Sandinista!

Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the punk rock band The Clash. It was released in 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side.^[1][2] Anticipating the "world music" trend of the 1980s, it features reggae, jazz, mock gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, rap, Clash-style rock and whatever else.^[1][2][3]

For the first time, the band's traditional songwriting credits of Strummer/Jones were replaced by a generic credit to "The Clash",^[2] and the band cut the album royalties, in order to release the 3-LP at a low price.^[4][5] The title comes from the Nicaraguan left-wing guerrilla organization, the Sandinistas, and its catalogue number, 'FSLN1', refers to the acronym for Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional.^[4][3][6]

Sandinista! was voted the best album of the year in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics poll, and it was ranked number 404 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.^[3]

History

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 for some of the songs and toasting was done by Mikey Dread, who had first hooked up 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.^[3] The album clearly displays the influence of reggae and in particular 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.^[1][2]

When recording began in New York bass guitarist Paul Simonon was busy making a film, 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 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 actor Tim Curry (providing the voice of a priest on "The Sound of Sinners"), singer Ellen Foley (Jones' partner at the time), former Voidoids guitarist Ivan Julian, 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. Mickey 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".^[1][2][7]

For the first time, the band's traditional songwriting credits of Strummer/Jones were replaced by a generic credit to "The Clash". 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".^[2]

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". The last deserves mention as possibly the first-ever British rap single and as one of the first rap singles by a white band.

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 the Punk Magazine: "Well, now you're talking to a man who forewent the royalties on Sandinista!"^[8] 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.^[2][4][5]

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".^[2][5]

The title comes from the left-wing guerrilla organization of Nicaragua, the Sandinistas, who the previous year had overthrown the dictator Anastasio Somoza. The albums catalogue number 'FSLN1' refers to the acronym for Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional.^[4][3][6]

The song "Washington Bullets" was Clash lyric-writer 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 criticizes 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".^[5][9]

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", a song from the EP Black Market Clash.) 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 songs. The 2-CD release contains a facsimile of the lyric sheet considerably reduced in size.^[1][2]

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.^[4][5]

Reception

Sandinista! is a stylistic and topical potpourri that anticipates the "world music" trend of the late '80s and early '90s. Reggae, jazz, mock gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, Rhythm and blues, calypso, Clash-style rock and whatever else all turn up on Sandinista! The album included two rap songs at a time when rap was new even among its core black audience.

The rock music world hailed Sandinista! as a masterpiece. 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."^[5][10] Some critics have argued that the album would have worked better as a less-ambitious, smaller project. Others think of the album as a breakthrough that deserves comparison to the Beatles' White Album.^[4]

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.^[11] Alternative Press magazine included Sandinista! on its 2000 list of the "10 Essential Political-Revolution Albums"^[12] In 2003, the album was ranked number 404 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.^[3] The College Music Journal ranked Sandinista! number two on its 2004 list of the "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1981".^[13]

The Sandinista! Project, a tribute to the album featuring The Smithereens, Camper Van Beethoven, Jon Langford (Mekons) and Sally Timms, Amy Rigby, Katrina Leskanich (Waves), Wreckless Eric, Willie Nile, Matthew Ryan, Stew, 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 will also feature a collaboration by Soul Food and Mickey Gallagher on "Midnight Log".^[14][15][16]

Track listing

All songs were written by The Clash unless noted. The compact disc release has the first three sides on the first CD and the latter three sides on the second CD.

Side one

1. "The Magnificent Seven" – 5:28
2. "Hitsville UK" – 4:20 [Vocal: Mick Jones/Ellen Foley]
3. "Junco Partner" ("writer, at present, unknown" on insert notes) – 4:53
4. "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" – 3:05 [Vocal: Topper Headon]
5. "The Leader" – 1:41
6. "Something About England" – 3:42

Side two

7. "Rebel Waltz" – 3:25
8. "Look Here" (Mose Allison) – 2:44
9. "The Crooked Beat" – 5:29 [Vocal: Paul Simonon]
10. "Somebody Got Murdered" – 3:34
11. "One More Time" (The Clash / Mikey Dread) – 3:32
12. "One More Dub" (The Clash / Mikey Dread) – 3:34 [ Dub version of "One More Time"]

Side three

1. "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)" – 4:51
2. "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)" – 4:31
3. "Corner Soul" – 2:43
4. "Let's Go Crazy" – 4:25
5. "If Music Could Talk" (The Clash / Mikey Dread) – 4:36
6. "The Sound of Sinners" – 4:00

Side four

7. "Police on My Back" (Eddy Grant) – 3:15
8. "Midnight Log" – 2:11
9. "The Equaliser" – 5:47
10. "The Call Up" – 5:25
11. "Washington Bullets" – 3:51
12. "Broadway" – 5:45 [Features an Epilogue of "Guns of Brixton" sung by Maria Gallagher]

Side five

1. "Lose This Skin" (Tymon Dogg) – 5:07 [Vocal: Tymon Dogg]
2. "Charlie Don't Surf" – 4:55
3. "Mensforth Hill" – 3:42 ["Something About England" backwards]
4. "Junkie Slip" – 2:48
5. "Kingston Advice" – 2:36
6. "The Street Parade" – 3:26

Side six

7. "Version City" – 4:23
8. "Living in Fame" (The Clash / Mikey Dread) – 4:36 [Dub Version of "If Music Could Talk", vocals by Mikey Dread]
9. "Silicone on Sapphire" – 4:32 [Dub version of "Washington Bullets"]
10. "Version Pardner" – 5:22 [Dub version of "Junco Partner"]
11. "Career Opportunities" – 2:30 [New version sung by Luke and Ben Gallagher]
12. "Shepherds Delight" (The Clash / Mikey Dread) – 3:25

Personnel

The following people contributed to Sandinista!:^[17]

• Joe Strummer – vocals, guitars
• Mick Jones – guitars, vocals
• Paul Simonon – bass, vocals
• Topper Headon – drums, vocals

Guest musicians

Production

Charts

Album

Singles

Certifications

Notes

References

External links

• The Clash official website
• "Complicated Dread: the Mikey Dread interview Complicated Fun, 21 June 2006
• Everyday Companion "Junco Partner" partial cover history website
• Rockabilly biography