We’ve got a juicy piece of punk rock history to share with you today. Recently, Paul Simonon, the bassist of the legendary punk band The Clash, spilled the beans on why he believes Joe Strummer wouldn’t have wanted the ‘the only band that matters’ to reunite in an interview with Mojo.
The Clash formed in the mid-’70s and rocked the punk scene until their disbandment in 1986. Their career was somewhat tumultuous, primarily because of internal conflicts and lineup changes. In January 2003, shortly after the death of frontman Joe Strummer, the band – including original drummer Terry Chimes – was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, encouraging fans to push for a reunion.
However, the first discussion regarding a reunion took place in the ’90s, with Paul Simonon recently revealing more than money was at stake when it came to his decision-making. In a recent interview, Simonon opened up about a conversation between him, Strummer, Jones, and Mick’s manager, Gary Kurfist, about a possible The Clash reunion.
According to Paul, Mick Jones was particularly interested in the reunion due to the money it would bring. However, this angered Sinomon, who didn’t consider money a good enough reason, and he further believed that Joe Strummer would probably be against reuniting as well since ‘The Clash story was over.’
Here is how the conversation went:
“There was talk between me, Joe, Mick, and Mick’s manager, Gary Kurfist, who was also looking after Mick in B.A.D. But it didn’t happen for lots of reasons. I was getting pissed off with Mick. I said, ‘I don’t want to do it.’ Mick said, ‘Why not? You’ll get a million pounds.’ That pissed me off even more.
So I said, ‘I don’t want a f*cking million pounds.’ I think he was a bit shocked that I wasn’t keen on the idea. And I don’t think Joe would have really wanted to do it, either. For me, The Clash story was over.”
It seems that The Clash will remain a treasured memory for fans, as a reunion doesn’t seem possible. A second opportunity for a reunion arose in the early 2000s when The Clash was set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Joe Strummer passed away before the ceremony, and the remaining members chose not to reform the band for the event.
