I knew something was up, so I went out in the crowd which was fairly sparse. In April, he had taken in the opening act for one of his band's gigs-the Sex Pistols. Strummer, for his part, was primed to make the switch. Jones and Levene had both seen him perform and were impressed as well. Rhodes had his eye on Strummer, with whom he made exploratory contact. Chimes recalls one Billy Watts (who "seemed to be, like, nineteen or eighteen then, as we all were") handling the duties for a time. The band was still searching for a lead singer. Chimes was asked to audition for the new band and got the job, although he soon quit. Soon Jones, Simonon on bass, Keith Levene on guitar and "whoever we could find really to play the drums" were rehearsing. A bit dangerous." At the instigation of Rhodes, Jones contacted Simonon in March, suggesting he learn an instrument so he could join the new band Jones was organising. It was a new scene, new values-so different from what had happened before. In February, Jones saw the Sex Pistols perform for the first time: "You knew straight away that was it, and this was what it was going to be like from now on. Īfter London SS broke up in early 1976, Rhodes continued as Jones' manager. Nicky Headon drummed with the band for a week, then quit. Among those who auditioned for London SS without making the cut were Paul Simonon, who tried out as a vocalist, and drummer Terry Chimes. Jones and his bandmates became friendly with Sex Pistols Glen Matlock and Steve Jones, who would assist them as they tried out potential new members. London SS were managed by Bernard Rhodes, a sometime associate of impresario Malcolm McLaren and a friend of the members of the McLaren-managed band, the Sex Pistols. Mick Jones played guitar in protopunk band London SS, which rehearsed for much of 1975 without ever playing a live show and recording only a single demo. By the time the Clash came together two years later, he had already abandoned his original stage name, "Woody" Mellor, in favour of "Joe Strummer", a reference to his rudimentary strumming skills on the ukulele as a busker in the London Underground. John Graham Mellor sang and played rhythm guitar in the pub rock act The 101ers, which formed in 1974. History Origins: 1974–1976 īefore the Clash's founding, the band's future members were active in different parts of the London music scene. 1.6 Collaborations, reunions and Strummer's death: 1986–present.1.5 Disintegration and break up: 1982–1986.1.4 Changing style and US breakthrough: 1979–1982.1.2 Early gigs and the growing scene: 1976.In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Clash number 28 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". In January 2003, shortly after the death of Joe Strummer, the band-including original drummer Terry Chimes-were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A final album, Cut the Crap, was released in 1985 with a new lineup, and a few weeks later, the band broke up. Following continued musical experimentation on their fourth album, Sandinista! (1980), the band reached new heights of success with the release of Combat Rock (1982), which spawned the US top 10 hit " Rock the Casbah", helping the album to achieve a 2× Platinum certification there. A decade later, Rolling Stone named it the best album of the 1980s. Their experimental third album, London Calling, released in the UK in December 1979, earned them popularity in the United States when it was released there the following month. The Clash achieved critical and commercial success in the United Kingdom with the release of their self-titled debut album, The Clash (1977) and their second album, Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978). The group continued with new members, but finally disbanded in early 1986. Further internal friction led to Jones' departure the following year. Headon left the group in 1982 due to internal friction surrounding his increasing heroin addiction. For most of their recording career, the Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that emerged in the wake of punk and employed elements of a variety of genres including reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly. The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock.