Ex-Libris: New music from Mick Jones:

A nice surprise this morning with news of some new music from Mick Jones. Recorded at his home, Ex-Libris is a collection of six tracks meant to accompany the opening of Jones' Rock & Roll Public Library opening in Venice. I dig the relaxed, I'm-only-recording-this-for-myself, vibe of it all.

Available on 180 gram vinyl, and limited to 1000 copies, visit the Vinyl Factory for ordering information.

Happening! Joe Strummer Foundation Benefit, London, March 19 w/Jools Holland, Chrissie Hynde, Suggs, Mick Jones, and much more

The Joe Strummer Foundation gives opportunities to aspiring musicians, and support to projects around the world that create social mobility through music.

joestrummerfoundation.org

Movie of the Week: The Clash At The Roxy, January 1st, 1977 (Julien Temple)

Built around the earliest, until now unseen, footage of the Clash in concert, filmed by Julien Temple as they opened the infamous Roxy club in a dilapidated Covent Garden on January 1st 1977, this show takes us on a time-travelling trip back to that strange planet that was Great Britain in the late 1970s and the moment when punk emerged into the mainstream consciousness.

Featuring the voices of Joe Strummer and the Clash from the time, and intercutting the raw and visceral footage of this iconic show, with telling moments from the BBC's New Year's Eve, Hogmanay and New Year's Day schedules of nearly 40 years ago, it celebrates that great enduring British custom of getting together, en masse and often substantially the worse for wear, to usher in the New Year.

New Year's Day is when we collectively take the time to reflect on the year that has just gone by and ponder what the new one might hold in store for us. Unknown to the unsuspecting British public, 1977 was of course the annus mirabilis of punk. The year in which the Clash themselves took off, catching the imagination of the nation's youth.

As their iconic song, 1977, counts us down to midnight, we'll share with them and Joe Strummer, in previously unseen interviews from the time, their hopes and predictions for the 12 months ahead.

Hat tip to CoS and Fact Mag.

Books of Note: Keith Levene, John Lydon & Tom Waits

We're rolling quickly into THAT time of the year. New books, deluxe albums, etc...will be upon us before we know it. Here are three of note that you may find interesting.

The first is Keith Levene's memoir (pictured above), I WaS a TeeNaGe GuitariST 4 the ClaSH!. Funded by a crowd sourcing effort, check out the versions available, and place your orders at teenageguitarist76.com. The design is suitably teenaged fanzine paste-up 1970's style. Nice!

Next up is a related book of sorts, the second memoir/autobiography by John Lydon, entitled Anger is an Energy: My Life Uncensored. Available October 9, it's sure to be an interesting read. I always find Lydon interviews highly intelligent, articulate, relatable and entertaining. Pre-order here.

Last, but certainly not least, is a new book of photographs of Tom Waits as shot by Mitchell Rose, in Los Angeles in 1977 at & around the legendary Tropicana Hotel. See some examples, and order the book directly from the photographer here.

Recently listed on eBay

Some of these items may be of interest to some of you. Please check all I have available here.

I'm also running a sale on some items for a limited time. You can see these here.

Keith Levene Announces Crowd Funding For Commercial Zone 2014

Those of you old enough might remember an album by Public Image called The Commercial Zone. It was to prove the final death knell for the partnership of the original foundation of the band between John Lydon and Keith Levene. Lydon went on to release a, well, more commercial version of the original album to the band's great benefit (retitled This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get), and Levene snuck out an "unauthorized" version of the album not too long after. Well, it seems Keith is back at it, after tackling Metal Box in recent years. The following hit my inbox a couple of days ago:

KEITH LEVENE ANNOUNCES CROWD FUNDING FOR "COMMERCIAL ZONE 2014" INITIATIVE

For immediate release – March 23, 2014: Clash/Public Image Ltd. founding member, Keith Levene will establish a crowd-funding project on Indiegogo to produce the “Commercial Zone 2014” initiative after three decades.

In 1982-1983, Levene composed what was intended to be PiL’s fourth album, the Commercial Zone. However, lack of support and creative differences over that album led Levene to leave PiL and abandon the project in the Spring of 1983.

“Finally producing the Commercial Zone my way will allow me to finish important unfinished business,” explains Levene. “I know there’s been a gap in time of thirty years. However, it seems like it’s coming right on time for a myriad of reasons. For instance PiL’s debut album First Issue from 1978 was released in America for the first time ever only last year by PiL Official. And now, they have released another repackaged album called PiL Gold which contains something like 24 of 28 tunes from the first three albums – which I composed.”

“So now with Commercial Zone 2014 you will get what the fourth album was supposed to be – and much more. It will be much better because it’s current, it contains the best of the original tracks, plus remixes, plus original material, and has the benefit of 30 years of my work. So it’s not another tired, old, re-release of stuff that’s been out since 1978 or 1981. It’s fresh. I’ve had time to reflect. So yeah, it’s better,” he states.

“Many people have not heard about Commercial Zone. In 1984, PiL saw fit to release a diluted version of my work and saw fit to call it This is What You Want, This is What You Get. I leave you to draw you own conclusions regarding that,” Levene says.

A 35 picture book preview of original artwork, photos, and words from Levene’s forthcoming book “Diary” will accompany Commercial Zone 2014.

For further information go to www.keithlevenelive.com or Keith's Indiegogo page

Movie of the Week: Concerts For the People of Kampuchea (1979)

This 1979 concert, organized by Paul McCartney for the people of Cambodia, was well known to many of generation simply because of the resultant compilation released in 1981 on Atlantic Records (below). The movie has also been available since '81, but I've never seen it until recently. Included are the following, and full setlists are available here:

QUEEN
Now I'm Here
We Will Rock You
Crazy Little Thing Called Love

THE CLASH
Armagideon Time 

THE PRETENDERS
Brass In Pocket 

PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS
Got To Get You Into My Life
Every Night
Hot As Sun
Coming Up

THE SPECIALS
Monkey Man

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS
The Imposter 

ROCKPILE & ROBERT PLANT
Little Sister
 

IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS
Sweet Gene Vincent
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

THE WHO
Sister Disco
Baba O'Riley
Behind Blue Eyes
See Me Feel Me/Listening To You
Won't Get Fooled Again

ROCKESTRA
Introducing Members Of Rockestra
Lucille
Let It Be
Rockestra

Kate Simon on ShowStudio discussing her work with the Clash and other legends

Joe Strummer backstage - After the show in Bath, UK, December 1978 by Kate Simon

Friend of the blog, master photographer Kate Simon, is a recent subject of the very cool series, The Photography of Punk, being run on ShowStudio. Have a listen to Kate discuss this photo of Joe Strummer, and her history - she's definitely one of the more interesting people I know, and I'm glad to call her a friend.

Other photographer-subjects in this great series include Dennis Morris, Ray Stevenson, Steve Johnston, Kevin Cummins, Bob Gruen, Judy Linn, Jon Savage, Steve Emberton, and Jonh Ingham. All ably interviewed via telephone by Nick Knight. All interviews can be accessed on the ShowStudio Soundcloud page.

Shot by: Jonh Ingham

5 November, 1976, RCA London. Subway Sect in full flight.

The stunning shot above of the Subway Sect was taken by long time Sounds journalist, Jonh Ingham, 37 years ago. Jonh tells us he'll be publishing a book next year entitled 1976: London Punk Eyewitness. If this photo is anything to go by it ought to be quite a book! Article's by Jonh can be found at Rock's Back Pages, he tweets here, and occasionally blogs here.

I'm not sure if the Clash photos below will be used in his book, but he also shared them - The Clash at their fifth ever gig on Oct. 9, 1976. The photos were taken by Harald Inhulsen, President of the German Iggy Pop Fan Club. Jonh provided the short story to go along them as he was at the gig.

The Clash at Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, Leyton Buzzard, Oct 9, 1976. This was their fifth gig. From memory the stage had carpet on it, which ran up the wall and both Mick and Joe took runs up it while playing. In the wide shot Sebastian Conran is on the far right.

They finished their set in 30 minutes because all the songs were about 2 minutes long; the promoter went mental because they were hired for an hour set. Joe came running over to me asking what they should do...as if being a seasoned music writer meant I had the answers! I told him to play the set again and throw in some oldies if they knew any. They played "White Riot" and 3 or 4 more and the promoter seemed placated. I ran into ZigZag editor Pete Frame and Kris Needs in the lobby. Pete had the stunned look I was getting used to seeing on 'first-timers' and started putting them down. "What's the matter grandad? Too old for some rock and roll?", I replied. He told me some months later that he took the words to heart and decided to resign from ZigZag - which made me feel terrible because he was such a great presence. But he turned it over to Kris so it was still in safe hands.

Movie of the Week: Rude Boy (1980)

Refreshments Available! August 29, 1976

Source

Daisy's Letter From London: Without People You're Nothing - The Unveiling of the London Joe Strummer Mural

Dear Karate Boogaloo -

Very exciting … Thursday, June 13, 7:00pm, the Joe Strummer Mural London W11 mural, designed and realised by Gary Loveridge with Emma Harrison, had a lovely unveiling ceremony in front of a fabulous flock of Punk Rockers, and Richard Young, a rather well-known English paparazzi geezer (“Oy! Gary, Emma over here!”).

Mural from across the street

Gary, Emma & Mick

MICK JONES, his Clash Royalty suited and rain-coated self (who brought HIS digital camera), came along, and ended up shooting Gary (35 years a Clash fan) into seventh heaven by taking his photo AND signing a declaration of approval AND standing by for photos with happy fans, young and old, from far and wide ...

Mick's declaration of approval

 

Cosmo Johnson (not to be confused with Kosmo Vinyl) who got the train from Watchet, Somerset, a pair of Spanish boys on Boris Bikes, Ray Gange (his grinning Rude Boy-self), Gaz Mayall from Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues, Steve Worral (who writes the wonderful Retroman Blog).

Here is the unveiling moment:

“About time” was the consensus and “well done” to Emma who had a lot of expectations to fill.

After a lot of photos in front of the Mural, there was a general wandering into the pub, catty-corner, for a bit of a pint because these lads don’t want to be seen getting all choked up on the street. A girl’s job here is to offer a few hugs to hide the misty eyes.

It’s been interesting watching the project get realised over the last few years. The seed was planted when Gary happened to be visiting New York on the anniversary of Joe Strummer’s death (22 December). He went to pay his respects down on Tompkins Square Park, 112 Avenue A at East 7th Street… stood with his hero in one of Joe’s favourite cities. Few weeks later, Ray Gange (Rude Boy) came to visit NYC for the DeKoening show. They’d connected via Facebook and we went and had lunch across the street from Avenue A Joe Strummer visible out the window.

The following year, Gary had a show of his punk rock posters at 198 Gallery in Brixton, London, where someone from Notting Hill had come along and said, “could you put up some posters of Joe Strummer at the Tabernacle when we have the anniversary of the Acklam Hall gig for the Arms Aloft (fire brigade union) fundraiser?”.

Gary goes to hang this show, and they’ve got this photo they offered for him to include. It was a photo of the mural in New York. Now it’s December 2012. It got Gary thinking all over again, “why isn’t there a mural in London?” And why not in Notting Hill, Joe’s old neighbourhood?

It wasn’t long before he spotted the perfect wall! It was next to Lyndon’s Bead Shop at 197 Portobello Road at Blenheim Crescent, a short walk from the Tabernacle in Hedgecote Court, past the Rough Trade record shop.

The son in Lyndon’s couldn’t be more friendly. “My dad likes art” he said, “I think he’ll like the idea.” And he did!

Now it just so happened that Emma Harrison had a stall at Spitalfields Market, and it just so happened that Gary saw some badges on her stall that attracted him over. They got talking about punk rock and she did mentioned that she had been a mural artist in New York with Fab 5 Freddie back in the day.

It had been on Gary’s mind that the person who would be right for painting the mural would have to be a young man in a hoodie with an aerosol sort of thing (probably Banksy if he could get his phone number. After all, Gary was brought up not far from Bristol). It was a few weeks later that the penny dropped and he thought, hang on a minute … he’d met a living breathing mural artist, turns out Emma even KNEW the Clash! What are the chances?

They met up and came up with a design. They decided to use an older photo of Joe with his trusted Telecaster guitar and something Gary had heard Joe say on a late night radio show: "WITHOUT PEOPLE, YOU’RE NOTHING." They prepped the wall, marked it out and painted! Joe Strummer always enjoyed a campfire, so there’s one in the corner. The Mesceleros insignia is top right.

The plan

The result

Then all we had to do was pray for good weather. (I admit, I did actually pray. There had been a few showers early on in the week.)

By Julian Yewdall

So, that’s the story of that and we hope you can come and visit when you are in London next. `Rock with us …

(This Is Not) Stupefied: The Keith Levene Playlist (and non-autobiography)

Keith Levene by Andrew Lee

This week's edition of the Stupefied Playlist is particularly special to me. It's from a gent who has been a huge part of my musical education, and has been there from the start: Mr. Keith Levene - a member of not one, but two seminal bands in the UK's modern era. Starting with the Clash (although he's been conveniently airbrushed out of their history) for whom he wrote "What's My Name?" which was included on their debut album by which time Levene was not in the band any longer. He was also, of course, a founding member of Public Image Limited. Along with John Lydon and Jah Wobble, they released two albums (First Issue and Metal Box/Second Edition) which are often cited on "All Time Best..." lists. After the second album, Wobble left the band, while Levene remained to make The Flowers of Romance with Lydon and drummer, Martin Atkins. He really should not need an introduction.

In 2012, Levene reunited with Wobble, and together they released the Yin Yang album on the Cherry Red label, as well as touring a live, and well received, dub recreation of the Metal Box album appropriately called Metal Box In Dub.

Most excitingly, Levene is currently working on an autobiography entitled This Is Not An Autobiography: The Diary of A Non-Punk Rocker. He'll be self-publishing the book, because as he says, "I don't do record or book deals!" Available soon for download, an excerpt can be read at one of Keith's websites, right here.

Besides that, Keith is self-releasing solo recordings as well. Absolute Zero Redux, The Search 4 Absolute Zero, and the Killer In The Crowd EP are all available on digital download only, and available directly from him here. A huge thanks to Keith for the playlist.

To keep up with all of his various doings, please visit the sites listed here:

Official website / other Official website

Facebook

Twitter

Jah Wobble & Keith Levene - Facebook

Keith Levene by Dennis Morris

01. Yin Yang - Jah Wobble & Keith Levene

02. Heroes and Villains - Beach Boys

03. Tomorrow Never Knows - Beatles

04. America - Simon  & Garfunkel

05. All Because of You - Omar & the String Poppers

06. Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd 

07. All Right Now - Free

08. Surf's Up - Beach Boys

09. Always Crashing in the Same Car - David Bowie 

10. One On One - Hall and Oates 

11. I'm Not In Love - 10cc

12. Killer In The Crowd - Keith Levene 

13. So Far Away - Carole King 

14. Everyday - Buddy Holly & the Crickets 

15. Can't Get Over Losing You - Andy Williams 

16. What's My Name - The Clash 

17. Happy Together - The Turtles

18. Woman - John Lennon

19. Save a Prayer - Duran Duran

20. You're All I've Got Tonight - The Cars

Daisy's Letter From London: Best of 2012

 

1. 198 Gallery:  Blank Generation Punk Poster Exhibition - Daisy's friend from art school, Lucy Davies, now runs a great Community Gallery that hosted Gary Loveridge's punk poster collection…a good time was had by all!

2. Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson

2A: To ward off homesickness:  I listen to Radio Free Song Club 

3. Dexy's new album, One Day I'm Going to Soar, played in full at Shepherd's Bush (not a dry eye in the house).

4.  Stone Roses reform and play 3 sold out gigs in their home town, Manchester.  This is Gary holding up my new hat in Heaton Park (left).

6.  There is actually a sunny day in the summer and we sit on a hill by Alexandra Palace and have a picnic.  

5.  We played Jack White's fantastic but creepy new solo album Blunderbuss in the car.  Meanwhile Jack White wears BLUE clothes!

6.  Gary visits San Francisco, goes to see Rise and Fall of The Clash and meets up and coming Spanish filmmaker, Danny Garcia - introduces Daisy via Facebook, and Daisy starts transcribing interviews for his new movie Looking For Johnny (Thunders) and the flashbacks begin!

7. Daisy goes to Paris with Alexandra.  While Alex goes to her 30th high school reunion, Daisy enjoys Noir Blanche.  We stay in the crepe district, visit Samuel Beckett, buy a new umbrella.

8. Rough Trade Record Shop events:  We particularly enjoyed Jarvis Cocker reading from Mother Brother Lover.

9. Living legend, Lee Black Childers' book launch at Soho's Society Club.

10.  Gary goes to all of the Memorial events for 10th Anniversary of Joe Strummer's death. Namely:  

- The Arms Aloft in Acton Town gig at the Tabernacle Notting Hill

- Joe Strummer Memorial Poster Pop Up Exhibition at Tabernacle

- Meeting Joe Strummer - a play by Paul Hodson at the Cockpit, NW8

- London's Burning (a particularly good performance by The Phobics) 

- 100 Club weekend of gigs, Remembering Joe: 10th Anniversary Memorial Weekend, which featured Spizz, The Duel, Ruts DC, The Latchicos, Glen Matlock, Eddie Tenpole, and TV Smith

 

Daisy's Letter From London: Nov/Dec 2012

Dear Karatee Boogaloo,

Wee are just back from Chelsea, darling. We went the Vinyl Factory and hung out with Leee Black Childers amongst his photographs of Blondie, Iggy, Mapplethorpe rent boys etc. Seems to me he can't take a photo of someone and not make them look sexy….

The photographs are in his new book - and he got a thumbs up from us when he appeared at an In Conversation event at The Society Club, a tiny Charles Dickens type coffee shop/bookshop (yes, they have those in London) to intrepid Monday Nighters who braved the freezing temperatures.

Leee had just flown in (staying at the St. James Hotel with hot tub… it's where all thee rock and rollers stay when in town)… and maybe he was little jet lagged, i don't know, but he got little tearful when he talked about Johnny Thunders and Sid Vicious.

It is because of Andy Warhol that he became a photographer. Apparently, Leee used to blag his way in to record company parties back in the day for the Buffet Table. He told Andy Warhol that he got in by pretending to be a photographer.

Apparently, Andy Warhol pointed to Jackie Curtis who was smoking a cigarette and drinking a cocktail at the Factory. "She thinks she is a woman." The implication being you don't have to pretend. And Leee was transformed.

Andy Warhol bought a photograph from Childers for $10, but, said Leee, instead of cashing the check at a bank, he took it to the Chelsea Hotel where it was well known someone would pay him $50 dollars for the Warhol check… And, apparently, David Bowie asked him to work for MainMan… and that's where he learned he could order Steak Tartare, Shrimp Caribe and Limos and Tours and all sorts…(Continued after the jump)

Friday Ephemera: The Anarchy Tour (1976)

Source

Better badges: A Clash collection (1979-1983)

Longtime reader Dan McC of Chapel Hill, NC, contributed the above shot of his Clash badge collection to share with us. He put this together over the years 1979-1983. Here's what he had to say for himself:

In 1979 I fell in love with the Clash. I bought the records, of course, and several t-shirts, and I obsessively clipped magazine and newspaper articles about my heroes. But badges proved to be the most accessible merchandise experience for a 14-year-old with limited cashflow and sporadic shopping options. Typically priced at $1 each, punk badges were a staple at any record store that sold any sort of new wave or punk, usually featured on a point-of-purchase impulse rack somewhere near the cash register. As tiny items easily palmed or pocketed, I suspect the retail place was meant to guard against shoplifting, too. Although I had ordered a couple of badges through mail order catalogues, the vast majority of the badges pictured were one-off purchases from record stores in the Baltimore/Washington area.

Thanks Dan! I'm looking forward to future contributions from him.

Anatomy of an album cover: Give 'Em Enough Rope

Postcard, circa 1953, photographed by Adrian Atwater

The Clash Give 'Em Enough Rope, 1978 (UK pressing)

Friday Ephemera: Screen On the Green (1976)

The famed Screen On the Green punk concert from 1976 in London featuring the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Buzzcocks. The Islington High Street theater is still in operation today! This ultra-rare bit of punk history can be yours for a mere $2000. Click here for more info. And no, its not Friday, but really...does anyone care?

Strummer of Love in August

 Strummer of Love, August 17-19, 2012