My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
- KCportland
- Bang Ice Geezer
- Posts: 169
- Joined: 23 May 2015, 12:49am
- Location: Seattle
My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
I do this every few years on this board hoping the powers that be will hear this, so here comes another edition of me begging for Mick and co to release the Rat Patrol mix! (with some, mostly, new observations)
I've been hoping for that ever-elusive Mick mix of Rat Patrol to surface one of these days. It may be a long shot, but I really think he needs to release it as a standalone set, filed as a compilation (ala the Beach Boy's 2011 Smile release).
Here's why I believe this is so important (I'm about to get long winded here but bear with me, I swear I'm getting around to a point!):
I am 30 years old, I discovered the Clash when I was 13 and soon discovered this here message board in 2003, where my interest in the band became a full blown obsession. As I got older, the "rock"-era Clash became less and less interesting to me, as I developed a liking for other genres (electronic/IDM, 60s/70s obscure psych, canterbury scene, afro-beat, kraut rock, shoegaze). However, I found that my interest in '81/'82 era studio Clash greatly accelerated, largely because after years of not listening to the Clash I happened to hear a clerk playing the Rat Patrol boot in a record store I was in, and it suddenly hit me like a freight train what a marvel that recording is. Hearing it out of context like that really was a revelation. Mick and Topper were exploring territory no band at that point had trod. As I've said before, it was not a pastiche of genres like London Calling or Sandinsta, but Mick + Topper had managed to actually hybridize the rock/reggae/dance/electronic/soundscape tones they had been tinkering with into a singular beast. Rat Patrol has more in common with a Can record than it does with Combat Rock.
One thing that I think may be uncomfortable for those who were involved in it's recording, is that it is unmistakably a heroin record. I realize that only Topper was using, but his out-sized presence on this record rubbed off on the others. Joe's lyrics were at their bleakest and even the warble on the Roland Space Echo tape unit that Mick is running his guitar through sounds like an auditory representation of "nodding", going in and out of consciousness. I am not trying to glorify or condemn drug usage, but I have known several users in my life and know that these drugs affect not only the user, but it also affects closest to them in a very particular way that is hard to describe. A feeling of doom, would maybe be the closest I can get.
But back to my point, I think Mick needs to release this and do a good sized PR run on it too, because I think the Clash are increasingly being looked at as an irrelevant band by the "new guard" of music media. Does this matter to us Clash fans? Of course not, we all know perfectly well how important this music is. But I think Rat Patrol's otherworldly-ness and sonic adventurism would revive interest in the group and help younger audiences understand that this band really was on the bleeding edge. I mentioned the 2011 Smile release the Beach Boys did at the beginning for this reason, of course most die hards already had a version of it, but it helped introduced a completely new audience to an avant-garde side to a band so many had written off as "oldies".
I'm still hopeful we'll someday be able to hear Rat Patrol in all it's glory.
I've been hoping for that ever-elusive Mick mix of Rat Patrol to surface one of these days. It may be a long shot, but I really think he needs to release it as a standalone set, filed as a compilation (ala the Beach Boy's 2011 Smile release).
Here's why I believe this is so important (I'm about to get long winded here but bear with me, I swear I'm getting around to a point!):
I am 30 years old, I discovered the Clash when I was 13 and soon discovered this here message board in 2003, where my interest in the band became a full blown obsession. As I got older, the "rock"-era Clash became less and less interesting to me, as I developed a liking for other genres (electronic/IDM, 60s/70s obscure psych, canterbury scene, afro-beat, kraut rock, shoegaze). However, I found that my interest in '81/'82 era studio Clash greatly accelerated, largely because after years of not listening to the Clash I happened to hear a clerk playing the Rat Patrol boot in a record store I was in, and it suddenly hit me like a freight train what a marvel that recording is. Hearing it out of context like that really was a revelation. Mick and Topper were exploring territory no band at that point had trod. As I've said before, it was not a pastiche of genres like London Calling or Sandinsta, but Mick + Topper had managed to actually hybridize the rock/reggae/dance/electronic/soundscape tones they had been tinkering with into a singular beast. Rat Patrol has more in common with a Can record than it does with Combat Rock.
One thing that I think may be uncomfortable for those who were involved in it's recording, is that it is unmistakably a heroin record. I realize that only Topper was using, but his out-sized presence on this record rubbed off on the others. Joe's lyrics were at their bleakest and even the warble on the Roland Space Echo tape unit that Mick is running his guitar through sounds like an auditory representation of "nodding", going in and out of consciousness. I am not trying to glorify or condemn drug usage, but I have known several users in my life and know that these drugs affect not only the user, but it also affects closest to them in a very particular way that is hard to describe. A feeling of doom, would maybe be the closest I can get.
But back to my point, I think Mick needs to release this and do a good sized PR run on it too, because I think the Clash are increasingly being looked at as an irrelevant band by the "new guard" of music media. Does this matter to us Clash fans? Of course not, we all know perfectly well how important this music is. But I think Rat Patrol's otherworldly-ness and sonic adventurism would revive interest in the group and help younger audiences understand that this band really was on the bleeding edge. I mentioned the 2011 Smile release the Beach Boys did at the beginning for this reason, of course most die hards already had a version of it, but it helped introduced a completely new audience to an avant-garde side to a band so many had written off as "oldies".
I'm still hopeful we'll someday be able to hear Rat Patrol in all it's glory.
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
Does anyone have a summary of what we have and what we need? I know we have some stuff in great quality, bad quality, and some stuff with private collectors that is not in general circulation, but I can't remember for the life of me what's what.
For example:
Great quality - Straight to Hell (extended), Sean Flynn (extended), Kill Time, Beautiful People (whatever the real names are)
Bad quality - Should I Stay (can't remember if this was in good condition)
Not in circulation - Long Time Jerk? One of the b-sides had an extended mix that I know is floating around among a few people but not open for general sharing.
For example:
Great quality - Straight to Hell (extended), Sean Flynn (extended), Kill Time, Beautiful People (whatever the real names are)
Bad quality - Should I Stay (can't remember if this was in good condition)
Not in circulation - Long Time Jerk? One of the b-sides had an extended mix that I know is floating around among a few people but not open for general sharing.
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.
- KCportland
- Bang Ice Geezer
- Posts: 169
- Joined: 23 May 2015, 12:49am
- Location: Seattle
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
My white whale is a high fidelity issue of the extended version of Inoculated City. Might be my favorite RP track, even in the degraded version that is circulating. Also, a more complete/hifi version of the extended mix of OPBF that is found on the Rat Patrol from Hell W10 boot, if such a thing exists. (I know OPBF was not intended to be on Rat Patrol, but it would be cool to have)matedog wrote: ↑24 Jun 2020, 6:50pmDoes anyone have a summary of what we have and what we need? I know we have some stuff in great quality, bad quality, and some stuff with private collectors that is not in general circulation, but I can't remember for the life of me what's what.
For example:
Great quality - Straight to Hell (extended), Sean Flynn (extended), Kill Time, Beautiful People (whatever the real names are)
Bad quality - Should I Stay (can't remember if this was in good condition)
Not in circulation - Long Time Jerk? One of the b-sides had an extended mix that I know is floating around among a few people but not open for general sharing.
- Heston
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
A pristine sounding Inoculated City would be the main draw for me. Love that coda.KCportland wrote: ↑24 Jun 2020, 7:36pmMy white whale is a high fidelity issue of the extended version of Inoculated City. Might be my favorite RP track, even in the degraded version that is circulating. Also, a more complete/hifi version of the extended mix of OPBF that is found on the Rat Patrol from Hell W10 boot, if such a thing exists. (I know OPBF was not intended to be on Rat Patrol, but it would be cool to have)matedog wrote: ↑24 Jun 2020, 6:50pmDoes anyone have a summary of what we have and what we need? I know we have some stuff in great quality, bad quality, and some stuff with private collectors that is not in general circulation, but I can't remember for the life of me what's what.
For example:
Great quality - Straight to Hell (extended), Sean Flynn (extended), Kill Time, Beautiful People (whatever the real names are)
Bad quality - Should I Stay (can't remember if this was in good condition)
Not in circulation - Long Time Jerk? One of the b-sides had an extended mix that I know is floating around among a few people but not open for general sharing.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board
-
chocolatejesus
- Dirty Punk
- Posts: 101
- Joined: 23 Sep 2017, 1:50am
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
Did Joe reject the Mix because he didnt like it or was it bernies Input?
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
LIkely both.chocolatejesus wrote: ↑25 Jun 2020, 12:24pmDid Joe reject the Mix because he didnt like it or was it bernies Input?
In any case, the OP could have been written by me. I'm all for this, but I know Mick feels icky about releasing it without Joe's approval.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc
-
topperville
- Dirty Punk
- Posts: 123
- Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 12:01pm
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
You’re 30 years old! You’ve got to wait a couple of more decades then - like I have. And I’m still waiting... I’ll be dead before I get to hear it... It’s like my holy grail!KCportland wrote: ↑24 Jun 2020, 5:35pmI do this every few years on this board hoping the powers that be will hear this, so here comes another edition of me begging for Mick and co to release the Rat Patrol mix! (with some, mostly, new observations)
I've been hoping for that ever-elusive Mick mix of Rat Patrol to surface one of these days. It may be a long shot, but I really think he needs to release it as a standalone set, filed as a compilation (ala the Beach Boy's 2011 Smile release).
Here's why I believe this is so important (I'm about to get long winded here but bear with me, I swear I'm getting around to a point!):
I am 30 years old, I discovered the Clash when I was 13 and soon discovered this here message board in 2003, where my interest in the band became a full blown obsession. As I got older, the "rock"-era Clash became less and less interesting to me, as I developed a liking for other genres (electronic/IDM, 60s/70s obscure psych, canterbury scene, afro-beat, kraut rock, shoegaze). However, I found that my interest in '81/'82 era studio Clash greatly accelerated, largely because after years of not listening to the Clash I happened to hear a clerk playing the Rat Patrol boot in a record store I was in, and it suddenly hit me like a freight train what a marvel that recording is. Hearing it out of context like that really was a revelation. Mick and Topper were exploring territory no band at that point had trod. As I've said before, it was not a pastiche of genres like London Calling or Sandinsta, but Mick + Topper had managed to actually hybridize the rock/reggae/dance/electronic/soundscape tones they had been tinkering with into a singular beast. Rat Patrol has more in common with a Can record than it does with Combat Rock.
One thing that I think may be uncomfortable for those who were involved in it's recording, is that it is unmistakably a heroin record. I realize that only Topper was using, but his out-sized presence on this record rubbed off on the others. Joe's lyrics were at their bleakest and even the warble on the Roland Space Echo tape unit that Mick is running his guitar through sounds like an auditory representation of "nodding", going in and out of consciousness. I am not trying to glorify or condemn drug usage, but I have known several users in my life and know that these drugs affect not only the user, but it also affects closest to them in a very particular way that is hard to describe. A feeling of doom, would maybe be the closest I can get.
But back to my point, I think Mick needs to release this and do a good sized PR run on it too, because I think the Clash are increasingly being looked at as an irrelevant band by the "new guard" of music media. Does this matter to us Clash fans? Of course not, we all know perfectly well how important this music is. But I think Rat Patrol's otherworldly-ness and sonic adventurism would revive interest in the group and help younger audiences understand that this band really was on the bleeding edge. I mentioned the 2011 Smile release the Beach Boys did at the beginning for this reason, of course most die hards already had a version of it, but it helped introduced a completely new audience to an avant-garde side to a band so many had written off as "oldies".
I'm still hopeful we'll someday be able to hear Rat Patrol in all it's glory.
- Heston
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
The thing is, it's out there anyway, just in varying quality. A few tracks have even seen an official release on Sound System. I just can't see what harm there would be in doing a deluxe version of CR with those mixes as a bonus disc.Kory wrote: ↑25 Jun 2020, 4:04pmLIkely both.chocolatejesus wrote: ↑25 Jun 2020, 12:24pmDid Joe reject the Mix because he didnt like it or was it bernies Input?
In any case, the OP could have been written by me. I'm all for this, but I know Mick feels icky about releasing it without Joe's approval.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
Super-agree. They wouldn't even have to call the second disc "Rat Patrol Mixes" or whatever, if Mick is reluctant. They'll just be alternate mixes, but WE'LL know, oh yes...Heston wrote: ↑25 Jun 2020, 4:50pmThe thing is, it's out there anyway, just in varying quality. A few tracks have even seen an official release on Sound System. I just can't see what harm there would be in doing a deluxe version of CR with those mixes as a bonus disc.Kory wrote: ↑25 Jun 2020, 4:04pmLIkely both.chocolatejesus wrote: ↑25 Jun 2020, 12:24pmDid Joe reject the Mix because he didnt like it or was it bernies Input?
In any case, the OP could have been written by me. I'm all for this, but I know Mick feels icky about releasing it without Joe's approval.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc
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Low Down Low
- Unknown Immortal
- Posts: 5006
- Joined: 21 Aug 2014, 9:08am
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
Maybe mick thinks if there was an official release it would dredge up a lot of interest in a particularly fractious period of the bands history and questions he'd probably rather not have to address. Pure speculation mind, but i could certainly understand such a perspective. I respect his reasons regardless and echo the posts about inoculated city. Would be near top of my list for any new clash related release, it is really damn good.
- 101Walterton
- The Best
- Posts: 21973
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 5:36pm
- Location: Volcanic Rock In The Pacific
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
I think the last time this discussion came up TeddyB put it to bed. Mick won’t release it without Joe’s permission so end of story. That was my understanding anyway.
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
To repeat my earlier question, what is not available (in regular trading circles) in great quality? Other than Inoculated City.
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.
- Heston
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
As far as I can tell, the only tracks in near to full fidelity are these...
SISOSIG
Straight To Hell
Kill Time
The Beautiful People
Ghetto Defendant
Sean Flynn
Walk Evil Talk
First Night Back In London
Cool Confusion
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board
- 101Walterton
- The Best
- Posts: 21973
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 5:36pm
- Location: Volcanic Rock In The Pacific
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
- Heston
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: My semi-annual plea for Rat Patrol, part 27
Not sure. Was the tracklisting ever set in stone?101Walterton wrote: ↑25 Jun 2020, 7:55pmDoes Walk Evil Talk count?
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board