Overview
Objectives
- Identify the main differences between American and British punk rock
- Examine the career of the Sex Pistols and their role in the development of British punk
- Examine the relationship between politics and punk rock
- Recall a number of other punk bands that were popular in the late 1970s in order to discuss how they differed from each other
British Punk Bands in the Wake of the Sex Pistols
Malcolm McLaren managed another British punk band called the Damned, and this group was inspired in equal parts by the Sex Pistols and the American groups the MC5 and the Stooges. The group’s music was fast, angry, and loud, and they frequently taunted their audiences and spit at them during performances. The Damned actually released a single before the Sex Pistols, and their "New Rose ♫" (1976) was the first British punk rock single ever released. They performed at New York’s CBGB club with a lukewarm reception, and their request to tour with the Sex Pistols was denied.
The Clash positioned themselves as the anti-Sex Pistols in a way. Much like the Rolling Stones had embraced their identity as the dirty counterparts of the Beatles, the Clash became the political protestors of punk music. Formed in 1976, the Clash included rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Terry Chimes, who was soon after replaced with drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon. Singles such as "White Riot ♫" (1977) and "Complete Control ♫" (1977) show the influence of the Ramones in their limited number of guitar chords, short length, and fast tempo.
"White Riot ♫" was a song about race and class that encouraged white youth in the United Kingdom to find a worthy cause to promote and advocate. In the lyrics, Strummer asked, "Are you taking over, or are you taking orders? Are you going backwards, or are you going forwards?" In "Complete Control ♫," the band fought back against record companies, angry that their label CBS Records had released their song "Remote Control ♫" as a single without asking the band first; the Clash thought "Remote Control ♫" was a weak song and were infuriated that it was released without their permission.
Compared to a number of punk rock bands of the period, the Clash had far more stylistic diversity. They covered songs by reggae artists, and they incorporated rhythms and elements of rhythm and blues, ska, and reggae into their music. "Complete Control ♫" was produced by reggae musician Lee "Scratch" Perry. "Rock the Casbah ♫" (1982) was a dance-oriented song that addressed the censorship of Western popular music by a fictional sharif figure, whom the population defies by then "rocking the casbah." The Clash was somewhat of an anomaly among punk rock bands of the period for its political messages and incorporation of different musical styles.
I was about 16 when punk started to happen. It was so exciting. You had a social depression going on in the U.K. There was a sanitation strike. London was really grim, gray. You had Margaret Thatcher coming in. It was a really revolutionary time.”
“The Clash were the first big love of my life. Lyrically, they inspired me to get out, explore life, and maybe kick some doors down.”
"When Henry Rollins began hosting his own radio show on Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 in 2004, the show was titled Harmony in My Head, after a classic Buzzcocks tune."
