London Calling

by The Clash

London Calling cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 14 December 1979
  • Label: CBS, Epic
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Length: 1:05:05
  • Community rating: 4.38/5 from 36 ratings

Artists on this release: Joe Strummer, Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon

Album Notes & Community Reviews

The sprawling double album 'London Calling' dramatically expands the band's musical vocabulary beyond punk rock, incorporating reggae, rockabilly, ska, and pop with a raw, live-in-studio energy fostered by producer Guy Stevens. The songwriting from Joe Strummer and Mick Jones matured into sharp, narrative-driven social commentary, exploring themes of unemployment, racial conflict, and the anxieties of adulthood with both urgency and melodic sophistication.

Genres

Descriptors: political, socially-conscious, genre-blending, confrontational, diverse, guitars, melodic, punchy

Tracklist

  1. London Calling (03:20)
  2. Brand New Cadillac (02:08)
  3. Jimmy Jazz (03:54)
  4. Hateful (02:43)
  5. Rudie Can't Fail (03:28)
  6. Spanish Bombs (03:18)
  7. The Right Profile (03:54)
  8. Lost in the Supermarket (03:46)
  9. Clampdown (03:49)
  10. The Guns of Brixton (03:12)
  11. Wrong 'Em Boyo (03:11)
  12. Death or Glory (03:55)
  13. Koka Kola (01:47)
  14. The Card Cheat (03:49)
  15. Lover's Rock (04:03)
  16. Four Horsemen (02:55)
  17. I'm Not Down (03:06)
  18. Revolution Rock (05:33)
  19. Train in Vain (Stand by Me) (03:14)

Credits

  • Joe Strummer - lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
  • Mick Jones - lead guitar, piano, harmonica, lead and backing vocals
  • Paul Simonon - bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on "the guns of brixton"
  • Topper Headon - drums, percussion
  • Micky Gallagher - organ
  • The Irish Horns - brass
  • Guy Stevens - producer
  • Bill Price - chief engineer
  • Jerry Green - second engineer
  • Ray Lowry - design
  • Pennie Smith - photography
  • Baker Glare - pre-production and whistling

More from The Clash: full discography