"We’re Not a Band, We’re a Construction Crew": Mick Jones & Big Audio Dynamite in 1989

While Joe Strummer wrestled with rock’s past, his former Clash bandmate Mick Jones was busy building its future with Big Audio Dynamite (B.A.D.). “We’re not a band, we’re a construction crew,” Mick Jones told NME in July 1989, describing the group’s genre-blurring second album, Megatop Phoenix, as “the sound of London’s streets wired through a sampler” (NME, 8 July 1989). The album’s fusion of dance-rock, hip-hop beats, and film dialogue samples earned it widespread praise. Melody Maker hailed it as “the only truly post-punk evolution of The Clash’s multicultural vision” (Melody Maker, 5 August 1989).

Mick Jones, ever the studio obsessive, quipped in Sounds: “I’ve got more machines than mates these days. But the machines argue less” (Sounds, 9 September 1989). B.A.D.’s success—including a Top 40 hit with “James Brown”—highlighted the divergent paths of the former Clash members. While Joe Strummer dismissed electronic music as “soulless bleeping” (MTV, October 1989), Mick Jones embraced the new technology, telling Rolling Stone: “Punk was about smashing the rules. Now the revolution’s in the sequencer.” (Rolling Stone, November 1989).

When pressed about a Clash reunion, Mick Jones echoed Strummer’s sentiment but with a different emphasis: “That ship’s sailed... but Christ, what a voyage.” (Q Magazine, December 1989).

Final Thought

The contrasting paths of Joe Strummer and Mick Jones in 1989 exemplify the creative tensions and possibilities of post-punk, as both sought to redefine rock’s legacy—one through roots, the other through relentless reinvention. Big Audio Dynamite’s Megatop Phoenix stands as a testament to the enduring power of musical innovation, proving that the spirit of The Clash lived on, even as its members charted new territories.

References
1. NME. Interview with Mick Jones, 8 July 1989.
2. Melody Maker. Review of Megatop Phoenix, 5 August 1989.
3. Sounds. Interview with Mick Jones, 9 September 1989.
4. MTV. Interview with Joe Strummer, October 1989.
5. Rolling Stone. Interview with Mick Jones, November 1989.
6. Q Magazine. Interview with Mick Jones, December 1989.



Denis Kilcommons, Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Teletalk, Monday 22 May 1989, p.2

Clash of personalities broke up pop group

THE CLASH were one of the most successful groups of punk music.

They formed in the summer of 1976 and enjoyed superstar success until they split in 1984.

Guitarist Mick Jones was one of the founders of the band and in That Was Then . . . This Is Now (BBC2, 7.10pm) he talks about his days with The Clash and, for the first time, how they actually broke up.

"I turned up the day I was fired and got my guitar out," he says. "I think it was Joe (Strummer) who managed to muster up the courage and said he didn't want to play with me any more.

"I just packed my guitar up and said, well, hey, OK, bye, and that was it."

Jones joined Big Audio Dynamic two days later, the band he is still with and who are now working on their fourth LP.

The in-depth interview is interest with archive film footage, video, home movies and performance film

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Richard Jones, Bristol Evening Post, Albums, Thursday 05 October 1989, p.83

Albums

THE CLASH were arguably one of the most influential British guitar bands of the late 70s and early 80s. In the right place at the right time, for many they were the real rebels of an era dominated by the hype and often mock shock of punts.

Since the break-up of The Clash, leading lights Strummer and guitarist Mick Jones have taken different directions. Jones quickly formed Big Audio Dynamics, a black and white outfit which experimented with hip-hop, scratching and sampling long before it became fashionable.

Strummer kept a lower profile, surfacing last year with the acoustic sound of his Latino Rockabilty War band on the sell-out Rock Against The Rich tour organised by militant anarchist group Class War.

Forces

Now, both Strummer and Jones have released albums which confirm them as still being among the more innovative forces in modern music: Earthquake Weather: Joe Strummer (Epic): From the opening track, Gangsterville, delivered with quasi-plus introductions, Strummer runs roughened over a variety of styles, stamping on them his own distinctive, dismissive authority.

Strummer also produced the album and the result is a tough, sometimes clumsy mix that is like a breath of fresh air in the stagnant world of "perfect" production.

Strong on acoustic influences, with occasional hints of the basses direction the Clash were beginning to follow, Earthquake Weather is a tough but eloquent collection of songs.

Ironic

Megatop Phoenix: Big Audio Dynamic (CB$): It would be ironic if this was the album that finally earned Mick Jones and Big Audio Dynamics the attention they so richly deserve — because it's not their best work.

This curious album moves the goalposts of both hip-hop and rock, and confirms Big Audio Dynamics as still being ahead of their time.

Richard Jones

- Big Audio Dynamics: their latest is not their best

Word Count: 300

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