Friday 8th April 1977 – The Clash release their debut, self-titled, album.
Having played at The Nag’s Head the previous November, The Clash signed a record deal with CBS in January 1977 and released their debut single, ‘White Riot’ in March 1977.
The debut album, running in at just over 35 minutes, consisted of 14 tracks and included a six minute cover of Junior Murvin and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s reggae classic, ‘Police & Thieves’. The track set a precedent for the cross-over between punk and reggae that many would say help inspire the Two-Tone movement a couple of years later, while the ‘Rock Against Racism’ movement, founded in 1976, would also find an allegiance between punk and reggae bands that would spawn several memorable concerts.
Ironic that the track was added to the original track listing of the album after it was realised the running time would be sub-30 minutes.
The album reached no.12 in the UK chart.
At the time of its release, this was the top 5 of the UK Album Charts
- Arrival – Abba
- Portrait of Sinatra – Frank Sinatra
- 20 Golden Greats – The Shadows
- The Unforgettable Glen Miller – Glen Miller
- Hollies Live Hits – The Hollies
Some easy listening there!
Take a listen to ‘Police & Thieves’ – the most ‘easy listening’ track on The Clash’s debut album.