How to determine the best ever songs by The Clash? A tournament…and we’ve been going over a week now. It’s all random and your votes matter! I’ve got some new results back to see which songs we can say goodbye to.

Match 9 – Kingston Advice over Look Here 27-10

Match 10 - Jimmy Jazz over If Music Could Talk 29-10

No major shocks there as Sandinista! gets one song (from 3) through to the next round of voting. Jimmy Jazz will need to come up against something strong to be knocked out I think. So…more random number generating is in order for the next quartet of Clash songs under review:

I Never Did It vs       The Cool Out

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Hitsville UK vs       Long Time Jerk

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Again some oddities which is to be expected when we start with so many tracks but fair is fair. The only one there I can (perhaps) see creeping into the final 32 is Hitsville UK, but I only have one vote so prove me wrong (as Joe once sang). I’ve got some links and info that might help your decisions – or not.

I Never Did It – I included this early early track just because something from the summer of ’76 catalog that never got pressed deserved to be in the mix. It’s a really raw number and shows that even early on Mick was more than capable of some guitar ‘noodling’ there’s actually a nice solo. Can’t help you much with the lyrics, sorry but hear it for yourself by clicking the title.

The Cool Out - Compared with the song above it shows what changes took place in 4 1/2 years, not just to The Clash but to the music industry. This of course was the dance/remix of The Call Up, from 1980-1986 you simply had to remix songs as the 12″ single initially took off via clubs and then became the normal method for  releases. I’ve got far too many ‘dance edits’ of tracks I never needed, but this isn’t one of them as it’s a good remix.

Hitsville UK

Hitsville UK – An unlikely choice for a single, Hitsville UK was the first time The Clash felt the wrath of the UK music press. The review “Finally Mick and Joe have gone mad”. I think it’s a great song for being so atypical and includes lyrics that remain applicable to an industry that ate it’s own arms off.

Long Time Jerk - A Super Black Market Clash track with a hybrid rockabilly skiffle with some odd samples. All the same an enjoyable vocal performance by Joe, I can’t see this track progressing in the cup. Surely one of the most ‘heard’ Clash b-sides as it backed ‘Rock The Casbah’

Thanks for your continued voting….Tim

Janie Jones and The (C)lash

Clash Cup.…we started with 166 songs and will whittle it down to the best 16 then the best 8…all the way down to the top song. If you visit often you’ll know that participation is highly encouraged! Voting is our duty – or something like that. Friday was a special day but I’m back on this cause! So after a delay we return with 2 more interesting battles, but first some results.

Match 7 – Corner Soul smacked Sex Mad Roar 31-6

Match 8 – Red Angel Dragnet topped We Are The Clash 31-6

Two very decisive strolls – no shocks – and identical scores. Cut The Crap songs look over matched (as they should be) though I think 16% support is high…maybe a lib-dem voter or six?

Two new pairings fresh out of the big random hat are as follows:

Futura 2000 vs     Charlie Don’t Surf

 Loading ...

Fingerpoppin’ vs     House of the JuJu Queen

 Loading ...

Blimey, what an unlikely 3 out of 4. It looks like The Clash Cup is going to have it’s non-league side making round 2 as someone has to win match 14. Will it be the first victor from the non-clash Clash album or an oddity single with the boys backing Janie Jones.

I was hoping for a self explanatory couple of ties, but no such luck – so here’s the horses – get out your betting slips:

The Escapades of Futura 2000 - New York urban artist fills canvas on stage behind The Clash while they perform, he then gets a song about his adventures. If it all sounds a bit Viz…it is.

Charlie Don’t Surf - Some Clash songs are timeless and grow in stature as the years pass (this is one of them). Personally I always liked this one a lot, a nice ebb and flow in sound, great little lead from Mick and structured around Bm – my chord of choice. Match that up with global lyrics and a bit of an elbow in the face for US foreign policy and you’ve got Clash gold. This better win comfortably…it did make some of the original top 10 lists and would threaten mine.

Fingerpoppin‘ – I even found you a remix…you need this like George Bush needs another shot at power. It’s on Cut The Crap and it’s about to be knocked out of the competition by:

The House of the Ju-Ju Queen – I own this as a 7″ single. What a bloody oddity. I think it was around 1982 and it’s a completist thing I have. I aslo think it will go through (how unlikely is that?) to the next round at which point I’ll tell you more. Listen to it, Joe warbling about leather and black shadows….something else I tell you.

Please vote and be part of the solution. I promise less minnows next time out! Ahem…..’Don’t talk shop….finger pop’

Tim

Onwards with the search for the best Clash Songs ever. First I need to review 2 more final results from Round One.

Match 5 – I Fought The Law trounces Let’s Go Crazy 28-6

Match 6 – Guns on The Roof shoots down Death Is A Star 34-7

Two fairly predictable results and winning margins that lend to the preconceptions. Even so, it’s interesting to see really unlikely songs still get a reasonable amount of support. That shows the diversity of Clash songs and related affections. Time to return to the random draw and if you need more explanation all of the background info is all here for you.

Joe Strummer 1979, Courtesy Andy Rosen

Now for the next four – voting from tonight until Sunday morning…

Junco Partner versus Justice Tonight/Kick It Over

 Loading ...

Four Horsemen versus Lover’s Rock

 Loading ...

Some really big guns in there and a London Calling match up to boot. All four songs are fairly high profile and I fancy a couple of close run things. Not much introduction should be needed for any of these tracks but I’ll present them in true ‘heavyweight bout’ style.

Junco Partner - A song that Joe Strummer (happy birthday!) obviously held in great affection as he returned to it so many times after The Clash. One of my favourite moments during the Rock Art press tour was him appearing on KCRW in Los Angeles and trotting out a special version of the song on the broadcast focusing on L.A.’s wonderfully terrible traffic. A great Joe interview that I’ll always treasure. Originally performed with the 101′ers!

Justice Tonight / Kick it Over - A Super Black Market Clash B-Side that is perfect for late night drives, end of the parties and a chance to bliss out a bit. For me this (and the A side) were the pinnacle of continued Clash experimentations with Reggae. Topper’s sloping almost dusty drumming pulling along an engine sized bass line.

Four Horsemen - As a 13 year old Clash fan with his new copy of London Calling; for a good year of my life this was my favourite ‘singing into the hairbrush’ Clash song. The vinyl on that record (2 discs) had to be replaced by the time I was 15, all four sides all the time. “and we drank ‘em blind” was fun to sing even before the concept was tried and tested. Songs that take you back – yep the whole of 1980 for me via this one.

Lover’s Rock - The Clash didn’t really do love songs, and this (apparent) tongue-in-cheek effort probably concludes why. A good song nonetheless and I’m curious to see what support it gets. ‘Ridiculous innit?’

Thanks for all your votes – I’m hoping these get some debate raging.