(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais

May 2020 March 2012 (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais HammersmithPalaisSingle.png single the Clash The Clash (US version) The Prisoner 1978 6 16 y March–April 1978 Basing Street Studios (London) * Punk rockhttps://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2018/03/250_greatest_rock_roll_hall_of.html 250 greatest Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Songs: Part 4 (#100-51) Troy L. Smith March 1, 2018 Cleveland.com August 13, 2025 But many diehards will tell you that honor actually goes to “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais,” a stunning fusion of punk and reggae that changed the way people viewed and approached punk rock. reggae reggae rockhttps://www.loudersound.com/features/17-rock-reggae-crossovers-that-work-and-three-that-don-t https://web.archive.org/web/20210917032445/https://www.loudersound.com/features/17-rock-reggae-crossovers-that-work-and-three-that-don-t 17 rock-reggae crossovers that work... and three that don't Bryant Tom Classic Rock Future plc June 25, 2014 September 17, 2021 September 23, 2021 3:59 CBS S CBS 6383 * Joe Strummer Mick Jones * Sandy Pearlman The Clash Clash City Rockers 1978 Tommy Gun 1978 96UtZPLiT90 "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" (short version) Audio video zI4SDH9BdD4 "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" (full version) no "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by the English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a 7-inch single, with the B-side "The Prisoner", on 16 June 1978 through CBS Records. Produced by The Clash and engineered by Simon Humphries, the song was recorded for (but not included on) the group's second studio album Give 'Em Enough Rope; it was later featured on the American version of their debut studio album, The Clash, between the single version of "White Riot" and "London's Burning". Inspiration and composition music Clash-(White Man) Palais.ogg The Clash "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" (1978) Third chorus of "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" The song showed considerable musical and lyrical maturity for the band at the time. Compared with their other early singles, it is stylistically more in line with their version of Lee "Scratch" Perry-Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves" as the powerful guitar intro of "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" descends into a slower ska rhythm, and was disorienting to a lot of the fans who had grown used to their earlier work. According to Mick Jones, "The music is a mixture of the reggae influence and punk, and was the next step after Police And Thieves".The Clash The Clash: Strummer, Jones, Simonon, Headon Atlantic Books 2008 978-1-84354-788-4 London 176 "We were a big fat riff group", Joe Strummer noted in the Clash's film Westway to the World. "We weren't supposed to do something like that." The song's opening line "Midnight to six, man for the first time from Jamaica" is a direct reference to the Pretty Things' 1965 single "Midnight to Six Man".Sweeting Adam Adam Sweeting 17 May 2020 Phil May obituary https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/17/phil-may-obituary live https://web.archive.org/web/20240717191525/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/17/phil-may-obituary 17 July 2024 15 February 2025 The Guardian "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" starts by recounting an all-night reggae "showcase" night at the Hammersmith Palais in Shepherd's Bush Road, London, that was attended by Joe Strummer, Don Letts and roadie Roadent, and was headlined by Dillinger, Leroy Smart and Delroy Wilson. Strummer was disappointed and disillusioned that these performances had been more "pop" and "lightweight" similar to Ken Boothe's brand of reggae, using Four Tops-like dance routines, and that the acts had been "performances" rather than the "roots rock rebel[lion]" that he had been hoping for. The song then moves away from the disappointing concert to address various other themes, nearly all relating to the state of the United Kingdom at the time. The song first gives an anti-violence message, then addresses the state of "wealth distribution" in the UK, promotes unity between black and white youths of the country before moving on to address the state of the British punk rock scene in 1978 which was becoming more mainstream. Included is a jibe at unnamed groups who wear Burton suits. In an NME article at the time, Strummer said this was targeted at the power pop fad hyped by journalists as the next big thing in 1978. The lyric concludes that the new groups are in it only for money and fame. The final lines refer to right-wing politics, noting sardonically that things were getting to the point where even Adolf Hitler could expect to be sent a limousine if he "flew in today". The single was issued in June 1978 with four different colour sleeves – blue, green, yellow and pink. This song was one of Joe Strummer's favourites. He continued to play it live with his new band the Mescaleros and it was played at his funeral. The song is used in the 2017 film T2 Trainspotting. Critical reception "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" helped the Clash assert themselves as a more versatile band musically and politically than many of their peers, and it broke the exciting but limiting punk mould that had been established by the Sex Pistols; from now on the Clash would be "the thinking man's yobs". The song immediately became a firm favourite of Clash fans. In the 1978 NME end-of-year readers poll it was voted the single of the year.New Musical Express 1978 NME 28 February 1978 https://www.nme.com/nme-awards/awards-history/1978-60619720 January 1979 1978 NME Readers' Poll New Musical Express It was number 7 in John Peel's Festive Fifty in 1978, voted by listeners to the show. "The song remains the ultimate embodiment of everything that was so great about the group" (Kris Needs, ZigZag (magazine).Needs 2005 122 "Maybe the greatest record ever written by white men" (Alan McGee, Creation Records).Needs 2005 123 Robert Christgau recommended the single in his Consumer Guide published by The Village Voice on 4 September 1978, and described the song as "a must". Denise Sullivan of AllMusic wrote that "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" "may have actually been the first song to merge punk and reggae". Consequence of Sound described it as "one of Strummer's greatest lyrical compositions". The song was ranked at No. 8 among the top "Tracks of the Year" for 1978 by NME. In 2004, Rolling Stone rated the song as No. 430 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In December 2003, the British music magazine Uncut ranked the song No. 1 on their "The Clash's 30 best songs" list. The list was chosen by a panel including former band members Terry Chimes aka ("Tory Crimes"), Mick Jones, and Paul Simonon. In 2015, the Guardian ranked it No. 2 on Dave Simpson's "The Clash: 10 of the best" list, and in 2020 it appeared in the number one position in Simpson's list of "The Clash's 40 greatest songs – ranked!" Stereogum ranked it No. 4 on their "The 10 Best Clash Songs" list. Track listing All tracks written by Joe Strummer/Mick Jones. 7" vinyl "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" – 4:00 "The Prisoner" – 2:59 Personnel "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" Joe Strummer – lead vocals, piano Mick Jones – backing vocals, lead guitar, harmonica Paul Simonon – bass guitar Topper Headon – drums "The Prisoner" Mick Jones – lead vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar Joe Strummer – backing vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar Paul Simonon – bass guitar Topper Headon – drums Charts Chart (1978) PeakpositionUK 32 19780701 true Cover versions Fighting Gravity covered the song on their 1999 live double album Hello Cleveland. In that same year, 311 contributed their rendition of the song to the charity album Burning London: The Clash Tribute. Notes Adrien Begrand 100 FROM 1977 - 2003: The Best Songs Since Johnny Rotten Roared PopMatters http://www.popmatters.com/music/top100songs/1977-2003-21-30.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20030824053844/http://www.popmatters.com/music/top100songs/1977-2003-21-30.shtml 24 August 2003 2008-04-03 live Don Letts Don Letts 2001 The Clash: Westway to the World Sony Music Entertainment 37:00 Film en 0-7389-0082-6 49798077 B000063UQN Connor Alan Alan Connor White man's blues 2007-03-30 BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6508295.stm 2008-04-03 Robert Christgau Robert Christgau Christgau's Consumer Guide 1978-09-04 The Village Voice http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv9-78.php https://web.archive.org/web/20080411202656/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv9-78.php 2008-04-11 2008-04-03 Albums and Tracks of the Year 2016-10-10 NME http://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1978-2-1045407 25 November 2016 The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 2004-12-09 Rolling Stone 361. Complete Control, The Clash https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/4 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20071120033613/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/4 2007-11-20 2007-11-22 The Clash's 30 best songs 2015-03-15 Uncut #1 12 https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/the-clashs-30-best-songs-67075/12 2018-05-09 Kenneth Partridge How The Clash Can Lead to a Great Record Collection 2017-04-10 Consequence of Sound https://consequence.net/2017/04/how-the-clash-can-lead-to-a-great-record-collection/ 2019-05-15 Michael Roffman 10 Songs by The Clash That Made Films Better 2017-04-14 Consequence of Sound https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/04/10-songs-by-the-clash-that-made-films-better/6/ https://web.archive.org/web/20190602022334/https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/04/10-songs-by-the-clash-that-made-films-better/6/ dead 2 June 2019 2019-06-01 Dave Simpson The Clash: 10 of the best 2015-09-23 The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/23/the-clash-10-of-the-best 2019-05-15 Dave Simpson The Clash's 40 greatest songs – ranked! 2020-01-09 The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/09/the-clash-40-greatest-songs-ranked 2019-01-11 The 10 Best Clash Songs 2002-12-07 No. 4 Stereogum https://www.stereogum.com/1216562/the-clashs-10-best-songs/franchises/10-best-songs/ 2019-05-09 Jackie McCarthy White Riot 1999-12-22 Seattle Weekly http://www.seattleweekly.com/1999-12-22/music/white-riot.php https://web.archive.org/web/20081211134313/http://www.seattleweekly.com/1999-12-22/music/white-riot.php 2008-12-11 dead 2019-05-09 Denise Sullivan (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais - The Clash song white-man-in-hammersmith-palais-mt0019170392 7 November 2019 song mt0042009996 Variations Fighting Gravity: (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais 1 June 2019 song mt0010622631 Overview 311: (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais 1 June 2019 Further reading Gilbert Pat Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash 2004 4th 2005 Aurum Press London 1-84513-113-4 61177239 Gray Marcus The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town 1995 5th revised 2005 Helter Skelter London 1-905139-10-1 60668626 Green Johnny Garry Barker A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with The Clash 1997 3rd 2003 Orion London 0-7528-5843-2 52990890 Gruen Bob Bob Gruen Chris Salewicz The Clash 2001 3rd 2004 Omnibus London 1-903399-34-3 69241279 Letts Don; Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon, Terry Chimes, Rick Elgood, The Clash 2001 The Clash, Westway to the World Documentary Sony Music Entertainment; Dorismo; Uptown Films New York, NY 37:00 0-7389-0082-6 49798077 Needs Kris Kris Needs Joe Strummer and the Legend of the Clash 2005-01-25 Plexus London 0-85965-348-X 53155325 registration https://archive.org/details/joestrummerlegen00need Topping Keith Keith Topping The Complete Clash 2003 2nd 2004 Reynolds & Hearn Richmond 1-903111-70-6 63129186 External links Connor, Alan. (30 March 2007) White man's blues. SMASHED HITS Pop lyrics re-appraised by the Magazine. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2008. "BBC article on the song and venue". Poster of the Hammersmith Palais gig referenced in song - link deade 20 June 2023 Category:1978 songs Category:1978 singles Category:The Clash songs Category:Songs about London Category:Reggae rock songs Category:Songs written by Joe Strummer Category:Songs written by Mick Jones (The Clash) Category:CBS Records singles Category:Song recordings produced by Sandy Pearlman