Friday, October 12, 2007

The Magnificent Seven


Sandinista!, the fourth album by The Clash, remains one of my favorite recordings of all time. While the reggae-heavy three album release had more than its share of hits — Somebody Got Murdered, Washington Bullets, Police on my Back, The Call Up — it's also loaded with radical politics and brilliantly original music that had no commercial potential whatsoever. Songs like Rebel Waltz, Look Here, Lose This Skin, and Shepherd's Delight revealed them as artists of remarkable range and depth who were also capable of churning our clever pop and getting on the Tom Snyder Show. This 1981 clip of The Clash performing The Magnificent Seven catches them at the top of their game not long after this album was released. This was the first rap song ever recorded by white artists. The clip below, also from the Tom Snyder appearance, is one of those instances of a bunch of musicians being put uncomfortably on the spot to be spokespeople for a generation. But there's a nice bit toward the end about squatting as a matter of principle because housing just costs too much.

6 comments:

"Uta" Urban said...

Hmmm. Rapture by Blondie, which I knew to be the first rap song recorded by a white band, was released in 1/81.

I must admit it doesn't have the gravitas of Magnificent Seven (3/81), nor did they/she have the same early impact on rock and politics.

Alright, The Clash will always trump Blondie (sigh).

Tim Harris said...

The issue of The Clash trumping Blondie aside, they beat her by a month. The Magnificent Seven was on Sandinista, released 12/80.

Tim Harris said...

Actually, you're right. I got curious and looked, and Blondie's Autoamerican album with that song was out two weeks before Sandinista, Nov. 29, 1980, to their December 13. Then the singles came out in January and March respectively, as you say. I guess you can't believe everything you read on Wikipedia. I think I'll go edit the Sandinista page.

"Uta" Urban said...

Oh fuck. Please don't. Joe Strummer made another first-of-its-kind TEN YEARS AHEAD of the 80's fashion/art rip-off - his angry splatter paint t-shirt. Corporations - they take everything. *Sniff*, WAAAH!

Gurldoggie said...

Great clip, but the "first rap" claim is kind of silly. As a rap song by a white artist Subterranean Homesick Blues beats this song by some 17 years.

Anonymous said...

I'd have to contest that. He just sings monotone eight words to the bar and there's a chord change. At least one. Even for Dylan, it's a melody.

If Sub H Blues is rap, then "Come Together" by the Beatles is rap. I love them both but they aint' rap.