I was saddened to realize that December 22, 2008 had come and gone and I had given no thought to the passing of Joe Strummer on that date in 2002. In the midst of moving, unemployment between jobs, the holidays, and other distractions, I allowed the day to pass without recalling Joe and all the great work he had done in his too short time on earth. So here is a belated tribute to the man and his work. Joe, we hardly knew ye...
I first heard the unique rasp of Joe Strummer's voice on a 45rpm record by the Clash purchased at a little record shop in Portland Oregon in 1977. It was the first single from the debut Clash album with Remote Control
as the A side, later to be disowned in the scathing "Complete Control" single ("They said release Remote Control/We didn't want it on the label") and a live recording of London's Burning from the historic Victoria Park Anti-Fascism rally and concert as the B-side. I listened to that record repeatedly, electrified by the live side's relentless guitar crunch and incendiary lyrics, and fascinated by the A side, with its indecipherable, yet compellingly angry, vocals. I returned to that little import record shop many times and picked up numerous other punk 45s by the likes of the Adverts, the Sex Pistols and Generation X, as well as LPs by US bands like Richard Hell and the Voidoids and the Ramones, but nothing captured my heart and imagination like the passionate roar of the Clash, galvanized by the primal sneers, cries and whispers of one Joe Strummer.From those early days on, I was a dedicated fan of the Clash, and was fortunate to have seen them a number of times over the years, including a Boston show during their first US tour, and the New York Palladium show in 1979 immortalized on the cover of London Calling. Unlike other bands, the Clash gave all to their fans, always playing with maximum positive energy, and one was left feeling that the world could be remade into a better, fairer and much more exciting place. The Clash, and especially Mr. Strummer, gave you the confidence to believe that anything was possible with a little hard work and a lot of heart. They gave their all and expected nothing less from their fans.
Joe and the Clash respected their fans and always treated them as equals; stories of the band spending hours after shows talking and listening to fans are legend, and Joe was known to drive fans home in the band gig rig or give them his hotel room keys if they had nowhere else to stay. And the Clash had a mission to not only entertain but to educate their fans, politically and musically, sharing the movies, books and most importantly the music that had shaped their lives and work by having classic roots artists like Bo Diddley, Burning Spear, Screamin' Jay Hawkins or Sam and Dave as their opening acts, music that thousands of young fans might never have heard if not for the Clash.
It was exhilarating and always surprising to watch and listen to the band evolve over the years as their music became more complex and varied, bringing in reggae (right from the beginning with a cover of Junior Murvins Jamaican hit Police and Thieves on the first album). But their sound later became permeated with rockabilly, soul, zydeco, jazz, folk and world influences. It's no insult to the other band members, who all contributed enormous talent and energy to the Clash, to say that this genre bending and blending was primarily the influence of the omnivorous musical creativity of Joe Strummer.
Joe later tapped into this joyful appreciation for all the world's music in his post Clash career, in film soundtrack work, radio programs, solo projects and most notably with his last band, the outstanding Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. In what were sadly to be the last years of his life, Joe seemed a man reborn, creating rich, exciting and complex new music with a talented band of young multi-instrumentalists and anchored by his long time friend from back in the pre-Clash squat and busking days, violinist, singer and composer Tymon Dogg.As with the Clash, I was most fortunate to have seen Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros a number of times, most notably during their five night stand at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn NY, where I had the great honor and pleasure of meeting Joe, Tymon Dogg, most of the Mescaleros and a few other notable persons who were in Joe's New York entourage at the time, such as Steve Buscemi and Jim Jarmusch, with whom he worked on the wonderful film Mystery Train. It's not surprising that Joe always attracted the most creative and interesting people into his circle of friends, as he seemed to radiate enthusiasm and creative energy in his wide ranging artistic pursuits and in his heartfelt interest in people and their stories.
The story of my night of partying with Joe Strummer and the Mecaleros will have to be told another time, but for now let me just say that as a long time Clash and Joe Strummer fan, I was in my glory. It was an extraordinary experience to find my self belly up to the bar at the Three of Cups on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at 4AM, blood shot eyeball to bloodshot eyeball with the man himself, drunkenly conversing about all manner of things, from African pop music to the still raw 9/11 tragedy. All of the stories I'd heard about Joe being an easy going bloke, open, friendly and approachable, who enjoyed meeting and conversing with all manner of fans and friends proved to be true. And Tymon Dogg was and is one of the nicest people I've ever met; it was he who made sure I and another fan got a ride over to village bar where the after gig party ensued. Like Joe, he was a warm, friendly and approachable gentleman, who told me he had learned the music of "Minstrel Boy" while still in the womb, and I found myself frequently in his company, chatting as if with an old friend, over the ensuing night of singing, drinking and conversing. I will always look back on that time with warmth, affection and more than a little sadness.
Here's a couple photos from that memorable night (and morning) from the website of famed rock photographer Bob Gruen. I was sitting at the bar a few feet away when Joe took over DJing from legendary Clash show DJ Scratchy Meyers, and had been talking to Bob Gruen about his 9/11 photos and book of Clash photographs when Joe stumbled over and had Bob's sister take a picture of the two them. (Note the bartender is wearing a t-shirt with one of Bob Gruen's KISS photos on it).
I also got Joe's autograph (and that of most all of the other Mescaleros, except for Scott Shields who looked to be about 18 years old at the time, and did not stay long; the joke was that Joe's wife Luce had made him go to bed early) when he signed the cover of my copy of Global A Go Go. Joe got out his handy Sharpie pen, always ready for autographs or graffiti, and scrawled "TO ED FROM MOSHAC(H)USETTS, JOE STRUMMER", a nickname I've recently revived for this site. Thanks Joe!
Like so many millions of friends and fans around the world, I was shocked and saddened when I learned of Joe's passing on 12/22/02. That traditionally happy time of the holidays, and my younger daughter's 9th birthday one day prior, were terribly darkened by the loss of this great artist and exemplary human being. A night or so after his passing I received a call from my friend John Allen, a passionate and Strummeresque singer in his own right with the Celtic punk band Big Bad Bullocks, seeking to commiserate and console. As a way to cope with the loss and pay tribute to Joe, we came up with the idea for a benefit concert, calling on some of the many enormously talented musicians we're blessed with in our little corner of the world to come together for a concert of music by the Clash or Joe Strummer (or whatever, this was punk after all) with all proceeds going to AIDS and TB relief in Africa or reforestation in Scotland, two charities that Joe was involved with prior ot his death. That too, was a night to remember, thanks to all the great players, MC John Allen, stage manager Gollum and graphic designer Tom No Shadow Kick. All I had to do was show up, drink pints and listen to great bands playing great songs! And it felt good to do something to honor and celebrate Joe Strummer' life and music.
Though he may have left this vale of tears some seven years gone by now, Joe Strummer is truly still alive as you or me, if not more so. He lives on not only in the magnificent work he left behind to inspire unknown, even unborn, future artists and revolutionaries, but also in his unique spirit that still exists in this world. Wherever people are coming together to heal hatred, expose hypocrisy and corruption, speak the truth to power without fear, make human and humane connections with those around them, to somehow create a kind of positive force to better the world in the short and always unknown time given us, the spirit and energy of Joe Strummer is manifest. As Bruce Springsteen once sang of old Tom Joad (paraphrasing John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie):"Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where there's a fight against the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me mom I'll be there
Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand
Or a decent job or a helpin' hand
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free
Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me."
I think many of us saw this same commitment in Joe Strummer's eyes, in his impassioned singing, and in his untiring example. In these difficult and dangerous times of massive, shameless corruption, deadly global inequality, ecological peril, murderous militarism and merciless violence, we all need to try and make these the qualities that we see when we look into each others eyes. Thanks for helping us along the way Joe! The future is unwritten.
Thanks youtube and all the people who posted these great videos!
