| "Janie Jones" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Clash from the album The Clash | |
| Released | April 8, 1977 |
| Recorded | March, 1977 |
| Genre | Punk rock |
| Length | 2:09 |
| Label | CBS |
| Writer | Joe Strummer, Mick Jones |
| Producer | Mikey Foote |
"Janie Jones" is a song by the Clash on their eponymous debut album.[1][2] The subject of the song, Janie Jones, was a famous madam in London during the 1970s and had been a pop singer during the 1960s.
The live performance of the song at The Apollo in Glasgow on July 4, 1978, features on Rude Boy, a 1980 film directed by Jack Hazan and David Mingay, starring Ray Grange and The Clash. The track was re-recorded at Wessex Studios by engineer Bill Price and tape operator Jerry Green.[3][4][5] The song also features on The Clash: Westway to the World, a 2000 documentary film about the British punk rock band The Clash, directed by Don Letts.[2]
"Janie Jones" features on their compilation albums: The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 (1988) (disc two); Clash on Broadway (1991) (disc one; demo version); The Essential Clash (2003) (disc one). A live live version recorded on June 4, 1981 at Bond's Casino, New York City, features on the live bootleg Live at Bond's Casino (2000).[6]
In December 1982, Jones herself, backed by members of the Clash and the Blockheads and credited as Janie Jones & the Lash, recorded a 7" single, "House of the Ju-Ju Queen", which was written and produced by Joe Strummer and released on Big Beat in 1983. Strummer as well as Mick Jones also played guitar on the record, together with Paul Simonon on bass, Micky Gallagher on keyboards, Mel Collins on saxophone, and Charley Charles on drums. The B-side of the single was a cover of James Brown's "Sex Machine".
Legendary film maker Martin Scorsese, well known as an ardent fan of The Clash, claimed in the book "Scorsese on Scorsese", that he considers "Janie Jones" to be the greatest British rock and roll song. He also used the song in the film Bringing Out The Dead.[7]
Contents |
"Janie Jones", performed by The Farrell Bros., features on This Is Rockabilly Clash, a tribute album released by various artists, and recorded by Raucous Records in 2002. The song has been covered by the English bands The Paddingtons, and Bush numerous times at live concerts. The song was covered in 2005 on the collaborative album Slackness by The Slackers and Chris Murray. It was covered again by the three-piece folk noir band Songdog who featured it on their album, The Time of Summer Lightning in 2005 and then by Babyshambles, featuring contributions from others, in 2006 and released to raise funds for Joe Strummer's charity foundation Strummerville. Neurotic Outsiders covered it. In 2011, folk punk band Against Me! covered the song as part of the A.V. Undercover project on the AV Club website.
| "Janie Jones" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Babyshambles & Friends | ||||
| Released | October 2006 | |||
| Format | CD, 7" | |||
| Genre | Indie, Rock | |||
| Length | 2:03 | |||
| Label | B-Unique | |||
| Producer | Static, Drew McConnell | |||
| Babyshambles & Friends singles chronology | ||||
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"Janie Jones" (sometimes "Janie Jones (Strummerville)") was released through B-Unique Records to raise money for late Joe Strummer's charity foundation Strummerville and features contributions from others bands like Dirty Pretty Things, Larrikin Love, We Are Scientists, The Kooks, and Guillemots. This release marks the first time that Carl Barât and Pete Doherty worked together since The Libertines split up, although they never met during the recording process.[8]
The video revolves around (the real) Janie Jones being chauffeured around London with Mick Jones. Many of the contributors to the song feature in the video. Drew McConnell accompanies Janie Jones from the Windmill theatre right at the beginning as she's getting into her car, Alan Donohoe from The Rakes is driving the car, two mabers of Cazals are walking down the street near the start and their singer, Phil Bush, mimes 'lucky lady', the two guys standing in front of the telephone box are Josh Hubbard from The Paddingtons and one member of Guillemots; Carl Barât, Anthony Rossomando, Gary Powell and a guitar can be seen in a car pulling up to a petrol station, while Jack Peñate is also seen at the petrol station and Lisa Moorish is seen singing along towards the end. The lead singer from The Mystery Jets is seen walking with one of The Holloways on the side of the street.
Contributors[9]
Additional contributors to the Statik remix
| Chart (2005) | Peak position[10] |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 17 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 45 |