This Is Radio Clash

"This Is Radio Clash" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released as a single in November 1981 on various formats. The song was performed live before its release, beginning with the Impossible Mission Tour of April and May 1981. A live performance was also televised on Tom Snyder's Tomorrow show on 5 June 1981.

"This Is Radio Clash"
Single by The Clash
B-side"Radio Clash"
Released20 November 1981 (U.K.)
Recorded1981
Genre
Length4:10
LabelCBS
Songwriter(s)Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon
Producer(s)The Clash
The Clash singles chronology
"The Magnificent Seven"
(1981)		 "This Is Radio Clash" / "Radio Clash"
(1981)		 "Know Your Rights"
(1982)

The song received mixed reviews from critics, who were hoping The Clash would return to its anarchic punk roots. Despite the mixed reviews, the song received some praise for its experimental nature and the Clash's signature anti-authoritarian political lyrics. As well as the previous Clash single (The Magnificent Seven), "This is Radio Clash" also continued the Clash's genre experiments with Rap rock and funk, which had broken through the American markets.

Release

7-inch single

The 7-inch single also contains a B-side titled simply "Radio Clash", which is a remix of the title track with additional lyrics. The Clash stated at the time that they intended the songs to be heard as a single entity. The two recordings have the same playing time.

"This Is Radio Clash" begins with the lyric:

"This is Radio Clash on pirate satellite
Orbiting your living room, cashing in the bill of rights."

"Radio Clash" begins with:

"This is Radio Clash resuming all transmissions
Beaming from the mountain tops, using aural ammunition."

On some versions of the Super Black Market Clash CD, the B-side "Radio Clash" is included, but incorrectly listed as "This Is Radio Clash". The same error was repeated on the US version of the 2003 collection The Essential Clash.

12-inch single

On side one of the 12-inch single, "This Is Radio Clash" is followed by "Radio Clash". Side two contains two additional remixes of the title track: "Outside Broadcast" and "Radio Five". In 2006, a CD compilation called Singles Box was released which collected all four versions in the same order with original cover art.

Legacy

American critic Eric Schafer described the song as "a magnificent, daring, challenging record that was years ahead of its time; one of the great rock records of the 1980s, it has never been given its just credit. Twenty-eight years after its debut, were it released today it would still burn up the radio."[3]

The song is not featured on any of the Clash's original studio albums, but is included on their compilations The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 (1988), Clash on Broadway (1991), The Singles (1991), Sound System (2013), Singles Box (2006) and The Singles (2007). The song is included on the experimental compilation album called Disco Not Disco 2 (2002), as well as the radio soundtrack in the video game Battlefield Hardline (2015). The song was also briefly featured in season 2, episode 4 of Stranger Things.

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by The Clash (Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon).

7" vinyl
  1. "This Is Radio Clash" – 4:12
  2. "Radio Clash" – 4:12
12" vinyl / Cassette
  1. "This Is Radio Clash" – 4:12
  2. "Radio Clash" – 4:12
  3. "Outside Broadcast" – 7:23
  4. "Radio 5" – 3:38

Personnel
The Clash
Additional musician

Charts
Year Chart Peak
position
1981 UK Singles Chart 47
1982 Australia (ARIA)[4] 40
1982 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5] 28
1982 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[6] 9
1982 US Billboard Club Play Singles[7] 17
1982 US Mainstream Rock[7] 45

Notes
  1. Aaron, Charles (11 February 2014). "Rap-Rock: From 'Punk Rock Rap' to Mook Nation". Spin. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  2. Popoff, Martin (2018). The Clash: All the Albums, All the Songs. Voyageur Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-76036-426-0.
  3. Faulk, Dr Barry; Harrison, Professor Brady (28 April 2014). Punk Rock Warlord: the Life and Work of Joe Strummer. p. 154. ISBN 9781472410559. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  4. "The Clash – This Is Radio Clash". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. "The Clash – This Is Radio Clash". Top 40 Singles.
  6. "The Clash – This Is Radio Clash". Singles Top 100.
  7. The Clash > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved 20 December 2007.

References
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