Rarities box set from The Clash's Joe Strummer among Sept. releases

photo: Lucinda Tait

Ignition Records will put out Joe Strummer 001, the first compilation to span Joe Strummer's career outside of his recordings with The Clash on Sept. 28. It includes fan favorites from his recordings with the 101ers and The Mescaleros, all of his solo albums, soundtrack work and an album of unreleased songs.

"London Is Burning" - an alternative/early version of "Burnin' Street" from Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros' final album Streetcore – is available now – https://JoeStrummer.lnk.to/LIBt

Pre order now - https://JoeStrummer.lnk.to/001 - on the following formats:

Limited edition Deluxe Box set: Quadruple heavyweight Vinyl, 7" vinyl single, cassette, A4 Book, enamel badge, art print, screen print, lyrics and sticker sheet (IGN53BOX).
Limited edition Deluxe Double CD in A4 Book (IGNCD53X).
Double CD in slipcase (IGNCD53).
Quadruple heavyweight Vinyl in slipcase (IGNLP53X).
Digital download.

All of the formats include tracks that have never appeared anywhere before as well as new remasters. Exclusive to all formats is an album of unreleased material including an early demo of "This Is England" entitled "CzechoslovakSong/Where Is England," a solo demo of "Letsagetabitarockin" recorded in Elgin Avenue in 1975, outtakes from Sid & Nancy featuring Mick Jones and unreleased songs "Rose Of Erin," the biographical and mythical recording "The Cool Impossible" and "London Is Burning," one of the last songs Joe recorded.

After The Clash and Mescaleros' member's death in December 2002, it was discovered that Joe had been quite an archivist of his own work, having barns full of writings and tapes stored in his back garden. There are now over 20,000 items in the Joe Strummer Archive. The archiving of this material and compiling of Joe Strummer 001 was overseen by Joe's widow Luce and Robert Gordon McHarg III.

All tracks were restored and mastered by Grammy Award winner Peter J. Moore at the E. Room in Toronto Canada. On going through cassettes and recording tapes it was discovered that Joe was rather frugal and keen on hiding tracks. On cassettes he would leave 20 minutes between songs. On the 1" 8 track recordings it was discovered there were hidden tracks superimposed onto each other. For example tracks 1-4 were taken by one song and tracks 5-8 by two other songs which were thought when played back to be caused by tape denigration until the tapes went to Peter J Moore who was able to separate one song from another.

The box set has the same content as the CD set and is pressed on audiophile quality 180g vinyl. The box set's accompanying book also included in the Deluxe CD features rarely seen and previously unpublished memorabilia from Joe's personal collection as well as historical press reviews and technical notes about the albums. The cover of all formats is taken from Joe's 1990 Californian driving license.

The artwork was curated by Robert Gordon McHarg III who previously worked on the Clash Sound System box set with Paul Simonon, the John Cooper Clarke compilation Anthologia and curated the Black Market Clash Exhibition.

Gordon says, "The idea behind the book is that it's an A4 notebook done as if Joe had designed it himself, telling his story. Hopefully it is an insight into his workings and includes handwritten lyrics with personal notes and scribbles."

CD AND VINYL Track listing (with vinyl side breaks)
SIDE 1
"Letsagetabitarockin"
1975 101ers from Elgin Avenue Breakdown
"Keys To Your Heart"
1976 101ers from Elgin Avenue Breakdown (Version 2)
"Love Kills"
1986 Joe Strummer from Sid And Nancy OST
"Tennesse Rain"
1987 Joe Strummer from Walker OST
"Trash City"
1988 Joe Strummer & Latino Rockabilly War from Permanent Record OST
"15th Brigade"
1989 Joe Strummer B.side of Island Hopping

SIDE 2
"Ride Your Donkey"
1989 Joe Strummer from Earthquake Weather
"Burning Lights"
1990 Joe Strummer from I Hired A Contract Killer OST
"Afro-Cuban Be-Bop"
1990 The Astro-Physicans from I Hired a Contract Killer OST
"Sand Paper Blues"
1995 Radar from 'Sandpaper Blues' Exhibition
"Generations"
1997 Electric Dog House from Generations 1 (A Punk Look At Human Rights)

SIDE 3
"It's A Rockin' World"
1998 Joe Strummer from South Park OST
"Yalla Yalla"
1999 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros from Rock Art & The X-Ray Style
"X-Ray Style"
1999 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros from Rock Art & The X-Ray Style
"Johnny Appleseed"
2001 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros from Global A Go-Go

SIDE 4
"Minstrel Boy"
2001 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros from Black Hawk Down OST
"Redemption Song"
2002 Joe Strummer with Johnny Cash from Johnny Cash: Unearthed
"Over The Border"
2002 Joe Strummer with Jimmy Cliff from Fantastic Plastic People
"Coma Girl"
2003 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros from Street Core
"Silver & Gold"
2003 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros from Street Core

SIDE 5
"Letsagetabitarockin"
1975 Previously Unreleased Cassette Tape Demo. Recorded at 101 Elgin Avenue. Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Julian Yewdall says, "In September 1975, I finally got Joe to type up his lyrics, along with a rough recording. I then posted these back to myself, and deposited the sealed envelope in my bank's vault, as this was the easiest way I knew of legally protecting his copyright. Over 30 years later and long after I had closed the account, I came across the forgotten bank receipt amongst some old letters, and on returning to the bank, was amazed and delighted when they handed me back the envelope free of charge."
"Czechoslovak Song/Where Is England"
1983 Previously Unreleased 1/2 Inch Tape Master Demo dated August.
Early version of "This Is England"
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Paul Simonon: Bass. Pete Howard: Drums.
"Pouring Rain"
1984 Previously Unreleased 1 inch 8-track Demo Recorded July 1984.
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Paul Simonon: Bass. Pete Howard: Drums.
Mixed by Peter J. Moore 2018
"Blues On The River"
1984 July. Previously Unreleased. 1 Inch 8 Track Tape Demo.
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Drum Machine.
Mixed by Peter J. Moore 2018
"Crying on 23rd"
1985 with The Sooth Sayers. Previously Unreleased. 1/4 Inch Tape. Produced by Joe Strummer. Outtake from the Alex Cox filmSid & Nancy. Joe Strummer: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Bass. Mick Jones: Guitar. Chris Musto: Drums, Percussion.
"2 Bullets"
1985 with Pearl Harbour. Previously Unreleased. 1/4 Inch Tape. Produced by Joe Strummer. Outtake from Sid & Nancy.Pearl Harbour: Vocals. Joe Strummer: Rhythm Guitar, Bass. Mick Jones: Guitar. Chris Musto: Drums. B.J. Cole: Pedal Steel Guitar.
N.B. Both songs were recorded in Kentish Town and are the first recordings of Joe and Mick since Combat Rock.

SIDE 6
"When Pigs Fly"
1993 from When Pigs Fly.
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Danny Thompson: Bass. Tommy McManamon: Electric Rhythm, Licks Guitar, Spanish Guitar.Terry Williams: Drums. James MacNally: Flute, Piano, Bodhran. Lee Goodall: Saxophone. Steve Warbeck: Accordion. Stuart Gordon: Violin.
"Pouring Rain"
1993 from When Pigs Fly
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Danny Thompson: Bass. Terry Williams: Drums. Steve Barbeck: Accordion.
"Rose Of Erin"
1993 from When Pigs Fly
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Danny Thompson: Bass. Terry Williams: Drums. Steve Warbeck: Accordion. Tommy McManamon: Fuzz Electric Guitar, Rhythm & Slide Guitars James MacNally: Whistle, Piano
Previously Unreleased. From the Sara Driver film When Pigs Fly
Transferred from Cassette Tape. Produced by Joe Strummer
Recorded 1993 at Rockfield Studios.
"The Cool Impossible"
1993 JS Demo
Previously Unreleased. Recorded 1993 at Rockfield Studios. 2 Inch Tape Multitrack. Produced by Kosmo Vinyl. Mixed by Peter J. Moore 2018
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Danny Thompson: Bass. Aaron Ahmun: Drums. Tommy McManamon: Guitars. James MacNally: Piano.
"London Is Burning"
2002 The Mescaleros
Previously Unreleased. Recorded 2002. The last song to be discovered for Joe Strummer 001. Reworked into "Burning Streets" on Streetcore. Originally titled "Fire Fighting Street" and written for Joe's show at Acton Town Hall for the Fire Brigade Union on November 15th 2002. Produced by Joe Strummer, Martin Slattery & Scott Shields. Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar. Scott Shields: Drums, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Slide Guitar, Synth, BVs. Martin Slattery: Electric Guitar, Chamberlain Strings, Tambourine, BVs.

SIDE 7
"US North" (12" SINGLE)
1986 JS/Jones from Candy Mountain
Previously Unreleased. Recorded 1986. 1/2 Inch Tape Master. Produced by Mick Jones. Unused song from the Robert Frank and Rudy Wurlitzer film Candy Mountain . Joe Strummer: Vocals, Guitar. Mick Jones: Vocals, Guitars, Bass. Greg Roberts: Drums. Dan Donovan: Keyboards. Felippe Gonzales: Bongos. Xavier Solano: Agogo. Strings played by The Radio Futura Philharmonic Orchestra, Madrid
The Box Set will contain all of the above plus:
"This is England" (7" SINGLE)
1984 July Demo
Previously Unreleased.1 Inch 8 Track Tape Demo.
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar, Paul Simonon: Bass, Pete Howard: Drums.
Mixed by Peter J. Moore 2018
"Before We Go Forward"
1984 July Demo
Previously Unreleased. 1 Inch 8 Track Tape Demo.
Joe Strummer: Vocals & Guitar, Paul Simonon: Bass, Pete Howard: Drums.
Mixed by Peter J. Moore 2018

CASSETTE
"U.S. North Basement Demo"
Unreleased. Recorded 1986. Discovered in Joe's cast cupboard.
Joe Strummer & Mick Jones: Vocals, Guitar, Drum Machine

The album is available to pre order now https://JoeStrummer.lnk.to/001