2012 would have been the year punk icon Joe Strummer turned 60, and to celebrate the extraordinary life and career of the musician, Hellcat Records are releasing re-mastered special editions of Strummer’s finest solo work on CD and Vinyl.
‘Global A Go-Go’ and ‘Streetcore’ were recorded between 2000 and Strummer’s untimely death in 2002, it was during this period that Strummer wrote, recorded and toured with the band he dubbed “The Mescaleros.” These records capture the one time Clash front man amidst an undeniable creative resurgence. In a review of Streetcore, The Guardian called the record Strummer’s “best work since the Clash’s London Calling.”
Strummer was the voice of a generation in the late 1970s and early 1980s, becoming a punk icon during his career with The Clash. After The Clash disbanded in 1985, Strummer only began working and recording with a band of his own again in the few years before his death.
‘The Mescaleros’, who were previously a studio session band, became a fully-fledged group on ‘Global A Go-Go’ and continued to develop further in ‘Streetcore’. This album was the last release, completed after Strummer’s death. This final album was widely celebrated as a great piece of work, leaving all wondering what could have been next for ‘Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros’ if not for Joe’s premature death.
Musician Frank Turner said of Joe in NME, “The most inspirational thing about Joe is that he managed to create a direct connection between his heart and his mouth, without anything getting in the way”.
10 years on from the loss of one of the great British music icons, the re-release of these two albums celebrates the life of Joe Strummer and his incredible musical talent.
Album Track Listings –
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Global A Go-Go (CD and Double Vinyl)
1. Johnny Appleseed – 4:04
2. Cool ‘N’ Out – 4:22
3. Global A GO-GO – 5:55
4. Bhindi Bhagee – 5:47
5. Gamma Ray – 6:58
6. Mega Bottle Ride – 3:33
7. Shaktar Donetsk – 5:57
8. Mondo Bongo – 6:15
9. Bummed Out City – 5:33
10. At The Border, Guy – 7:09
11. Minstrel Boy – 17:49
12. Bindee Bhagee (Live from the Acton concert)- 6:12 (CD Only)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Streetcore (CD and Vinyl)
1. Coma Girl – 3:50
2. Get Down Moses – 5:05
3. Long Shadow – 3:34
4. Arms Aloft – 3:47
5. Ramshackle Day Parade – 4:03
6. Redemption Song – 3:28
7. All In A Day – 4:56
8. Burnin’ Streets – 4:32
9. Midnight Jam – 5:50
10. Silver And Gold – 2:39
11. The Harder They Come (live) (B-side to Coma Girl) – 3:26 (CD Only)
12. Rudi, A Message To You (live) (B-side to Coma Girl) – 5:04 (CD Only)
13. Blitzkreig Bop (live) (B-side of Coma Girl) – 3:25 (CD Only)
14. Yalla Yalla (live) (B-side to Coma Girl) – 6:56 (CD Only)
15. Armagideon Time (B-side to Redemption Song) – 4:30 (CD Only)
16. Pressure Drop (B-side to Redemption Song) – 4:30 (CD Only)
17. Junco Partner (from Hellcat Give Em The Boot IV compilation) – 4:19 (CD Only)
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