Sandinista!
A triple album of 36 tracks, credited to the band as a group and sold at a low price.
The Clash, 1980
- Released
- 12 December 1980
- Recorded
- February to May and August 1980
- Studio
- Pluto (Manchester), Power Station and Electric Lady (New York City), Channel One (Kingston, Jamaica), Wessex (London)
- Producer
- The Clash
The album was recorded over most of 1980 in London, Manchester, Jamaica and New York. The band produced it, with Bill Price recording and mixing, and Mikey Dread, who had first worked with them on the single Bankrobber, made dub versions and toasted. It covers funk, reggae, jazz, gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, disco and rap. Ellen Foley, Tymon Dogg, Lew Lewis and Norman Watt-Roy appear among the guests, and Mickey Gallagher's children sing a version of Career Opportunities. All four members sing lead somewhere on it, Headon on Ivan Meets G.I. Joe and Simonon on The Crooked Beat.
The title refers to the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, and the catalogue number was FSLN1. Strummer took pleasure in the abundance, saying it was triply outrageous. To keep the price low the band gave up royalties on the first 200,000 UK copies and took a 50 percent cut elsewhere. The cover photograph by Pennie Smith was taken in Camley Street, behind St Pancras station.
In the UK the album reached number 19 and early reviews were mostly poor. In the US it reached 24, and John Piccarella wrote in Rolling Stone in 1981 that there is rarely an LP this big or far-reaching. It was voted best album of 1981 in the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll. Rolling Stone ranked it number 323 on its 2020 list of the 500 greatest albums, and Pitchfork placed it number 144 among the best albums of the 1980s.
Track listing
- The Magnificent Seven5:28
- Hitsville UK4:20
- Junco Partner4:53
- Ivan Meets G.I. Joe3:05
- The Leader1:41
- Something About England3:42
- Rebel Waltz3:25
- Look Here2:44
- The Crooked Beat5:29
- Somebody Got Murdered3:34
- One More Time3:32
- One More Dub3:34
- Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)4:51
- Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)4:31
- Corner Soul2:43
- Let's Go Crazy4:25
- If Music Could Talk4:36
- The Sound of Sinners4:00
- Police on My Back3:15
- Midnight Log2:11
- The Equaliser5:47
- The Call Up5:25
- Washington Bullets3:51
- Broadway5:45
- Lose This Skin5:07
- Charlie Don't Surf4:55
- Mensforth Hill3:42
- Junkie Slip2:48
- Kingston Advice2:36
- The Street Parade3:26
- Version City4:23
- Living in Fame4:36
- Silicone on Sapphire4:32
- Version Pardner5:22
- Career Opportunities2:30
- Shepherds Delight3:25
Personnel
- Joe Strummer lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Mick Jones guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
- Paul Simonon bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on The Crooked Beat
- Topper Headon drums, lead vocals on Ivan Meets G.I. Joe
- Mikey Dread dub versions, toasting
- Bill Price recording and mixing
- Tymon Dogg vocals and violin on Lose This Skin
- Ellen Foley co-lead vocal on Hitsville UK
- Norman Watt-Roy bass guitar
- Mickey Gallagher keyboards
More from The Clash
The Clash (1977), Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978), London Calling (1979), Combat Rock (1982)
Sources
- Sandinista!, Wikipedia
- The Clash, Wikipedia
- Sandinista!, review, Rolling Stone (1981-03-05)