Were The Clash a Reggae band?

Been listening to my catalog of The Clash lately. Noticed quite a few songs, like around 25 or so are reggae songs. Anyone familiar with them associate them with all things "punk". They certainly helped define the punk genre.

However it could be argued that The Clash has just about as many reggae or reggae influenced songs in their catalog as punk songs, and everything else in between(Charlie Don't Surf and the like). So would it be a stretch in calling them a Reggae group? Joe Strummer seems to have gone through a stage where he tried to stray away from punk and get more of the Jamaican style sound into the group. And everyone knows Mick Jones is a white rastafarian :lol

Bank Robber and Living in Fame are two of my favorite songs. River of Blood also kicks ass.

Many years ago I saw a review of The Clash saying they were a Reggae / Rock group which confused the hell out of me given the singles i'd heard - examining the back catalogue does justify this description though...

I also heard The Police being described in a similar manner; they too, suprisingly, have quite a few reggae like numbers.:D

If they should be labeled, you won't find the better depiction than a new wave band, since the term new wave encompassed punk, white reggae, postpunk, early electro, gothica etc. And yes, The Police's first album had a bunch of reggae tunes but who would call them a raggae band? :)

BTW, Bob Marley wrote a song dedicated to the Clash and all young punks in 1977. "Reggae punk party", or something like that.

Ska.

Strummer had a R&B band before The Clash. Reggae was increasing in popularity as punk was emerging.

No -simple as that .Only Simmo was a white dread head. The Clash were an amalgamum of different musical genres NOT Reggae though

What made the Clash great was that it was virtually impossible to completely pigeon-hole them into a single denomination. By the time they imploded it seemed like they could do anything, any genre, and rub out the wrinkles that made it annoying while simultaneously injecting their own slapdash style onto it.

• Career Opportunities: Punk

• Should I Stay or Should I Go?: AOR

• Train in Vain: Garage Rock

• Guns of Brixton: Reggae

• Rudie Can't Fail: Ska

• Ivan Meets GI Joe: Synthpop

• The Magnificent Seven: Rap

• Lightning Strikes: Disco

• Hateful: Classic rock

• Overpowered by Funk: Post-punk

Joe Strummer, from the 1984 Clash concert in San Francisco:

"In introducing [ Police and Thieves ] , Strummer delivered one of his trademark tirades on culture and the folk process in popular music. "This is punk meets reggae," he explained, "not white reggae. We add some of our own culture to it, so this is no ripoff. I'm talking to you Sting," he shouted, referring to the vocalist-songwriter for the Police, whose work has sometimes been accused of misappropriating Jamaican rhythmic ideas."

The review of the concert, by the way, is full of shite.

twist wrote: Ska.

Strummer had a R&B band before The Clash. Reggae was increasing in popularity as punk was emerging.

I wouldn't say they were Ska..I can't think of any Ska songs they did anyway, but they did some reggae and punk/reggae songs. Punk and Reggae were pretty closely allied in the early days, and there was alot of crossover. I first heard of Steel Pulse because I rented Urgh! A Music Warwhen I was a kid...and there's a scene in The Punk Rock Movie where a punk band is trying to play Reggae and failing miserably(the drummer can't get it), which is entertaining. crap, I'm babbling...sorry!:D

Andrew Sayer wrote: No -simple as that .Only Simmo was a white dread head. The Clash were an amalgamum of different musical genres NOT Reggae though

What do you mean?

I mean as i have said - the Clash were not a reggae band, but a hotch potch of different styles. Granted some songs were reggae ish (Rudie cant fail etc..) but Only Paul Simmo was a real reggae fan

Can anyone tell me the significance and meaning behind the song "Straight to Hell"(particularly the Amerasian Blues part)?

Isamu wrote: Can anyone tell me the significance and meaning behind the song "Straight to Hell"(particularly the Amerasian Blues part)?

It's about the Amerasian children that American soldiers left behind in Vietnam with their prostitute mothers after the war.

Hannett of the Apes wrote:

Isamu wrote: Can anyone tell me the significance and meaning behind the song "Straight to Hell"(particularly the Amerasian Blues part)?

It's about the Amerasian children that American soldiers left behind in Vietnam with their prostitute mothers after the war.

Interesting but how do you know this for a fact?

Because Mark knows his shit about The Clash - & i agree with him. Much the same as he probably knows what Love Vigilantes is about. Now much as i like The Clash (2nd only to The Order) this is a New Order fan site after all. Theres plenty of Strummer/Clash sites to ask questions on. Suppose you'll be wanting to know what Clampdown is about next

Because Mark knows his shit about The Clash - & i agree with him. Much the same as he probably knows what Love Vigilantes is about. Now much as i like The Clash (2nd only to The Order) this is a New Order fan site after all. Theres plenty of Strummer/Clash sites to ask questions on. Suppose you'll be wanting to know what Clampdown is about next

I would! I would!

funny, actually, 'cause I use the following line from Clampdown...

I'm not working for the clampdown No Man Born with a living soul Can be working for the clampdown

 Joe Strummer (1952 - 2002)

...as my signature on my emails.

For those who missed it in another thread, check this and this out.

bLuE oRdEr wrote: funny, actually, 'cause I use the following line from Clampdown...

I'm not working for the clampdown No Man Born with a living soul Can be working for the clampdown

 Joe Strummer (1952 - 2002)

...as my signature on my emails.

When I'm not using

Breaking rocks in the hot sun, I fought the law and the law won.

 Joe Strummer (1952 - 2002)

(being a law student and all ;) )

Isamu wrote:

Hannett of the Apes wrote:

Isamu wrote: Can anyone tell me the significance and meaning behind the song "Straight to Hell"(particularly the Amerasian Blues part)?

It's about the Amerasian children that American soldiers left behind in Vietnam with their prostitute mothers after the war.

Interesting but how do you know this for a fact?

Passion is a Fashion, a biography on The Clash by Pat Gilbert. Strummer, before he croaked, explains how Michael Herr's Nam bipoic Dispatches had a massive influence on him in terms of songwriting. Hence, Straight to Hell and Sean Flynn. Sean Flynn, son of Captain Blood Errol, was a correspondent who covered several stories in Vietnam with Herr and others before disappearing over Cambodia in 1970 on a transport chopper.

Hannett of the Apes wrote:

Isamu wrote:

Hannett of the Apes wrote:

Isamu wrote: Can anyone tell me the significance and meaning behind the song "Straight to Hell"(particularly the Amerasian Blues part)?

It's about the Amerasian children that American soldiers left behind in Vietnam with their prostitute mothers after the war.

Interesting but how do you know this for a fact?

Passion is a Fashion, a biography on The Clash by Pat Gilbert. Strummer, before he croaked, explains how Michael Herr's Nam bipoic Dispatches had a massive influence on him in terms of songwriting. Hence, Straight to Hell and Sean Flynn. Sean Flynn, son of Captain Blood Errol, was a correspondent who covered several stories in Vietnam with Herr and others before disappearing over Cambodia in 1970 on a transport chopper.

That's awesome man. You really DO know your shit! Thanks for the explanation. I think my curiousity got the best of me because of how the song is seemingly disguised in a racial tone that appears biased against asians. In other words, if I were to play it infront of say, a typical Vietnamise American couple in their 20s for example, they would no doubt label it as a racist song upon hearing the verse "Let me tell you 'bout your blood, bamboo kid...it aint Coca-Cola, it's rice!". I'm not asian but when I heard that I was like whoa...WTF Joe? But now that I've got a clearer understanding of it I can see where he's coming from.

Fantastic song.

Sean Flynn and Dana Stone disappeared near the cambodian border, years later later Tim Page also of Dispatches fame made a documentary for the BBC tracing what happened to them. Kidnapped, held for weeks and then executed possibly after an escape attempt. Joe Strummer was a great songwriter but i fail to see the Dispatches connection other than the 2 songs mentioned.

They were DR. Feelgood with lyrics after Karl Marx.

rusty junker squawker wrote: Sean Flynn and Dana Stone disappeared near the cambodian border.

do you know this for a fact?

Andrew Sayer wrote: I mean as i have said - the Clash were not a reggae band, but a hotch potch of different styles. Granted some songs were reggae ish (Rudie cant fail etc..) but Only Paul Simmo was a real reggae fan

True, and maybe I'm just having faulty memories about some things (it's been over twenty years passed) , but I always found it interesting that it was Joe who played bass on Guns Of Brixton live, probably cause it was too hard for Paul.

[darkgreen]Green[/darkgreen] wrote:

Andrew Sayer wrote: I mean as i have said - the Clash were not a reggae band, but a hotch potch of different styles. Granted some songs were reggae ish (Rudie cant fail etc..) but Only Paul Simmo was a real reggae fan

True, and maybe I'm just having faulty memories about some things (it's been over twenty years passed) , but I always found it interesting that it was Joe who played bass on Guns Of Brixton live, probably cause it was too hard for Paul.

Learn somethin' new every day. That bass line IS Guns of Brixton. That, and Strummer's lyrics.

That's one of my lasting impressions of The Clash's appearance at the Kingdome opening for the Who, Joe and Paul swapping instruments before Guns (I was 10 feet from the stage as well). I'll try to find some more verification for that memory.

[darkgreen]Green[/darkgreen] wrote: That's one of my lasting impressions of The Clash's appearance at the Kingdome opening for the Who, Joe and Paul swapping instruments before Guns (I was 10 feet from the stage as well). I'll try to find some more verification for that memory.

Wow you were there???

Lucky bas....

Isamu wrote:

rusty junker squawker wrote: Sean Flynn and Dana Stone disappeared near the cambodian border.

do you know this for a fact?

Tim Page was a friend and colleague of them both. He refers to their disappearance in Page on Page and possibly Derailed in Uncle Ho's victory garden(think that's the title!)There is also a website for war correspodants that he is involved in with Horst Faas(reunion?). Memory is a bit hazy but I believe the two headed off for the Cambodian border on motorcycles( not the airborne type of chopper) looking for a story. Their may have been two BBC documentaries as I seem to remember one programme being inconclusive and the other pretty much shutting the book on the story but I may be confusing the retelling with his autobiographies which were written much earlier.