Clash Book Dispatches
To find older entries, simply click the "Archive" button, and follow the links from there. Also, please note: in light of the Clash II book announcement (see "Communiques"), the author reserves the option to hold back entries for different projects.
| May 8, 2023 | |
| May 8, 2023 | |
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"I often think of how differently my life would have turned out, in a country several time zones away.." Get the lowdown on the Chairman's forthcoming appearance on THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN LP (Crooked Beat Records), which is coming out Saturday (Record Store Day). | May 8, 2023 |
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"This warm, even-tempered book snatches the Clash’s final act from the shame that even Strummer felt before his death. They were still The Only Band That Mattered." All the major recent reviews that mattered...for We Are The Clash.
| Jul 7, 2020 |
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"For those who haven't undergone the publishing process, it's one of the most intense steps involved, because you've literally got to trawl through your creation, page by bloody page ..." Chairman Ralph details the intricacies of completing post-production work on WE ARE THE CLASH: THE LAST STAND OF A BAND THAT MATTERED. | May 7, 2019 |
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"...when I first saw them perform live they came very much 'fully formed', the sound, the look, the words, the way they stood on stage..." Julian Yewdall, author of A PERMANENT RECORD, discusses Joe Strummer's transition from the 101'ers to the Clash...among many other topics in part two of our epic email chat!
| Oct 21, 2013 |
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"What The 101'ers left behind is a rough-cut diamond, forged out of blood, sweat and tears..." Julian Yewdall talks about his philosophy and intentions behind A PERMANENT RECORD, which documents Joe Strummer's life (and after) his major pre-Clash band, the 101'ers. | Oct 21, 2013 |
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"The Clash's bold, tragic last stand, rescued from history's dustbin: at war with Thatcher, Reagan, the Top Ten, & (sometimes) itself..." With this opening salvo, co-authors Mark Andersen and Ralph Heibutzki launched the Kickstater campaign for their book, WE ARE THE CLASH: THE LAST STAND BAND OF A BAND THAT MATTERED...here's how the effort ended up.
| Jul 22, 2013 |
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Chairman Ralph reports on recording three songs from the Clash's final album, CUT THE CRAP ("Movers And Shakers," ""North And South," plus the chorus from "Play To Win"), how they turned out, and how they affected his recording philosophy. | Sep 15, 2012 |
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Chairman Ralph covers one of the most controversial periods of the Clash's career in this excerpt, which focuses on the long and winding journey that led to the recording of The Only Band That Matters's final, troubled album: Cut The Crap. | Aug 2, 2011 |
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Adding to Chairman Ralph's firsthand recollections is ex-Lurkers drummer Pete "Manic Esso" Haynes, who shares a vivid account of his only face-to-face encounter with the self-styled Only Band That Matters, prompted by an . | Aug 23, 2010 |
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Chairman Ralph posts one last entry from his late friend, Anthony Salazar: in this case, an unfinished concert review of Joe Strummer's return show at Chicago's Cabaret Metro. Taking this review as a jump-off point, Ralph then contrasts it with the current pop scene, and how a performer's past collides with their present. | Oct 15, 2009 |
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Chairman Ralph turns over this entry in his long-mooted book about the band to his late friend, Anthony Salazar, who recalls all of the times that he witnessed the Clash and its frontman, Joe Strummer, where it really mattered...in concert. | Oct 13, 2009 |
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This potential excerpt from Ralph Heibutzki's projected Clash book explores the band's relationship with ska-punk pioneers, as seen through the eyes of their bassist, Horace Panter (Sir Horace Gentleman). Former Clash road manager Johnny Green adds some observations of his own, as well. | Oct 1, 2009 |
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Chairman Ralph recalls the night that legendary Beat poet Allen Ginsberg came to perform at MSU in 1986. The show proved interesting, in more ways than one, especially when Ralph brought his copy of the Clash's COMBAT ROCK album for the man to autograph -- because he contributed a spoken word recitation to "Ghetto Defendant." | Aug 13, 2009 |
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Coinciding with his book project, Chairman Ralph has opened his closet to unveil photos of his Clash T-shirt collection, which first began to appear on the major message board, If Music Could Talk. The endeavor prompted Ralph to post on some of the more distinctive designs, of which he also shot some photos. He also shares his memories of buying a T-shirt at a show by Havana 3AM, the Clash offshoot group led by its former bassist, Paul Simonon. | Aug 13, 2009 |