ROCK Sex: "Charlie Don't Surf" - APOCALYPSE NOW > The Clash > Tears For Fears

ROCK Sex says Uncle Sam don't think but we think he should.

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APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) is Francis Ford Coppola's epic meditation on the insanity of the Vietnam War.

He particularly skewers military imperialism in a sequence where U.S. soldiers seize a beach just for some surfing recreation. When asked why, the off-sane Officer (Robert Duvall) scoffs that the Vietcong (called the VC, or 'Victor Charlie') are no threat because "Charlie don't surf."




Joe Strummer, who traveled the world as a child with his diplomat father, put the political consciousness into Punk music.

He used the line as the title of a song mocking American Imperialism with such lines as,

"Everybody wants to rule the world
Must be something we get from birth"

THE CLASH -"Charlie Don't Surf" (1981)



A few years later, Strummer amiably approached Roland Orzabal, saying he'd nicked the title for Tears For Fears own hit, "so give us a fiver".

Roland smiled and paid up.

TEARS FOR FEARS -"Everybody Wants To Rule the World" (1985)




© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage

• "Brand New Cadillac" - Vince Taylor > The Clash > Ziggy Stardust

• "Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze

• "I Fought the Law and I Won!" - The Crickets > Bobby Fuller > The Clash > Metric

• "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin > The Clash

• "Straight To Hell" - The Clash > Alex Cox > Lilly Allen > MIA

• "I CAN'T EXPLAIN" - The Who > David Bowie > The Clash > Fatboy Slim > The Hives


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: "Straight To Hell" - The Clash > Alex Cox > Lilly Allen > MIA

ROCK Sex wants "to play mind-crazed banjo on the druggy-drag ragtime U.S.A.".

Today's cultural hand-off is "Straight To Hell" by The Clash.

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Today's cultural hand-off is "Straight To Hell" by The Clash.

Frontman Joe Strummer's haunting screed against the fallout from Colonialist exploitation of Third World countries is often considered the finest and most beautiful song the band ever did. Here's the uncut, unreleased longer version of it.

THE CLASH -"Straight To Hell" (extended version) (1982)



The title was borrowed by rogue filmmaker and Punk auteur Alex Cox (REPO MAN, SID & NANCY) for his own flick, and he returned the favor by casting Joe Strummer.

With a cast that includes (incredibly) Joe Strummer, Courtney Love, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello, The Pogues, Dennis Hopper, and Jim Jarmusch, it's a wonder the set didn't spontaneously combust! (The film is basically a home movie of soused friends improv-ing, but it has its moments.)

A PostPunk homage to the Italian Westerns of the '60s, take note of the tribute to Ennio Morricone's scores in this manic trailer.

"STRAIGHT TO HELL" trailer (1987)



In the fine global music and radical rebel tradition of Joe Strummer, The Slits, and Neneh Cherry, here is British-Sri Lankan activist rapper M.I.A. using the song as the foundation of her own song.

M.I.A. -"Paper Planes" (2008)



Here is Clash guitarist Mick Jones producing and singing with Joe Strummer's goddaughter Lily Allen on this atmospheric and pretty remake.

LILY ALLEN + Mick Jones -"Straight To Hell" (2009)



And the throughline continues.

AMASA HINES -"Straight To Hell" (2012)




© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage

• "Brand New Cadillac" - Vince Taylor > The Clash > Ziggy Stardust

• "Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze

• "I Fought the Law and I Won!" - The Crickets > Bobby Fuller > The Clash > Metric

• "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin > The Clash

• "I CAN'T EXPLAIN" - The Who > David Bowie > The Clash > Fatboy Slim > The Hives

• "Charlie Don't Surf" - APOCALYPSE NOW > The Clash > Tears For Fears


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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LADIES FIRST: "Fujiyama Mama" - Annisteen Allen > Wanda Jackson > Pearl Harbor

LADIES FIRST presents another classic song that 'she did first'.


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We all love "Fujiyama Mama" made famous by Wanda Jackson, but the actual first version of the song was belted out by fierce Annisteen Allen a few years before...

ANNISTEEN ALLEN -"Fujiyama Mama" (1955)



Rockabilly hellion Wanda Jackson put her own brand on the song, with some storied back-up from legendary guitarist Joe Maphis.

WANDA JACKSON -"Fujiyama Mama" (1957)



The song has some fantastic lyrics, but veers into questionable taste with its references to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Perversely, the song was a massive hit for Wanda in Japan! Perhaps it was the equation of Japan and the fury of Rock'n'Roll that made it such a winner there.

Pearl Harbor And The Explosions were no strangers to upending conventions and skewering stereotypes in the San Francisco punk scene. Here's Pearl flipping the song full circle in Japan, backed by THE CLASH during the years she was married to bassist Paul Simenon.

PEARL HARBOR + The Clash -"Fujiyama Mama" (1982)




"I drank a quart of Saki, smoked dynamite,
I chase it with tobacky and then shoot out the light!"


© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• WOMEN OF ROCK: The 1950s, with 2 Music Players!


• LADIES FIRST: "When the Levee Breaks!" - Memphis Minnie > Led Zeppelin

• LADIES FIRST: "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton > Elvis > Jimi Hendrix

• LADIES FIRST: "See See Rider" - Ma Rainey > Janis Joplin > Mitch Ryder


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin > The Clash

Photo of suspects by Caroline Coon.

ROCK Sex says, 'up against the wall'.

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"Police and Thieves" was first done by Reggae star Junior Murvin. Produced by the crazed Lee Perry, his sweet falsetto works in compassionate contrast to the harsh realities he's speaking to.

JUNIOR MURVIN -"Police and Thieves" (1976)



The Clash made it even more famous, helping build the bridge between Reggae and Punk/PostPunk culture.

THE CLASH -"Police and Thieves" (1977)




© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• "Slippin' Into Darkness!" - War > Bob Marley > Tupac

• "Indian Rope Man": Richie Havens > Julie Driscoll + Brian Auger > Bob Marley

• "Chase the Devil Out of Earth!" - Max Romeo > Lee Perry > The Prodigy


• Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage

• "I Fought the Law and I Won!" - The Crickets > Bobby Fuller > The Clash > Metric

• "Charlie Don't Surf" - APOCALYPSE NOW > The Clash > Tears For Fears


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: "Mystery Train" - Carter Family > Jr. Parker > Elvis Presley > Jim Jarmusch

ROCK Sex is going round, round the bend.

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The Carter Family are universally known as 'The First Family of Country Music'. Led by guitarist Mother Maybelle, they had an incalculable impact on Country, Bluegrass, and Blues artists for decades.

In their famous standard, "Worried Man Blues" (1930) you hear these lines:

"The train arrived sixteen coaches long/
The train arrived sixteen coaches long/
The girl I love is on that train and gone."

Here's son-in-law Johnny Cash having a family rave-up on his TV show (1969-1971):

THE CARTER FAMILY -"Worried Man Blues" (live)



These lines inspired Memphis Blues artist Junior Parker and his producer, Sam Phillips, to co-write this classic:

JUNIOR PARKER -"Mystery Train" (1953)



Shortly afterward Sam Phillips asked another label mate to try his hand on the throttle. Here's Elvis Presley with one of his signature songs:

ELVIS PRESLEY -"Mystery Train" (1955)



John Fogerty used the train as a metaphor for the impact of Elvis in this tribute.

JOHN FOGERTY -"Big Train From Memphis" (1985)



Indie auteur Jim Jarmusch box-carred Memphis, its deep musical history, and the ghost of Elvis into his great film, MYSTERY TRAIN (1989). The cast included Screaming Jay Hawkins, Joe Strummer (The Clash), Rufus Thomas, Steve Buscemi, Elizabeth Bracco (The Sopranos), Nicoletta Braschi, Masatoshi Nagase, and the voice of Tom Waits. Essential viewing for Rock'n'Roll film fans:

MYSTERY TRAIN trailer (1989)




© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• SHAKE AND FINGER POP! Soul Music and the Interior Truth, with Music Player!


• "I Thank You" - Sam And Dave > ZZ Top

• "Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze

• "Take Me To the River" - Al Green > Bryan Ferry > Talking Heads

-1950s Rock, C: The 80s disciples‏



• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: "Brand New Cadillac" - Vince Taylor > The Clash > Ziggy Stardust

ROCK Sex puts the rubber to the road.

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UK Rockabilly rebel Vince Taylor should have been his country's Elvis. Instead he ended up having two powerful impacts on the future.

Firstly he recorded this slamming classic:

VINCE TAYLOR & THE PLAYBOYS -"Brand New Cadillac" (1958)



This was propelled to international status with The Clash's stellar cover on the crucial London Calling album:

THE CLASH -"Brand New Cadillac" (1979)


This led to other great versions in the chain by Brian Setzer, The Kelpies, Os Catalepticos, and Joe Strummer himself.

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Taylor was a volatile personality whose charisma onstage was matched by self-destructiveness backstage.

He was poised for another surge of fame in the mid-'60s, including opening for The Rolling Stones, when these both combined for the worst. Binging on acid, speed, and drink, he proclaimed himself a prophet onstage and sermonized the audience about UFOs and Jesus in white robes before abruptly tearing up the stage.

This theatrical meltdown, essentially a live Pop career suicide akin to performance art, had a huge impact on David Bowie, which inspired him to combine the incident with the feral implosion of Iggy Pop and The Stooges (and a sprinkle of Alvin Stardust) to create the breakthrough concept album, Ziggy Stardust.

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During the Punk days, Adam Ant came by a gold chain once owned by Vince Taylor and later wrote a song about it.

ADAM ANT -"Vince Taylor" (2013)



© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• 1950s PUNK: Sex, Thugs, and Rock'n'Roll!

• Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage

• "Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze

• "I Fought the Law and I Won!" - The Crickets > Bobby Fuller > The Clash > Metric

• "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin > The Clash

• "Straight To Hell" - The Clash > Alex Cox > Lilly Allen > MIA

• "I CAN'T EXPLAIN" - The Who > David Bowie > The Clash > Fatboy Slim > The Hives

• "Charlie Don't Surf" - APOCALYPSE NOW > The Clash > Tears For Fears

• "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie > Bauhaus


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage

ROCK Sex is about how everyone's input in music expands it.

Yesterday I gave the example of how a single song, "The Train Kept A-Rollin" can be redefined by each person who relayed it on. But today is an example of how two different songs lead to a third song.

1.
The Rolling Stones did "Stupid Girl"
(I know, I know, don't shoot me for their message)...

The Rolling Stones -"Stupid Girl" (1966)


+ 2.
The Clash later made this song...

The Clash -"Train In Vain" (1979)


= 3.
And Garbage combined the sentiment of the Stones song with the sampled beat of the Clash song for something new in this big hit...

Garbage- "Stupid Girl" (1995)



There are some bands who are wizards at this kind of pop alchemy. Everyone synthesizes their influences, of course, but some take clear markers and make new paths right in front of you; like Garbage, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Portishead, Elastica, Beck, DJ Shadow, or Peaches.



© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• "Exile On GRRL Street", Or How THE STONES Can Tribute Riot Grrrls Tributing Them!

• "Brand New Cadillac" - Vince Taylor > The Clash > Ziggy Stardust

• "Push it real good!" - Beach Boys > Salt-n-Pepa > Garbage


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist

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