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Topic: Mick Jones: London Calling Return to archive
23rd February 2007 07:30 AM
Ten Thousand Motels Mick Jones:
London Calling
By Wes Orshoski
HARP Magazine

“It felt like somebody was behind me, pushing me. There wasn’t, but I could actually feel this sort of…‘Go on, go on.’”

With wide eyes and long, crooked teeth, Mick Jones is beaming like a child. From a subterranean conference room in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he’s recounting the last time he shared a stage with Joe Strummer: at a November 2002 benefit for English firefighters.

As Clash diehards will tell you, while Strummer and Jones parted ways professionally in 1983, their friendship was only derailed momentarily, and that bond far outlasted their time together as the band’s songwriting brain trust.

So it wasn’t unheard of for Jones to take in a solo Strummer gig from the wings. And as those diehards will also tell you, it was always their secret wish to see Jones emerge from the shadows and realize an onstage reunion some two decades in the making. On this night in London, a few lucky fans saw that dream become reality.
On this night, Jones was enjoying Strummer’s set from the audience when he felt the hands of fate nudge him forward: “They came back for the encore and started to play ‘Bankrobber’ and it felt like somebody was behind me, pushing me up. I rushed up onstage, and I went to the side of the stage and said, ‘You got a guitar?’ and they were a bit shocked, and they said, ‘Yeah. Where you gonna plug in?’”

Jones remembers pointing to Strummer’s amp.
“I said, ‘I’ll just plug into this one,’” he laughs, smiling and noting that his former songwriting partner—in true Strummer fashion—played it cool. At the end of the song, Strummer looked over at his old friend and barked, “In the key of A—you know it.” Says Jones: “He looked at the other guys in the band, like, ‘Watch him’ and burst into ‘White Riot,’ and then we finished it with ‘London’s Burning,’ appropriately enough.”
It would be the first and only time Jones and Strummer would reunite onstage. Some five weeks later, Strummer shockingly died from a congenital heart defect at the age of 50—just three months before the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Two and a half years after he, bassist Paul Simonon and original drummer Terry Chimes accepted their trophies at that ceremony in New York, Jones has finally made the pilgrimage to Cleveland, where tonight a special exhibit dedicated to the Clash is being unveiled. Taking its name from one of the band’s jumpiest reggae cuts, “Revolution Rock” includes the Clash’s holiest icon: the bass Simonon is about to pulverize on the cover of London Calling. But the shattered Fender has been here for years.

What’s new and of particular interest are key guitars from Jones and Strummer, the camouflaged fatigues they wore in the “Rock the Casbah” video, the typewriter Strummer used to write lyrics, the guitar string envelope carrying the words to “Lost in the Supermarket,” and the massive yellow poster pimping the band’s mythic stand at Bond’s in Times Square.

Tonight, a gala event is being held in the band’s honor, and Jones has brought his family. Chimes and his wife are here as well, as is Strummer’s widow, Lucinda Mellor, and their daughters. With many of the ladies dressed in gowns and the guys in suits, the private event will carry the feeling of a Clash family wedding, with Strummer’s daughters giggling together and Jones’ toddler daughters darting about, the Trabants from U2’s Zoo TV tour suspended high above them.

“Coming here tonight is just heaven,” Jones’ mother, Renee, tells me, with “Death or Glory” ringing throughout the ground floor of I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid. “It brings back so many memories. I can remember when Mick was really little, he used to bring the guitar to the dinner table, and my grandma used to say, ‘You better eat your dinner, you’re never gonna go anywhere with that.’”

Late in the evening, Jones’ pint-sized four-year-old, a heart-robbing brunette named Stella, sits with her nanny, shyly twirling her hair, and more excited over the new haircut she got today than all this Clash business. “Should I Stay,” she peeps, abbreviating the title, when I ask for her favorite Clash song.

Downstairs, among extended family and friends, Mellor laughs at the big hole left on her living room wall by the Hammersmith Palais sign now hanging upstairs, and remembers the fights she had with Strummer over the piles and piles of future Clash artifacts cluttering their home. “I used to say to Joe, ‘You’ve got to move this crap out. You cannot move, you cannot breathe, you’ve got so much stuff,’ and he just said, ‘Leave it alone. I know what I’m doing with it, and I’m keeping it.’ He definitely knew what he had, and it was important to him. He kept everything.”

A smile spreads over her face as she remembers the ride home from that infamous firefighters benefit at the Acton Town Hall. “We got in the car at the end of the show, and he sat in the front, exhausted,” she begins. “I said, ‘So did you mind Mick getting up onstage with you?’ And he went, ‘Bloody cheek,’ and turned away. I looked over and he was just smiling. He was thrilled.”

At 51, Mick Jones doesn’t look much like a rock star anymore. In his usually dapper, dark suits, and with his once-shaggy mane reduced to little more than graying tufts encircling his ears, he looks more like a banker than the sometimes snarling and always sharp-dressing guitarist for the Clash. But when he starts to flash his vaguely mischievous, almost teenage grin, all those years seem to dissolve. Each time he remembers how he got here, his ever-boyish grin beams you through time back to the hedonistic Carnaby Street of the sixties or to his Gran’s flat and the stack of Creem and Rock Scene magazines in his bedroom, all airmailed from his mother in the States. And there’s something heartening about the fact that at least this aging rocker hasn’t denounced all of his vices: As he reminisces, he pops open another Heineken and burns down a few more cigarettes.

“To find myself here now, while I’m still alive, it does do your head in,” he says. “But it’s really nice when people are interested in what you’ve done, and what you’re doing, maybe.”

For a kid who grew up with rock ’n’ roll dreams—in a ticketed Q&A session the next day at the museum, he’ll laughingly recount loitering outside of Mick Jagger’s home as a teen, peeking into the windows—Jones can’t deny that there’s a mission-accomplished air orbiting him here. By now, nearly 30 years after the release of the Clash’s self-titled debut, one would imagine that Jones has had ample time to analyze and appreciate the impact the band made on both its fans and music in general, but he won’t fess up to it.

“I don’t really think about it, I must admit,” he says. “I didn’t really think about it ever. It’s only now, when I’m walking around normally and someone goes, ‘Oh, god, Mick Jones,’ that I’m brought back into it. But mostly, it feels like Al Pacino in Godfather III: ‘Can you get me some sweets?’”

“I always remember this one instance of Baker, one of our roadies, and he was quite round. One day he was sitting in a rehearsal and he did a drawing of all the group and they were all round, and it was like, ‘Wow’: People see what they want to see, ya know what I mean? In a way, they have their own vision of everybody. To him, we were like little guys like him. I don’t think we are. But I don’t know. I think we all see what we all want to see in a way, which is kind of nice in a way. It probably makes it better.”
With post-break-up interest in the Clash having reached arguably its highest moment following Strummer’s passing, recent years have seen a slew of Clash reissues and film and book projects, even before the opening of this exhibit, and there’s more on the way, to be sure. Debuting at the Sundance Film Festival in January is The Future Is Unwritten, the Strummer documentary directed by Julien Temple (The Filth and the Fury).

“The whole thing is a bit overwhelming for me,” says Jones. “Nonetheless, I think it’s a really good thing, and that’s why I’m here. It’s good that people find out about something that wasn’t really a fake thing. We really meant it and spoke from the heart sincerely. There was nothing contrived about what we did; it was very instinctual. We never thought about it while we did it.”

On his second day in Cleveland in October, Jones looks almost regretful or reluctant when taking the stage for an hour-long Q&A session, during which he confesses to having not yet taken his early-generation iPod (a gift) out of the box yet, in between remembering his rock-obsessed childhood, he and Strummer’s ill-fated songwriting trip to Jamaica and the collapse of the Clash’s golden lineup.
Because the members of the Clash have remained so close over the years, there’s a feeling that one’s inappropriately prying when asking about the day-to-day lives of the band members. And when the topic of drummer Topper Headon’s drug abuse and his resultant dismissal from the band comes up, the often-smiling Jones gets serious in a second, and avoids eye contact with the audience.

No one band member is to blame for the band’s implosion, Jones insists, noting that he himself was becoming increasingly difficult to work with in the studio. If anything spelled the band’s demise, it was the speed with which it was moving from studio to stage and back again. When Topper’s habit began to spiral out of control, the band probably should have taken a break, he says, but its members weren’t mature enough at the time to make that decision. “We didn’t know how to take a step back and deal with it in a different way.”

While Paul Simonon has put down his paintbrush momentarily to make music with Blur’s Damon Albarn in the Good, the Bad and the Queen, Headon, Jones reports, is, “seriously, seriously, in that recovery thing, and he has been for some time, a couple of years, and keeping that together. He’s playing in a small band down in Dover, which is where I think he’s from. Doing very well, healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Two days later, Jones is at the offices of Legacy Recordings in midtown Manhattan for a press junket centering on The Singles, which is kind of like a Clash freak’s wet dream: a box set of all 19 of the band’s U.K. singles complete with replica sleeves and labels and copious liner notes featuring tributes from fans as diverse as Irvine Welsh, Barney Sumner and Pete Townshend.

“I think it shows a very interesting development,” says Jones. “Right until the end, it seems like we had the ability to develop—we were still reaching out to some
point.”

Remembering Saturday’s interview session, Jones’ eyes droop a little.

“It’s really awful doing those things,” he says. “I get sick of the sound of my own voice, and also racked with afterburn, like, ‘I wish I didn’t say that.’ There’s so much of that that goes through this whole nerve-racking process for me. It’s very difficult to relax. And sometimes it’s hard to remember a lot of stuff, or to come up with something new, or maybe you’ve said it or read it now and after you read it, then you start thinking you remember it like that.”

Some of the memories that don’t fade are those of the days and months after Jones quit the Clash.

“It was pretty hard because we lived in the same area, and when you’d walk around you’d see somebody who you didn’t want to see,” he says, laughing sadly. “I tried to disguise myself: I got these big Michael Caine glasses and began dyeing my hair blonde for a couple of days. That didn’t work. And then I grew a beard, and had a hat. I was really in post-traumatic shock. I was pretty mashed up for a while.”

Jones played his last gig with the Clash at the US Festival in Southern California in May 1983, and by that August, Strummer was on a bicycle in the Bahamas searching for Jones and the members of his new band, Big Audio Dynamite, who were in the Caribbean recording their debut album.

“I didn’t know he was coming,” says Jones. “He came to see if it was too late or not to get the thing back together again. But that wasn’t the right time.”

Over the years, offers like the now-fabled headlining slot on Lollapalooza came in, and, just when things looked good, the process would inevitably grind to a halt, says Jones: “We would come down to the last post, the last fence, and then there would always be something that had to be sorted out—somebody wanted somebody to manage it and the rest didn’t want it. We could never agree on anything at any time. We could never. We couldn’t be in the same room and be in agreement, at any time, and maybe that’s okay, because we did what we did. It was just probably never meant to be.”

But while they only reunited that one time, Strummer and Jones remained tight. “We spent Christmases and family holidays together, and we always partied together. It was important that we all saw each other, and on occasion we would go to Spain together, or went to Glastonbury. We spent time like proper people. We just never got back together as a proper group, and people can’t understand it, but actually that was what was nice about it.”

For years, Jones didn’t talk about the Clash in interviews.

“It took me a few years to realize that it was like bashing my head against a brick wall,” he says. “And then I saw Joe do that with his band a few years later. He was being interviewed, and he was like, ‘Why aren’t you listening to what I’m doing now?’ trying to push for that, and I was thinking, ‘Man, I’ve been through this—I can tell you why,’” he says, laughing. “It’s about acceptance, really. But I do believe that if you dig what somebody did, if you’re into ’em you’d still be interested in what they’re doing now.”

As it so happens, what Jones is doing now is entirely worth talking about. Carbon/Silicon, the Internet-only band that he’s formed with Tony James of Generation X, has found him writing and recording some of the most interesting songs he’s written in years. Owing more to the Clash than Big Audio Dynamite, many of the band’s lyrics are plucked from headlines, and rely on Jones’ signature, pop-leaning guitar and vocal melodies. More than a couple will stir the souls of those who know every word to “Stay Free.”

And, in keeping with the ethos of punk, all the band’s music is available on its website for free download. Says Jones, “The great thing about the Internet is the minute you finish the record, you can upload and give it away—you don’t have to wait eight weeks for the record to come out. The record comes out the minute it comes off the press, and I love that.

“It’s been very interesting and very fulfilling,” he adds, noting that the band is working on a formal release and a U.S. tour. “Since Joe’s gone, we’ve had to pull our socks up in the lyric department. It’s truly in our court now.”
First printed in Jan/Feb 2007

[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels]
23rd February 2007 02:15 PM
texile mick jones was a genius guitar player...
he gave the clash a warmth with his melodies and more gentle voice.
there was something human about the clash i didn't get from groups like the pistos, ramones etc...
i never was a punk, but i connected to the clash.
after discovering the stones in late 79 when i was about 12 -
nothing else spoke to me for years..
until i discovered combat rock and went back to their beginnings.
they were a very important part of a sometimes depressing adolescence.
23rd February 2007 02:17 PM
jb Mick Jones is also jewish!!!!!!!! yeah!!!
23rd February 2007 02:25 PM
lotsajizz Mick Jones is/was way cool
23rd February 2007 03:44 PM
purrcafe One of the all time great, yet unknown moments in rock was Mick, Steve Jones, and Terry Chimes guesting with Johnny Thunders at the Peppermint Lounge in NY after the Clash played the Pier on the Combat Rock tour.
[Edited by purrcafe]
23rd February 2007 03:45 PM
lotsajizz you got the boot?!?!?
23rd February 2007 03:50 PM
pdog I love The Clash, i would've named my newest son Strummer, but it would've not gone well with my last name...
23rd February 2007 09:54 PM
purrcafe
quote:
lotsajizz wrote:
you got the boot?!?!?



Yes. Spends a lot of time in the CD player. One of my all time favorites.
24th February 2007 11:25 AM
Sir Stonesalot Oh my.

I don't suppose that you'd send me a copy of that, would you?
25th February 2007 01:32 PM
purrcafe I could post the torrent, unless there are objections.
25th February 2007 03:19 PM
Sir Stonesalot I don't object to that at all.

But I'm not set up for bit torrent downloading.

I'd be glad to send you a blank/return postage.
25th February 2007 03:47 PM
pdog SS, if you got DSL, you should do some BT DL'n. It's just easier than snail mail. It's so easy, once you get it set up.
26th February 2007 01:55 PM
monkey_man
quote:
pdog wrote:
I love The Clash, i would've named my newest son Strummer, but it would've not gone well with my last name...




What's wrong with Strummer Dog?
26th February 2007 01:58 PM
pdog
quote:
monkey_man wrote:


What's wrong with Strummer Dog?



Think about my last name, it's synonymous with dog and cock....
What's in a name?
Imagine if my first name was Peter instead of Paul... I got enough shit as a kid....
26th February 2007 02:00 PM
monkey_man
quote:
pdog wrote:


Think about my last name, it's synonymous with dog and cock....
What's in a name?
Imagine if my first name was Peter instead of Paul... I got enough shit as a kid....



Ohhhh your REAL name! I was thinking of your board name.
26th February 2007 02:04 PM
pdog
quote:
monkey_man wrote:


Ohhhh your REAL name! I was thinking of your board name.




My sister Anita is still in therapy...

My sons, Pull and Tug have threatened me with extreme violence when I'm old and frail...
26th February 2007 02:07 PM
monkey_man
quote:
pdog wrote:


My sister Anita is still in therapy...

My sons, Pull and Tug have threatened me with extreme violence when I'm old and frail...


LOL!
26th February 2007 02:10 PM
monkey_man PDog,
Do you ski or snowboard? I just got back from 5 days in Tahoe. . . .the snow is fucking amazing right now.
MM
26th February 2007 03:15 PM
Joey

" It is a pity that the Clash broke up as I thought they were a very good band . " ( Peter Denis Blandford Townshend , November 1985 ) .



26th February 2007 03:30 PM
pdog
quote:
monkey_man wrote:
PDog,
Do you ski or snowboard? I just got back from 5 days in Tahoe. . . .the snow is fucking amazing right now.
MM



Ski...
Irony, my wife just returned from CO, my 5 year old is learning to ski... We're talking about a trip to Tahoe right now... I love Heavenly.
We should talk, you thinknig of going up again soon?
Even a day trip is fun, just leave here early, ski all day be home in time for the late news...
We're finally getting snow and rain here...
I wonder if She Rat ski's...
26th February 2007 03:50 PM
monkey_man
quote:
pdog wrote:


Ski...
Irony, my wife just returned from CO, my 5 year old is learning to ski... We're talking about a trip to Tahoe right now... I love Heavenly.
We should talk, you thinknig of going up again soon?
Even a day trip is fun, just leave here early, ski all day be home in time for the late news...
We're finally getting snow and rain here...
I wonder if She Rat ski's...



I'm a knuckle dragger. . . I'd like to go up again but it would have to be during the week. I'm working most weekends in the next few weeks. Let me know when you are thinking about going up.
26th February 2007 04:13 PM
pdog
quote:
monkey_man wrote:


I'm a knuckle dragger. . . I'd like to go up again but it would have to be during the week. I'm working most weekends in the next few weeks. Let me know when you are thinking about going up.



I'm working weekends too, during the week for sure, thinking stage for sure....
27th February 2007 11:06 AM
Saint Sway Wolfgangs Vault is streaming The Clash all week as its featured band!!!
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