Library Rock's Backpages

Joe Strummer

Joe Strummer

32 articles

Free articles

Joe Strummer: Definitely Not Admitting Defeat Yet

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 September 1999

"I THINK GOOD manners will come back. In America, kids saw punk rock as a licence to be as rude as possible. I didn't like ...

Audio interviews

Joe Strummer (1999)

Interview by Gavin Martin, Rock's Backpages audio, 20 June 1999

From Tony Bennett to Tony Adams: Gavin Martin chats with the Mighty Strummer amidst liggers and drunken Finns about The Clash, The Mescaleros, Greil Marcus and why he hates Suede and the Manic Street Preachers.

File format: mp3; file sizes: 111.5mb, interview length: 1h 56' 09" sound quality: **

The Clash's Joe Strummer (1978)

Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, February 1978

A typically splendid Strummer interview: He explains Ska! He digs Steve Miller! He prefers the Sun to the Guardian! He's in hospital with hepatitis! Plus stuff on gobbing, politics, the upcoming 2nd Clash album etc.

File format: mp3; file size: 25mb, interview length: 27' 17" sound quality: ***

The Clash's Joe Strummer (1978)

Interview by Ian Ravendale, Rock's Backpages audio, 2 December 1978

Backstage at Newcastle Polytechnic, the Clash's frontman on the problems surrounding that night's gig; becoming part of the "rock establishment" and selling out; the production of Give 'Em Enough Rope; and Sid Vicious and the coincidence of 'Drug Stabbing Time'.

File format: mp3; file size: 5.8mb, interview length: 14' 27" sound quality: *****

Joe Strummer (1988)

Interview by Adam Sweeting, Rock's Backpages audio, February 1988

The former Clash front-man on recording the soundtrack to Permanent Record; his musical and acting participation in Walker and Straight to Hell; on the Clash compilation Story of the Clash Vol. 1; how touring with the Who led to the end of the Clash; playing with the Pogues, and his hatred of being spat at onstage; on Reagan and Thatcher; his (now) dislike of drugs; on his diplomat father; forming the 101ers, and the Rude Boy movie.

File format: mp3; file size: 83.8mb, interview length: 1h 27' 20" sound quality: *** (background noise)

List of articles in the library

By date | By writer | Most recently added

Don Waller's top albums of 2001

Review by Don Waller, Rolling Stone, 26 December 2001

1. Bob Dylan, Love and Theft (Columbia): To paraphrase what the man himself said, "Don't compare this with my old records — compare this with ...

Chris Salewicz: Redemption Song – the Definitive Biography of Joe Strummer (Harper Collins)

Book Review by Nick Coleman, Independent on Sunday, May 2006

IN 1980 – following the triumphant release of the London Calling album and during the recording of what would become Sandinista! – the Clash had ...

The Pogues and Joe Strummer: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 4 January 1992

THE EVENING starts, bizarrely enough. In a pub which is not only playing the whole of The Best of The Pogues but whose bar is ...

The Pogues: "The first thing people think... is that we're a load of moronic drunk cartoon characters playing folk music"

Report and Interview by Stuart Bailie, Record Mirror, 19 December 1987

But no one thinks the Pogues are really like that, surely? To celebrate the hit status of 'A Fairytale In New York', Stuart Bailie legs ...

Joe Strummer: The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA

Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 22 November 1989

Strummer: Crying and Rocking at Coach House ...

Don Letts on the legacy of the Clash and the girl Joe Strummer Stole Away

Interview by Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press, 29 August 2013

FILM AND VIDEO director Don Letts has a lengthy and varied resumé, but is most associated with the Clash. The new all-compassing band box set, ...

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros: Streetcore

Review by Gavin Martin, Uncut, November 2003

A valiant and moving last hurrah from the sadly departed Clash hero ...

Joe Strummer: Tougher Than Tough

Obituary by Vivien Goldman, Spin, April 2003

Joe Strummer was the soul-rebel idealist who gave punk a cause ...

Joe Strummer: The Man Who Would Be King

Retrospective and Interview by Kieron Tyler, MOJO, 2005

The 101'ers were about to hit the big time. But then Joe Strummer found punk.  ...

Joe Strummer: Clashback

Report and Interview by Mal Peachey, International Musician & Recording World, June 1988

The appearance in the charts of The Story of The Clash, Volume 1, sees former guerillero Joe Strummer back in the public eye and back ...

Joe Strummer at 60

Memoir by Jeff Slate, Examiner.com, 21 August 2012

JOE STRUMMER, the frontman of The Clash and all around "spokesman for a generation", would have been 60 today. He died tragically nearly 10 years ...

Joe Strummer

Retrospective by Stephen Dalton, Classic Rock, October 2012

"When big money moves in, big money doesn't fuck around…" ...

Joe Strummer: Your Money Or Your Life!

Report and Interview by Robin Gibson, Sounds, 6 August 1988

For over a month, JOE STRUMMER has blazed a trail of passionate, powerful, politico rock across the UK with his LATINO ROCKABILLY WAR. ROBIN GIBSON ...

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros: The Palladium, Boston

Live Review by Jim Sullivan, The Boston Globe, 15 October 2001

STRUMMER MELLOWS WITHOUT LOSING HIS EDGE ...

The Pogues: Determined

Report and Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Q, December 1991

THE WILTERN THEATRE, LOS ANGELES, October 10, 1991 ...

Joe Strummer

Interview by Jon Savage, unpublished, 30 May 1988

This interview was for Jon Savage's classic punk book England's Dreaming, and is published here in its entirity for the first time. ...

Joe Strummer: Comrade, Goodbye

Memoir by Charles Shaar Murray, MOJO, March 2003

SOMETIME IN 1979, I WAS interviewing Joe Strummer for the NME in the Worlds End pub on the King's Road. As well as giving me ...

Less Rotten Than Reasonable: Joe Strummer and My Punk Damascus

Memoir by Simon Warner, PopMatters, 27 December 2002

ALTHOUGH I saw Joe Strummer in action many times, I only met him once and, embarrassingly, confused him with someone else. ...

Joe Strummer: Good Ol' Joe

Interview by Gavin Martin, New Musical Express, 26 July 1986

THIS WAS the big one, the final shoot-out, his last chance but... ...

Joe Strummer

Retrospective and Interview by Stephen Dalton, Uncut, June 2007

JOE STRUMMER was a fascinating bunch of guys. The former Clash frontman was both romantic idealist and career opportunist, anarchist rebel and proud patriot, hippie ...

Strummer on Man, God, Law – and the Clash

Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 31 January 1988

HAS JOE STRUMMER lost his ambition and drive? It was strange last month to see one of rock's all-time most involving performers serving simply as ...

Up In Heaven: Joe Strummer, 1952-2002

Obituary by Fred Mills, Seattle Weekly, 8 January 2003

Why should we assume people get worse [with age]? I think you should just get on with it. Look at Paul Newman. And the Sufis ...

Gary Pig Gold Got His Kicks With Joe Strummer

Memoir by Gary Pig Gold, In Music We Trust, March 2003

WHILE THE CLASH were hardly the only band that ever mattered to ME, I personally sure owe a tip-o-the ol' snout to the one, the ...

Joe Strummer 1952-2002

Obituary by Phast Phreddie Patterson, Holly Gleason, Rock's Backpages, December 2002

PHAST PHREDDIE PATTERSON and HOLLY GLEASON pay tribute ...

The Grim Reporter January 2003

Obituary by Phast Phreddie Patterson, Rock's Backpages, January 2003

Phast Phreddie Patterson on those gone but not forgotten ...

Joe Strummer is Dead; Long Live the Clash!

Obituary by Gavin Martin, CounterPunch, 24 December 2002

THE CHRISTMAS CARD from Joe Strummer and family arrived by email on Sunday night, a seasonal greeting accompanied by Joe's colourful illustration of a fantasy ...

A Fistful Of Pesetas

Report and Interview by Lucy O'Brien, New Musical Express, 20 September 1986

In the badlands of Spain, a strange scenario... JOE STRUMMER is shooting everyone in sight, SHANE MACGOWAN has been killed, ELVIS COSTELLO is serving coffee... ...

see also 101'ers, The

see also Clash, The

RSS

back to LIBRARY

COPYRIGHT NOTICE