(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by The Clash | ||
| from the album The Clash (US Version) | ||
| B-side(s) | "The Prisoner" | |
| Released | June 16, 1978 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Recorded | mid-1978 | |
| Genre | Punk rock/Reggae | |
| Length | 4:00 | |
| Label | CBS Records | |
| Writer(s) | Joe Strummer/Mick Jones | |
| Producer(s) | The Clash | |
| Chart positions | ||
|
||
| The Clash singles chronology | ||
| Clash City Rockers (1978) |
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais (1978) |
Tommy Gun (1978) |
(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, and was later added to the belated American version of the band's debut album The Clash sandwiched between the single version of White Riot and London's Burning.
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 and Thieves as the powerful guitar intro of (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais descends into a slower reggae-influenced rhythm, and was disorientating 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) starts by recounting an all-night reggae "showcase" night at the Hammersmith Palais in Shepherd's Bush, London that was attended by Joe Strummer 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's 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 (though The Clash themselves have often been criticized for just that). The final lines fret over the rise of fascism, 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.
(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".
The song was covered by 311, originally to be released on their album Transistor, but was taken off at the last minute and later released in 1999 on the Clash tribute album, Burning London.
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.
The song will be the last piece of music ever performed at the Hammersmith Palais itself when the venue closes in 2007; performers will include two surviving members of the Clash.
[edit] Sources
- The Complete Clash by Keith Toppings, first published 2003, Reynolds and Hearn Ltd.
- White man's blues SMASHED HITS Pop lyrics re-appraised by the Magazine (bbc.co.uk)
