Great focus on a specific moment, Mitchell! Hilarious to hear CS Murray's complete flip...At some point, CBS used (at least) "the only band that matters" in print ads and press releases, understandably. Working at a Houston record store at the time (and very into all things "punk"), it was fun seeing a staid, corporate monolith like CBS sign a UK punk band, with no real evidence of punk breaking through, yet, sales-wise, or even with airplay.
Plus, I distinctly remember talking with a couple of the local/regional CBS reps, asking them about their strategy to gain airplay and/or sales, and they had (predictably, I guess) nothing but shrugs and heavy sighs for me, as they didn't/couldn't understand the whole thing! I think the corporate "jitters" of breaking a decidedly British band to middle America dictated that they "play with" deleting tracks, re-arranging positions on the album, etc from what we called "imports" vs. the domestic releases! Amazing how literally frightened labels were of this stuff, but they had to keep up, and each felt the pressure to sign their own punk bands at the time!
Kudos to CBS (at least the suits at Black Rock in NYC), I guess, for being prescient enough to be able to see a talent that would eventually break through the narrow lane of constrictive "punk," and hats off to The Clash for stretching and realizing their potential, making use of all the added genres you wisely listed!
CBS' patience would finally be rewarded, as the band came up with eventual airplay breakthroughs...there was still a rather noticeable push-back on punk at radio, until more palatable and homogenized "new wave" bands like Police and Blondie finally made this "scary new punk thing" safe for housewives!
Saw The Clash on their "London Calling" tour, and was impressed by their ability to pull off live what they laid down on vinyl. Fun to go back to that time...thanks again, Mitchell!
Great focus on a specific moment, Mitchell! Hilarious to hear CS Murray's complete flip...At some point, CBS used (at least) "the only band that matters" in print ads and press releases, understandably. Working at a Houston record store at the time (and very into all things "punk"), it was fun seeing a staid, corporate monolith like CBS sign a UK punk band, with no real evidence of punk breaking through, yet, sales-wise, or even with airplay.
Plus, I distinctly remember talking with a couple of the local/regional CBS reps, asking them about their strategy to gain airplay and/or sales, and they had (predictably, I guess) nothing but shrugs and heavy sighs for me, as they didn't/couldn't understand the whole thing! I think the corporate "jitters" of breaking a decidedly British band to middle America dictated that they "play with" deleting tracks, re-arranging positions on the album, etc from what we called "imports" vs. the domestic releases! Amazing how literally frightened labels were of this stuff, but they had to keep up, and each felt the pressure to sign their own punk bands at the time!
Kudos to CBS (at least the suits at Black Rock in NYC), I guess, for being prescient enough to be able to see a talent that would eventually break through the narrow lane of constrictive "punk," and hats off to The Clash for stretching and realizing their potential, making use of all the added genres you wisely listed!
CBS' patience would finally be rewarded, as the band came up with eventual airplay breakthroughs...there was still a rather noticeable push-back on punk at radio, until more palatable and homogenized "new wave" bands like Police and Blondie finally made this "scary new punk thing" safe for housewives!
Saw The Clash on their "London Calling" tour, and was impressed by their ability to pull off live what they laid down on vinyl. Fun to go back to that time...thanks again, Mitchell!