Bankrobber

"Bankrobber"
Single by The Clash
from the album Black Market Clash
B-side	"Rockers Galore... UK Tour"
Released	8 August 1980
Format	7" single
Recorded	1980
Genre	Reggae
Length	4:33
Label	CBS 8323
Writer(s)	Joe Strummer and Mick Jones
Producer	Mikey Dread
The Clash singles chronology
"Train in Vain" (1980) "Bankrobber" (1980) "The Call Up" (1980)

"Bankrobber" is a song, and single by The Clash. The song was not released on any of their studio albums, instead appearing on their compilation Black Market Clash. Upon its 1980 release as a single (initially available in the UK on import only) it peaked at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart,^[1] and at No. 14 on both the Irish Singles Chart and the New Zealand Singles Chart.^[2][3]

The song haphazardly chronicles the life of the narrator's father, the bankrobber of the song's title (who "never hurt nobody"), concentrating on the theme of the drudgery of many working class jobs.

Young Ian Brown and Pete Garner - later of The Stone Roses - were in attendance at the studio recording session of this single. The full account of this incident is in John Robb's Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop (Ebury Books, ISBN 978-0-09-187887-0).^[4]

The Clash filmed a low-budget video for the song, depicting members of the band recording the song in the studio, interspersed with Clash roadies Baker and Johnny Green wearing bandanas over their faces, performing a bank heist in Lewisham. During the filming, Baker and Green were stopped and questioned by the police, who thought they were the real thing.^[5]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Bankrobber"

Side two

1. "Rockers Galore... UK Tour" (Mikey Dread)

Robber Dub

"Robber Dub" is the dub version of "Bankrobber". It was to be included in the 12" single for "Bankrobber", but the label ended up refusing to release the 12" single.^[6] The song can be found on their 1980 compilation album Black Market Clash, combined with "Bankrobber" as a 6:16 track, and on the 1994 compilation album Super Black Market Clash, as a 4:42 stand alone track.

Rockers Galore... UK Tour

"Rockers Galore... UK Tour" is a reworking of "Bankrobber" with Mikey Dread singing new lyrics about touring with the Clash. It is not "Robber Dub" which lacks the Dread vocal and lyrics.^[4] "Rockers Galore" is also featured on their 2006 compilation album Singles Box.

Appearances

"Bankrobber" features in the episode "Freddie" of E4's Skins, in the programme's third season.

Also, "Bankrobber" is featured in Guy Ritchie's 2008 film, Rocknrolla. It is sung alternatively by the older 'Johnny Quid', portrayed by British actor Toby Kebbell, in his dingy flat, and by the younger 'John Cole' in the company of his cruel stepfather, the London mob boss Lenny Cole.

Cover versions

The Norwegian hardcore band So Much Hate appears with a live version of the song on the It's Your Choice, a 2x10" live compilation released in 1991 through Your Choice Records. "Bankrobber" was covered by Hot Tuna, Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar, vocals, dobro and table steel guitar, Jack Casady on bass, and Michael Falzarano on rhythm guitar, vocals, mandolin and harmonica, on their live album, Live at Sweetwater, recorded in January 1992 at Sweetwater Station in Mill Valley, CA and released through Relix Records that same year. Audioweb recorded a rock/reggae cover in 1996 which reached number 19 in the UK chart.^[7]

Hawksley Workman recorded a version, which was available on a free CD in the UK magazine UNCUT in 2003. The CD was entitled White Riot Vol. 1: A Tribute to The Clash. Greg MacPherson covered it on his 2004 album Maintenance. Chumbawamba recorded a folk-style cover version of the song for their 2005 album, A Singsong and a Scrap. OPM recorded a cover for the In the OPMDEN EP released in 2006. The song was covered by Polish group, Kult, in 2008.

Charts

Notes

References