White Man In Hammersmith Palais - Music
White Man In Hammersmith Palais by The Clash
The Clash
Artist Biography For The Clash
The Clash Were A Punk Rock Band From London England Active From 1976 To 1985. One Of The Most Successful And Iconic Bands From The First Wave Of Punk In The 70s They Incorporated Rock And Roll Reggae Rockabilly And Many Other Music Styles Into Their Repertoire. They Were Legendary For Their Uncommonly Intense Stage Performances. From Their Earliest Days As A Band The Clash Stood Apart From Their Peers With Their Musicianship As Well As Their Lyrics The Passionate Left-Wing Political Idealism In The Lyrics By Frontman Joe Strummer And Guitarist Mick Jones Contrasting With The Lyrical Nihilism Of The Sex Pistols And The Musical Minimalism Of The Ramones. Their 1979 Album 'London Calling' Is Considered By Critics As One Of The Greatest Albums In The History Of Rock Music. Rolling Stone Declared It The Best Album Of The 80s. The Clash's Attitude And Style As Much As Their Music Has Influenced Countless Bands Both Within And Outside The Sphere Of Punk Rock. Often Lauded As "the Only Band That Matters " The Clash Were Canonized As Rock Saints Even Before They Broke Up. They Were Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In The Class Of 2003. Their First Five Albums 'The Clash' 'Give 'Em Enough Rope' 'London Calling' 'Sandinista!' And 'Combat Rock' To This Day Continue To Earn A Great Deal Of Interest From Rock Fans And Artists Alike. Mick Jones Went On To Form Big Audio Dynamite After Being Fired From The Clash And He More Recently Has Produced Albums By Artists Such As The Libertines And Babyshambles. In 2004 He Formed Carbon/silicon With Musician Tony James Of Generation X And Sigue Sigue Sputnik Fame . Exploring Various Genres Such As Alternative Rock And Electronic Music He Continues To Collaborate With Other Modern Groups Such As Gorillaz. Joe Strummer Went On To Form And Front Joe Strummer And The Latino Rockabilly War And Then Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros. He Also Had A Notable Solo Career That Involved Work In Films And Other Endeavors Often Earning Critical Acclaim. He Died On December 22 2002 The Victim Of An Un-Diagnosed Congenital Heart Defect. Mourned By Countless Punk Fans His Life Has Been Subject To Several Tributes And Was Memorialized In The 2007 Documentary 'Joe Strummer The Future Is Unwritten'. Bass Player Paul Simonon Went On To Form Havana 3 A.M. A Group That Released A Self-Titled Album In 1991 Yet He Decided To Quit Music In The Early 90s In Favour Of Becoming An Artist. In 2006 He Returned To Music As Bass Player In A Musical Project Together With Singer-Songwriter Damon Albarn. The Project Is Often Referred To As The Good The Bad & The Queen The Name Of The Groups First Recorded Album That Came Out In 2007. In Terms Of His Paintings His Well-Received Work Notably Was In An Exhibition At Thomas Williams Fine Art In London. Drummer Topper Headon Released A Solo Album 1986's 'Waking Up' Before Leaving The Music Business To Become A Taxi Driver And Escape The Heroin Addiction That Cost Him His Legacy In The Clash. Over The Years He's Had Sporadic Involvement In Various Music-Related Endeavors Such As Being A Key Part Of The Aforementioned 'The Future Is Unwritten' Film. He's Currently Residing In The Seaside Town Of Dover England. Members 1976 Original Line-Up
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Keith Levene – Lead Guitar
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1977
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1977-1982 Classic Line-Up
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Topper Headon – Drums Percussion 1982-1983
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1983
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Pete Howard – Drums Percussion 1983-1986 Final Line-Up
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Nick Sheppard – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Vince White – Lead Guitar
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Pete Howard – Drums Percussion
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais
The-Clash - The Singles
" White Man In Hammersmith Palais" Is A Song And Single By The Clash Self Produced And First Released As A 7" Single Backed With Similarly Themed Track "The Prisoner" In June 1978. The Song Was Later Added To The American Version Of The Band's Debut Album The Clash Sandwiched Between The Single Version Of "White Riot" And "London's Burning". Inspiration And Composition The Song Showed Considerable Musical And Lyrical Maturity For The Band At The Time And Is Stylistically More In Line With Their Version Of Junior Murvin's "Police & Thieves" As The Powerful Guitar Intro Of " White Man In Hammersmith Palais" Descends Into A Slower Ska Rhythm And Was Disorienting To A Lot Of The Fans Who Had Grown Used To Their Earlier Work. “We Were A Big Fat Riff Group ” Author Joe Strummer Noted In The Clash's Film Westway To The World. “We Weren't Supposed To Do Something Like That.” " White Man In Hammersmith Palais" Starts By Recounting An All-Night Reggae "showcase" Night At The Hammersmith Palais In Shepherd's Bush London That Was Attended By Joe Strummer Don Letts And Roadie Rodent And Was Headlined By Dillinger Leroy Smart And Delroy Wilson. Strummer Was Disappointed And Disillusioned That These Performances Had Been More "pop" And "lightweight" Similar To Ken Boothe's Brand Of Reggae With Four Tops-Like Dance Routines And That The Acts Had Been "performances" Rather Than The Roots Rock Rebellion That He Had Been Hoping For. The Song Then Moves Away From The Disappointing Concert To Address Various Other Themes Nearly All Relating To The State Of Britain At The Time. First Giving An Anti-Violence Message Then Addressing The State Of 'wealth Distribution' In Britain Promoting Unity Between The Black And White Youths Of The Country Before Moving On To Address The State Of The British Punk Rock Scene In 1978 Which Was Becoming More Mainstream. Included Is A Jibe At An Unnamed Group Who Wear Burton Suits Taken By Many To Be The Jam Though In An NME Article Of The Time Strummer Claimed The Actual Target Was The Power Pop Fad Hyped By Journalists As The Next Big Thing In 1978 And The Lyric Concludes That The New Groups Are In It Solely To Be Famous And For The Money. The Final Lines Fret Over The Social Decline Of Britain Noting Sardonically That Things Were Getting To The Point Where Even Adolf Hitler Could Expect To Be Sent A Limousine In The Unlikely Event Of Flying Into London. The Single Was Reissued In June 1978 With A Different Cover Art. This Song Was One Of Joe Strummer's Favorites He Continued To Play It Live With His New Band The Mescaleros Until His Death And It Was Played At His Funeral. Critical Reception " White Man In Hammersmith Palais" Helped The Clash Assert Themselves As A More Versatile Band Musically And Politically Than Many Of Their Peers And It Broke The Exciting But Limiting Punk Mould That Had Been Established By The Sex Pistols From Now On The Clash Would Be "the Thinking Man's Yobs".
Robert Christgau Recommended The Single For " White Man In Hammersmith Palais" In His Consumer Guide Published By Village Voice On 4 September 1978 And Described The Song As A Must. Denise Sullivan Of Allmusic Wrote That " White Man In Hammersmith Palais" May Have Actually Been The First Song To Merge Punk And Reggae." In 2004 Rolling Stone Rated The Song As #430 In Its List Of The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.
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Biography - The Clash
The Clash Were A Punk Rock Band From London England Active From 1976 To 1985. One Of The Most Successful And Iconic Bands From The First Wave Of Punk In The 70s They Incorporated Rock And Roll Reggae Rockabilly And Many Other Music Styles Into Their Repertoire. They Were Legendary For Their Uncommonly Intense Stage Performances. From Their Earliest Days As A Band The Clash Stood Apart From Their Peers With Their Musicianship As Well As Their Lyrics The Passionate Left-Wing Political Idealism In The Lyrics By Frontman Joe Strummer And Guitarist Mick Jones Contrasting With The Lyrical Nihilism Of The Sex Pistols And The Musical Minimalism Of The Ramones. Their 1979 Album 'London Calling' Is Considered By Critics As One Of The Greatest Albums In The History Of Rock Music. Rolling Stone Declared It The Best Album Of The 80s. The Clash's Attitude And Style As Much As Their Music Has Influenced Countless Bands Both Within And Outside The Sphere Of Punk Rock. Often Lauded As "the Only Band That Matters " The Clash Were Canonized As Rock Saints Even Before They Broke Up. They Were Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In The Class Of 2003. Their First Five Albums 'The Clash' 'Give 'Em Enough Rope' 'London Calling' 'Sandinista!' And 'Combat Rock' To This Day Continue To Earn A Great Deal Of Interest From Rock Fans And Artists Alike. Mick Jones Went On To Form Big Audio Dynamite After Being Fired From The Clash And He More Recently Has Produced Albums By Artists Such As The Libertines And Babyshambles. In 2004 He Formed Carbon/silicon With Musician Tony James Of Generation X And Sigue Sigue Sputnik Fame . Exploring Various Genres Such As Alternative Rock And Electronic Music He Continues To Collaborate With Other Modern Groups Such As Gorillaz. Joe Strummer Went On To Form And Front Joe Strummer And The Latino Rockabilly War And Then Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros. He Also Had A Notable Solo Career That Involved Work In Films And Other Endeavors Often Earning Critical Acclaim. He Died On December 22 2002 The Victim Of An Un-Diagnosed Congenital Heart Defect. Mourned By Countless Punk Fans His Life Has Been Subject To Several Tributes And Was Memorialized In The 2007 Documentary 'Joe Strummer The Future Is Unwritten'. Bass Player Paul Simonon Went On To Form Havana 3 A.M. A Group That Released A Self-Titled Album In 1991 Yet He Decided To Quit Music In The Early 90s In Favour Of Becoming An Artist. In 2006 He Returned To Music As Bass Player In A Musical Project Together With Singer-Songwriter Damon Albarn. The Project Is Often Referred To As The Good The Bad & The Queen The Name Of The Groups First Recorded Album That Came Out In 2007. In Terms Of His Paintings His Well-Received Work Notably Was In An Exhibition At Thomas Williams Fine Art In London. Drummer Topper Headon Released A Solo Album 1986's 'Waking Up' Before Leaving The Music Business To Become A Taxi Driver And Escape The Heroin Addiction That Cost Him His Legacy In The Clash. Over The Years He's Had Sporadic Involvement In Various Music-Related Endeavors Such As Being A Key Part Of The Aforementioned 'The Future Is Unwritten' Film. He's Currently Residing In The Seaside Town Of Dover England. Members 1976 Original Line-Up
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Keith Levene – Lead Guitar
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1977
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1977-1982 Classic Line-Up
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Topper Headon – Drums Percussion 1982-1983
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1983
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Pete Howard – Drums Percussion 1983-1986 Final Line-Up
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Nick Sheppard – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Vince White – Lead Guitar
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Pete Howard – Drums Percussion read less
read more
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Keith Levene – Lead Guitar
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1977
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1977-1982 Classic Line-Up
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Topper Headon – Drums Percussion 1982-1983
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Terry Chimes – Drums Percussion 1983
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Pete Howard – Drums Percussion 1983-1986 Final Line-Up
Joe Strummer – Lead Vocals Rhythm Guitar
Nick Sheppard – Lead Guitar Backing Vocals
Vince White – Lead Guitar
Paul Simonon – Bass Guitar Backing Vocals
Pete Howard – Drums Percussion read less
16 Similar Artists To The Clash - Frogtoon Music
Sex Pistols Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros Ramones Buzzcocks Stiff Little Fingers The Jam Big Audio Dynamite Joe Strummer The Damned Dead Kennedys The Undertones Generation X The Adverts Rancid The Ruts.
"(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais" is a song and single by The Clash, self produced and first released as a 7" single, backed with similarly themed track "The Prisoner", in June 1978.
The song was later added to the American version of the band's debut album The Clash sandwiched between the single version of "White Riot" and "London's Burning".
Inspiration and composition
The song showed considerable musical and lyrical maturity for the band at the time and is stylistically more in line with their version of Junior Murvin's "Police & Thieves" as the powerful guitar intro of "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais" descends into a slower ska rhythm, and was disorienting to a lot of the fans who had grown used to their earlier work. “We were a big fat riff group,” author Joe Strummer noted in The Clash's film Westway to the World. “We weren't supposed to do something like that.”
"(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais" starts by recounting an all-night reggae "showcase" night at the Hammersmith Palais in Shepherd's Bush, London that was attended by Joe Strummer, Don Letts and roadie Rodent and was headlined by Dillinger, Leroy Smart and Delroy Wilson. Strummer was disappointed and disillusioned that these performances had been more "pop" and "lightweight" similar to Ken Boothe's brand of reggae with Four Tops-like dance routines, and that the acts had been "performances" rather than the roots rock rebellion that he had been hoping for.
The song then moves away from the disappointing concert to address various other themes, nearly all relating to the state of Britain at the time. First giving an anti-violence message, then addressing the state of 'wealth distribution' in Britain, promoting unity between the Black and White youths of the country before moving on to address the state of the British punk rock scene in 1978 which was becoming more mainstream.
Included is a jibe at an unnamed group who wear Burton suits, taken by many to be The Jam (though in an NME article of the time, Strummer claimed the actual target was the power pop fad hyped by journalists as the next big thing in 1978) and the lyric concludes that the new groups are in it solely to be famous and for the money.
The final lines fret over the social decline of Britain, noting sardonically that things were getting to the point where even Adolf Hitler could expect to be sent a limousine in the unlikely event of flying into London.
The single was reissued in June 1978 with a different cover art.
This song was one of Joe Strummer's favorites, he continued to play it live with his new band The Mescaleros until his death and it was played at his funeral.
Critical reception
"(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais" helped The Clash assert themselves as a more versatile band musically and politically than many of their peers, and it broke the exciting but limiting punk mould that had been established by the Sex Pistols; from now on The Clash would be "the thinking man's yobs".
Robert Christgau recommended the single for "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais" in his Consumer Guide, published by Village Voice, on 4 September 1978, and described the song as a must. Denise Sullivan of Allmusic wrote that "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" may have actually been the first song to merge punk and reggae."
In 2004, Rolling Stone rated the song as #430 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.