Friday, September 7, 2012

Your Friday Clash Song: “You Can Buy Another Singer Like You Got A Lotta Money …”



“Beautiful People Are Ugly Too,” from the unreleased LP, Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg, which eventually morphed into Combat Rock (1982), the last studio album by the real Clash (i.e., with both Joe Strummer and Mick Jones). According to Wikipedia:
Combat Rock was originally planned as a double album with the working title Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg, but the idea was scrapped after internal wrangling within the group. Mick Jones had mixed the first version, but the other members were dissatisfied and mixing/producing duties were handed to Glyn Johns, at which point the album became a single LP. The original mixes were later bootlegged.
Be that as it may, it’s a catchy tune. And now that the conventions are over, it’s hard to resist playing it in honor of Lord and Lady Romney, who just don’t understand why you people aren’t rallying around them the way commoners are supposed to rally around nobility. It’s their turn, after all.
Anyway, sadly for Mittens and Lady Ann, despite having a lotta money, there aren’t a lot of singers they can buy; and, sadder still, there are plenty of singers that Pres. Obama doesn’t have to buy, as Rolling Stone magazine explains:
From Silversun Pickups to Twisted Sister, artists have been lamenting the use of their music by Republicans in the 2012 presidential campaign. Tom Petty can relate. “I’ve been on the wrong side where I’ve had to tell some candidates to stop using my music,” he told Rolling Stone on the MTV VMAs red carpet.
But Petty was pleasantly surprised on Wednesday night, when his song “I Won’t Back Down” played as President Obama walked onstage at the Democratic National Convention, after former President Bill Clinton’s speech. “I got chills,” said Petty. “They knew it would be okay. I’ve had a chance to meet the President and talk to him about the music he listens to.”
Poor Willard. That’s gotta sting. You’ll never be as cool as Chicago’s own Barack Obama.
So, anyway, there it is. Your Friday Clash Song.
Turn. It. Up.

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