Afterwards, we showed Johnny Green, their tour manager, the way to the record shop and he bought two copies of ‘London Calling’ – one for each of us. Topper Headon walks out on to the street right in front of us! He invited us downstairs into the studio to see what was going on. Me and my mate Pete Garner were walking down Granby Road in the middle of Manchester one day and we could hear these drums coming through the walls. Ian Brown of The Stone Roses describes a story of The Clash that sums up the band’s love for the fans, “I was at the recording of ‘Bankrobber’. The Clash did this by forfeiting their own royalties in order for fans to listen to as much music as possible for a cheaper price. The former, a double album the latter, a triple album, were both released for the same price of a single album. This is why the releases of London Calling and Sandinista are so important. Fans hearing the music was always more important than making money. During early gigs, The Clash would allow fans to climb in through the back window of gigs in order to spend time with the band or get into their concerts. No band has ever put fans above their own commercial means more than The Clash.
So here are some reasons why The Clash are still the only band that matters. However, what made the Clash special is that everyone had something to latch onto. There are still some mysteries, such as whether or not the Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg ever get its magnificent complete release. The Clash, however, are completely different. The Beatles and the Stones are loved for the controversies, the songs, the mysteries, the myths.