Paul Simonon and drummer
Topper Headon didn’t coin the phrase, they also refrained from protesting it. This act gained them enormous mistrust in certain quarters.
True, there was a good deal of self-mythologizing to the Clash. Just listen to tracks such as “Clash City Rockers,”“Last Gang In Town” or “Four Horsemen.” It was a trait absorbed from glam heroes
Mott The Hoople, one of Jones’ teenage obsessions. But the Clash truly were more than a mere punk band or even a rock ‘n’ roll band. They really seemed larger than life, especially if you were a teenager catching one of their first late ’70s U.S. tours. It felt like you were getting a cool, really loud soundtrack to lessons in how to walk, talk, dress and comb your hair. It’s as if they told you, “Maybe try wearing your belt buckle over your hip, like Paul. Oh, there’s this music called