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About This Track
“Complete Control” is a song by The Clash, released as a 7” single and featured on the U.S. release of their debut album.
The song is often cited as one of punk’s greatest singles, and is a fiery polemic on record companies, managers and the state of punk music itself, the motivation for the song being the band’s label (CBS Records) releasing “Remote Control” without bothering to ask them, something that infuriated the group. The song also refers to managers of the time who sought to control their groups–Bernie Rhodes (of The Clash) and Malcolm McLaren (the Sex Pistols)–indeed, the song’s very title is derived from this theme:
“ Bernie had a meeting in The Ship in Soho after the Anarchy Tour. He said he wanted complete control…I came out of the club with Paul collapsing on the pavement in hysterics at those words.”
The track also refers to the band’s run-ins with the police, their practice of letting fans into gigs through the back door or window for free and a punk idealism seemingly crushed by the corporate reality they had become part of and the betrayal and anger they felt. The overriding message of the song can be recognised in this couplet from the song:
“ They said, we’d be artistically free / When we signed that bit of paper.”
This message was scorned by some critics as naïveté on the part of the band - legendary DJ the late John Peel was one of those, suggesting that the group must have realised CBS were not ‘a foundation for the arts’, while others were strong in their support of the single, for example:
The song is often cited as one of punk’s greatest singles, and is a fiery polemic on record companies, managers and the state of punk music itself, the motivation for the song being the band’s label (CBS Records) releasing “Remote Control” without bothering to ask them, something that infuriated the group. The song also refers to managers of the time who sought to control their groups–Bernie Rhodes (of The Clash) and Malcolm McLaren (the Sex Pistols)–indeed, the song’s very title is derived from this theme:
“ Bernie had a meeting in The Ship in Soho after the Anarchy Tour. He said he wanted complete control…I came out of the club with Paul collapsing on the pavement in hysterics at those words.”
The track also refers to the band’s run-ins with the police, their practice of letting fans into gigs through the back door or window for free and a punk idealism seemingly crushed by the corporate reality they had become part of and the betrayal and anger they felt. The overriding message of the song can be recognised in this couplet from the song:
“ They said, we’d be artistically free / When we signed that bit of paper.”
This message was scorned by some critics as naïveté on the part of the band - legendary DJ the late John Peel was one of those, suggesting that the group must have realised CBS were not ‘a foundation for the arts’, while others were strong in their support of the single, for example:
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Albums featuring this track
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The Clash
The Clash
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The Singles
The Clash Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.99
- 7digital $9.99
- iTunes $9.99
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The Essential Clash
The Clash Buy- Download Album
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- iTunes $19.99
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- Amazon $8.75
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The Ultimate Collection
The Clash Buy- Download Album
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Shouts
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PatrickKruspe wrote:
thank you record label for inspiring the guys to make this song :p
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whiteriot1992 wrote:
pure dynamite
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danc6433 wrote:
Fuck Joe Dimaggio, where's Joe Strummer.
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UpThaFolkPunx wrote:
Low bitrate. The Clash deserve better than this!
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bobgreen623 wrote:
You're my geetar hero!!!!! Am I allowed to say this is beautiful? I feckin love it
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kingkeir wrote:
C-O-N CONTROL
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NextsundayAD wrote:
Fuck yes.
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barryvs wrote:
"Fiery polemic"? This is punk for fuck's sake! ;)
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ToTheWelshPoint wrote:
''YOU'RE MY GUITAR HERO !!!!!!!!'' Classic Clash, arguably their best !
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DarkMagickKarma wrote:
This is just WRONG!! Not available in my country! They're from my country! What a fucking jip! What has got its gruby fat hands on our music? Same as it ever was. Strummer will be spinning! Ooh, it makes me soooo mad... lol
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DarkMagickKarma wrote:
One of their classics...seen them play times in M/C & London... 77 - 79 Just fucking awesome!
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Dette04 wrote:
Best............. Love it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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JimmyJazz27 wrote:
ladies and gentleman.... The Clash
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hemorrhoidprime wrote:
best punk song ever?
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punk1968 wrote:
cooooll !!!!!
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OutOfStepMisfit wrote:
This is one of them songs that no matter how many times you hear it, you always enjoy! They'll always be my favourite band.
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Two77Clash wrote:
The best song in the whole world. 'Nuff said.
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duckboystump wrote:
lol @ the guitar hero comment, i thought the same thing.
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myatt77 wrote:
classic clash...
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SgtDrPepper wrote:
Video not available in my country, FUCK YOU SONY
Track Stats
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179,857 Listeners
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Recent Activity
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same_K, cbarrentos, herrjehmineh57 and 14 other people loved The Clash – Complete Control. yesterday morning
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