Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

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InthePouringRain
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Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by InthePouringRain »

Personally, I love the five-piece lineup of the Clash that played during 1980, with Mickey on keys. He added a new dimension to their live sound, and considering the fact that he was all over the Sandinista album, I wonder why they didn't invite him back for their 1981 gigs in support of the album. Could they not afford to pay for a fifth musician? Was he busy with other commitments? Or did they just not think he was necessary?

For one thing, it would be awesome to hear songs such as "Broadway" and "One More Time" live with Mickey's contributions to them. Help me out, Clash historians! :D

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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by Heston »

Didn't he break his arm playing football with the Clash? Not sure what year that was though.

I definitely think money would have been an issue in 1981. They were meant to be doing a world tour in early 81 but CBS pulled the plug for financial reasons.
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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by IkarisOne »

InthePouringRain wrote:
01 Apr 2021, 1:28pm
Personally, I love the five-piece lineup of the Clash that played during 1980, with Mickey on keys. He added a new dimension to their live sound, and considering the fact that he was all over the Sandinista album, I wonder why they didn't invite him back for their 1981 gigs in support of the album. Could they not afford to pay for a fifth musician? Was he busy with other commitments? Or did they just not think he was necessary?

For one thing, it would be awesome to hear songs such as "Broadway" and "One More Time" live with Mickey's contributions to them. Help me out, Clash historians! :D

I know he and NWR were very upset about the writing credits issue so that may have been part of it

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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by Silent Majority »

In the light of what the extra musicians would have brought to arrangements, bringing in writing credits that said the Clash actually looks a little spiteful.
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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by Heston »

Silent Majority wrote:
01 Apr 2021, 4:17pm
In the light of what the extra musicians would have brought to arrangements, bringing in writing credits that said the Clash actually looks a little spiteful.
Back to the old top line melody and lyrics makes the song argument. Pretty commonplace back then to have that Tin Pan Alley model. Things are different now.
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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by matedog »

Heston wrote:
01 Apr 2021, 1:48pm
Didn't he break his arm playing football with the Clash? Not sure what year that was though.

I definitely think money would have been an issue in 1981. They were meant to be doing a world tour in early 81 but CBS pulled the plug for financial reasons.
The football item was what I've heard from multiple sources. Still seems like they could have brought him up by October if he broke his arm in March or April of 81.

Looks like he was making Blockheads gigs in June of 81:


I'm guessing that band took precedence if there was overlap. But I haven't found good documentation of their 81 shows beyond some shows listed on setlist.fm.
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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by Heston »

IkarisOne wrote:
01 Apr 2021, 3:45pm
InthePouringRain wrote:
01 Apr 2021, 1:28pm
Personally, I love the five-piece lineup of the Clash that played during 1980, with Mickey on keys. He added a new dimension to their live sound, and considering the fact that he was all over the Sandinista album, I wonder why they didn't invite him back for their 1981 gigs in support of the album. Could they not afford to pay for a fifth musician? Was he busy with other commitments? Or did they just not think he was necessary?

For one thing, it would be awesome to hear songs such as "Broadway" and "One More Time" live with Mickey's contributions to them. Help me out, Clash historians! :D

I know he and NWR were very upset about the writing credits issue so that may have been part of it
Didn't the legal stuff with Norman and Mickey come later? Possibly around the time of Story of the Clash?
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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by matedog »

matedog wrote:
01 Apr 2021, 6:09pm

Looks like he was making Blockheads gigs in June of 81:
Just watching snippets of that, god NWR is such a shit hot bass player. I mean, it seems like that to this non-bass player.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by Marky Dread »

matedog wrote:
02 Apr 2021, 9:42am
matedog wrote:
01 Apr 2021, 6:09pm

Looks like he was making Blockheads gigs in June of 81:
Just watching snippets of that, god NWR is such a shit hot bass player. I mean, it seems like that to this non-bass player.
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Re: Why didn't Mickey Gallagher return for the Sandinista! tour?

Post by Chairman Ralph »

Didn't the legal stuff with Norman and Mickey come later? Possibly around the time of Story of the Clash?
I remember something along those lines, too, that they ended up taking action, and that's how their names ended up added to "Magnificent Seven" -- whose creation is well-documented, of course. Marcus Gray also explores this angle a bit in Route 19, which I just checked, to see if he answers that question, but I can't find a reference to the rest of that story about their grievances.

But this Gallagher quote, I think, speaks volumes: "It was Mates' Rates, which I regretted later," as does this one: "You'd think, we're all in this together, we'll get paid later, or get paid in kind, or be considered for something at some point...Were we bollocks!"" So if he didn't end up coming back on that basis, I could see that. But I'd have to see something else before I'd say for sure.

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