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London Calling

 
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This article is about the album. For the song, see London Calling (song). For the Noel Coward revue, see London Calling!.
London Calling
London Calling cover
Studio album by The Clash
Released 14 December 1979
Recorded Wessex Studios, London, August 1979 (1979-08)-September 1979 (1979-09), November 1979 (1979-11)
Genre Punk rock, reggae, ska
Length 65:08
Label CBS, Epic, Legacy
Producer Guy Stevens, Mick Jones
Professional reviews
The Clash chronology
Give 'Em Enough Rope
(1978)		 London Calling
(1979)		 Sandinista!
(1980)
The Clash compilations chronology
The Essential Clash
(2003)		 London Calling: 25th Anniversary Legacy Edition
(2004)		 Singles Box
(2006)
Singles from London Calling
  1. "London Calling"
    Released: 7 December 1979
  2. "Clampdown"
    Released: 14 December 1979
  3. "Train in Vain"
    Released: 12 February 1980

London Calling is the third album by English punk rock band The Clash, released 14 December 1979, on CBS Records in the UK and in January 1980 on Epic Records in the United States. The album represented a change in The Clash's musical style, and featured elements of ska, pop, soul, rockabilly and reggae music.[1] The album's subject matter included unemployment, racial conflict, drug use, and the responsibilities of adulthood.[2]

The album received unanimously positive reviews and was ranked at number eight on Rolling Stone' list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003.[3] London Calling was a top ten album in the UK, and its lead single "London Calling" was a top twenty single.[4] It has sold over two million copies worldwide,[3] and was certified platinum in the United States.[5]

Contents

Recording and production

After recording their 1978 album Give 'Em Enough Rope in the United States, the band separated from their manager Bernard Rhodes.[6] This separation meant that the band had to leave their rehearsal studio in Camden Town and find another location to compose their music. Drawing inspiration from rockabilly, ska, reggae and jazz,[2] the band began work on the album during the summer of 1979. Tour manager Johnny Green had found the band a new place to rehearse called Vanilla Studios in Pimlico, which was located in the back of a garage.[7][8] The band quickly wrote and recorded demos, with Jones composing and arranging much of the music and Strummer supplying the lyrics.[2]

In August 1979, the band entered Wessex Studios to begin recording London Calling. The Clash asked Guy Stevens to produce the album, much to the dismay of CBS Records.[9] Stevens had alcohol and drug problems and his production methods were unconventional.[2] While recording he would often swing ladders and throw chairs around the band to create an emotional atmosphere.[2] The entire album was recorded within a matter of weeks, with many songs recorded in one or two takes.[2]

Artwork

The pink and green typography of Elvis Presley's debut album inspired the design of London Calling.

The album's cover features a photograph of Simonon smashing his Fender Precision Bass (on display at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as of May 2009[10]) against the stage at The Palladium in New York City on 21 September 1979 during the "Clash Take the Fifth" US tour.[11][12] Pennie Smith, who photographed the band for the album, originally did not want the photograph to be used. She thought that it was too out of focus, but Strummer and graphic designer Ray Lowry thought it would make a good album cover.[12] In 2002, Smith's photograph was named the best rock and roll photograph of all time by Q magazine, commenting that "it captures the ultimate rock'n'roll moment - total loss of control".[13]

The cover artwork was designed by Lowry and was a homage to the design of Elvis Presley's debut album.[14][15] The cover was named the ninth best album cover of all time by Q magazine in 2001.[16]

Release

Though London Calling was released as a double album it was only sold for the price of a single album. The Clash's record label, CBS, at first denied the band's request for the album to be released as a double. In return CBS gave permission for the band to include a free 12-inch single that played at 33⅓ rpm. Ultimately, the planned 12-inch record became a second nine-track LP.[8]

London Calling sold approximately two million copies.[3] The album peaked at number nine in the United Kingdom[4] and was certified gold in December 1979.[17] The album performed strongly outside the United Kingdom. It reached number two in Sweden[18] and number four in Norway.[19] In the United States, London Calling peaked at number twenty-seven on the Billboard Pop Albums chart[20] and was certified platinum in February 1996.[5]

In 2000, along with the rest of the band's catalogue, London Calling was remastered and reissued in compact disc format in the United States by Epic Records. Four years later the album was released as a Legacy Edition, which had a bonus CD and DVD. The bonus CD features the The Vanilla Tapes, missing recordings made by the band in mid-1979.[21] The DVD includes The Last Testament - The Making of London Calling, a film by Don Letts, as well as previously unseen video footage and music videos.

London Calling produced two of the band's most successful singles. "London Calling" preceded the album with a 7 December 1979 release. It reached number eleven on the UK singles chart.[4] The song's music video, directed by Letts, featured the band performing the song on a boat in the pouring rain with the River Thames behind them.[22] In the U.S., "Train in Vain" backed by "London Calling" was released as a single in February 1980. It reached number twenty-three on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and number thirty on the Billboard Club Play chart.[23]

Songs
"London Calling"
The song's lyrics were influenced by the March 1979 meltdown of a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.
"The Guns of Brixton"
The song was the first composed solely by Paul Simonon and discusses an individual's paranoid outlook on life.
"Train in Vain"
Sung by Mick Jones, this was the band's first Top 30 hit in the United States
Problems listening to these files? See media help.

"London Calling", the album's opening track, was partially influenced by the March 1979 accident at a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. Strummer's lyrics also discuss the problems of rising unemployment, racial conflict and drug use in Britain.[24] The second track, "Brand New Cadillac", was originally recorded by Vince Taylor and was the first track recorded for London Calling. The band cite the song as "one of the first British rock'n'roll records" and had initially used it as a warm up song before recording.[25][26] "Rudie Can't Fail", the album's fifth song, features a horn section and mixes elements of pop, soul, ska and reggae music together. Its lyrics chronicle the life of a fun-loving young man who is criticised for his inability to act like a responsible adult.[1]

"Spanish Bombs" is a song that tells the story of the Spanish Civil War.[27] It received positive reviews from critics, with one reviewer stating that its "combination of thoughtful lyrics and an energetic performance" made it a "highlight of London Calling".[28] The album's eighth track, "Lost in the Supermarket", was written by Strummer who imagined Jones' childhood growing up in a basement with his mother and grandmother.[29] "Clampdown" began as a instrumental track called "Working and Waiting".[27] Its lyrics comment on people who forsake the idealism of youth and urge young people to fight the status quo.[30] The tenth track, "The Guns of Brixton", was the first song recorded by the band to be composed by Simonon and to feature him as lead vocalist. He was originally doubtful about the song's lyrics, which discuss an individual's paranoid outlook on life, but was encouraged to continue working on it by Strummer.[27]

The album's twelfth track, "Death or Glory", features Strummer looking back at his life, acknowledging the complications and responsibilities of adulthood.[31] While working on "The Card Cheat", the band recorded everything twice to create a "sound as big as possible".[32] "Revolution Rock", a reggae song, received mixed reviews from critics, and Strummer and Jones were criticized by NME for their inability to compose credible love songs.[33] The final track, "Train in Vain", was originally not included on the album's back cover.[34] The song was initially going to be given away for free through a promotion with NME, but when the deal fell through it was added to the album at the last minute.[35]

Reception, influence and accolades

The album received positive reviews from critics, and has since become widely accepted as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Rolling Stone magazine ranked London Calling at number one on its 1989 list of the 100 Best Albums of the Eighties despite its 1979 release.[36] In 1993, NME ranked the album at number six on its list of The Greatest Albums of the '70s.[37] Vibe magazine included the double album on its list of the 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century.[38] Q magazine ranked London Calling at number four on its 1999 list of the 100 Greatest British Albums,[39] and, in 2002, included the album in its list of the 100 Best Punk Albums.[40]

Robert Christgau described London Calling as "warm, angry, and thoughtful, confident, melodic, and hard-rocking" and called it "the best double-LP since Exile on Main Street".[41] Stephen Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that London Calling was "invigorating, rocking harder and with more purpose than most albums, let alone double albums" and called it "one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever recorded".[42]

Alternative Press included London Calling on its 2001 list of the 10 Essential '80s Albums.[43] Tom Carson of Rolling Stone said it "celebrates the romance of rock & roll rebellion in grand, epic terms"[44] and ranked London Calling number eight on its 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[3] In the same year, Mojo magazine ranked the album at number twenty-two on its Top 50 Punk Albums.[45] London Calling was named album of the year by Stereo Review for 1980.

In 2004, Pitchfork Media reviewer Amanda Petrusich named "London Calling" the album's best song and wrote that "The Clash do not let go; each track builds on the last, pummeling and laughing and slapping us into dumb submission".[46] The website ranked the album at number two on its list of the Top 100 Albums of the 70s,[47] Sal Ciolfi of PopMatters called the album a "big, loud, beautiful collection of hurt, anger, restless thought, and above all hope" and wrote that "if released tomorrow would still seem relevant and vibrant",[48] and the College Music Journal ranked it at number three on its Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1980.[49]

In 2007, London Calling was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, a collection of recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance.[50]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, except where noted.

Side one

  1. "London Calling" – 3:19
  2. "Brand New Cadillac" (Vince Taylor) – 2:09
  3. "Jimmy Jazz" – 3:51
  4. "Hateful" – 2:47
  5. "Rudie Can't Fail" – 3:26

Side two

  1. "Spanish Bombs" – 3:18
  2. "The Right Profile" – 4:00
  3. "Lost in the Supermarket" – 3:47
  4. "Clampdown" – 3:50
  5. "The Guns of Brixton" (Paul Simonon) – 3:07

Side three

  1. "Wrong 'Em Boyo" (Clive Alphonso) – 3:10
  2. "Death or Glory" – 3:55
  3. "Koka Kola" – 1:45
  4. "The Card Cheat" (Jones, Strummer, Simonon, Topper Headon) – 3:51

Side four

  1. "Lover's Rock" – 4:01
  2. "Four Horsemen" – 3:00
  3. "I'm Not Down" – 3:00
  4. "Revolution Rock" (Jackie Edwards, Danny Ray) – 5:37
  5. "Train in Vain" – 3:11

On the original record, "Train in Vain" was not listed on the sleeve nor the label on the record.

25th Anniversary Legacy Edition

The 25th Anniversary Edition of the album was released in 2004 and contains The Vanilla Tapes (an early version of the album based on a lost master tape, and previously only available as a bootleg) as a bonus disc, and a DVD featuring the making of the album, the music videos and video footage of The Clash recording in Wessex Studios.

Bonus disc track listing
  1. "Hateful" – 3:23
  2. "Rudie Can't Fail" – 3:08
  3. "Paul's Tune" (Paul Simonon) – 2:32
  4. "I'm Not Down" – 3:24
  5. "4 Horsemen" – 2:45
  6. "Koka Kola, Advertising & Cocaine" – 1:57
  7. "Death or Glory" – 3:47
  8. "Lover's Rock" – 3:45
  9. "Lonesome Me" (The Clash) – 2:09
  10. "The Police Walked in 4 Jazz" – 2:19
  11. "Lost in the Supermarket" – 3:52
  12. "Up-Toon" (Instrumental) – 1:57
  13. "Walking the Slidewalk" (The Clash) – 2:34
  14. "Where You Gonna Go (Soweto)" (The Clash) – 4:05
  15. "The Man in Me" (Bob Dylan) – 3:57
  16. "Remote Control" – 2:39
  17. "Working and Waiting" – 4:11
  18. "Heart & Mind" (The Clash) – 4:27
  19. "Brand New Cadillac" (Vince Taylor) – 2:08
  20. "London Calling" – 4:26
  21. "Revolution Rock" (J. Edwards, D. Ray) – 3:51
DVD track listing
  1. The Last Testament - The Making of London Calling
  2. "London Calling" music video
  3. "Train in Vain" music video
  4. "Clampdown" music video
  5. Home video footage of The Clash recording in Wessex Studios

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Swedish Albums Chart[18] 2
UK Albums Chart[4] 9
Chart (1980) Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart[51] 17
Norwegian Albums Chart[19] 4
U.S. Billboard Pop Albums[20] 27
Chart (2004) Peak
position
Norwegian Albums Chart[19] 17
Swedish Albums Chart[18] 45
Swiss Albums Chart[52] 72
UK Albums Chart[4] 26

Sources

  • Gilbert, Pat (2005) [2004]. Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash (4th ed.). London: Aurum Press. pp. 212–213, 235–237, 259–260. ISBN 1845131134. OCLC 61177239. 
  • Green, Johnny; Garry Barker (2003) [1997]. A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with The Clash (3rd ed.). London: Orion. pp. 156–158, 161–162, 165, 194–196, 218–219. ISBN 0752858432. OCLC 52990890. 

Notes

  1. ^ a b Guarisco, Donald A. "Rudie Can't Fail Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Sinclair, Tom. "The Best Album of All Time". Entertainment Weekly. 24 September 2004. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d "The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: London Calling". Rolling Stone. 1 November 2003. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e "UK Chart Archive". everyHit.co.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  5. ^ a b "RIAA Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  6. ^ Gilbert 2005, pp. 212-213.
  7. ^ Green 2003, p. 156.
  8. ^ a b Sweeting, Adam. "Death or Glory". Uncut. October 2004. p. 58.
  9. ^ Gilbert 2005, p. 235.
  10. ^ "Exhibit and Information Guide." p. 5. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  11. ^ Green 2003, pp. 195–196.
  12. ^ a b Sweeting, Adam. "Death or Glory". Uncut. October 2004. p. 70.
  13. ^ Judd, Terri. "One hundred timeless rock'n'roll moments, and the photographers who...". The Independent. 24 January 2002. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  14. ^ Green 2003, p. 194.
  15. ^ Tryangiel, Josh. "The All-TIME 100 Albums: London Calling". Time. 13 November 2006. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  16. ^ O'Connor, Mickey. "London's Q magazine picked these; what are yours?". Entertainment Weekly. 14 March 2001. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  17. ^ "British gold certification for London Calling. British Phonographic Industry. 31 December 1979. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  18. ^ a b c "Discography The Clash". SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  19. ^ a b c "Discography The Clash". NorwegianCharts.com. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  20. ^ a b "The Clash > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  21. ^ Gilbert, Pat. "The 'Vanilla Tapes'". London Calling: 25th Anniversary Legacy Edition (CD liner notes). September 2004.
  22. ^ Sweeting, Adam. "Death or Glory". Uncut. October 2004. p. 69.
  23. ^ "The Clash > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  24. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: The Clash London Calling". Rolling Stone. 9 December 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  25. ^ Sweeting, Adam. "Death or Glory". Uncut. October 2004. p. 65.
  26. ^ Gilbert 2005, p. 237.
  27. ^ a b c Sweeting, Adam. "Death or Glory". Uncut. October 2004. p. 67.
  28. ^ Guarisco, Donald A. "Spanish Bombs Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  29. ^ London Calling: 25th Anniversary Legacy Edition. "The Last Testament - The Making of London Calling". Information about the recording of London Calling. Accessed 18 February 2008.
  30. ^ Guarisco, Donald A. "Clampdown Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  31. ^ Gilbert 2005, p. 259.
  32. ^ Sweeting, Adam. "Death or Glory". Uncut. October 2004. p. 68.
  33. ^ Gilbert 2005, p. 260.
  34. ^ Green 2003, p. 218.
  35. ^ Back, Johnny. "The Greatest Songs Ever! "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)"". Blender. April/May 2002. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  36. ^ "100 Best Albums Of The Eighties". Rolling Stone. November 1989. 
  37. ^ "The Greatest Albums Of The '70s". NME: 18. September 11, 1993. 
  38. ^ "100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century". Vibe: 160. December 1999. 
  39. ^ "100 Greatest British Albums". Q magazine: 90. December 1999. 
  40. ^ "100 Best Punk Albums". Q magazine Special Edition: 136. February 2002. 
  41. ^ Christgau, Robert. "The Clash Consumer Guide Reviews". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  42. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "London Calling > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  43. ^ "10 Essential '80s Albums". Alternative Press: 112. August 2001. 
  44. ^ Carson, Tom. "London Calling: The Clash: Review". Rolling Stone. 22 January 1997. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  45. ^ "Top 50 Punk Albums". Mojo: 76. March 2003. 
  46. ^ Petrusich, Amanda. "The Clash London Calling: 25th Anniversary Legacy Edition". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  47. ^ "Pitchforkmedia's Top 100 Albums of the 70's". RateYourMusic.com. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  48. ^ Ciolfi, Sal. "The Clash: London Calling - PopMatters Music Review". PopMatters. 10 March 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  49. ^ "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1980". College Music Journal: 6. January 5, 2004. 
  50. ^ "Grammy Hall of Fame Award". Grammy.com. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  51. ^ "Discographie The Clash". AustrianCharts.at. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  52. ^ "Discography The Clash". SwissCharts.com. Retrieved 17 February 2008.

Further reading

External links

v • d • e
The Clash
Topper Headon · Mick Jones · Paul Simonon · Joe Strummer
Terry Chimes · Rob Harper · Pete Howard · Keith Levene · Nick Sheppard · Vince White
Studio albums
Compilations and lives
Extended plays
Singles
Related
musical acts
persons


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