The Clash

 Today in 1981 The Clash released the Single This Is Radio Clash

London, England Punk rock

Status:Split Up

Years active 1976–86

The Sex Pistols may have been the first British punk rock band, but the Clash were the definitive British punk rockers. Where the Pistols were nihilistic, the Clash were fiery and idealistic, charged with righteousness and a leftist political ideology. From the outset, the band was more musically adventurous, expanding its hard rock & roll with reggae, dub, and rockabilly among other roots musics. Furthermore, they were blessed with two exceptional songwriters in Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, each with a distinctive voice and style. The Clash copped heavily from classic outlaw imagery, positioning themselves as rebels with a cause. As a result, they won a passionately devoted following on both sides of the Atlantic. While they became rock & roll heroes in the U.K., second only to the Jam in terms of popularity, it took the Clash several years to break into the American market, and when they finally did in 1982, they imploded several months later. Though the Clash never became the superstars they always threatened to become, they restored passion and protest to rock & roll. For a while, they really did seem like "the only band that mattered."

Epic

Joe Strummer - lead/backing vocal, rhythm guitar(R.I.P. 202)

Mick Jones - backing/lead vocal, lead guitar

Paul Simonon - bass guitar

Topper Headon - drums

with:

Gary Barnacle - saxophones

7-inch

Released in UK with picture sleeve.

Side one

"This Is Radio Clash" — 4:10

Side two

"Radio Clash" — 4:10

12-inch

Released in UK with picture sleeve. Released in Canada with a cover sticker (12EXP 02622).

Side one

"This Is Radio Clash" — 4:10

"Radio Clash" — 4:10

Side two

"Outside Broadcast" — 7:23

"Radio Five" — 3:38

"This Is Radio Clash" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. The 1981 single was issued in 7-inch format and also in 12-inch format and cassette tape with additional tracks. The first public performance of the song was on Tom Snyder's Tomorrow show on the 5th of June 1981.

The song is not featured on any of the Clash's original studio albums, but is included in their compilations: The Singles, The Story of the Clash, Volume 1, Sound System, Singles Box, The Singles (2007) and Clash on Broadway.

American critic Eric Schafer said this of the song - "it is a magnificent, daring, challenging record that was years ahead of its time; one of the great rock records of the 1980s, it has never been given its just credit. Twenty-eight years after its debut, were it released today it would still burn up the radio."

The song is included on the experimental compilation album called Disco Not Disco 2 (2002) as well as the radio soundtrack in Battlefield Hardline.

The 7-inch single also contains a B-side titled simply "Radio Clash." It is the same recording as the A-side, but with additional verses to the lyrics and a different remix. The Clash stated at the time that they intended the songs to be heard as a single entity. These two tracks are variations on the same recording and have exactly the same length.

"This Is Radio Clash" begins with the lyric:

"This is Radio Clash on pirate satellite

Orbiting your living room, cashing in the bill of rights."

And "Radio Clash" begins with:

"This is Radio Clash resuming all transmissions

Beaming from the mountain tops, using aural ammunition."

The similarities of the A and B-side recordings has led to much confusion not only by fans but also by the record company. On the remastered version of the Super Black Market Clash CD, the B-side "Radio Clash" is included, but incorrectly listed as "This Is Radio Clash". The same error was repeated on the US version of the 2003 collection The Essential Clash