Book Review: Passion is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash by Pat Gilbert

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Recently I’ve been researching Pete Seeger and Lenny Bruce for my next book. Both of them were people who spoke truth to power and experienced silencing from the establishment. In a way, I’d say they paved the way for political rock bands like The Kinks, Pink Floyd, and The Clash. So when I got an email asking me if I’d like to review a book about The Clash, I jumped on it. I love their music and I love what the band stand for: “We’re anti-fascist, we’re anti-violence, we’re anti-racist, and we’re pro-creative.” All of this except for the “anti-violence” part is definitely true about The Clash. Cynics might write them off as champagne socialists, but they really weren’t. Sure Joe Strummer grew up middle class and Mick Jones loved the perks of being a rock star like jet setting and staying in lavish hotels, but The Clash really lived their values and showed the world why they’re “The Only Band That Matters”. If anything, I have immense respect for people like Joe Strummer. You grew up in privilege and you choose to be a class traitor and stand up for the working class, it’s definitely not easy! He could have made so much more money in The Clash, but he chose to stick by his principles. Anyone who’s like “The Clash are sellouts”, as if you’d turn down a major record deal, especially in pre-internet years where you needed to be signed to a label if you wanted your music to get anywhere.

Passion is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash by Pat Gilbert isn’t a new book. It was originally published in 2005 and a revised/updated edition has come out this month to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the founding of The Clash. It is a hefty book at over 400 pages and once you’ve finished it you’ll basically have a college degree on The Clash. This book covers everything: bios and backgrounds of the musicians, the recording of each album, their tours and gigs, and a lot about the behind the scenes chaos and crazy stories throughout the band’s history. What I especially appreciate is that it’s not just the classic lineup of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon getting credit. Other people who played a supporting role or joined the band after Jones and Headon were let go were mentioned. I definitely believe that to truly appreciate a band, you gotta appreciate everyone who played a role, so many unsung heroes who don’t get their due. It’s definitely a must-read for any Clash fan. What makes it really special is that Pat Gilbert, former editor of internationally acclaimed music magazine Mojo, interviewed the classic lineup of the band as well as others who were close to the band such as managers, roadies, producers, and friends. It’s like Behind The Music on steroids, chronicling the humble beginnings, rise, fall, and aftermath of The Clash. This book in my opinion is one of those music biographies that’s for the superfans, not a general audience. It’s raw and real and as Mick Jones said it, “A really great book. It understands exactly where we are coming from.”

Overall, it’s an excellent book and great for passionate fans who want all the details and have that gotta catch ’em all attitude when it comes to learning about the band. With a long book comes confusion, especially in a band where there are a lot of crossovers with other bands (I love how small of a world classic rock is) and a lot of people surrounding the band, so if you’re not in the know, you might get confused and go wait, who’s [X]? It would be helpful to have a list of who’s who to refer to. I also wish there were more shorter chapters, which would help the book be a bit more organised so I know what year/era we’re in, but that’s just my personal preference. Thankfully there’s an index for easy reference.

The Clash are a legendary rock band with a story that will keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat and maybe you’ll learn some valuable life lessons too!

A quick guide to who’s who in The Clash and those adjacent to The Clash:

Since the book didn’t come with one of these, I’ll put one together so if you buy the book, you can bookmark this blog post and refer to it. Not an exhaustive list, but should help clear things up for those who are like me and forget/mix up names easily.

Band Members:

• Joe Strummer: Lead singer, co-founder, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist, with The Clash until the breakup in 1986.
• Mick Jones: Lead guitarist and producer. Was fired from The Clash in 1983.
• Paul Simonon: Bassist, with The Clash until the breakup in 1986.
• Topper Headon: Drummer from the classic lineup from 1977-1982.
• Terry Chimes: The Clash’s original drummer from May-November 1976. He later returned to the band from May 1982-May 1983.
• Rob Harper: Drummer from December 1976-January 1977.
• Keith Levene: Guitarist from May-September 1976. Left and founded PiL.
• Pete Howard: Drummer from May 1983-1986.
• Greg “Vince” White: Guitarist who replaced Mick Jones from 1983-1986.
• Nick Sheppard: Guitarist who replaced Mick Jones from 1983-1986.

Other Musicians important to The Clash’s story:

• Allen Lanier: Original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Played piano on the album Give ‘Em Enough Rope.
• Stan Bronstein: Member of Elephant’s Memory. Played saxophone on the album Give ‘Em Enough Rope.
• Bob Andrews: Member of Brinsley Schwarz and The Rumour. Played keyboards on Give ‘Em Enough Rope.
• John Earle: Irish saxophonist who had previously worked with Thin Lizzy. Along with Ray Bevis, Chris Gower, and Dick Hanson, they were the Irish Horns and they played on London Calling.
• Mickey Gallagher: Organ/keyboard player for Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Played on The Clash albums London Calling and Sandinista!.
• Tymon Dogg: Contributed vocals, violin, keyboard, and piano to the albums Sandinista! and Combat Rock.
• Norman Watt-Roy: Bassist for Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Played on The Clash albums Sandinista! and Cut The Crap.
• Davey Payne: Saxophonist for Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Played on Sandinista!.
• Gary Barnacle: Saxophone player who played on Sandinista! and “This is Radio Clash”.
• Ellen Foley: Singer who worked with Meat Loaf on Bat Out of Hell and contributed some vocals on Sandinista!. In return, The Clash contributed to her album The Spirit of St Louis. She was also Mick Jones’ ex-girlfriend.
• Mikey Dread: Jamaican musician who contributed vocals to Sandinista!.

Managers:

• Bernie Rhodes: Manager of The Clash and helped put the band together by introducing Joe Strummer to Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. Also played some role in The Sex Pistols’ story.
• Peter Jenner: Manager of Pink Floyd who worked with The Clash. He and Andrew King founded Blackhill Enterprises with Pink Floyd.

Producers:

• Mickey Foote: Produced The Clash.
• Lee “Scratch” Perry: Co-wrote “Police and Thieves” with Junior Murvin, which The Clash later covered. Produced some singles for The Clash like “Complete Control”
• Sandy Pearlman: Produced Give ‘Em Enough Rope.
• Guy Stevens: Produced London Calling.
• Glyn Johns: Co-produced Combat Rock.

Roadies:

• Johnny Green: Road manager for The Clash
• Gerry Baxter-Warman: Replaced Johnny Green as road manager. Appeared on Sandinista! speaking on one of the songs.
• Roadent: Real name Steve Connolly. Roadie for The Clash.
• Digby Cleaver: Guitar tech for The Clash.
• Barry Auguste Baker: Also known as The Baker. Drum tech for The Clash.

Friends:

• Robin Banks: Real name Robin Crocker. Journalist for ZigZag magazine and friend of Mick Jones.
• Caroline Coon: Artist, activist, and friend/sometimes manager of The Clash. She co-founded the charity Release, which provides legal advice and representation for those charged with the possession of drugs.
• Kosmo Vinyl: Associate and sometimes manager of The Clash.
• Don Letts: Videographer of The Clash. Co-founded Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones. Directed the music videos for: “White Riot”, “Tommy Gun”, “London Calling”, “Bankrobber”, “The Call Up”, “This is Radio Clash”, “Rock The Casbah”, and “Should I Stay or Should I Go”.
• Richard Dudanski: Was the drummer for The 101ers, the band that Joe Strummer was in before The Clash.
• Jock Scot: Born John Leslie, he was a poet and recording artist who was friends with The Clash. Lived with Kosmo Vinyl.
• Ray Gange: Actor who played a roadie in The Clash film Rude Boy. Friend of Joe Strummer’s.

Photographers:

• Bob Gruen: Famous rock music photographer who photographed The Clash.
• Pennie Smith: Photographer who famously photographed Paul Simonon smashing his bass guitar, which became the cover art for London Calling.

Top 20 Takeaways from Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash

As I have done in other reviews, here are a list of takeaways. Usually I only do 10, but this book was so long I decided to double it, in the spirit of The Clash, who made double LPs and triple LPs.

1. Joe Strummer’s story is similar to that of Bob Dylan.

This may sound crazy, but there are parallels like the middle class upbringing, influence of Woody Guthrie and 50s rock and roll like Bo Diddley and Buddy Holly. His life as a squatter in London wasn’t glamorous. One day he was evicted and the police destroyed his prized record collection in the process. 

2. While Joe Strummer and Mick Jones had a lot of similarities in that they wanted to be rock stars, they had different goals.

Joe Strummer was a middle class hippie who wanted to make music with a message, whereas Mick Jones was a working class kid who wanted social mobility, an escape from a dead-end 9-5 life where you’re “working for the clampdown”, and to find himself. Mick Jones grew up in Brixton. His father was Welsh and his mother was Jewish.

3. The New York Dolls were a key influence for both Strummer and Jones, as well as punk rockers as a whole.

Glam rockers The New York Dolls were stylish, androgynous, and were that bridge between the girl group music and hippie music of the 60s and the punk rock of the 70s. Both Mick and Joe watched them perform on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973. If you haven’t listened to

4. Much like their predecessors and influences like The Who, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones, art school was an important part of some of the band members’ backgrounds. 

Mick Jones went to art school and so did bassist Paul Simonon. He actually quit playing bass in the early 90s to focus on painting. Simonon has become known as the James Dean of punk because of the image he brought to punk. He loved to customise and decorate his basses and that’s how he took out his frustration on them because he would rather have been a guitarist. Paul Simonon had grown up around a lot of the Windrush Generation so he was exposed to ska and reggae from a young age. Paul Simonon was responsible for creating The Clash’s military aesthetic in the 70s. He also had a reputation as being the prankster of the band.

5. The Clash were kind of manufactured.

Nobody in the band knew each other until Bernard Rhodes and Mick Jones were handpicking band members after the breakup of London SS. Paul Simonon had auditioned for London SS, but was rejected, but they called him and asked him to learn bass and so he did. They approached Joe Strummer who was in the 101ers and had him audition. Then Terry Chimes became their drummer.

6. They made their live debut opening for the Sex Pistols in Sheffield in 1976 even though on the bill the opening act were listed as the 101ers, Joe Strummer’s old band.

The closest thing to a review of the gig said “Clash were just a cacophonous barrage of noise. The bass guitarist had no idea how to play the instrument, even had to get another member of the band to tune it for him. They tried to play 1960s R&B but failed dismally.”

Bernie Rhodes thought differently and was confident The Clash were going to be the next big thing. Charles Shaar Murray reviewed another early gig of The Clash saying “They are the kind of garage band who should be speedily returned to their garage, preferably with the motor running.” A scathing review can be discouraging and cause a sensitive person to give up, thankfully The Clash persisted!

7. The 1976 Notting Hill Riot was an important historical event for The Clash.

In August 1976, there was a race riot in Notting Hill, famous for its Carnival, a celebration of Black Caribbean culture. Sparked by the West Indies cricket team beating England, youth at a black festival clashed with the cops, who would racially profile people and stop and search them.

Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon felt exhilarated by being in a riot and fighting cops. “White Riot” from their self-titled debut was about those events. People mistook it for a racist song because of the title and because of the politically incorrect lyrics. While Mick Jones is more PC, Joe Strummer preferred to be more blunt and took a similar approach to the Beats (Allen Ginsberg would go on to recite the Heart Sutra on “Ghetto Defandant”) and Lenny Bruce by using strong words to be thought provoking and get people to question the system. The real thing to be offended by is racism, not language!

8. Punk and Reggae are like cousins. 

Jamaica was going through similar things to England in the 70s. There were clashes between supporters of the socialist Michael Manley and conservative Edward Seaga. Bob Marley was shot in 1976. Like I said, Paul Simonon grew up around a lot of Black Caribbean people.

9. There’s a Jewish side to the story of how The Clash signed to CBS Records.

They were about to sign to Polydor (like really close because they were just outside Polydor’s building), since Chris Parry had offered them a £40k advance matching The Sex Pistols’ offer, until Bernie Rhodes got a call at 3am from CBS Records head Maurice Oberstein offering The Clash £100k. Now this wasn’t any ordinary call, he told Rhodes “The Nazis are coming! The Nazis are coming! You’re not signing with Polydor, you’re a Jew, how can you go with them?” in reference to Polydor being partially owned by a German company. 

When Rhodes met Oberstein in person, Oberstein said “Look Bernard, I don’t know about any of this fucking punk shit. But I do know they’re Nazis and we’re Jews. I’ve got Barbra Streisand and all these other people I need to bring over to England. I’ll give you some money and you do what the fuck you want. Just don’t embarrass me and don’t cost me a lot of money. Don’t have a record cover with a woman’s crotch on it.” When Rhodes talked to Mick Jones about whether to go with Polydor or CBS, he said let’s sign with CBS, no question about it. Joe Strummer and Mick Jones saw this signing as a dream come true because they were label mates with some of their heroes like Bob Dylan and Mott The Hoople. However, a lot of punks saw The Clash as sellouts with Mark Perry of Sniffin’ Glue saying “Punk died the day The Clash signed to CBS.” But would you really turn down a £100k advance?

10. When The Clash were looking for a drummer, they placed an ad in Melody Maker emphasising “no jazz, no funk, no laid back”.

Topper Headon, who could play drums in those genres ultimately got the job. Mick Jones knew him from his London SS days and they happened to reunite at a bar after he attended a Kinks concert at The Rainbow. A versatile drummer whose influences range from Keith Moon to Buddy Rich to Billy Cobham to Terry Williams (of Welsh psych/prog band Man) and who’d bounce around from band to band, he did not originally plan to stay with The Clash for long, just long enough to make a name for himself and move on. Fun fact, Topper Headon’s parents were from Wales, and that means half of The Clash are of Welsh descent, like their influences The Kinks!

11. The Clash and The Jam did not get along while on tour.

When The Clash were touring to promote their debut album, The Jam were their opening act on the Scottish leg of the UK tour. The two bands clashed because The Jam were more influenced by soul and R&B and had a more mod look as opposed to a punk look, so they looked “conservative” compared to The Clash and the other bands opening for them.

The Jam were kicked off the tour, but the reason why is up for debate, depends on who you ask. Some explanations are The Jam believed they should have been the headliners, Paul Weller’s father (their manager) was demanding more money, and Joe Strummer believing they weren’t the best fit as an opening act. “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais” was actually a diss track of sorts, taking jabs at The Jam with the lyrics “They got Burton suits” and “Huh, you think it’s funny, turning rebellion into money.”. The latter lyric is kind of pot calling the kettle black because The Clash had been accused of that too. Joe Strummer would later become friends with Paul Weller.

12. The death of Elvis Presley led to a truce between the feuding punks and teddy boys. 

Punks and Teddy Boys of the 70s clashed like the Mods and Rockers did in the 60s. Before everyone wanted to be The Beatles, everyone wanted to be Elvis. Elvis was one of the few solo musicians that could bring everyone together. He may not have invented rock and roll, but he was The King and he really shaped rock and roll. Everyone loves at least one Elvis song. Joe Strummer graffitied “Elvis was a tidal wave” onto the mirror in designer Sebastian Conran’s room. Of course, the cover of London Calling was an homage to Elvis.

13. Lee “Scratch” Perry loved The Clash’s version of “Police and Thieves” so much that he agreed to produce their single “Complete Control” and put a picture of the band on the wall of his studio Black Ark Studios in Jamaica.

The Clash were the only white act to get that honour. He was amazed that there were these white guys who really loved reggae and sang about politics. Bob Marley, who Perry was producing in London, wrote a song “Punky Reggae Party” about The Clash and it was the B-side of “Jammin’”. It’s absolutely an honour to be praised by an artist you look up to.

The Clash later went to Jamaica to get some inspiration and the trip didn’t go well, to say the least. They had heard gunshots while in their hotel, where they were holed up for the most part except to go to the cinema or buy some weed. It’s a poor country and The Clash stood out like sore thumbs. Joe Strummer said of the trip: “I don’t know how we didn’t get killed. I think they thought we were sailors or something.” The song “Safe European Home” was inspired by their trip to Jamaica. People love to preach about cultural appropriation, but the truth is as long as you’re genuine, respectful, and you give credit, people love seeing you enjoy their culture.

14. There are some true crime connections in The Clash’s story.

The Clash recorded at Sarm East, which was located in a shabby old Victorian house at 9-13 Osborn Street in Aldgate, Whitechapel, London. Back in 1888, that was the site of the first Whitechapel murder and a part of the Jack the Ripper story. In the 1960s, Britain’s most notorious gangsters the Kray Twins had a prominent presence in that same neighbourhood.

Another true crime connection is related to Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. When The Clash covered The Crickets’ “I Fought The Law” (popularised by the Bobby Fuller Four), they changed the lyrics to “I killed my baby and if felt so bad” in reference to Sid and Nancy. At one point, Paul Simonon had shared a bed in a squat with Sid Vicious and Topper Headon once lived in a flat at 8 Pindock Mews in Maida Vale, London, after Sid and Nancy moved out.

Replacing Johnny Green as road manager was Gerry Baxter-Warman, who had previously run the Ranelagh Yacht Club at the time John Bindon stabbed John Darke.

15. The Clash’s roadie Roadent wanted John Lennon to produce their sophomore album.

The Clash were so exhausted from recording their first album, they could barely think about the second one. Roadent managed to get John Lennon’s phone number in New York and he told Joe Strummer about it and suggested they call him, but he said no because he thought he wouldn’t be interested in The Clash. Roadent later lost his phone book so The Clash never contacted John Lennon. An important lesson: you miss every shot you don’t take. So make that call even if it’s a long shot! You’d be no worse off than if you hadn’t asked at all.

16. Topper Headon spent the night in jail for standing on the parapet of a railway line shooting at pigeons, who turned out to be expensive racing birds bred by a mechanic in the train yard.

He was there with Paul Simonon, Robin Banks (friend of the band), and a group called The Barnacles. A British Rail guard thought they were terrorists shooting at trains, and while this sounds funny in hindsight, it was actually serious. They called the police and there was a huge police presence: a helicopter and eight police vans showed up. They were taken by Black Maria to Kentish Town police station, where they were charged with criminal damage. Mick Jones called Paul’s girlfriend Caroline Coon, who co-founded Release and knew exactly how to deal with the police, lawyers, and courts. She got Paul, Robin, and Topper bailed out of jail and they were picked up outside the gates of Brixton Prison by their road manager Johnny Green. What a great friend to have on your side! In the end, they were fined £30 each plus they had to pay £700 in compensation to the owner of the pigeons. This incident inspired the song title “Guns on the Roof”.

17. Touring America was life changing and was a success for The Clash.

As a leftist group, there was this sort of love-hate relationship with America. They hated the imperialism and hyper-individualist capitalism, but they loved rock and roll and Hollywood movies, after all, without that, there would be no British rock and roll. While touring the US, The Clash made it a point to have black musicians open for them like Bo Diddley, Sam and Dave, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. The promoters were confused because on the surface they seem quite different, but R&B is a huge influence on rock and roll. During that US tour, the album cover photo of Paul Simonon smashing his bass guitar was taken during their US tour in 1979. It was a tribute to both The Who and Elvis Presley, with the guitar smashing being inspired by Pete Townshend’s signature move and the logotype being borrowed from Elvis. Unlike Pete Townshend, Paul Simonon did not often smash his basses. He was just particularly frustrated that day because the bouncers wouldn’t let the audience stand up out of their seats.

18. Speaking of London Calling, behind the scenes it was chaos, but it became known as the band’s masterpiece.

Producing the album was Guy Stevens, who inspired the name of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and was important in the formation of Mott the Hoople. He was important in shaping the sound of the album, but CBS were not happy with The Clash’s choice of producer. His behaviour was a bit crazy during the sessions smashing a chair, bunny hopping in the studio, and barking in Mick Jones’ face while he was playing a guitar solo. He would yell encouraging words to the band and smash furniture.

CBS were also not happy with The Clash charging less than others for their albums, making London Calling a double album and charging the cost of a single album, offering value for money. Let’s just say throughout The Clash’s career, they made choices that would result in them making less money, like playing smaller venues instead of big arenas. Still, it’s a legendary album and CBS didn’t drop them because revolutionary songs made money. It’s an album with an eclectic mix of influences: reggae, rockabilly, jazz, hard rock, and R&B. Everyone’s enthusiasm comes through on the album. 

19. Everyone thought The Clash were insane for making Sandinista! a triple album.

London Calling being a double album definitely pissed off CBS so The Clash took things to the next level with Sandinista! in the spirit of punk rock. They were willing to take a lower percentage of royalties to release it as a 3 LP album. It was also an album where all of the songs were credited to The Clash as a whole. Punk is often associated with short songs and short albums, but The Clash did things a bit differently and weren’t afraid to branch out and make songs that were a fusion of punk and other genres. Mick Jones said of the album that it’s a record for those who are on oil rigs or at research stations in the Arctic and needed a long album since they couldn’t easily access record stores. Peter Jenner and Andrew King strongly disapproved of their decision to release a triple LP, calling it financial suicide and full of filler. While I wouldn’t say I love every song on that album, I respect The Clash for having the chutzpah to release a triple LP since art is all about taking chances and getting out of your comfort zone.

The Clash and Jenner and King parted ways as a result and Bernie Rhodes came back as manager, much to Mick Jones’ dismay. They believed that CBS were planning for The Clash to fire them and were upset that they weren’t being paid because The Clash owed money. NME’s Nick Kent gave the album a critical review, calling the album tepid, demoralised, and that the record “simply perplexes and ultimately depresses” and why are The Clash even bothering at this point? Naturally, The Clash were upset and asked NME editor Neil Spencer if they could re-review the album, no dice! While they were loved in the US, in the UK a lot was changing musically, The Jam were more popular at this point and there were new artists like Aztec Camera, Orange Juice, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Teardrop Explodes on the scene. This was the beginning of the end for The Clash since everyone was going their separate ways, especially Topper Headon, who was into hard drugs.

20. The Clash’s love of hip hop inspired The Beastie Boys.

The Clash were spending more time in America and that meant more American influences in their sound. In the late 70s, a new genre was on the horizon: hip-hop, which often used disco, soul, and R&B samples. The Clash embraced it and made the song “The Magnificent Seven”, with that funky baseline played by Norman Watt-Roy.

In 1981, The Clash had a residency at Bond’s International Casino. Rick Rubin loved the chaotic energy of those performances and said of The Clash, “They were the first band to really embrace that cross-cultural revolution. They brought reggae to rock fans. In America, everyone loves reggae because of The Clash. It was the same with hip hop – I don’t think the Beastie Boys would have been as into hip hop if it wasn’t fort for The Clash. The Beasties were really influenced by those Bond’s shows.” Black radio stations loved playing “The Magnificent Dance”, Mick Jones’ mostly instrumental remix of “The Magnificent Seven”.

Of course, The Clash had hip hop artists like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five open for them to turn their audiences onto hip hop. Decades later, their song “Straight To Hell” would be sampled on M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”.

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