Simon Humphries "The Clash"

[Marky Dread]

This is a bit more detailed than what I've read previously.

https://www-soundonsound-com.cdn.amppro ... white-riot

[Kory]

This is a bit more detailed than what I've read previously.

https://www-soundonsound-com.cdn.amppro ... white-riot

Very cool. I love technical details.

[Marky Dread]

This is a bit more detailed than what I've read previously.

https://www-soundonsound-com.cdn.amppro ... white-riot

Very cool. I love technical details.

Yeah me too. Simon seems a real decent guy.

[JohnS]

Yes, cheers marky, an interesting read. I never knew CBS had such a large studio complex by the sounds of it- everyone knows about Abbey Road studios but Whitfield Street never gets any publicity.
Mind you, like every studio the Clash used, it’s vanished now!

[Heston]

I love that website and have read just about everything in their "Classic Tracks" series. I'm a total trainspotter when it comes to all those technical details.

The comments about Paul playing on all the tracks is interesting because I've seen a few people allege he didn't play on it.

[Marky Dread]

I love that website and have read just about everything in their "Classic Tracks" series. I'm a total trainspotter when it comes to all those technical details.

The comments about Paul playing on all the tracks is interesting because I've seen a few people allege he didn't play on it.

I've always thought Paul played on the album. Even if some parts were most likely just parrot fashion from Mick's tutoring. Which is more than fine considering Paul was a novice compared to Mick and Joe.

[Heston]

I love that website and have read just about everything in their "Classic Tracks" series. I'm a total trainspotter when it comes to all those technical details.

The comments about Paul playing on all the tracks is interesting because I've seen a few people allege he didn't play on it.

I've always thought Paul played on the album. Even if some parts were most likely just parrot fashion from Mick's tutoring. Which is more than fine considering Paul was a novice compared to Mick and Joe.

I personally think that apart from that chunk of Sandinista (and CTC), he played on most of their songs. I think I've been listening to the Clash long enough to know his style and sound.

[TeddyB Not Logged In]

I know Mick’s a fan of Paul’s playing, certainly by this point. Though I do hear some of Mick on the LC album, I don’t think he replaced him to near the level Keith and Taylor and assorted stand up bassists replaced Bill Wyman’s parts. I do think Mick layered enough guitars on the early albums to fill out Joe’s sound.

[Marky Dread]

I know Mick’s a fan of Paul’s playing, certainly by this point. Though I do hear some of Mick on the LC album, I don’t think he replaced him to near the level Keith and Taylor and assorted stand up bassists replaced Bill Wyman’s parts. I do think Mick layered enough guitars on the early albums to fill out Joe’s sound.

Can't begin to imagine how that first album would sound if Mick had not been so competent.

[TeddyB Not Logged In]

Didn’t Jerry Green play bass on Rock the Casbah?

[Marky Dread]

Didn’t Jerry Green play bass on Rock the Casbah?

The bass on the single has a much more prominent mix than that of the album version. I wonder if Jerry is responsible for both.

[Heston]

Didn’t Jerry Green play bass on Rock the Casbah?

Well I've been investigating this mystery for years and we have a shortlist of Jerry Green, Busta Cherry Jones, Norman Watt-Roy and Topper. And could we add Mick to that?

Of all those I don't think it's Topper. If you listen to Mustapha Dance, that is one shit hot pro bass player there. I just don't think Topper would have been capable of that. Outside of that song, have we heard of Topper creating anything like it? I think he probably played a guide bass which would fit in with the story of him recording it, but I have no doubt it was scrubbed and a new part added by a session player.

Even the piano I'm skeptical about. The rhythm part may have been do-able for Topper but that boogie woogie lead at the start just sounds too perfectly performed to have been knocked out while he was waiting for the band to turn up.

[Heston]

Didn’t Jerry Green play bass on Rock the Casbah?

The bass on the single has a much more prominent mix than that of the album version. I wonder if Jerry is responsible for both.

I think it's the same bass take on both versions, just a tweak on the EQ/level when it was remixed for the single by Mick and Bob Clearmountain.

[Marky Dread]

Didn’t Jerry Green play bass on Rock the Casbah?

Well I've been investigating this mystery for years and we have a shortlist of Jerry Green, Busta Cherry Jones, Norman Watt-Roy and Topper. And could we add Mick to that?

Of all those I don't think it's Topper. If you listen to Mustapha Dance, that is one shit hot pro bass player there. I just don't think Topper would have been capable of that. Outside of that song, have we heard of Topper creating anything like it? I think he probably played a guide bass which would fit in with the story of him recording it, but I have no doubt it was scrubbed and a new part added by a session player.

Even the piano I'm skeptical about. The rhythm part may have been do-able for Topper but that boogie woogie lead at the start just sounds too perfectly performed to have been knocked out while he was waiting for the band to turn up.

I'm having Norman Watt-Roy for "Mustapha Dance" simply because he's the finest bass player I've ever seen.

[Heston]

Didn’t Jerry Green play bass on Rock the Casbah?

Well I've been investigating this mystery for years and we have a shortlist of Jerry Green, Busta Cherry Jones, Norman Watt-Roy and Topper. And could we add Mick to that?

Of all those I don't think it's Topper. If you listen to Mustapha Dance, that is one shit hot pro bass player there. I just don't think Topper would have been capable of that. Outside of that song, have we heard of Topper creating anything like it? I think he probably played a guide bass which would fit in with the story of him recording it, but I have no doubt it was scrubbed and a new part added by a session player.

Even the piano I'm skeptical about. The rhythm part may have been do-able for Topper but that boogie woogie lead at the start just sounds too perfectly performed to have been knocked out while he was waiting for the band to turn up.

I'm having Norman Watt-Roy for "Mustapha Dance" simply because he's the finest bass player I've ever seen.

Norman wasn't around the band at the time though, and it's definitely played with a pick, which isn't Norman's usual style. But I wouldn't rule him out as Topper named him as the person who played on it in an online quote from an interview a few years back. Only problem was there was no link to the original interview.