The Clash Studio Logs/Sessionography

[Heston]

Great work Matedog, although a couple of things still puzzle me. Actually, with The Clash, a couple of million things still puzzle me.

Would 'City of the Dead' have been recorded at the same session as 'Complete Control'? If so, and my memory is correct, Laura Logic played sax on that track.
There doesn't seem to be any information about 'Clash City Rockers' and 'Jail Guitar Doors'. A victim of the cut and paste?
Instead of 'Shepard's Delight' in Feb 1980, would that not have been 'Rockers Galore... UK Tour', and this session would have also provided the 'Bankrobber/Robber Dub' version that was on the late 1980 10" release of 'Black Market Clash'.

Can't wait to see the rest, and I'm looking forward to the unraveling of the Sandanista!' sessions.

I'm unclear about City of the Dead. The dates line up with Complete Control, but it's not showing as Lee Perry produced. Does anyone have any insight?

I believe Passion Is a Fashion mentions that Shepard's Delight was done during the Bankrobber session which matches Complete Clash's timeline/studio locations for Sandinista (basically that something on Sandinista was recorded during the Bankrobber session). Rocker's Galore makes sense to list as during Bankrobber session, but I'm generally not sure about remixes/overdub sessions, because a lot of that can be done at a later date and it's not always clear if/when that was done.

The SBMC notes say City of the Dead recorded Aug 1977 at CBS studios. Not produced by Perry.

[matedog]

Great work Matedog, although a couple of things still puzzle me. Actually, with The Clash, a couple of million things still puzzle me.

Would 'City of the Dead' have been recorded at the same session as 'Complete Control'? If so, and my memory is correct, Laura Logic played sax on that track.
There doesn't seem to be any information about 'Clash City Rockers' and 'Jail Guitar Doors'. A victim of the cut and paste?
Instead of 'Shepard's Delight' in Feb 1980, would that not have been 'Rockers Galore... UK Tour', and this session would have also provided the 'Bankrobber/Robber Dub' version that was on the late 1980 10" release of 'Black Market Clash'.

Can't wait to see the rest, and I'm looking forward to the unraveling of the Sandanista!' sessions.

I'm unclear about City of the Dead. The dates line up with Complete Control, but it's not showing as Lee Perry produced. Does anyone have any insight?

I believe Passion Is a Fashion mentions that Shepard's Delight was done during the Bankrobber session which matches Complete Clash's timeline/studio locations for Sandinista (basically that something on Sandinista was recorded during the Bankrobber session). Rocker's Galore makes sense to list as during Bankrobber session, but I'm generally not sure about remixes/overdub sessions, because a lot of that can be done at a later date and it's not always clear if/when that was done.

The SBMC notes say City of the Dead recorded Aug 1977 at CBS studios. Not produced by Perry.

So I'll list a separate session for City of the Dead in August at CBS studios w/Foote producing at SBMC notes. And a separate Sept session for Jail Guitar Doors. That might be when CCR was done, I think I missed that one as well. I'll double check my references tonight.

[WestwayKid]

This is fantastic! I made a cursory attempt to do something similar a few years back, but did not get very far.

[Heston]

Great work Matedog, although a couple of things still puzzle me. Actually, with The Clash, a couple of million things still puzzle me.

Would 'City of the Dead' have been recorded at the same session as 'Complete Control'? If so, and my memory is correct, Laura Logic played sax on that track.
There doesn't seem to be any information about 'Clash City Rockers' and 'Jail Guitar Doors'. A victim of the cut and paste?
Instead of 'Shepard's Delight' in Feb 1980, would that not have been 'Rockers Galore... UK Tour', and this session would have also provided the 'Bankrobber/Robber Dub' version that was on the late 1980 10" release of 'Black Market Clash'.

Can't wait to see the rest, and I'm looking forward to the unraveling of the Sandanista!' sessions.

I'm unclear about City of the Dead. The dates line up with Complete Control, but it's not showing as Lee Perry produced. Does anyone have any insight?

I believe Passion Is a Fashion mentions that Shepard's Delight was done during the Bankrobber session which matches Complete Clash's timeline/studio locations for Sandinista (basically that something on Sandinista was recorded during the Bankrobber session). Rocker's Galore makes sense to list as during Bankrobber session, but I'm generally not sure about remixes/overdub sessions, because a lot of that can be done at a later date and it's not always clear if/when that was done.

The SBMC notes say City of the Dead recorded Aug 1977 at CBS studios. Not produced by Perry.

So I'll list a separate session for City of the Dead in August at CBS studios w/Foote producing at SBMC notes. And a separate Sept session for Jail Guitar Doors. That might be when CCR was done, I think I missed that one as well. I'll double check my references tonight.

Yes, I'm thinking CCR and JGD were recorded at the same time.

[dave202]

Great work Matedog, although a couple of things still puzzle me. Actually, with The Clash, a couple of million things still puzzle me.

Would 'City of the Dead' have been recorded at the same session as 'Complete Control'? If so, and my memory is correct, Laura Logic played sax on that track.
There doesn't seem to be any information about 'Clash City Rockers' and 'Jail Guitar Doors'. A victim of the cut and paste?
Instead of 'Shepard's Delight' in Feb 1980, would that not have been 'Rockers Galore... UK Tour', and this session would have also provided the 'Bankrobber/Robber Dub' version that was on the late 1980 10" release of 'Black Market Clash'.

Can't wait to see the rest, and I'm looking forward to the unraveling of the Sandanista!' sessions.

I'm unclear about City of the Dead. The dates line up with Complete Control, but it's not showing as Lee Perry produced. Does anyone have any insight?

I believe Passion Is a Fashion mentions that Shepard's Delight was done during the Bankrobber session which matches Complete Clash's timeline/studio locations for Sandinista (basically that something on Sandinista was recorded during the Bankrobber session). Rocker's Galore makes sense to list as during Bankrobber session, but I'm generally not sure about remixes/overdub sessions, because a lot of that can be done at a later date and it's not always clear if/when that was done.

Heston said above "Complete Control and City of the Dead were both recorded in Aug 77 but the former was recorded at Sarm East, the latter at CBS studios."

[matedog]

Try this

SBMC has Stop the World and Mag Dance (really the Mag 7 recording) as March at Electric Lady, but Passion is a Fashion has that they didn't go to Electric Lady until April. I'll assume that SBMC is in error.

[matedog]

Thanks for the info Hes. I’ll update accordingly. One thing I read but still wasn’t clear about from SBMC was the COL dates. The books said they started as demos during GEER sessions but were finished in January 79 with Bill Price. I went ahead and assumed those were entirely new recordings and didn’t mention the GEER work. SBMC notes are about as clear as the books.

I wouldn't necessarily make that assumption. Pearlman always claimed "Gates" as his work and I don't see any reason at all to question that, especially considering the plethora of 70s BOC-vintage production signatures on it. I have very serious reservations about "I Fought the Law" as well, especially with the harmony guitar leads, a Pearlman standard through and through. Not to mention the handclaps and the vocal multitracking. It's too shiny and glam to be Price, for my money.

It sounds to me like "Groovy Times" may have been started with Pearlman and finished with Price, but the drums and the solo both sound very Pearlman to me as well. The beats on the choruses also sound very BOC, specifically from the Ian Hunter collab "Going Through the Motions." Topper's a lot busier on that track than usual and that feels like Pearlman's coaching.

I think anything the Clash say in these regards should always be seen as poetry and not prose.

The SBMC liner notes specifically call out two dates during the GEER sessions for Gates of the West, so I'll include it in those along with what were probably overdubs in January 79 post-GEER.

[IkarisOne]

Thanks for the info Hes. I’ll update accordingly. One thing I read but still wasn’t clear about from SBMC was the COL dates. The books said they started as demos during GEER sessions but were finished in January 79 with Bill Price. I went ahead and assumed those were entirely new recordings and didn’t mention the GEER work. SBMC notes are about as clear as the books.

I wouldn't necessarily make that assumption. Pearlman always claimed "Gates" as his work and I don't see any reason at all to question that, especially considering the plethora of 70s BOC-vintage production signatures on it. I have very serious reservations about "I Fought the Law" as well, especially with the harmony guitar leads, a Pearlman standard through and through. Not to mention the handclaps and the vocal multitracking. It's too shiny and glam to be Price, for my money.

It sounds to me like "Groovy Times" may have been started with Pearlman and finished with Price, but the drums and the solo both sound very Pearlman to me as well. The beats on the choruses also sound very BOC, specifically from the Ian Hunter collab "Going Through the Motions." Topper's a lot busier on that track than usual and that feels like Pearlman's coaching.

I think anything the Clash say in these regards should always be seen as poetry and not prose.

The SBMC liner notes specifically call out two dates during the GEER sessions for Gates of the West, so I'll include it in those along with what were probably overdubs in January 79 post-GEER.

I'd wager that Price remixed it at Wessex. The Island, Automatt and Record Plant sessions were all Pearlman jobs.

Either way, a job well done, Matey.

[IkarisOne]

Marcus wrote that Groovy Times was recorded during the Utopia sessions and that overdubs were done at Wessex with Bill Price. So for whatever that's worth...

[matedog]

Updated 77 and 78 to include CCR, JGD, and City of the Dead, and the most info I could gather about GEER. I assumed the basic drum/bass/some guitar tracks were laid down and the SF and NY were strictly mixing and overdubs since Topper and Paul didn't attend. There is some info on when some of the overdubs were done for piano and sax, so I listed those accordingly as NY sessions.

Take a look and let me know if I missed anything. I'll tackle London Calling tomorrow and probably lean heavily on Route 19.

[laxman]

Updated 77 and 78 to include CCR, JGD, and City of the Dead, and the most info I could gather about GEER. I assumed the basic drum/bass/some guitar tracks were laid down and the SF and NY were strictly mixing and overdubs since Topper and Paul didn't attend. There is some info on when some of the overdubs were done for piano and sax, so I listed those accordingly as NY sessions.

Take a look and let me know if I missed anything. I'll tackle London Calling tomorrow and probably lean heavily on Route 19.

Great work, thanks very much for this.

It would be really helpful to have Black Market Clash back online, because I think that includes details of sessions.

Marky's artwork for his extended versions of the albums also includes some information.

[Kory]

Excellent work!

The Junco entry contradicts CK's CCR guess that Paul didn't play on it, which I can see because of the glissandos on the first beat of the bassline. But who knows, maybe he was getting better.

[101Walterton]

Great work Matey

Late March/Early April
Studio – Power Station (New York)
Tracks
Police On My Back
Louie Louie
Madness (Prince Buster)

I don’t think I ever knew they did a version of Madness? I’ve certainly never heard it is there a recording in existance???

Bumped.

Louie Louie and the other demos from that era are in circulation but I have never heard Madness mentioned?

Blonde Rock and Roll aka Clashabilly recorded at Electric Ladyland March 1980.

[Heston]

Great work Matey

Late March/Early April
Studio – Power Station (New York)
Tracks
Police On My Back
Louie Louie
Madness (Prince Buster)

I don’t think I ever knew they did a version of Madness? I’ve certainly never heard it is there a recording in existance???

Bumped.

Louie Louie and the other demos from that era are in circulation but I have never heard Madness mentioned?

Blonde Rock and Roll aka Clashabilly recorded at Electric Ladyland March 1980.

I've heard it mentioned in a biog.

[101Walterton]

Great work Matey

Late March/Early April
Studio – Power Station (New York)
Tracks
Police On My Back
Louie Louie
Madness (Prince Buster)

I don’t think I ever knew they did a version of Madness? I’ve certainly never heard it is there a recording in existance???

Bumped.

Louie Louie and the other demos from that era are in circulation but I have never heard Madness mentioned?

Blonde Rock and Roll aka Clashabilly recorded at Electric Ladyland March 1980.

I've heard it mentioned in a biog.

Odd that it has never surfaced when the other demos from the same era have all been circulated and some made official release.