John Hughes and The Clash
I already knew John Hughes was pretty special (see previous post) – but this previously unreleased interview cements it.
“Every time I put that music on, it reminds me emotionally where I was in the script,” he explained. “I usually listen to surf music, not much instrumental music, and when I was younger I listened to jazz. I used to write to the Clash — [albums like] Give Em’ Enough Rope — and early on, a lot of reggae.” He professed to being a “music snob” who refused to listen to top 40 when he was younger, and to getting copies of England’s Melody Maker magazine so he could look at the import charts and send away for records that none of his peers knew about.
“In the ’70s I was dying,” he said. “I couldn’t stand hippie music … all those people running around in their overalls, disco was horrendous, so I was listening to classical music, Jimmy Rogers and Hank Williams,” he said, describing how he discovered legendary Chicago indie record store Wax Trax, where he first picked up albums by Elvis Costello. On a trip to England, he discovered punk bands like the Stranglers, the Buzzcocks and the Clash. For him, it was like finding the Beatles.
Full credit to MTV.com for getting this published the day after his sad loss. I was on the fence during yesterday’s article to suggest (and assume) that if John Hughes had been making films 4 or 5 years earlier The Clash would have been staples for the soundtracks – that assumption now looks safer. It didn’t surprise me in the least that a trip to England planted so many seeds for him.
Sorry for the short post – don’t forget deadline for voting for top 10 Clash songs is tomorrow midnight PST.
Tim
