Today’s look at my year of origin gets political and punk. Who knew that the two could go hand-in-hand? British Punk band the Clash released their first single, White Riot.
A year prior during the Notting Hill Carnival, the local police force (some 1,600 strong) went overboard and literally started a riot themselves. Band members Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon were first hand viewers of the carnage and decided to write a protest song about!
 |
| This photo was taken during the 76 riot. The guy wearing the hat in the foreground is Clash mentor Don Letts of Jamaica and this image was used on the back of Clash's debut album. |
Many incorrectly believe that the song is racist calling for a race when it fact it’s calling out racism in England’s Notting Hill district and asking for white teens to join the cause!
See Notting Hill is a sort of upscale area and the residents at the time didn’t want the Carnival celebration to occur in the first place. Despite not getting a permit to celebrate, organizers of the celebration went ahead and did it anyway. Looking for an excuse to shut it down, when officers began getting reports of pick-pocketing, they quickly went into action. As a result over 60 people were arrested and countless more injured. By the way, the group targeted most by the Notting Hill police force was blacks, mostly of Caribbean descent.
 |
| A Carnival attender arrested during the '76 riot. |
As I said, White Riot was the Clash’s answer to the violence. It wouldn’t be for another 10 years before public opinion and public policy changed allowing the parade to be performed with legal permission. But the Nottinghill Carnival has continued to be marred with violence from both police and gangs over the last 30 years to the point of festivities being cancelled at least twice.
As for the Clash, they became punk rock legends. Their 1978 single London Calling became a standard for 70s rock and they had continued success in the 80s. But the band itself kinda distances themselves from White Riot- not because they no longer feel strongly for the call of social justice but because they see their music style as amateurish compared to later works like London Calling.
Before I leave, I thought it would be interesting to note that the B-side of White Riot is a song titled 1977. (Talk about irony or bizarre coincidence as today is the 77th day of the year 1977!) That song is a call out to entertainers such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Elvis being no longer culturally relevant! Wow- that takes cajones! Take a listen for yourself and decide.
Enjoy...
No comments:
Post a Comment