| The Latino Rockabilly War | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Rock, Rock and roll |
| Associated acts | Joe Strummer |
| Past members | |
| Zander Schloss Lonnie Marshall Willie MacNeil Jack Irons |
|
The Latino Rockabilly War was a backing band most notably for one-time The Clash frontman Joe Strummer. With Strummer, The Latino Rockabilly War created one record, Earthquake Weather, through Epic Records. The album, though not badly reviewed (despite muffled production quality), did not sell well and the band, Joe Strummer included, lost their deal with Epic (excepting an instance in which Joe Strummer decided to reform or re-create The Clash with the same or new musicians, in which case he would have been forced to work with Epic). Joe Strummer & The Latino Rockabilly War contributed five songs to the soundtrack for the movie Permanent Record, which featured a young Keanu Reeves: "Trash City", "Baby the Trans", "Nothin' 'bout Nothin", "Nefertiti Rock", and the haunting instrumental "Theme from Permanent Record".
In a segment of the documentary film Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten, Anthony Kiedis mentions that during the period in which the bands' material was recorded, drummer Jack Irons (formerly of The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam) was in residency at a mental institution. Therefore, Strummer had to arrange transportation and leave for Irons in order for him to participate in the bands' output.
The band toured with Strummer on the Rock Against The Rich Tour in 1988 with friends in tow, including film director Alex Cox. Their sets included songs spanning Strummer's career to that point, including works from The 101ers and The Clash, additionally material co written with Mick Jones for Big Audio Dynamite's No. 10, Upping St. album as well as a cover of The Pogues' famous "If I Should Fall From Grace With God."