The Story of the Clash, Volume 1

The Story of the Clash, Volume 1
The Story of the Clash, Volume 1
Compilation album by The Clash
Released	21 March 1988
Genre	Punk rock
Length	99:00
Label	Epic
Producer	The Clash; Guy Stevens; Bill Price; Mikey Dread; Mickey Foote; Lee Perry; Sandy Pearlman;
The Clash compilations and lives chronology
Singles from The Story of the Clash, Volume 1
	"I Fought the Law"; Released: March 1988; "London Calling"; Released: May 1988;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Rolling Stone	^[3]
Robert Christgau	C+^[4]

The Story of the Clash, Vol. 1 is a double-disc compilation album by the English punk rock band the Clash. Consisting of 28 tracks, it was released on 21 March 1988 by Epic Records. The compilation presents a relatively thorough overview of their career, but does not feature any material from their final studio album, Cut the Crap (1985). An anticipated second volume was to have consisted of live recordings but remains unreleased, although a live compilation, From Here to Eternity: Live, was released in 1999. The original vinyl set was released with four different colored cover variations: red, blue, yellow and green. The compilation was promoted by reissued singles of "I Fought the Law" and "London Calling".

Liner notes

The extensive inner notes are told from the perspective of frontman Joe Strummer's alter-ego, Albert Transom. Transom, described by himself as "...their valet from the early beginnings to the bitter end...", tells many anecdotes, including one about the beginning of the rioting at the Notting Hill Carnival in 1976. Many of the stories are about shows, such as one where, after their "3rd or 4th time out", Transom and a fellow punk named Sebastian barricaded themselves in a small room and were attacked by a group of "Teddy Boys". The story went that Sebastian's tie was ripped, and the general consensus was that the tie was now "much more punk". Many other musicians are mentioned in the liners, including experiences with Bo Diddley, Devo, and Roxy Music. The notes end with, "If I had to sum it up, I'd say we played every gig on the face of the earth and that's what it's all about...I've just heard they'll give me some room on Vol. 2 so maybe I will be able to tell the bits I've had to skip or leave out."^[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, except where noted.

Disc 1
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original release	Length
1.	"The Magnificent Seven"	The Clash	12-inch version; original version from Sandinista! (1980)	4:27
2.	"Rock the Casbah"	The Clash	single mix; original version from Combat Rock (1982)	3:41
3.	"This Is Radio Clash"	The Clash	Non-album single (1981)	4:10
4.	"Should I Stay or Should I Go"	The Clash	Combat Rock	3:07
5.	"Straight to Hell"	The Clash	Combat Rock	5:27
6.	"Armagideon Time"	Willi Williams, Jackie Mittoo	B-side of "London Calling" single (1979)	3:50
7.	"Clampdown"		London Calling (1979)	3:45
8.	"Train in Vain"		London Calling	3:11
9.	"The Guns of Brixton"	Paul Simonon	London Calling	3:05
10.	"I Fought the Law"	Sonny Curtis	The Cost of Living EP (1979)	2:35
11.	"Somebody Got Murdered"	The Clash	Sandinista!	3:29
12.	"Lost in the Supermarket"		London Calling	3:41
13.	"Bankrobber"		Non-album single (1980)	4:31

Disc 2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original release	Length
1.	"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"		Non-album single (1978)	3:59
2.	"London's Burning"		The Clash (1977)	2:09
3.	"Janie Jones"		The Clash	2:04
4.	"Tommy Gun"		Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978)	3:13
5.	"Complete Control"		Non-album single (1977)	3:12
6.	"Capital Radio One" (preceded by Circle Line interview part 2)^[6]^{[better source needed]}"		Capital Radio EP (1977)	5:18
7.	"White Riot"		Single version, 18 March 1977	1:57
8.	"Career Opportunities"		The Clash	1:51
9.	"Clash City Rockers"		Non-album single (1978)	3:57
10.	"Safe European Home"		Give 'Em Enough Rope	3:48
11.	"Stay Free"		Give 'Em Enough Rope	3:37
12.	"London Calling"		London Calling	3:19
13.	"Spanish Bombs"		London Calling	3:18
14.	"English Civil War"	Trad. arr. Strummer/Jones	Give 'Em Enough Rope	2:33
15.	"Police & Thieves"	Junior Murvin, Lee "Scratch" Perry	The Clash	5:57

Personnel

The Clash

Mick Jones – guitar, vocals
Joe Strummer – vocals, guitar
Paul Simonon – bass
Topper Headon – drums
Terry Chimes – drums on disc 2, track 2, tracks 7-8, and track 15^{[citation needed]}

Technical

Tricia Ronane – compiler
Pennie Smith – photography
Jules Balme – sleeve
The Clash – producer ("The Magnificent Seven", "This Is Radio Clash", "Armagideon Time", "Somebody Got Murdered", "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais"), co-producer ("I Fought the Law", "Capital Radio One")
Guy Stevens – producer ("Clampdown", "Train in Vain", "Guns of Brixton", "Lost in the Supermarket", "London Calling", "Spanish Bombs")
Bill Price – co-producer ("I Fought the Law", "Capital Radio One"), remastering supervision (1999 version)
Mikey Dread – producer ("Bankrobber")
Mickey Foote – producer ("London's Burning", "Janie Jones", "White Riot", "Career Opportunities", "Clash City Rockers", "Police and Thieves"), co-producer ("Complete Control")
Lee "Scratch" Perry – co-producer ("Complete Control")
Sandy Pearlman – producer ("Tommy Gun", "Safe European Home", "Stay Free")
Mick Jones – remixing ("Rock the Casbah", "Should I Stay or Should I Go")
Bob Clearmountain – engineer ("Rock the Casbah", "Should I Stay or Should I Go", "English Civil War")
Glyn Johns – mixing ("Straight to Hell")
Howie Weinberg – mastering
Ray Staff – remastering (1999 version)
Bob Whitney – remastering (1999 version)

Charts

Chart (1988-1991)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[7]	52
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[8]	45
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)^[9]	22
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[10]	50
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)^[11]	22
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[12]	3
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[13]	50
UK Albums (OCC)^[14]	7
US Billboard 200^[15]	142

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)^[16]	2× Gold	200,000^*
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[17]	Gold	7,500^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[18]	Gold	100,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[19]	Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 58.
^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-28.
^ Rolling Stone 14 July 1988
^ Christgau, Robert. The Clash. Retrieved 2011-06-28.
^ Strummer, Joe (1988). The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 (CD, 2×LP). The Clash. CBS.
^ Discogs – Capital Radio E.P. 09th of April 1977 UK
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 65. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8726". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Clash – The Story Of The Clash" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 20 August 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Clash".
^ "Charts.nz – The Clash – The Story Of The Clash". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Clash – The Story Of The Clash". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "The Clash Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "French album certifications – Clash – Story Of The Clash" (in French). InfoDisc. Select CLASH and click OK.
^ "New Zealand album certifications – The Clash – The Story of the Clash". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
^ "British album certifications – Clash – The Story Of The Clash - Vol 1". British Phonographic Industry.
^ "American album certifications – The Clash – Story Of The Clash". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 at AllMusic

[1] "Music Week" (PDF). p. 58.

[2] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-28.

[3] Rolling Stone 14 July 1988

[4] Christgau, Robert. The Clash. Retrieved 2011-06-28.

[5] Strummer, Joe (1988). The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 (CD, 2×LP). The Clash. CBS.

[6] Discogs – Capital Radio E.P. 09th of April 1977 UK

[aus-7] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 65. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[group=-8] "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8726". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[FINI-9] Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.

[ac_Germany_The_Clash-10] "Offiziellecharts.de – The Clash – The Story Of The Clash" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[11] "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 20 August 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Clash".

[ac_New_Zealand_The_Clash-12] "Charts.nz – The Clash – The Story Of The Clash". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[ac_Sweden_The_Clash-13] "Swedishcharts.com – The Clash – The Story Of The Clash". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[ac_UK2_-14] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[ac_Billboard200_The_Clash-15] "The Clash Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[FranceClashStory_Of_The_ClashalbumCertRef-16] "French album certifications – Clash – Story Of The Clash" (in French). InfoDisc. Select CLASH and click OK.

[New_ZealandThe_ClashThe_Story_of_the_ClashalbumCertRef-17] "New Zealand album certifications – The Clash – The Story of the Clash". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.

[United_KingdomClashThe_Story_Of_The_Clash_-_Vol_1albumCertRef-18] "British album certifications – Clash – The Story Of The Clash - Vol 1". British Phonographic Industry.

[United_StatesThe_ClashStory_Of_The_ClashalbumCertRef-19] "American album certifications – The Clash – Story Of The Clash". Recording Industry Association of America.

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v t e The Clash
Joe Strummer Mick Jones Paul Simonon Topper Headon Terry Chimes Keith Levene Rob Harper Pete Howard Nick Sheppard Vince White
Studio albums	The Clash Give 'Em Enough Rope London Calling Sandinista! Combat Rock Cut the Crap
Live albums	From Here to Eternity: Live Live at Shea Stadium
Compilations	Black Market Clash The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 1977 Revisited Clash on Broadway The Singles (1991) Super Black Market Clash The Essential Clash Singles Box The Singles (2007) Sound System The Clash Hits Back 5 Album Studio Set
Extended plays	Capital Radio The Cost of Living
Singles	"White Riot" "Remote Control" "Complete Control" "Clash City Rockers" "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" "Tommy Gun" "English Civil War" "I Fought the Law" "Groovy Times" "London Calling" "Clampdown" "Train in Vain" "Bankrobber" "The Call Up" "Hitsville U.K." "The Magnificent Seven" "This Is Radio Clash" "Know Your Rights" "Should I Stay or Should I Go" "Rock the Casbah" "Straight to Hell" "This Is England" "Return to Brixton"
Other songs	"Career Opportunities" "Capital Radio One" "Garageland" "I'm So Bored with the USA" "Janie Jones" "London's Burning" "Police and Thieves" "Jail Guitar Doors" "Brand New Cadillac" "Death or Glory" "Lost in the Supermarket" "Revolution Rock" "Rudie Can't Fail" "Spanish Bombs" "Junco Partner" "Washington Bullets" "Overpowered by Funk"
Films	Rude Boy Concert for Kampuchea Westway to the World Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten London Town
Related articles	Discography Songs Band members The 101ers London SS Public Image Ltd Big Audio Dynamite Havana 3am The Latino Rockabilly War The Pogues The Mescaleros Carbon/Silicon The Good, the Bad & the Queen Gorillaz Spirit of St. Louis Rock Against Racism The Joe Strummer Foundation Bernard Rhodes Don Letts Alex Michon Caroline Coon Sandy Pearlman Guy Stevens Kosmo Vinyl Mick Gallagher Norman Watt-Roy Tymon Dogg Mikey Dread Ellen Foley Futura 2000
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