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| Released = {{Start date|1980|12|12|df=y}}
| Released = {{Start date|1980|12|12|df=y}}
| Recorded = February 1980, Pluto Studios, [[Manchester]]; March 1980, [[Avatar Studios|The Power Station]], New York City; March–April 1980, [[Electric Lady Studios]], New York City; May 1980, [[Channel One Studios]], [[Kingston, Jamaica]]; August 1980, [[Wessex Studios]], London
| Recorded = February 1980, Pluto Studios, [[Manchester]]; March 1980, [[Avatar Studios|The Power Station]], New York City; March–April 1980, [[Electric Lady Studios]], New York City; May 1980, [[Channel One Studios]], [[Kingston, Jamaica]]; August 1980, [[Wessex Studios]], London
| Genre = [[Post-punk]],<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=-I0g4VDwtzgC&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=%22Sandinista!%22+%22post-punk%22&source=bl&ots=bzudPY8I-R&sig=v2SYv71yfAVp3YtUVQtnX0DI9b8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eXOHVJzlNZDZgwTlyoGoDw&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Sandinista!%22%20%22post-punk%22&f=false</ref> [[new wave music|new wave]], [[reggae rock]]<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19810807&id=nuhLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0I0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6170,1201771</ref>
| Genre = <!-- Do not alter the genre without first discussing on talk page. -->
| Length = 144:09
| Length = 144:09
| Label = [[Columbia Records|CBS]], [[Epic Records|Epic]]
| Label = [[Columbia Records|CBS]], [[Epic Records|Epic]]

Revision as of 01:01, 29 December 2014

This article is about the album by The Clash. For information about the political organisation, see Sandinista National Liberation Front.

Untitled

Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English recording group The Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side.[3][4] Anticipating the "world music" trend of the 1980s, it features funk, reggae, jazz, gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, and rap.[3][4][5] For the first time, the band's traditional songwriting credits of Strummer and Jones were replaced by a generic credit to the Clash,[4] and the band cut the album royalties, in order to release the 3-LP at a low price.[6][7]

The title refers to the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, and its catalogue number, 'FSLN1', refers to the abbreviation of the party's Spanish name, Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional.[5][6][8]

Sandinista! was voted best album of the year in the Pazz & Jop critics poll in The Village Voice, and was ranked number 404 on the Rolling Stone list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003.[5] Slant Magazine listed the album at number 85 on its "Best Albums of the 1980s" list in 2012.[9]

Background and recording

The album was recorded over most of 1980, in London, Manchester, Jamaica and New York. It was produced by the band (which essentially meant Mick Jones and Joe Strummer), recorded and mixed by Bill Price, and engineered by Jeremy "Jerry" Green (Wessex Sound Studios), J. P. Nicholson (Electric Lady Studios), Lancelot "Maxie" McKenzie (Channel One Studios), and Bill Price (Pluto + Power Station Studios). Dub versions of some of the songs and toasting was done by Mikey Dread, who had first worked with the band for their 1980 single "Bankrobber". With Sandinista! the band reached beyond punk and reggae into dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, gospel and other genres.[5] The album clearly displays the influence of reggae and producer Lee "Scratch" Perry (who had worked with the band on their 1977 single "Complete Control" and who had opened some of the band's shows during its stand at Bond's in New York in 1980), with a dense, echo-filled sound on even the straight rock songs.[3][4]

When recording began in New York bass guitarist Paul Simonon was busy making a film called Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, and he was replaced briefly by Ian Dury and the Blockheads bassist Norman Watt-Roy; this later caused some bad feeling when Watt-Roy and keyboard player Mickey Gallagher, a fellow Blockhead, claimed they were responsible for co-composing the song "The Magnificent Seven", as the song was based on a tune of theirs. Dread, too, was upset that he was not credited as the album's producer, although he was credited with "Version Mix". Other guests on the album include singer Ellen Foley (Jones' partner at the time), guitarist Ivan Julian formerly of The Voidoids, former Eddie and the Hot Rods member Lew Lewis, and Strummer's old friend and musical collaborator Tymon Dogg, who plays violin, sings on and wrote the track "Lose This Skin"; he later joined Strummer's band The Mescaleros. Gallagher's children also made appearances: his two sons, Luke and Ben, singing a version of "Career Opportunities" from the band's first album, and his daughter Maria singing a snippet of "The Guns of Brixton", from London Calling, at the end of the track "Broadway".[3][4][10]

This is also the only Clash album on which all four members have a lead vocal. Drummer Topper Headon made a unique lead vocal contribution on the disco song "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", and bassist Paul Simonon sings lead on "The Crooked Beat".[4]

Releases

Four singles were released from the Sandinista! sessions in the UK: "Bankrobber" (which did not appear on the album), "The Call Up", "Hitsville UK", and "The Magnificent Seven".

Police On My Back was also released for promotion.

The triple-LP set was, like London Calling, a subject of trickery towards the record company from the band. Two contradictory accounts of the release of the album exist. Some say that the Clash pulled the same trick a second time by saying they wanted to include a 12" single with their double album, and then getting 3 full-length discs pressed before executives became wise. Another belief is that The Clash surrendered all of their album royalties for the first 200,000 copies sold in order to make the 3-LP set a reality. Joe Strummer said in an interview by Judy McGuire for Punk Magazine: "Well, now you're talking to a man who forwent the royalties on Sandinista!"[11] Regardless of which of these is true, either situation paints the band in a good light, putting their fans before and above any other involved entity.[4][6][7]

A one-LP distillation of the album, called Sandinista Now!, was sent to press and radio. The side one track listing was "Police on My Back", "Somebody Got Murdered", "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" and "Hitsville U.K.". The side two track listing was "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)", "The Magnificent Seven", "The Leader", "Junco Partner", "One More Time" and "The Sound of Sinners".[4][7]

The song "Washington Bullets" was lyricist Joe Strummer's most extensive—and most specific—political statement to date. In it, Strummer name checks conflicts or controversies from around the world; namely in Chile, Nicaragua, Cuba, Afghanistan and Tibet. (In reference to the first three, Strummer seems to side with what he sees as popular leftist movements or governments, while in the latter two, he sharply criticises the policy of Moscow's and Beijing's communist governments for what he sees as their imperialist actions). The original Rolling Stone review of Sandinista! calls "Washington Bullets", along with "The Equaliser" and "The Call Up", "the heart of the album".[7][12]

The original, 3-disc vinyl release of Sandinista! included a tri-fold lyric sheet cleverly titled The Armagideon Times, no. 3 (a play on "Armagideon Time", the b-side from the single London Calling.) Armagideon Times, nos. 1 and 2 were Clash fanzines. The lyric sheet featured cartoons credited to Steve Bell, as well as hand-written (but still legible) lyrics of all the original songs. The 2-CD release contains a facsimile of the lyric sheet considerably reduced in size.[3][4]

Joe Strummer once told Rolling Stone magazine that the concept for a triple-LP (a rarity in the rock music world) came from friendly competition with American artist Bruce Springsteen. When their earlier LP London Calling was released in 1980, critics said that Springsteen's upcoming double-disc album The River would outsell the Clash effort and wipe away any impact. Strummer's response was: "Right Bruce. Suck on this!" The band then expanded Sandinista! into a triple album.[6][7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[13]
Blender[14]
Punknews.org[15]
Robert ChristgauA−[16]
Rolling Stone[17]

John Piccarella, in a review headlined "The Clash Drop The Big One" and giving the album the highest possible rating of five stars, argues that in effect, the band said "to hell with Clash style, there's a world out there."[7][18] Some critics have argued that the album would have worked better as a less-ambitious, smaller project, while Piccarella (in his Rolling Stone review) and others think of the album as a breakthrough that deserves comparison to the Beatles' White Album.[6] Robert Christgau said "if this is their worst—which it is, I think—they must be, er, the world's greatest rock and roll band"[16] and graded the album A-.

The triple album won several "best of the year" critics polls in 1981. It was voted the best album of the year in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics poll. Dave Marsh noted that it was a record whose topic was as many years ahead of its time as its sound.[19] Alternative Press magazine included Sandinista! on its 2000 list of the "10 Essential Political-Revolution Albums"[20] In 2003, the album was ranked number 404 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[5] The College Media Journal ranked Sandinista! number two on its list of the "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1981".[21]

The Sandinista! Project, a tribute to the album featuring The Smithereens, Camper Van Beethoven, Jon Langford (Mekons) and Sally Timms, Amy Rigby, Katrina Leskanich (of Katrina and the Waves), Wreckless Eric, Willie Nile, Matthew Ryan, Stew, Mark Cutler, Sex Clark Five, Sid Griffin & Coal Porters, Haale, The Blizzard of 78 featuring Mikey Dread, Ruby on the Vine, and many others, was released on 15 May 2007, on the 00:02:59 Records (a label named after a lyric from the Sandinista! song "Hitsville U.K."). The album also features a collaboration by Soul Food and Mickey Gallagher on "Midnight Log".[22][23][24]

Track listing

The compact disc release has the first three sides on the first CD and the latter three sides on the second CD.

All tracks are written by The Clash, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."The Magnificent Seven"Joe Strummer5:28
2."Hitsville U.K."Mick Jones, Ellen Foley4:20
3."Junco Partner" ("writer, at present, unknown" on liner notes)Joe Strummer4:53
4."Ivan Meets G.I. Joe"Topper Headon3:05
5."The Leader"Joe Strummer1:41
6."Something About England"Mick Jones, Joe Strummer3:42
Side two
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Rebel Waltz"Joe Strummer3:25
2."Look Here" (written by Mose Allison)Joe Strummer2:44
3."The Crooked Beat"Paul Simonon5:29
4."Somebody Got Murdered"Mick Jones3:34
5."One More Time" (written by The Clash and Mikey Dread)Joe Strummer3:32
6."One More Dub" (dub version of "One More Time"; written by The Clash and Dread)Instrumental3:34
Side three
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)"Joe Strummer4:51
2."Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)"Mick Jones4:31
3."Corner Soul"Joe Strummer2:43
4."Let's Go Crazy"Joe Strummer4:25
5."If Music Could Talk" (written by The Clash and Dread)Joe Strummer4:36
6."The Sound of Sinners"Joe Strummer4:00
Side four
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Police on My Back" (written by Eddy Grant; originally performed by The Equals)Mick Jones3:15
2."Midnight Log"Joe Strummer2:11
3."The Equaliser"Joe Strummer5:47
4."The Call Up"Joe Strummer5:25
5."Washington Bullets"Joe Strummer3:51
6."Broadway" (features an epilogue of "The Guns of Brixton" sung by Maria Gallagher)Joe Strummer5:45
Side five
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Lose This Skin" (written by Tymon Dogg)Tymon Dogg5:07
2."Charlie Don't Surf"Joe Strummer, Mick Jones4:55
3."Mensforth Hill" ("Something About England" backwards with overdubs)Instrumental3:42
4."Junkie Slip"Joe Strummer2:48
5."Kingston Advice"Joe Strummer2:36
6."The Street Parade"Joe Strummer3:26
Side six
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Version City"Joe Strummer4:23
2."Living in Fame" (dub version of "If Music Could Talk"; written by The Clash and Dread)Mikey Dread4:36
3."Silicone on Sapphire" (dub version of "Washington Bullets")Joe Strummer4:32
4."Version Pardner" (dub version of "Junco Partner")Joe Strummer5:22
5."Career Opportunities"Luke Gallagher, Ben Gallagher2:30
6."Shepherds Delight"Instrumental3:25

Personnel

Additional musicians

  • Tymon Dogg (credited as 'Timon Dogg') - vocals & violin on "Lose This Skin", violin on "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)", violin on "Something About England", keyboard on "Sound of the Sinners", violin on "Mensforth Hill", violin on "The Equaliser"
  • Mickey Gallagher (Blockheads) - keyboards
  • Norman Watt-Roy (Blockheads) - bass
  • J.P. Nicholson (also one of the album's engineers)
  • Ellen Foley - co-lead vocal on "Hitsville U.K."
  • Davey Payne (Blockheads) - saxophone
  • Ray Gasconne
  • Band Sgt. Dave Yates
  • Den Hegarty (Darts) - vocals
  • Luke & Ben Gallagher - vocals on "Career Opportunities"
  • Maria Gallagher - coda vocals on "Broadway"
  • Gary Barnacle - saxophone
  • Arthur Edward "Bill" Barnacle (Gary's father) - trumpet
  • Jody Winscott
  • Ivan Julian (Voidoids) - guitar
  • Noel 'Tempo' Bailey (aka Sowell, reggae artist/session man) - guitar
  • Anthony Nelson Steelie (Wycliffe Johnson of Steely and Clevie)
  • Lew Lewis (Eddie and the Hot Rods) - harmonica
  • Gerald Baxter-Warman
  • Terry McQuade (had a small role in Rude Boy (film))
  • Rudolph Adolphus Jordan
  • Battersea

Production

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Chart positions

Album

Year Chart Position
1980 UK Album Chart 19
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] 3
Norwegian Albums Chart.[26] 8
Swedish Albums Chart[27] 9
1981 Billboard Pop albums[28] 24
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[29] 3

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1980 "The Call Up" UK Charts 40
"Police On My Back" US Mainstream Rock Tracks 21
1981 "Hitsville U.K." UK Charts 56
US Mainstream Rock Tracks 53
"The Magnificent Seven" UK Charts 34
1982 US Billboard Club Play Singles 21

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[30] Gold 500,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Gold 100,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=-I0g4VDwtzgC&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=%22Sandinista!%22+%22post-punk%22&source=bl&ots=bzudPY8I-R&sig=v2SYv71yfAVp3YtUVQtnX0DI9b8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eXOHVJzlNZDZgwTlyoGoDw&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Sandinista!%22%20%22post-punk%22&f=false
  2. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19810807&id=nuhLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0I0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6170,1201771
  3. ^ a b c d e Letts Don; Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon, Terry Chimes, Rick Elgood, The Clash (2001). The Clash, Westway to the World (Documentary). New York, NY: Sony Music Entertainment, Dorismo, Uptown Films. Event occurs at 55:00–63:00. ISBN 0-7389-0082-6. OCLC 49798077.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gilbert, Pat (2005) [2004]. "8-13, Epilogue, Discography, Bibliography". Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash (4th ed.). London: Aurum Press. pp. 321, 332, 362, 367, 373–388. ISBN 1-84513-113-4. OCLC 61177239.
  5. ^ a b c d e Levy, Joe; Steven Van Zandt (2006) [2005]. "404) Sandinista http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6626684/404_sandinista". Rolling Stone The 500 Greatest Album of All Time (3rd ed.). London: Turnaround. ISBN 1-932958-61-4. OCLC 70672814. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapter= (help)
    Related news articles:
  6. ^ a b c d e Interviewer: Unknown; Presenter: Kurt Loder. "MTV Rockumentary". MTV. {{cite episode}}: External link in |city= (help); Missing or empty |series= (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); line feed character in |city= at position 16 (help)
    Related news articles:
  7. ^ a b c d e f Deeth, John. "Turning Rebellion Into Money: The Story of the Clash". jdeeth.home.mchsi.com. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  8. ^ Jaffee, Larry. "The Politics of Rock". Popular Music and Society, Winter 1987, pp. 19–30.
  9. ^ "Best Albums of the 1980s". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  10. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sandinista! Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  11. ^ McGuire, Judy. Joe Strummer Interview. punkmagazine.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-22
  12. ^ Peet, Preston (9 July 2001). "where's the clash when we need them?". Disinformation. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
  13. ^ Allmusic Review
  14. ^ Blender Review
  15. ^ Punknews.org Review
  16. ^ a b Robert Christgau Review
  17. ^ Rolling Stone Review
  18. ^ Piccarella, John (5 March 1981). "Red-Hot Rock and Roll, A Joyful Noise and Politics That Live: The Clash Drop the Big One". Rolling Stone: 57–58.
  19. ^ Dave, Marsh (1999) [1989]. The Heart of Rock and Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. p. 78. ISBN 0-306-80901-X. OCLC 40200194.
  20. ^ "10 Essential Political-Revolution Albums". Alternative Press: 144. November 2000.
  21. ^ "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1981". College Media Journal: 8. 5 January 2004.
  22. ^ Clash, The; Joe Grushecky; Katrina Leskanich; Willie Nile; Ship & Pilot.; Soul Food (Musical group); Sunset Heroes (21 September 2004). The Sandinista! Project A Tribute to the Clash (Compact Disc). England: 00:02:59 Records. OCLC 178980813.
  23. ^ "The Sandinista Project". sandinista.guterman.com. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  24. ^ "Cary Baker's conqueroo - The Sandinista! Project Announcements". conqueroo.com. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  25. ^ "Charts.nz – The Clash – Sandinista!". Hung Medien.
  26. ^ "Discography The Clash". NorwegianCharts.com. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  27. ^ "Discography The Clash". SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  28. ^ "The Clash > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  29. ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 34, No. 15, March 21, 1981". RPM. Retrieved 17 February 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ "American album certifications – The Clash – Sandinista!". Recording Industry Association of America. 20 April 1999.
  31. ^ "British album certifications – The Clash – Sandinista!". British Phonographic Industry. 22 July 2013. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Sandinista! in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

Further reading

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sandinista!&oldid=640019700"