one complete show with multiple cameras and a 24 track mobile recorder. We also shot most of every show with one camera and in house 8 track recording. The band wore the same gear every night and Topper was such a consistent drummer - and the band well rehearsed - that we were able to build edits from different nights with no trouble at all."

"Sadly - we never shot the opening acts. We started the gig with the intention of doing a six song DVD EP - not a full scale documentary. Shooting expanded as the story expanded and the shows stretched on."

"We were not making a concert movie per se - and my part in the post production ended when the material left the US after doing the Combat Rock video which John shot in Texas."

All of this makes me wonder where all that footage is and why they haven't done a long form concert video or if they will at some point. I mean, a whole show in multi-camera, 24 track?! I can't imagine that kind of thing just inadvertently gets lost.

I'm sure there is way more about this that is known that I am not aware of. I think I've read that lots of footage has been lost but I don't know any details about that.

Concert movies have been constructed from way less (The Doors Hollywood Bowl for one, I expect there are more).





Found in London garage 2006

handed to SonyThere are around 36 tapes in all, each of which would cost at least £500 per tape to transfer (the prohibitive cost is why we didn't have this material transferred at the time) - it's on a rare early video format called EIAJ. 





We shot one complete show with multiple cameras and a 24 track mobile recorder

From - I saw the Clash at Bonds play at Bonds - Facebook page

My partner John Hazard and I were fortunate enough to be hired by Don Letts and The Clash to produce and shoot the documentary of Bonds and beyond that is the Clash on Broadway film featured at the end of Westway to the World. What started out as a one week shoot to get six songs live in the can became a year of our lives. The video for This Is Radio Clash was a lift from the 10 minute trailer for the unfinished film that we shot on 16mm and went all the way to a 35mm blowup to show potential distributors. Needless to say - the project was never completed as the band disassembled after Combat Rock. Clash on Broadway is the rough cut we had finished by the time to project was wrapped and went back to the UK.

We shot one complete show with multiple cameras and a 24 track mobile recorder [Ed: That will the the 13th evening]. We also shot most of every show with one camera and in house 8 track recording. The band wore the same gear every night and Topper was such a consistent drummer - and the band well rehearsed - that we were able to build edits from different nights with no trouble at all.

Sadly - we never shot the opening acts. We started the gig with the intention of doing a six song DVD EP - not a full scale documentary. Shooting expanded as the story expanded and the shows stretched on.

Q. How come we've never seen the release of the entire show?
We were not making a concert movie per se - and my part in the post production ended when the material left the US after doing the Combat Rock video which John shot in Texas.





Clash on Broadway film UPDATE

Update: March 2007. Researchers for the Julian Temple Strummer film, The Future is Unwrtten unearthed the full set of reels shot by Don Letts. Of which over 90% was recoverable. They had been kept in a garage lock in South London for over 25 years.

They turned up purely by accident. The whole load of film reels that had been originally shot on 60 millimeter for a film called Clash on Broadway. The film, shot in New York in 1981, was principally going to be a clash movie. However it never actually got finished. The only version of the film that existed was a cutting copy as described above in the various releases, it wasn't great quality.

The film researchers heard about a man who lived in South London, and he had a whole lot of film reels and he wasn't quite sure what they were. They visited him at his house and he told the story about he how he acquired these film reels, not neccessarily by straight forward means, he just had them. And for oer 25 years he sat on them. He kept them in his cellar, he did move house several times but always took them with him. There are 50 film reels from clash on Broadway. It includes amazing footage like The Clash visiting Martin Scorsese on the set of king of comedy. A real find.

We at BMC just hope that all of it and we believe there may be about 20 hours worth, finds its way into some bonus DVD.





message posted recently on Clash City

(Satch's - If Music Could Talk)

"I was told by the film makers that all the reels had turned up but they didn't know what state they were in. They had been sat there in a lock in South East London for 25 years. When I got told they said they had possession of them and they were nervous as to whether they were preserved or not. A week later I got an email saying most of the reels where ok. About 5-10% may be lost.

"Well, I collected 40 film reels and am planning to go and look at them next week. Some are pretty badly damaged and I don't know yet if they are repairable. It's certainly not all the rushes either but it looks like most of them are there. The Clash aren't aware yet that we have these - it seems premature to be telling them if the footage is in too bad a state to use, but it all looks hopeful. I'll keep you posted."

"Not much is damaged. The garage film footage of CO Broadway is mostly fine, the only damaged stuff is not live footage. I watched everything but only had a limited amount transferred to tape as it was so expensive. There was quite a lot of Bonds stuff in the Clash on Broadway rushes that I found. "

"Regarding the Clash on Broadway release, who knows - the rushes will probably be handed back to Sony as they are the joint rights holder along with the Clash so who knows? But it's going to need a lot of restoration before that - it's a big job."





Filming shelved?

"I worked for the Clash during the Summer of 1981 Bond's shows. They filmed everything for the intended "Clash on Broadway" film...you couldn't take a leak without a camera in your face.

As I understand it the project was trashed when the band split up (I think it was when Topper left) shortly after the tour, and they were never able to work out the legal details while everyone was feuding. Noam"





Video /Clash on Broadway/TV News Reports

TV cameras from 2 channels covered the concert for the news channels on the opening night and good quality video dubs circulate on Clash On TV Vol.1. Channel News 4 has live clips of Armagideon Time, Bankrobber and I’m So Bored With The USA.

Seperately there is footage that includes the press conference and nearly all of London Calling uncut with the band in the dressing room, running up the stairs and on stage, though this may be a mix of the opening press conference and Don Letts footage from the 9th June.

Clash on TV [also booted identically as TV Calling]Clash on TV begins with a classic Joe interview clip - “Everywhere, everything is no good, everybody’s walking around going this is no good, everything is gone wrong” cuts to a live clip of Brand New Cadillac, then back to Joe “So there’s no time to stand around with some nice pair of velvet trousers on going on about what you’re gonna do to your women tonight!” Paul is also interviewed about their support of political issues.

Channel 7 live has short clips of London Calling and Magnificent Seven, and includes an interview clip with Kosmo. It also shows missiles being thrown at Grandmaster Flash.

These reports though broadcast on the 29th have live footage definitely from the 28th May, “last night” as it states on screen and then goes onto say “If you want to see them tonight you must have ticketron tickets” and talks about the situation prior to the City Building Department closing Bonds indefinitely on the Saturday 30th morning which resulted in the mini-riot when the matinee crowd were turned away.





Footage from the 9th [aka Don Letts CoB footage]

The CoB Trailer found on Essential Clash, Clash on Broadway and most of Don Letts footage seems to be fropm the 9th. London Calling sound is dubbed from the 9th June master using the master [as opposed to remixed broadcast version] where Micks vocals are out of the mix almost. Essential Clash contain no other tracks.

Clash on Broadway [Westway DVD Bonus] The Clash on Broadway found on Westway DVD extras is certainly the best. It contains London Calling, which seems to be dubbed again from the 9th but from the radio broadcast version with Micks vocals in the mix? Most of London Calling features.

Interspersed with Dons New York footage CoB then includes most of Guns of Brixton which is part dubbed. Quite of lot of Safe European Home which is dubbed with the original studio version. Only when we get to nearly full versions of Charlie Don't Surf and Radio Clash is the original sound.

There is footage of the press conference and nearly all of London Calling but this circulates seperately.

This starts with press conference, backstage, 16 Tons play on, London Calling nearly full [probably the same length as Westway? but the sound plays on to a montage of NYC/Clash pictures]. The sound is remixed from [Trick or Treat bootleg] radio broadcast from the 9th June as Westway.





MTV Rockumentary

MTV Rockumentary is same as Westway/Clash on TV/Essential DVD but with only very edited clips of the press conference and London Calling. Nothing new except a couple of comments form Mick and Paul.

Photos taken from the 9th further corroborate the date of the TV footage classic rock concert photos. Paul’s in a turquoise vest and black leathers, Mick in white trousers and red shirt and Joe in all red.





Clash on Broadway never released

The press conference was held on the 27th in Bonds foyer and shots from it including Mick’s “sell out” explanation are shown in Clash On Broadway on the Westway To The World and Essential Clash DVD’s. Sadly Topper’s sacking appears to be the reason this film was never released; in May 82 it was reported in the press that the film was almost complete and would shortly be released. But shortly after he was sacked, Topper took out an injunction preventing the release of the film and it went into storage and was later destroyed. What is left of the film though does capture the excitement, the chaos and the cultural changes of the Bonds residency very well.