Joe Strummer

"Strummer" redirects here. For those who strum stringed musical instruments, see strummers.

Joe Strummer

John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the critically acclaimed British rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in addition to his own solo music career. Strummer's work as a musician allowed him to explore other interests, which included acting, creating film scores for television and movies, songwriting, radio broadcasting, and a position as a radio host. He is possibly one of the most iconic figures in the British punk movement, along with the other Clash band members.

Joe Strummer and The Clash were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 2003. In his remembrance, Strummer's friends and family have established the Strummerville Foundation for the promotion of new music, and each year there are many festivals and both organized and spontaneous ceremonies worldwide to celebrate his memory.

Biography and career

(1952–1976) The early years

Strummer was born John Graham Mellor in Ankara, Turkey on 21 August 1952. His mother Anna Mackenzie, a crofter's daughter born and raised in Bonar Bridge in the Scottish Highlands, was a nurse. His father, Ronald Mellor, was a British foreign service diplomat born in Lucknow, India. Ronald Mellor had an Armenian maternal grandfather and a German Jewish paternal grandmother.

The family spent much time moving from place to place, and Strummer spent parts of his early childhood in Cairo, Mexico City, and Bonn. At the age of 9, Strummer and his older brother David, 10, began boarding at the City of London Freemen's School in Surrey. Strummer rarely saw his parents during the next seven years. He developed a love of rock music listening to records by Little Richard and The Beach Boys as well as American folk-singer Woody Guthrie (Strummer would even go by the nickname "Woody" for a few years). Strummer would later say that "the reason he played music was the Rolling Stones."

By 1970 his brother David had become estranged from his family and had joined the National Front. His suicide in July profoundly affected Strummer, as did having to identify his body after it had lain undiscovered for three days. After finishing his time at City of London Freemen's School, Ashtead Park, Surrey, in 1970, Strummer moved on to London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where he briefly flirted with the idea of becoming a professional cartoonist, but ultimately completed a foundations course. During this time, Mellor shared a flat in the north London suburb of Palmers Green with friends Clive Timperley and Tymon Dogg.

In 1973 Strummer moved to Newport, Wales. He did not study at Newport College of Art but met up with college musicians in the Students' Union in Stow Hill and became vocalist for Flaming Youth, renaming the band The Vultures. The Vultures included three former members of Rip Off Park Rock & Roll Allstars, the original college band co-founded by Terry Earl Taylor. For the next year he was the band's part-time singer and rhythm guitarist. During this time Strummer also worked as a gravedigger. In 1974, the band fell apart and he moved back to London where he met up again with Tymon Dogg. He did street performance for a while and then decided to form another band with his West London roommates. The band was called The 101'ers, named after the address of their squat (101 Walterton Road, in Maida Vale). The band played many gigs in London pubs, playing covers of popular American R&B and blues songs. In 1975 he stopped calling himself "Woody" Mellor and adopted the stage name of Joe Strummer, and insisted that his friends call him by that name. The name "Strummer" apparently referred to his role as rhythm guitarist, in a rather self-deprecating way. Though left-handed, he was taught to play right-handed by his friend Tymon Dogg. Strummer was the lead singer of the 101'ers and began to write original songs for the group. One song he wrote was inspired by his girlfriend at the time, Slits drummer Palmolive. The group liked the song "Keys to Your Heart", and picked it as their first single.

(1976–1986) The Clash

Main article: The Clash

On 3 April 1976, a then-unknown band called the Sex Pistols opened for The 101'ers at a venue called "The Nashville Rooms" in London, and Strummer was impressed by them. Sometime after this show, Strummer was approached by Bernie Rhodes and Mick Jones. Jones was from the band London SS and wanted Strummer to join as lead singer. Strummer agreed to leave the 101'ers and join Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, drummer Terry Chimes and guitarist Keith Levene. The band was named The Clash by Simonon and made their debut on 4 July 1976, opening for the Sex Pistols at The Black Swan (a.k.a. The Mucky Duck, now known as the Boardwalk Sheffield, England). On 25 January 1977, the band signed with CBS Records and was now a three-piece after Levene was fired from the band and Chimes quit. Drummer Topper Headon later became the band's full-time drummer.

At the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Clash was said to be "considered one of the most overtly political, explosive and exciting bands in rock and roll history". Their songs tackled social decay, unemployment, racism, police brutality, political and social repression, and militarism in detail. Strummer was involved with the Anti-Nazi League and Rock Against Racism campaigns. He later also gave his support to the Rock Against the Rich series of concerts organised by the anarchist organisation Class War. The Clash's London Calling album was voted best album of the 1980s by Rolling Stone magazine (although it was released in late 1979 in the UK; it was released in 1980 in the USA).

During his time with The Clash, Strummer, along with his bandmates, became notorious for getting in trouble with the law. On 10 June 1977, he and Topper were arrested for spray-painting "The Clash" on a wall in a hotel. On 20 May 1980, he was arrested for hitting a violent member of the audience with his guitar during a show in Hamburg, Germany. This incident shocked Strummer, and had a lasting personal impact on him.

I nearly murdered somebody, and it made me realise that you can't face violence with violence. It doesn't work.

— Joe Strummer

Before the album Combat Rock was released in 1982, Strummer wilfully went into hiding and band management represented that he had "disappeared". Bernie Rhodes, the band's manager, pressured Joe to do so because tickets were selling slowly for the Scottish leg of an upcoming tour. It was planned for Strummer to meet and stay with one of Rhodes' friends in secret. However, Strummer, uneasy with his decision, decided to genuinely disappear and "dicked around" in France. During this time, Joe ran the Paris Marathon in April 1982. He claimed his training regime consisted of 10 pints of beer the night before the race. For this period of time, Joe's whereabouts were not only a mystery to the public, but the band's management as well. Joe later said this was a huge mistake and you "have to have some regrets". This was in spite of the popular success of the single "Rock the Casbah". During this time band members began to argue a lot, and with tensions high, the group began to fall apart. In September 1983, Strummer issued the infamous "Clash Communique", and fired Mick Jones. Topper Headon had earlier been kicked out of the band because of his heroin addiction, which now left the band with only two of its original members. Rhodes persuaded Strummer to carry on and added new members. "The Clash Mark Two" released the album Cut The Crap in 1985. The album was panned by fans and critics alike and Strummer disbanded The Clash.

(1986–1999) The wilderness years

Strummer, backing with the Pogues in Japan Photo: Masao Nakagami

A year later, Strummer worked on several songs for the 1986 film Sid and Nancy, including "Love Kills" and "Dum Dum Club". Strummer also later worked with Mick Jones and his band Big Audio Dynamite, contributing to the band's second album by co-writing most of the songs as well as producing the album along with Jones. In 1987 he played a small part in the film Walker, directed by Alex Cox, as a character named "Faucet" and wrote and performed on the film's soundtrack. He starred in another Cox film that same year called Straight to Hell, as the character Simms. Straight to Hell also featured London-Irish folk/punk band The Pogues - both as actors & major contributors to the soundtrack. Strummer joined The Pogues for a tour in 1987/88, filling in for ailing guitarist Philip Chevron, who wrote (in May, 2008) on the band's online forum: "When I was sick in late 1987, I taught Joe all the guitar parts in an afternoon and he was on tour in the USA as deputy guitarist the next day. Joe wrote all the tabs in his meticulously neat hand on a long piece of paper which he taped to the top of the guitar so he could glance down occasionally when he was onstage." This tour would be the first of several collaborations with the band.

In 1989 Strummer played a substantial role in Jim Jarmusch's film Mystery Train, as a drunken, short-tempered drifter named Johnny (whom most characters refer to as Elvis, much to Johnny's dismay). He also made a brief appearance in Aki Kaurismäki's 1990 film I Hired a Contract Killer as a guitarist in a pub, performing two songs ("Burning Lights" and "Afro-Cuban Bebop"). These were released as a promotional 7" single limited to a few hundred copies, credited to "Joe Strummer & the Astro Physicians". The "Astro Physicians" were in fact The Pogues ("Afro-Cuban Bebop" got a re-release on The Pogues' 2008 box set). During this time Strummer continued to act, write and produce soundtracks for various films, most notably the soundtrack for Grosse Pointe Blank (1997).

In 1989, Strummer began producing solo records with a band called The Latino Rockabilly War. The album Earthquake Weather was a critical and commercial flop, and resulted in the loss of his contract with Sony Records. He also did the soundtrack to the movie Permanent Record with this band. Strummer was asked by The Pogues, who were fracturing as a band, to help them produce their next album - released in 1990 as Hell's Ditch. In 1991 he replaced Shane MacGowan as singer of The Pogues for a tour after MacGowan's departure from the band. One night of this tour was professionally recorded, and three tracks ("I fought the Law", "London Calling", and "Turkish Song of the Damned") have seen release as b-sides & again on The Pogues' 2008 box set. On 16 April 1994, Strummer joined Czech-American band Dirty Pictures on stage in Prague at the Repre Club in Obecni Dum at "Rock for Refugees", a benefit concert for people left displaced by the war in Bosnia. Backed up by the Pictures, Strummer played a blistering set of Clash songs that he said he had not played in more than ten years. Although the set appeared impromptu, Joe and the band had spent the days leading up to the event rehearsing and "hanging out" in Prague. The show began with "London Calling" and without pause went into "Brand New Cadillac". In the middle of the song, the power went out. Once the power was back on, Joe asked the crowd whether or not they would mind if the band started over. They then began again with "London Calling" and continued on for another half hour. After these self-described "wilderness years", Strummer began working with other bands; he played piano on the 1995 UK hit of The Levellers, "Just the One" and appeared on the Black Grape single "England's Irie" in 1996. In 1997 while in New York City, he had worked with noted producer and engineer Lee Perry on a significant amount of remixed Clash and 101'ers reissue dub material.

Also during this time, Strummer was in dispute with The Clash's record label, Epic Records. The disagreement lasted nearly eight years and ended with the label agreeing to let him record solo records with another label. If The Clash were to reunite though, they would have to record for Sony.

During the nineties Strummer was a DJ on the BBC World Service with his half-hour programme London Calling. Samples from the series provide the vocals for "Midnight Jam" on Joe and the Mescaleros' final album Streetcore.

(1999–2002) The Mescaleros and other work

In the mid-to-late 1990s, Strummer gathered top-flight musicians into a backing band he called The Mescaleros. Strummer and the band signed with Mercury Records, and issued their first album in 1999, which was co-written with Antony Genn, called Rock Art and the X-Ray Style. A tour of England, Europe, and North America soon followed; sets included several Clash fan favourites.

This is my Indian summer...I learnt that fame is an illusion & everything about it is just a joke. I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all.

— Joe Strummer to Chris Salewicz – 2000,

In 2001 the band signed with Californian punk label Hellcat Records and released their second album, Global A Go-Go. The album was supported with a 21-date tour of North America, Britain, and Ireland. Once again, these concerts featured Clash material ("London's Burning", "Rudie Can't Fail", "White Man In Hammersmith Palais"), as well as covers of reggae and ska hits ("The Harder They Come", "A Message To You, Rudy") and the band regularly closed the show by playing The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop". He also covered Redemption Song with Johnny Cash originally by Bob Marley. In the same year, somewhat out of character, Strummer and the Mescaleros performed the song Minstrel Boy for the movie Black Hawk Down, a haunting and emotive Celtic tune that is played during the evacuation of PFC Todd Blackburn during the Battle of Mogadishu and also during the end credits.

Strummer performing in Brooklyn, April 2002.

On 15 November 2002, Strummer and The Mescaleros played a benefit show for striking fire fighters in London, at the Acton Town Hall. Mick Jones was in the crowd, and joined the band on stage during the Clash's "Bankrobber." An encore followed with Jones playing guitar and singing on "White Riot" and "London's Burning". This performance marked the first time since 1983 that Strummer and Jones had performed together on stage. Jones later remarked that it was totally unplanned and that he felt compelled to join Strummer on stage.

Strummer's final regular gig was at Liverpool Academy on 22 November 2002, yet his final performance, just two weeks before his death, was in a small club venue 'The Palace' in Bridgwater, Somerset near to his home. Shortly before his death Strummer and U2's Bono co-wrote a song, "46664", for Nelson Mandela as part of a campaign against AIDS in Africa. Strummer had been scheduled to play at Mandela's SOS fundraising concert in February 2003 on Robben Island. Mick Jones later recorded a version of the song in studio, performing both the vocals and guitar work, that has yet to be formally released.

(2002–present) Death and legacy

Strummer died suddenly on 22 December 2002 in his home at Broomfield in Somerset, the victim of an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. His estate was valued at just under £1 million, and he left all the money to his wife Lucinda.

Strummer was instrumental in setting up Future Forests (since rechristened The Carbon Neutral Company), dedicated to planting trees in various parts of the world in order to combat global warming. Strummer was the first artist to make the recording, pressing and distribution of his records carbon neutral through the planting of trees. In his remembrance, Strummer's friends and family have established the Strummerville Foundation for the promotion of new music.

In January 2003, The Clash were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the Grammy Awards in February 2003, "London Calling" was performed by Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, Dave Grohl, Pete Thomas, and Tony Kanal in tribute to Strummer. Another tribute to Strummer occurred in the same month at the rock club "Debaser" in Stockholm, when some of Sweden's most famous rock musicians paid their tribute to Joe by performing songs written by the Clash (the exception was Nicke Borg and Dregen from Backyard Babies who performed "I Fought the Law", which the Clash had covered). At the end of the concert, the legendary Swedish punk band Ebba Grön reunited for the tribute, aided by Mick Jones on guitar.

At the time of his death, Strummer was working on another Mescaleros album, which was released posthumously in October 2003 under the title Streetcore. The album features a tribute to American music icon Johnny Cash; "Long Shadow", which was actually written for Cash to sing and recorded in Rick Rubin's garage, as well as a remembrance of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 ("Ramshackle Day Parade"), and a cover of Bob Marley's classic "Redemption Song", which Strummer had also recorded as a duet with Cash. The Cash/Strummer duet version appears on the 2003 box set Unearthed.

Memorial to Strummer on 7th Street at Avenue A, New York City.

November 2003 saw the release of a video for "Redemption Song", directed by Josh Cheuse. The video features the painting of a memorial mural, by graffiti artist REVOLT, on the wall of the Niagara Bar in the East Village of New York City.

On 22 December 2003, exactly a year after his death, a tribute show/benefit was held at Irving Plaza in NYC. Bands that played were: Ari Up; Clem Snide; The Detachment Kit; Dirty Mary; Hammel on Trial; Jesse Malin; New Blood Revival; The Realistics; Eugene Hütz; Radio 4; Secret Army; Ted Leo; Vic Thrill + The Saturn Missile. The show was videotaped by punkcast.com but is as yet unreleased.

A documentary by Dick Rude titled Let's Rock Again! was released in 2004. The film, completed after Strummer's death, chronicles life on tour in the United States with the Mescaleros to support Global a Go-Go. The Belfast punk rock group Stiff Little Fingers also recorded a tribute song "Strummerville" on their album, Guitar and Drum. Al Barr, lead singer of the Boston punk band Dropkick Murphys, named his son Strummer in honour of Joe. German band Beatsteaks pay tribute to Strummer on their album Smack Smash with the song "Hello Joe". In 2004, German punk band Die Toten Hosen released an EP called "Friss oder stirb" which included a tribute song for Strummer called "Goodbye Garageland" which is a lyrical co-production with Matt Dangerfield from londons 77 punk band The Boys. Boston Punk Rock Band Street Dogs recorded a tribute song called "The General's Boombox" on their latest album State Of Grace, and New Jersey's The Gaslight Anthem recorded the song "I'da Called You Woody, Joe" on their album Sink or Swim.

On 12 February 2005 the Class 47 locomotive 47828 was named "Joe Strummer". The nameplates were unveiled by his widow Lucinda Tait in a ceremony at Bristol Temple Meads railway station. On 22 July 2005 Tait unveiled a plaque on the house in Pentonville, Newport where Strummer lived from 1973 to 1974 and where his first foray into recorded music, "Crummy Bum Blues" was recorded. That Was Clash Radio, a short story by Charles de Lint, was written in response to Strummer's death and features Strummer in a minor role.

New Orleans-based rockers Cowboy Mouth released a song called "Joe Strummer" on their latest album Voodoo Shoppe. The song tells the story of a man who had to break up with his girlfriend because “...she didn't know who/Joe Strummer was.” The popular track is a tongue-in-cheek salute to Strummer and The Clash that received significant radio play in 2006. In addition, the Joe Pernice-penned "High As a Kite", included on The Pernice Brothers 2006 album Live a Little, was, in part a tribute to Joe Strummer. Lyrics included, “Heavy downbeat of one and the show began/London calling, strike up the contraband” and the memorable opening to the chorus, “We wore pictures of Strummer.” A play by Paul Hodson called Meeting Joe Strummer has premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in winter 2006, and is still touring the UK from the following year. It is not a play directly about Joe, instead about two men who share a passion for Joe's music.

Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten, a documentary film directed by Julien Temple about Joe Strummer, premiered on 20 January 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. In conjunction with the Strummer estate, Fender released the Joe Strummer Tribute Telecaster, combining elements of Joe's main guitars, namely an attempt at the "road worn" finish of his 1966 Telecaster, which he used until his death. The first 1,500 guitars come with a Shepard Fairey designed "Customization kit" with stickers and stencils, which resemble some of the designs Joe used on his guitars. Joe Strummer's impact is referenced by The Hold Steady in the song "Constructive Summer", a song featured on their 2008 album Stay Positive. In this song the band sings “Raise a toast to Saint Joe Strummer. I think he might have been our only decent teacher.” In November 2009, Tonara, a town in Sardinia, Italy, dedicated a street to Joe Strummer.

There are also many festivals each year dedicated to his memory. These festivals include Strummerville and there is Strummercamp which bands like The Alarm, The Damned, T.V. Smith from the Adverts, Sham 69, Dreadzone, The Beat, Hugh Cornwell from The Stranglers and a band the appears most years Goldblade which includes author John Robb. All these bands were greatly influenced by The Clash and Joe Strummer.

Marriages and relationships

In 1975, after being offered £100, Strummer married Pamela Moolman, a South African citizen, so she could obtain British citizenship. He bought his signature Fender Telecaster, later painted black, with the money. In 1978 Strummer started a relationship with Gaby Salter shortly after her 17th birthday. The couple remained together for 14 years and had two daughters, Jazz and Lola, but did not marry as Strummer had been unable to locate and divorce Moolman.

In 1993 Strummer began an affair with Lucinda Tait, which finally ended his relationship with Gaby Salter. Strummer and Tait married in 1995 and remained so until his death in 2002.

Strummer is commonly believed to be Lily Allen's godfather. While not true, Strummer and his family were close friends with the Allens and would regularly attend the Glastonbury Festival together. Lily Allen has recalled how Strummer had a paternal attitude towards her as an adolescent, accompanying her for two days when she went to meet-up with some friends at the festival.

Documentaries

Let's Rock Again! is a one-hour music documentary, directed by Dick Rude, that follows Joe Strummer as he tours across America and Japan with The Mescaleros. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, May 2004.

Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten is a documentary about Joe Strummer by Julien Temple. It comprises archive footage of him spanning his life, and interviews with friends, family, and other celebrities. It debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

A documentary on Strummer's politics Let Fury Have The Hour, produced by Tim Robbins and based on the book of the same name by Antonino D'Ambrosio, is due out in 2008. NYC band Radio 4 are supplying soundtrack music.

Redemption Song: The Ballad Of Joe Strummer is a well-received 2007 biography of Strummer by Chris Salewicz.

Musical equipment

Strummer in 2001 with his guitar

Strummer's main guitar throughout his career was a 1966 Fender Telecaster that originally came in a three-color sunburst with a white pickguard. Strummer acquired the guitar in middle of 1975 while playing with 101ers. After joining the Clash, the guitar's body and pickguard were refinished in grey auto primer and then painted black. By 1979, the word NOISE was stenciled on the upper part of the body, a rasta flag sticker was placed at the horn of the pickguard, and an "Ignore Alien Orders" sticker was placed above the bridge. By the release of Give ‘Em Enough Rope the guitar was fitted with a bridge with individual saddles and the original Kluson tuners were replaced with later model tuners and a large question mark was spraypainted on its back. The guitar would remain in this configuration throughout his career with the addition of different stickers on its body. The guitar's black paint became worn down due to Strummer's playing and on many places the original sunburst finish and bare wood shines through, except for the square where Strummer taped his setlists. The Fender Custom Shop has created a Joe Strummer tribute Telecaster with a reliced flat black finish. Strummer was naturally left-handed, but learned to play guitar right-handed. He had attributed this as a drawback and claimed it caused him to be underdeveloped as a guitarist, although his style of playing was unique.

For amplification Strummer was known to use amplifiers such as a Roland Jazz Chorus, a Selmer Bassman while he was in the 101'ers, a Vox AC30 and various Marshall amplifiers, but his main amplifier was a Music Man HD 212 150. Strummer commented on his choice of amplifier with "I don't have time to search for those old Fender tube amps. The Music Man is the closest thing to that sound I've found." and that the "plastic motif on the front is repulsive."

Discography

For recordings made with the Clash, please see The Clash discography.

The 101'ers

Year	Album	Additional information
1981	Elgin Avenue Breakdown	Compilation album with material recorded from 1974 to 1976.

Solo

Year	Album	Additional information
1986	Sid and Nancy Soundtrack	Soundtrack for the film Sid and Nancy, featuring 2 songs by Strummer.
1987	Walker	Soundtrack for the film Walker, scored by Strummer.
1987	Straight to Hell Original Soundtrack	Soundtrack for the film Straight to Hell, featuring 2 songs by Strummer.
1993	When Pigs Fly Soundtrack	Unreleased soundtrack for the film When Pigs Fly, scored by Strummer.
1998	Chef Aid: The South Park Album	Features "It's A Rockin' World", performed by Strummer, Flea, Nick Hexum, Tom Morello, DJ Bonebrake, and Benmont Tench.
1999	Michael Hutchence	Backing vocals on the first track on Michael Hutchence's solo album, "Let Me Show You"
2000	Free the West Memphis 3	Features a cover of "The Harder They Come", performed by Strummer and Long Beach Dub Allstars
2002	Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues (guest appearance)	Features "Return of the Blues Cowboy" performed by Strummer and the Jools Holland Big Band
2003	Unearthed (guest appearance)	A duet of "Redemption Song" with Johnny Cash.
2004	Black Magic (guest appearance)	Strummer performed the song "Over the Border" with Jimmy Cliff.

With The Latino Rockabilly War

Year	Album	Additional information
1988	Permanent Record Original Soundtrack	Features songs by Strummer and The Latino Rockabilly War.
1989	Earthquake Weather	Strummer's only studio album with The Latino Rockabilly War.

With The Mescaleros

Year	Album	Additional information
1999	Rock Art and the X-Ray Style	Strummer's first album with The Mescaleros.
2001	Global a Go-Go	reached number 23 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart in the US.
2003	Streetcore	Strummer's last album, released posthumously.

Selected filmography

Year	Title	Role	Other notes
1980	Rude Boy	Semi-Documentary Subject
1983	Hell W10	Writer and director	Silent film
1983	The King of Comedy	Street Scum	non-speaking cameo
1987	Walker	Faucet
1987	Straight to Hell	Simms
1988	Candy Mountain	Mario
1989	Mystery Train	Johnny aka Elvis
1990	I Hired A Contract Killer	Himself	by Aki Kaurismaki
1997	Docteur Chance	Vince Taylor
2000	The Clash: Westway to the World	Documentary Subject
2003	End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones	Documentary Subject
2004	Let's Rock Again!	Documentary Subject
2007	Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten	Documentary Subject
2008	The Clash Live: Revolution Rock	Documentary Subject

In other media

• Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros appeared on the British musician Jools Holland Show Later on about 4 May 2002. Strummer, Warren Zevon, and Tracy Chapman, as well as an ensemble cast, sang "I Fought the Law" at the finale. The show, and this episode, is occasionally shown in the US on Ovation TV.
• The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs, a novel by Irvine Welsh published in 2006, has a fictional Joe Strummer being implicated in a paternity scandal.
• "Johnny Appleseed", a song from Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros' 2001 album Global a Go-Go, is featured as the theme song to the HBO series John from Cincinnati, aired in the summer of 2007.
• The song "Mondo Bongo" by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros is featured in the 2005 movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The song originally appeared in two different scenes during the movie, but was removed from the later scene in the Director's Cut.
• Beavis and Butt-head commented on the video for "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"; they thought Joe Strummer was Jerry Seinfeld and discussed his television show.

Further reading

• Clash, The (1 October 2008). The Clash: Strummer, Jones, Simonon, Headon. London: Atlantic Books. ISBN 1843547880. OCLC 236120343.
• D'Ambrosio, Antonino (13 October 2004). Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer. New York: Nation Books. ISBN 1560256257. OCLC 56988650. Edited with an Introduction by Antonino D'Ambrosio.
• Davie, Anthony (2004). Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros: New and Previously Unpublished Photographs. Northampton: Effective. ISBN 0954856813. OCLC 64898380.
• Davie, Anthony (2004). Vision of a Homeland: The History of Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros. Northampton: Effective. ISBN 0954856805. OCLC 123775358.
• DeCurtis, Anthony (2003). "1952–2002 Joe Strummer - A tribute to the late Clash singer and songwriter, plus his final remarks on the rise and fall of the legendary punk band". Rolling stone. 914 (27). San Francisco, CA: Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. OCLC 96002520.
• Ferraz, Rob (2001). "Joe Strummer & The Clash - Revolution Rock". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 22 December 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Gilbert, Pat (2005) [2004]. Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash (4th ed.). London: Aurum Press. ISBN 1845131134. OCLC 61177239.
• Gray, Marcus (2005) [1995]. The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town (5th rev. ed.). London: Helter Skelter. ISBN 1905139101. OCLC 60668626.
• Matula, Theodore (2003). "Joe Strummer, 1952–2002". Popular Music and Society. 26 (4). Bowling Green, Ohio: Taylor & Francis: 523–525. doi:10.1080/0300776032000144968. ISSN 0300-7766. OCLC 89586252. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Needs, Kris (25 January 2005). Joe Strummer and the Legend of the Clash. London: Plexus. ISBN 085965348X. OCLC 53155325.
• Salewicz, Chris (15 May 2007). Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer (1st American ed.). New York: Faber and Faber. ISBN 057121178X. OCLC 76794852.
• Yewdall, Julian Leonard (1992). Joe Strummer with the 101'ers and the Clash, 1974–1976. London: Image Direct. ISBN 0951921606. OCLC 28502630. Photographs by Julian Leonard Yewdall; introductory text by Nick Jones. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

• Official website