I’m a big fan of The Clash but I also love a good cover song. There are hundreds of Clash covers out there but only a few make the grade. Here then are my all-time favorite Clash covers.
1. Straight to Hell — Josh Rouse
Special nod to Lilly Allen’s version recorded with Mick Jones. I enjoy the way her British accent works its way around ‘chicken wings’. To me, Rouse is the perfect cover. This stripped-back version is simply him and his acoustic guitar. The vocals are hushed into the mic and the whole performance is riveting.
2. Police on my Back— Asian Dub Foundation
Okay, it’s no secret I’m actually choosing my favorite Clash tracks and then finding the cover. This one I’ve been dancing out to since its release. The bhangra beat mixed with jungle is incredibly compelling. It’s high energy all the way and my children learned the days of the week screaming to this cover.
3. Janie Jones — Babyshambles
To me, Babyshambles was the natural heir to The Clash. Pete Doherty loosely sings the tune as the ramshackle mob threatens to go off the rails. It’s charming and full of energy and carries the spirit of Joe all the way.
4. Magnificent Seven — Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers
I’ve never rated this song. It was a bit one-dimensional. So when I heard this I was like…WTF! Joe sounds like the half-brother to Joe Strummer. His London accent cuts through the tune as it jauntily bounces along with the call and response chorus. It’s almost a straight cover but I love Grushecky’s energy.
5. The Crooked Beat — Wreckless Eric
Off the same album as the Magnificent Seven, The Sandinista Project, Eric rips up the original sound with an experimental vibe. Since Eric found the Whole Wide World he’s been hanging around waiting for a revival. The original is a little slower and rough as fuck. Paul Simonon takes on the singing duties and it’s awful. This was akin to letting Ringo have his one tune on any Beatles LPs. Eric provides a singing masterclass, warps the tune, and ramps up the reggae vibe into Intergalactic Out-There Mode.
6. Should I Stay or Should I Go— Xenia Rubinos
There’s always something sexy when you hear a tune sung in a foreign tongue. Not as punk as the original as Rubinos slows the tempo down. I love the spoken word section of this song and it's sultry as fuck! Music as the international language for a good time.
7. Hinds — Spanish Bombs
This fucking rocks! Turn up to 10 and get ready to be blown away. Fuzz guitars implode from this Spanish indie rock band from Madrid. It’s a natural fit and they perform brilliantly. Slipping into Spanish as they sing, it’s sexy, it’s provocative, it’s a touch of class.
8. Guns of Brixton—Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy strips this tune right back to vocals and what sounds like a cowbell. And then the reggae beat kicks in. I love this version. It’s a cleaned-up riff on Strummer’s classic and Jimmy sings beautifully. Sit back, light a fat one and wait for the trumpets to enter the fray.
9. Remote Control —The New Piccadillys
Full disclosure, I hate this song but add a 50’s beat, a weird Buddy Hollyesque video with animated puppets, a bouncy chorus, and I’m hooked. There’s even Joe Strummer in the control room. Doesn’t get better than that does it?
10. Lost in the Supermarket — The Afghan Whigs
This is lush. So beautiful. Ethereal and dripping with honey. Originally a rock band from the late 80s and mostly ignored in the UK. A band out of time with the Indie wave and then Britpop movements. If only they did more like this.
What Clash cover do you rate?