The band began rehearsing together in mid-May 1978, although they were still unnamed. In July 1978, Lydon officially named the band “Public Image” (the “Ltd” was added when the company was incorporated in July 1978), after the Muriel Spark novel The Public Image (1968). PiL debuted in October 1978 with…
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On 30 April, the Clash played at Rock Against Racism in Victoria Park, London . Late 1970s England had seen an increase in racist attacks and a growth in support for the far-right political party The National Front . Also on the bill were X-Ray Spex , Steel Pulse ,…
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Joy Division were approached by RCA Records to record a cover of Nolan “N.F.” Porter ‘s “Keep on Keepin’ On” at a Manchester recording studio. The band spent late March and April 1978 writing and rehearsing material. During the Stiff/Chiswick Challenge concert at Manchester’s Rafters club on 14 April, they…
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The group was formed in 1977 by songwriter and keyboardist Dammers, vocalist Tim Strickland, guitarist/vocalist Lynval Golding , drummer Silverton Hutchinson and bassist Horace Panter (Sir Horace Gentleman). Strickland was replaced by Terry Hall shortly after the band’s formation. The band was first called the Automatics, then the Coventry Automatics.…
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Their self-titled debut album , produced by Andy Arthurs, was released in March 1978. One retrospective review claimed it “demonstrated their limitations as well as their strengths. The 45 cuts like “Me and My Desire” and “Emergency” demonstrated the latter, but the album lacked that special ingredient, uniqueness or originality…
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The band’s debut album, Crossing the Red Sea was released by Bright on 17 February 1978. It has since become one of the most highly regarded albums of the punk era, with Dave Thompson calling it “a devastating debut, one of the finest albums not only of the punk era,…
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“Motorcade” co-writer Dickinson, whose background was in classical and avant-garde music , left shortly after several gigs in late 1977. In mid-February 1978, the band recorded their first John Peel session for BBC radio. In early 1978, they also released their first single, ” Shot by Both Sides “, produced…
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The bleached-blond hair that became a band trademark happened by accident. In February 1978, the band, desperate for money, were asked to do a commercial for Wrigley’s Spearmint chewing gum (directed by Tony Scott ) on the condition they dye their hair blond in order to play a punk band…
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In February 1978, the Clash released the single ” Clash City Rockers “; and played the song live, along with ” Tommy Gun “, on BBC television’s youth show Something Else .
In August 1977, Warsaw placed an advertisement in a music shop window seeking a replacement drummer. Stephen Morris , who had attended the same school as Curtis, was the sole respondent. Deborah Curtis, Ian’s wife, stated that Morris “fitted perfectly” with the band, and that with his addition Warsaw became…
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