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"The Guns of Brixton" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash, originally released on their 1979 album London Calling. It was written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon , who grew up in Brixton , South London.
The Guns of Brixton" was the first of bassist Paul Simonon's compositions the band would record for an album, and the first to have him sing lead. Simonon was originally doubtful about its lyrics, which discuss an individual's paranoid outlook on life, but was encouraged by Strummer to continue working on it. [21]
"Clampdown" is a song by the English rock band the Clash from their 1979 album London Calling. The song began as an instrumental track called "Working and Waiting". [1] It is sometimes called "Working for the Clampdown" which is the main lyric of the song, and also the title provided on the album's lyric sheet.
It also samples the songs "The Guns of Brixton" by the Clash, the Once Upon a Time in the West theme by Ennio Morricone, and "Jam Hot" by Johnny Dynell. "Dub Be Good to Me" was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom and also reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
The Clash's song "The Guns of Brixton" predates the riots but the lyrics depict the feelings of discontent in the area because of the heavy-handedness of the police. [27] In the Only Fools and Horses episode, "The Russians Are Coming", it is mentioned by Rodney that Del Boy sold paving slabs to rioters. [28]
"The Guns of Brixton" is a dread-sick skank, a reggae song that evinces punk's political violence. The most astonishing number is "Clampdown," which burns through the middle of the album with kneecap-cracking beats and a heroic three-note guitar solo.
The Clash performed "White Riot" in public for the first time when they played the 100 Club Punk Festival on 20 September 1976. [14] " White Riot" is considered a classic in the Clash canon, although as the band matured, Mick Jones would at times refuse to play it, [ 15 ] considering it crude and musically inept.
The album was listed at #12 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "There's ska, rock steady, roots reggae, a revelatory cover of The Clash's "Guns of Brixton" delivered in Cliff's trademark soulful tenor, grittier but still lovely more than 40 years after his debut." [28]