International Times. "Clash in Studio: Negative Minimalism is Dead." International Times (UK), August 1977, p. 25.
CLASH IN STUDIO
Negative Minimalism is Dead
— A brief, confrontational exchange/interview between the IT journalist and band members Mick Jones and Joe Strummer, who are hostile to the publication.
— The band ultimately agrees to provide their own captions for photos, resulting in quotes from Nicky "Topper" Headon ("This is to sell your poxy paper"), Paul Simonon ("The Grapes of Wrath"), and Mick Jones ("Whoever said PUNK IS DEAD is a cunt").
— The article mentions the rumoured presence of producer Lee Perry, though he was not there at the time, and the band's sarcastic comment about recording a "double album of our Greatest Hits."
International Times (IT), launched in 1966, was a radical London underground newspaper and voice of Britain’s counterculture.
It mixed politics, music, art, and alternative lifestyles, championed anti-establishment causes, and featured provocative interviews, satire, and experimental writing.
Known for its psychedelic design and irreverent tone, IT influenced the 1960s–70s underground until its brief run ended in August 1977.
INTERNATIONAL TIMES | August 1977 | Cover & Page 25
Interview with Mick Jones
CLASH IN STUDIO
Negative Minimalism is Dead
WHILST on a mission of high importance to the wrong end of the Mile End Road, we found ourselves round the corner from the wondrous Sarm Studios. Rumour had it that the Clash with rasta master producer, Lee Perry, were in the studio laying down a few tracks. Lee was not there but the Clash were.
[Enter IT.]
International Times: What are you recording down here?
Mick Jones: We're doing a double album of our Greatest Hits. What do you want?
International Times: [brandishing cheap Polaroid camera]: Take your picture for IT.
Mick Jones: What about your headline "PUNK IS DEAD"?
International Times: That was negative minimalism.
Mick Jones: But there was no story inside.
International Times: Well, we're a surrealist paper.
Mick Jones: You charge 20p for that rubbish?
International Times: You don't exactly give your records away, do you? What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Mick Jones: What does that mean?
International Times: It's an ancient proverb.
Mick Jones: Chinese?
International Times: English.
[Enter Joe Strummer festooned in cables.] Joe Strummer: Who are they?
International Times: We're from IT.
Joe Strummer: What's that? Never heard of it.
International Times: A gutter newspaper,
Joe Strummer: What d'you want?
International Times: Take a picture.
Joe Strummer: I don't want to sit around. I want to get on. Anyway why do you want to take a picture?
International Times: To sell our rotten paper.
Mick Jones: That's a good answer.
Joe Strummer: You should print better things if you want to sell more.
International Times: How about a picture of the Clash?
Joe Strummer: I don't want my picture taken. I want to get on.
[Exits.]
International Times: You can write the captions. How about that? You can write the interview if you like.
Clash: OK. We'll do that. Yeah!
Nicky "Topper" Headon (drums): "This is to sell your poxy paper."
Paul Simenon (bass) : "The Grapes of Wrath."
Mick Jones: (guitar) "Whoever said PUNK IS DEAD is a cunt."
INTERNATIONAL TIMES | August 1977 | Cover & Page 25