No one resented The Clash's belated Number One Hit that they got for shilling for Levi's Jeans than lead Headcoat, Pop Rivet, Milkshake, Mighty Caesar, etc. etc., Billy Childish. In a flush of fury he unleashed this 1991 single (re-released in 1993) where he and his fellow Headcoats, under the alias Thee Stash, savaged two Clash songs, "Should I Stay or Should I Go"and "I'm So Bored with the U.S.A.".
{MRML Reader: leave a comment on what you make of Mr. Childish's "attack "on the Clash.}
Download Should I Suck or Should I Blow? 7"
P.S. There's lots of love for Billy C. and his mind-boggling discography out in blogland, especially in...The Twilight Zone.
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Sweet.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this bit of the story always seems to be lacking:
So "Should I Stay..." went to number one in '91 and what happened? Sony decided the Clash could still make money and released Broadway? Did the guys get paid? Did the three discs further release them from their contractual obligations? Does Super Black Market Clash, From Here To Eternity or Live at Shea add up to the crucial 13? Did Earthquake Weather count? Just how badly were Joe and co. screwed by CBS/Sony? Did BAD/ BAD II continue with them?
So many questions!
Now I'm wondering if you have thee 48 Hours 7" as well, Jeffen!
billy childish must be frothing at the gills, iggy's selling car insurance, the velvet underground sold tyres, the buzzcocks sold rover cars (not too many though given they went bust)and on the list goes of music sold to to the corporate dollar, often when artists have sold their rights the record companies can then issue their music left right and centre (hence a million crappy compilation albums recycling the same tunes
ReplyDeleteA.J
Bio
ReplyDeleteTa-da (hopefully you found the Suave As old Arseholes single, now posted.
I remember Strummer in his Big Takeover interview protesting in front of Sony trying to get out of his contract ("I am a living legend damnit").
There's a whole economic history of the Clash to be written - it'd be a great cautionary tale.
A.J.
Yeah Billy Childish and Neil Young have more things in common (anti-commercialization, reckless prolificness) than I'd have thought.
Thee Stash good fun.....but really Billy the state of the country and the musical lanscape for that matter and all you could find that was getting up you nose was a defunct rock 'n' roll band who helped sell a few pairs of jeans, c'mon pick a better target!
ReplyDeleteMarky
ReplyDeleteTrue, true true but on the other hand a ferocious love of the Clash can lead a man to excess.
Hi Jeffen clearly being such a clash fan I wondered if you knew where the influence for "Should I Stay Should I Go" came from? I read this in one of the Clash books but couldn't believe it till I actually heard it.
ReplyDeleteIf not I thought you might appreciate this:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jjngw2m1yyt