Clash single choices

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Heston
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Clash single choices

Post by Heston »

Following on from the other thread, if you were a corporate whore in charge of CBS and choosing the singles, which 3 would you go for from each album for maximum commercial impact? I need to mentally undo the crazy decisions like releasing English Civil war as a single, rather than Safe European Home.

White Riot
What's My Name
Janie Jones

Tommy Gun
Safe European Home
Stay Free

London Calling
Rudie Can't Fail
Train In Vain

Somebody Got Murdered
Police On My Back
Mag 7

SISOSIG
Rock the Casbah
Straight To Hell (shoulda been a stand-alone release)

Are You Red...y
Three Card Trick
This Is England
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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Wolter »

For maximum commercial appeal? I can’t...dispute this.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson

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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Wolter »

Add in the non-album a-sides and you have a hell of a compilation.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson

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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Wolter »

Of course, you have a weird alternate universe where complete control is never written.
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Re: Clash single choices

Post by 101Walterton »

White Riot
I'm So Bored With The USA
Janie Jones

Tommy Gun
Safe European Home
English Civil War (Love Stay Free but don't think it would have done better)

London Calling
Clampdown
Rudie Can't Fail

Mag 7
Somebody Got Murdered
Police On My Back

SISOSIG
Rock the Casbah
Straight To Hell (agreed shoulda been a stand-alone release)

Are You Red...y
Three Card Trick
This Is England

Heston
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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Heston »

Wolter wrote:
20 Aug 2018, 7:59pm
Add in the non-album a-sides and you have a hell of a compilation.
Hell, stick the Cost Of Living EP on there too.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Ignoring the crapola from '85, no serious dispute with the possible exception of Train in Vain. It's lightweight, but it has more chart appeal than anything else on the album, imo.
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Heston
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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Heston »

Yeah, if we're talking commercial choices, TiV is their poppiest song, even my sister used to love it.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Wolter
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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Wolter »

Wait. Nevermind this.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson

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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Low Down Low »

Straight to Hell is arguably Joe's greatest lyric and a top 10 Clash tune at the worst, but I never got commercial single vibe off it. SISOSIG is on all levels a far inferior song but a more viable commercial entity. Just my gut feeling on it.

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Re: Clash single choices

Post by matedog »

Low Down Low wrote:
21 Aug 2018, 9:37am
Straight to Hell is arguably Joe's greatest lyric and a top 10 Clash tune at the worst, but I never got commercial single vibe off it. SISOSIG is on all levels a far inferior song but a more viable commercial entity. Just my gut feeling on it.
Agreed. I wouldn't release STH as a single for commercial purposes. If I had to pick a third single from CR...Car Jamming? I don't know, KYR is about as strident and monotonous as you can get, so that one is out. Other than that, Ghetto Defendant is the only other sort of traditional song structure. Other than the Gingsburg bits.
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.

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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Silent Majority »

I don't see Ghetto Defendent storming the charts, either, really.
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Heston
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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Heston »

What about a shout for Inoculated City? I remember the first time I heard CR and that was the one that stood out other than RtC and SIS.
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Re: Clash single choices

Post by Jimmy Jazz »

Overpowered by Funk is the obvious third choice from Combat Rock. All the kids love the rap!

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Re: Clash single choices

Post by matedog »

Heston wrote:
21 Aug 2018, 10:08am
What about a shout for Inoculated City? I remember the first time I heard CR and that was the one that stood out other than RtC and SIS.
It has a hook/refrain for sure. It's just a weird two minute long song minus the advert. I love how their "sellout" album has just those two singles. Everything else is too...weird?
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.

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