Sandinista!

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This article is about the album by The Clash. For information about the political organisation, see Sandinista National Liberation Front.
Sandinista!
File:The Clash - Sandinista!.jpg
Studio album by The Clash
Released 12 December 1980 (1980-12-12)
Recorded February 1980, Pluto Studios, Manchester; March 1980, The Power Station, New York City; March–April 1980, Electric Lady Studios, New York City; May 1980, Channel One Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; August 1980, Wessex Studios, London
Length 144:09
Label CBS, Epic
Producer Mikey Dread, the Clash
The Clash chronology
London Calling
(1979)London Calling1979		 Sandinista!
(1980)		 Combat Rock
(1982)Combat Rock1982
Singles from Sandinista!
  1. "The Call Up"
    Released: 28 November 1980
  2. "Hitsville UK"
    Released: 16 January 1981
  3. "The Magnificent Seven"
    Released: 10 April 1981

Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 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 funk, reggae, jazz, gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, disco, and rap.[1][2][3] For the first time, the band's traditional songwriting credits of Strummer and 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 refers to the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, and its catalogue number, 'FSLN1', refers to the abbreviation of the party's Spanish name, Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional.[3][4][6]

Sandinista! was voted best album of the year in the Pazz & Jop critics poll in The Village Voice, and was ranked number 404 on the Rolling Stone list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003.[3] Slant Magazine listed the album at number 85 on its "Best Albums of the 1980s" list in 2012.[7]

Background and recording

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 of some of the songs and toasting was done by Mikey Dread, who had first worked 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 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 called Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, 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 a 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 singer Ellen Foley (Jones' partner at the time), guitarist Ivan Julian formerly of the Voidoids, 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. 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][8]

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]

Releases

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".

Police On My Back was also released for promotion.

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 Punk Magazine: "Well, now you're talking to a man who forwent the royalties on Sandinista!"[9] 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 song "Washington Bullets" was lyricist 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 criticises 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][10]

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", the b-side from the single London Calling.) 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 the original 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

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 2.5/5 stars[11]
Alternative Press 4/5 stars[12]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music 3/5 stars[13]
MusicHound 2/5[13]
Q 4/5 stars[14]
Rolling Stone 5/5 stars[15]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide 4/5 stars[13]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 8/10[13]
The Village Voice A−[16]

John Piccarella, in a review for Rolling Stone headlined "The Clash Drop The Big One", argued that in effect, the band said "to hell with Clash style, there's a world out there."[5][17] Some critics have argued that the album would have worked better as a less-ambitious, smaller project, while Piccarella (in his Rolling Stone review) and others think of the album as a breakthrough that deserves comparison to the Beatles' White Album.[4] Robert Christgau wrote in The Village Voice, "if this is their worst—which it is, I think—they must be, er, the world's greatest rock and roll band".[16]

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.[18] Alternative Press magazine included Sandinista! on its 2000 list of the "10 Essential Political-Revolution Albums"[19] 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 Media Journal ranked Sandinista! number two on its list of the "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1981".[20]

The Sandinista! Project, a tribute to the album featuring the Smithereens, Camper Van Beethoven, Jon Langford (Mekons) and Sally Timms, Amy Rigby, Katrina Leskanich (of Katrina and the Waves), Wreckless Eric, Willie Nile, Matthew Ryan, Stew, Mark Cutler, 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 also features a collaboration by Soul Food and Mickey Gallagher on "Midnight Log".[21][22][23]

Track listing

The compact disc release has the first three sides on the first CD and the latter three sides on the second CD.

All songs written and composed by the Clash, except where noted. 

Side one
No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. "The Magnificent Seven"   Joe Strummer 5:28
2. "Hitsville U.K."   Mick Jones, Ellen Foley 4:20
3. "Junco Partner" ("writer, at present, unknown" on liner notes) Joe Strummer 4:53
4. "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe"   Topper Headon 3:05
5. "The Leader"   Joe Strummer 1:41
6. "Something About England"   Mick Jones, Joe Strummer 3:42
Side two
No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. "Rebel Waltz"   Joe Strummer 3:25
2. "Look Here" (written by Mose Allison) Joe Strummer 2:44
3. "The Crooked Beat"   Paul Simonon 5:29
4. "Somebody Got Murdered"   Mick Jones 3:34
5. "One More Time" (written by the Clash and Mikey Dread) Joe Strummer 3:32
6. "One More Dub" (dub version of "One More Time"; written by the Clash and Dread) Instrumental 3:34
Side three
No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)"   Joe Strummer 4:51
2. "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)"   Mick Jones 4:31
3. "Corner Soul"   Joe Strummer 2:43
4. "Let's Go Crazy"   Joe Strummer 4:25
5. "If Music Could Talk" (written by the Clash and Dread) Joe Strummer 4:36
6. "The Sound of Sinners"   Joe Strummer 4:00
Side four
No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. "Police on My Back" (written by Eddy Grant; originally performed by the Equals) Mick Jones 3:15
2. "Midnight Log"   Joe Strummer 2:11
3. "The Equaliser"   Joe Strummer 5:47
4. "The Call Up"   Joe Strummer 5:25
5. "Washington Bullets"   Joe Strummer 3:51
6. "Broadway" (features an epilogue of "The Guns of Brixton" sung by Maria Gallagher) Joe Strummer 5:45
Side five
No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. "Lose This Skin" (written by Tymon Dogg) Tymon Dogg 5:07
2. "Charlie Don't Surf"   Joe Strummer, Mick Jones 4:55
3. "Mensforth Hill" ("Something About England" backwards with overdubs) Instrumental 3:42
4. "Junkie Slip"   Joe Strummer 2:48
5. "Kingston Advice"   Joe Strummer, Mick Jones 2:36
6. "The Street Parade"   Joe Strummer 3:26
Side six
No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. "Version City"   Joe Strummer 4:23
2. "Living in Fame" (dub version of "If Music Could Talk"; written by the Clash and Dread) Mikey Dread 4:36
3. "Silicone on Sapphire" (dub version of "Washington Bullets") Joe Strummer 4:32
4. "Version Pardner" (dub version of "Junco Partner") Joe Strummer 5:22
5. "Career Opportunities"   Luke Gallagher, Ben Gallagher 2:30
6. "Shepherds Delight" (dub version of "Police & Thieves") Instrumental 3:25

Personnel

Additional musicians

  • Tymon Dogg (credited as 'Timon Dogg') - vocals & violin on "Lose This Skin", violin on "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)", "Something About England", "Mensforth Hill" and "The Equaliser", keyboard on "Sound of the Sinners"
  • Mickey Gallagher (Blockheads) - keyboards
  • Norman Watt-Roy (Blockheads) - bass
  • J.P. Nicholson (also one of the album's engineers)
  • Ellen Foley - co-lead vocal on "Hitsville U.K."
  • Davey Payne (Blockheads) - saxophone
  • Ray Gasconne
  • Band Sgt. Dave Yates
  • Den Hegarty (Darts) - vocals
  • Luke & Ben Gallagher - vocals on "Career Opportunities"
  • Maria Gallagher - coda vocals on "Broadway"
  • Gary Barnacle - saxophone
  • Arthur Edward "Bill" Barnacle (Gary's father) - trumpet
  • Jody Linscott - percussion
  • Ivan Julian (Voidoids) - guitar
  • Noel 'Tempo' Bailey (aka Sowell, reggae artist/session man) - guitar
  • Anthony Nelson Steelie (Wycliffe Johnson of Steely and Clevie)
  • Lew Lewis (Eddie and the Hot Rods) - harmonica
  • Gerald Baxter-Warman
  • Terry McQuade (had a small role in Rude Boy)
  • Rudolph Adolphus Jordan
  • Battersea

Production

Chart positions

Album

Year Chart Position
1980 UK Album Chart 19
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[24] 3
Norwegian Albums Chart.[25] 8
Swedish Albums Chart[26] 9
1981 Billboard Pop albums[27] 24
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[28] 3

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1980 "The Call Up" UK Charts 40
"Police On My Back" US Mainstream Rock Tracks 21
1981 "Hitsville U.K." UK Charts 56
US Mainstream Rock Tracks 53
"The Magnificent Seven" UK Charts 34
1982 US Billboard Club Play Singles 21

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[29] Gold 500,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Gold 100,000

*sales figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    Related news articles:
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    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    Related news articles:
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  6. ↑ Jaffee, Larry. "The Politics of Rock". Popular Music and Society, Winter 1987, pp. 19–30.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ McGuire, Judy. Joe Strummer Interview. punkmagazine.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-22
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Allmusic Review
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Rolling Stone Review
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – The Clash – Sandinista!". Hung Medien.
  25. ↑ "Discography The Clash". NorwegianCharts.com. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  26. ↑ "Discography The Clash". SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  27. ↑ "The Clash > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Sandinista! in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search

Further reading

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External links

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