Black Market Clash 10"

[Mark^Bastard]

The original Black Market Clash (i.e, not Super Black Market Clash) is great, particularly the B-side. It only occurred to me recently that the songs on it may be 'cut' compared to Super. Thought I'd look deeper into it.

Bankrobber/Robber Dub
6:16 on Black Market
Normal cut of Bankrobber is 4:33 and Robber Dub is 4:42 on Super Black Market. The song on Black Market is seamless. It's basically Bankrobber with a slightly different play speed, then instead of fading out in the end it gets a bit dub for the last 2 minutes. Therefore it's really a 3rd mix. Bankrobber doesn't appear at all on Super.

Armagideon Time
3:50 - Seems like the normal cut of the song

Justice Tonight/Kick It Over
7:00 on the 10"
8:54 on Super and seemingly the B-side of London Calling 12".
This one may be the more interesting one. On Black Market there's really two songs put together. First one ends at 2:15 with a fadeout but the next part starts behind it completely fades.
On Super it has the same transition at around 4:09
In summary, 'Justice Tonight' is 2:15 on Black Market and around 4:08 on Super.
That means 'Kick it Over' is around 4:45 on Black Market and seemingly the same length on Super. So it was the 'Justice Tonight' part that was cut in half.

I don't really have access to their single B-Sides to see if there's an 'authoritative' early play length for certain songs, but it seems to me that potentially two of these songs were edited to fit on the 10" format.

[Flex]

That 10" is one of my favorite Clash releases. The edit from Bankrobber into Robber Dub is perfect and it's my favorite way to hear either song now. I think no-longer-around-often Banky turned me onto the virtues of this version of Bankrobber.

Pressure Drop on the 10" is also presented in a unique mix done by Bill Price. Can't remember if there were any other quirks besides the shortened Justice Tonight/Kick it Over. Really great little record.

Drastic Plastic did a fantastic reissue of it about 10 years ago for anyone who can still find a copy of that pressing. All the CD versions use the same mastering (I think) and sound pretty decent too. Marky, of course, has worked his magic on all these tracks over the years.

[matedog]

Thanks for the clarification on this. It has always been a bit confusing to me. And it reminded me that I've never heard Robber Dub, so i'll give it a spin today.

[matedog]

Pressure Drop on the 10" is also presented in a unique mix done by Bill Price.

This was also new to me. Nothing dramatic, but a clear difference.

[PatricE]

8:51 12” version.

[weller259]

BMC c

BMC d

that original 10" is brilliant, I played the living hell out of mine, at HIGH volume, for years. That is still a Go-To for me. I love the Bankrobber/Robber Dub on that, its awesome. The entire record is one of my desert-island discs without question.
I don't mind the other versions like on Super, but I will always prefer the 10" versions myself. Also have to mention that Time Is Tight on that totally kicks ass.

I do have a Columbia CD copy of the 10" with those original mixes, got it online many years ago, can upload it if anyone wants it.

[Heston]

Pressure Drop on the 10" is also presented in a unique mix done by Bill Price.

This was also new to me. Nothing dramatic, but a clear difference.

I thought the two different mixes of Pressure Drop were common knowledge. The BMC version even has a completely different Joe vocal take to the b-side version.

[matedog]

Pressure Drop on the 10" is also presented in a unique mix done by Bill Price.

This was also new to me. Nothing dramatic, but a clear difference.

I thought the two different mixes of Pressure Drop were common knowledge. The BMC version even has a completely different Joe vocal take to the b-side version.

BMC wasn't easy to come by for awhile so I never sought it out for the minor differences. It's nice to be able to peruse on youtube though.

[Marky Dread]

Thanks for the clarification on this. It has always been a bit confusing to me. And it reminded me that I've never heard Robber Dub, so i'll give it a spin today.

The compilations I put together "Guttersnipes from Garageland", All The Peacemakers" and "The New Testament" cover all these tracks. Thought you would've downloaded those. Never mind.

[Heston]

Pressure Drop on the 10" is also presented in a unique mix done by Bill Price.

This was also new to me. Nothing dramatic, but a clear difference.

I thought the two different mixes of Pressure Drop were common knowledge. The BMC version even has a completely different Joe vocal take to the b-side version.

BMC wasn't easy to come by for awhile so I never sought it out for the minor differences. It's nice to be able to peruse on youtube though.

I just wonder if Joe re-recorded the vocal in 1980 for BMC or Bill Price used a different take from the original sessions.

[Marky Dread]

Pressure Drop on the 10" is also presented in a unique mix done by Bill Price.

This was also new to me. Nothing dramatic, but a clear difference.

I thought the two different mixes of Pressure Drop were common knowledge. The BMC version even has a completely different Joe vocal take to the b-side version.

BMC wasn't easy to come by for awhile so I never sought it out for the minor differences. It's nice to be able to peruse on youtube though.

I just wonder if Joe re-recorded the vocal in 1980 for BMC or Bill Price used a different take from the original sessions.

I would say all the vocals are '77 or '78 takes.

There are 3 versions/mixes of "Pressure Drop" that we have heard.

The B-side mix with piano but no sax.
The outtake with piano and sax.
The above two have the same vocal take.

The Bill Price alt. mix/remix with no piano but with sax
and an alternative vocal.

Plus the Lee Perry version which exists but we haven't heard.

4 in total.

In my opinion the version remixed by Bill Price has an inferior vocal to the B-side/outtake mixes.

It was said Joe had a sore throat when he did the vocal so perhaps that's why there are two vocal takes. I think the version Bill Price remixed sounds flatter and that may have actually been the first vocal take. But hey nothing is ever simple.

[Mark^Bastard]

Ahh that explains Pressure Drop! I was listening to it again and thought I'd never picked up on the subtleties before, but it's actually a different version.

The one on Black Market Clash sounds much more ska. It has horns in the offbeat. At least I think they're horns. The one on Sound System doesn't have them at all.

[Marky Dread]

Ahh that explains Pressure Drop! I was listening to it again and thought I'd never picked up on the subtleties before, but it's actually a different version.

The one on Black Market Clash sounds much more ska. It has horns in the offbeat. At least I think they're horns. The one on Sound System doesn't have them at all.

All the versions above have the same basic backing tracks. Just with other instruments added/removed like the piano or sax. Don't hear any horns other than a burst of sax at around the 2:58 mark. The Bill Price version does accentuate the ska feel.

I know Joe had mentioned he was a bit peeved when all the '79 Ska revival bands were getting the acclaim. As The Clash had been doing it two years earlier with "Pressure Drop". This might suggest the reason for the remix.

[Mark^Bastard]

Ahh you're right. I had to load both in Audacity and fuck with the levels but it is there. In Sound System it sounds more tinny and sits differently and I completely overlooked it at first.

It's very interesting, I was trying to hear it and couldn't, and now I've heard it I can't unhear it.

Is there anywhere to easily host a short mp3? Just made a 15 second clip transitioning from one to the other to illustrate the difference.

[matedog]

Ahh you're right. I had to load both in Audacity and fuck with the levels but it is there. In Sound System it sounds more tinny and sits differently and I completely overlooked it at first.

It's very interesting, I was trying to hear it and couldn't, and now I've heard it I can't unhear it.

Is there anywhere to easily host a short mp3? Just made a 15 second clip transitioning from one to the other to illustrate the difference.

Soundcloud?