History Trivia / TheClash

* ExecutiveMeddling: Upon hearing their debut self-titled album, the suits at their American record label decided that some of the songs would inspire people to rebel, and decided to remove 5 songs and replace them with some of the band's British singles like "Complete Control" and "White Man in Hammersmith Palais". Some critics think this is better, but they are completely missing the point as you could easily make another album of all the singles and B-Sides from this period.

* HostilityOnTheSet: ''Cut the Crap'' was the title of the last album because it fit the statement Music/JoeStrummer was trying to make about getting back to the ThreeChordsAndTheTruth roots of punk, but it or some variant thereof was probably said at least a few times a day during the sessions, which ''began'' with Strummer and Paul Simonon kicking Mick Jones out of the band because he was getting to be too much of a rock star, followed by Topper Headon, who couldn't kick heroin long enough to record. Simonon might as well have left or been forced out as well, given his minimal contribution to what, on the face of things, looked like a Strummer solo album—most of the other instruments were played by unknown musicians the band had hired through anonymous ads in ''Melody Maker'' for a hundred pounds a week.
** However, Strummer and manager Bernie Rhodes fought bitterly, with Rhodes as determined to make a more contemporary Clash that could keep riding the musical tides for another several years as Strummer was to get back to where they once belonged. Rhodes was able to win and record the album ''his'' way by stealing the master tapes and adding plenty of synthesizers and effects to most of them; Strummer was so disgusted that, late in production, he tried to get Jones to come back.
** The result was an end to a once-great band as bitter as ''Music/LetItBe'' or ''[[Music/TheAllmanBrothersBand Win, Lose or Draw]]''.

* NamesTheSame: There's another Mick Jones who was also a guitarist, but with Music/{{Foreigner|Band}}.

* ThrowItIn: The GratuitousSpanish in "Should I Stay or Should I Go".
-->'''Strummer''': On the spur of the moment I said 'I'm going to do the backing vocals in Spanish,'...We needed a translator so Eddie Garcia, the tape operator, called his mother in Brooklyn Heights and read her the lyrics over the phone and she translated them. But Eddie and his mum are Ecuadorian, so it's Ecuadorian Spanish that me and Joe Ely are singing on the backing vocals.

** However, Strummer and manager Bernie Rhodes fought bitterly, with Rhodes as determined to [[WereStillRelevantDammit make a more contemporary Clash]] that could keep riding the musical tides for another several years as Strummer was to get back to where they once belonged. Rhodes was able to win and record the album ''his'' way by stealing the master tapes and adding plenty of synthesizers and effects to most of them; Strummer was so disgusted that, late in production, he tried to get Jones to come back.

* NamesTheSame: There's another Mick Jones who was also a guitarist, but with Music/{{Foreigner}}.

* CreatorKiller: ''Music/CutTheCrap'' not only killed the band but marked the last death rattle of the first wave of PunkRock, at least as a mainstream force in popular music. The band was in turmoil by this point: drummer Topper Headon left due to drug problems and more importantly, lead guitarist and co-vocalist Mick Jones was fired due to both his attitude and his more eclectic musical influences clashing with the rest of the band, particularly their manager Bernie Rhodes and lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer. They were replaced with a trio of unknown musicians who contributed little, such that fans refer to this lineup as "The Clash Mk. II". The resulting album was more or less entirely the product of Rhodes (who produced it under the name "Jose Unidos" and co-wrote it with Strummer), and it sounded like a half-baked, poorly-produced ripoff of Music/FrankieGoesToHollywood, Music/{{Genesis}}, or any number of other synth-driven rock bands playing on MTV around that time. Even Strummer regarded it as an OldShame, saying that he should never have left Rhodes fire Jones and that he stopped caring partway through recording the album. The Clash broke up for good shortly after, and while Strummer and Jones eventually reconciled, the band never reunited.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: What if the Clash were allowed to stick with their intention for a more stripped-down, RevisitingTheRoots style on ''Cut the Crap''? Or at least they had a more sympathetic producer, as Australian band Music/MidnightOil successfully combined political songs with cutting-edge production around the same time.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: In late 2002, The Clash were announced as an inductee for the 2003 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The members of the band were planning to perform at the ceremony, and there were rumblings that the reunion wouldn't be a one-off, and that they were planning to get back together for a tour or an album. Unfortunately, Strummer suddenly died a little over a month after the induction announcement and ended any possibility of a reunion.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece:
** "Spanish Bombs". At the time, Spain was still a relatively poor country, recovering from the reign of dictator Francisco Franco. Its tourist industry had only really begun a few years earlier, with cheap flights being an incentive. Over the 30+ years since the song was written, Spain is arguably the most popular non-UK holiday destination for Brits (also causing so many to retire there that there are predominantly British communities in places), and tourism has completely transformed its economy and culture. "Spanish Bombs" captures Spain at a time when there was a lot of uncertainty in the air and this had yet to be realised.
** "Ivan Meets G.I Joe" is very obviously about the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, and is therefore dated. But nowadays, it's best known as the only song Topper Headon sang vocals on.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Upon hearing their debut self-titled album, the suits at their American record label decided that some of the songs would inspire people to rebel, and decided to remove 5 songs and replace them with some of the band's British singles like "Complete Control" and "White Man in Hammersmith Palais". Some critics think this is better, but they are CompletelyMissingThePoint as you could easily make another album of all the singles and B-Sides from this period.

* ChartDisplacement: The band's only top 40 hits in the U.S. were "Train in Vain" and "Rock the Casbah", instead of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (only #43) and "London Calling" (didn't chart).

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: What if the Clash were allowed to stick with their intention for a more stripped-down, RevisitingTheRoots style on ''Cut the Crap''?

* CreatorKiller: ''Music/CutTheCrap'' not only killed the band but marked the last death rattle of the first wave of PunkRock, at least as a mainstream force in popular music. The band was in turmoil by this point: drummer Topper Headon left due to drug problems and more importantly, lead guitarist and co-vocalist Mick Jones was fired due to both his attitude and his more eclectic musical influences clashing with the rest of the band, particularly their manager Bernie Rhodes and lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer. They were replaced with a trio of unknown musicians who contributed little, such that fans refer to this lineup as "The Clash Mk. II". The resulting album was more or less entirely the product of Rhodes (who produced it under the name "Jose Unidos" and co-wrote it with Strummer), and it sounded like a half-baked, poorly-produced ripoff of Music/FrankieGoesToHollywood, Music/{{Genesis]], or any number of other synth-driven rock bands playing on MTV around that time. Even Strummer regarded it as an OldShame, saying that he should never have left Rhodes fire Jones and that he stopped caring partway through recording the album. The Clash broke up for good shortly after, and while Strummer and Jones eventually reconciled, the band never reunited.

* CreatorKiller: ''Music/CutTheCrap''. The album was so widely reviled by fans, critics, and Joe Strummer himself, to say nothing of its commercial underperformance, that it motivated Strummer to permanently disband the Clash.

* CreatorKiller: ''Cut the Crap''. The album was so widely reviled by fans, critics, and Joe Strummer himself, to say nothing of its commercial underperformance, that it motivated Strummer to permanently disband the Clash.
* CutSong: ''Combat Rock'' was first intended as a double LP though the group's manager and label insisted the group release a single LP. This resulted in the removal of "First Night Back In London", "Cool Confusion", "The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too", "Idle In Kangaroo Court [aka Kill Time]" and "Walk Evil Talk". Only the first two were released as b-sides at the time, though the rest were officially released on the ''Sound System'' box years later. This also resulted in the shortening of "Straight To Hell" (which the group did not want to happen), amongst other tracks.

** The result was an end to a once-great band as bitter as ''Music/LetItBe'' or ''Music/WinLoseOrDraw''.

* CanonDiscontinuity: ''Cut the Crap'' is probably one of the most thorough examples in music; so reviled is the album among the band members (in addition to fans and critics) that it's scarcely mentioned in official retrospectives on the band-- if it's mentioned at all-- hasn't been officially reissued anywhere in the world since 2004 (with its last release in the Anglosphere being in 2000, a release that was neither officially announced nor promoted), isn't on the band's ''Spotify page'', and overall is swept under the rug at any possible chance.

* CutAndPasteTranslation[=/=]ExecutiveMeddling: Upon hearing their debut self-titled album, the suits at their American record label decided that some of the songs would inspire people to rebel, and decided to remove 5 songs and replace them with some of the band's British singles like "Complete Control" and "White Man in Hammersmith Palais". Some critics think this is better, but they are CompletelyMissingThePoint as you could easily make another album of all the singles and B-Sides from this period.

* CutSong: Combat Rock was first intended as a double LP though the group's manager and label insisted the group release a single LP. This resulted in the removal of "First Night Back In London", "Cool Confusion", "The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too", "Idle In Kangaroo Court [aka Kill Time]" and "Walk Evil Talk". Only the first two were released as b-sides at the time, though the rest were officially released on the Sound System box years later. This also resulted in the shortening of "Straight To Hell" (which the group did not want to happen), amongst other tracks.
* DoingItForTheArt: The band wanted to provide more music for the fan's money, so they asked the CBS record label to sell the double LP ''Music/LondonCalling'' and the triple LP ''Music/{{Sandinista}}'' for the price of just one LP. In both cases, CBS balked, but the Clash managed to make the low price happen anyway. In the case of ''London Calling'', they talked CBS into letting them release an LP with a free 12 inch single included--then, they pressed an entire second LP instead of the single before CBS realized what they were doing. There are conflicting accounts of ''Sandinista!'''s pressing: some sources say they repeated the ''London Calling'' trick, but others (including Joe Strummer himself) say the Clash simply compromised with CBS and surrendered the royalties from the first 200,000 copies sold.

* HostilityOnTheSet: See ''Combat Rock'' and ''Cut the Crap'' below. The latter has a lot to do with why [[CanonDiscontinuity fans and band alike pretend the album never happened]].

** ''Sandinista!'' came off the heels off of the critical smash ''London Calling''. The band bounced off their previous record by diving even more into the world music trend that was taking over in the 80s. This confused the label, who wanted a more clear musical direction. Simonon ended up taking time away from production to star in the film ''Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains''. He was temporarily replaced by Norman Watt-Roy of Music/IanDuryAndTheBlockheads fame. Watt-Roy composed the memorable bassline for "The Magnificent Seven", for which he claims he was never credited. Also, fellow Producer Mikey Dread claims he was never paid for work he did on the album either. The revolving door of producers made for a mess for crediting on the album. On top of that, the band produced so much music that they wanted to make a 3-LP album, of which everyone involved in the production thought was overambitious. The label only agreed to do it after the band begrudgingly forfeited the royalties for the first 100,000 copies sold. To this day, the album is a difficult listen at 145 minutes. Some consider it the band's masterpiece, others think it has some of their best moments, but it's overlong.

** ''Cut The Crap'' was made after a troubled tour which resulted in the sacking of both Topper Headon for drug problems and Mick Jones for his prima donna attitude. With 2 major slots replaced, the band's sound drastically changed and the album was made with very little direction. It was actually Bernie Rhoades who bizarrely took over the musical direction, with the sound being more electronic than previous albums. The new members bumped heads with Rhoades' antics and band politics were so frail that by the end of production, The Clash was no more. It's often regarded as the worst in the band's discography, even if it's looked at as ahead of it's time in some circles.

* CreatorKiller: ''Cut the Crap''. The album was so widely reviled by fans, critics, and Joe Strummer himself, to say nothing of its commercial underperformance, that it motivated Strummer to permanently disband the Clash.

* CareerKiller: ''Cut the Crap''. The album was so widely reviled by fans, critics, and Joe Strummer himself, to say nothing of its commercial underperformance, that it motivated Strummer to permanently disband the Clash.

* CanonDiscontinuity: ''Cut the Crap'' is probably one of the most thorough examples in music; so reviled is the album among the band members (in addition to fans and critics) that it's scarcely mentioned in official retrospectives on the band-- if it's mentioned at all-- hasn't been officially reissued anywhere in the world since 2004 (with its last release in the Anglosphere being in 2000), isn't on the band's ''Spotify page'', and overall is swept under the rug at any possible chance.

* CutSong: Combat Rock was first intended as a double LP though the group's manager and label insisted the group release a single LP. This resulted in the removal of "First Night Back In London", "Cool Confusion", "The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too", "Idle In Kangaroo Court [aka Kill Time]and "Walk Evil Talk". Only the first two were released as b-sides at the time, though the rest were officially released on the Sound System box years later. This also resulted in the shortening of "Straight To Hell" (which the group did not want to happen), amongst other tracks.

* NamesTheSame: There's another Mick Jones who was also a guitarist, but with Foreigner.

** ''Combat Rock'' came after the band were slammed by CBS for the poor commercial performance of ''Sandinista!''. After spending 2 albums managing themselves, the Joe Strummer decided to re-hire Bernie Rhodes. A polarizing figure, Rhodes' return was met with both praise and disdain from band members (Mick Jones in particular was not fond of him). Jones' antics polluted this album, with him getting into raging arguments with Strummer (one person who worked on the album noted that they left the band to work on the mixing for "Rock The Casbah" at 2 AM and returned in the morning to them still having the same argument). Around this time, Topper Headon's drug addiction became even worse than it ever had been. Upon return to London after a successful show, he was stopped by customs who found heroin in his possession. This created even more tension between members and was considered and embarrassment for the band that refused to promote the use of hard drugs. Topper would soon be dismissed from the band due to his drug habits. Simonon also came down with a nasty stomach bug that almost claimed his life. When deciding on mixing, the band chose the legendary Glyn Johns. On Johns' first day, he had finished mixing 3 songs when Jones arrived late despite Johns' clear directions. Jones whined about disliking the mixes for all 3 of them, to which the usual mild tempered Johns flipped, attempting to put Jones in his place. After the album was released, Rhodes came up with the moronic idea of having Strummer stage a disappearance to give the album more publicity. Strummer went against Rhodes' original plan and disappeared in Paris, leading to many to think Strummer had legitimately disappeared. While he thankfully returned in one piece, the album was the band's most financially successful album, being their first and only top 10 album in the United States.

** ''Sandinista!'' came off the heels off of the critical smash ''London Calling''. The band bounced off their previous record by diving even more into the world music trend that was taking over in the 80s. This confused the label, who wanted a more clear musical direction. Simonon ended up taking time away from production to star in the film ''Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains''. He was temporarily replaced by Norman Watt-Roy of Ian Drury and The Blockheads fame. Watt-Roy composed the memorable bassline for "The Magnificent Seven", for which he claims he was never credited. Also, fellow Producer Mikey Dread claims he was never paid for work he did on the album either. The revolving door of producers made for a mess for crediting on the album. On top of that, the band produced so much music that they wanted to make a 3-LP album, of which everyone involved in the production thought was overambitious. The label only agreed to do it after the band begrudgingly forfeited the royalties for the first 100,000 copies sold. To this day Sandinista is a difficult listen at 145 minutes. Some consider it the band's masterpiece, others think it has some of their best moments, but it's overlong.

* CanonDiscontinuity: For years, ''Cut the Crap'' was completely written out of the band's history. ''Westway to the World'', an official and otherwise comprehensive documentary on the band from 2000, stops when Mick Jones left the band in 1983. Likewise, several biographies on the band either glance over the album entirely or give it a brief, begrudging mention, and for years, none of its songs appeared on the band's hits collections. While the album still has a rock-bottom reputation, a reprieve had been given to its well-regarded lead single "This is England" by the time the new millennium rolled around. It appears on the 2003 ''The Essential Clash'' compilation, the 2006 ''Singles Box'' set and the 2007 ''The Singles'' greatest hits album.