The Clash: ‘London Calling’ Exhibit To Open At Museum of London in November

To mark the 40th anniversary of the 1979 release of The Clash’s seminal London Calling album, the Museum of London will showcase a collection of items from the band’s personal archive including draft lyrics, stage clothes, photos and films, surrounding the recording process and making of the classic disc. The Clash: London Calling, which includes previously unseen items, is a free exhibit, opening Nov. 15, then running to spring 2020.

London Calling represented a melting pot of musical styles, driven by a passion for action and a fierce desire for social justice. The album’s music and lyrics remain as relevant today as they were on release. In addition to showcasing influences and context for the writing and recording of the seminal double album, this new exhibit will also examine how the capital influenced The Clash in becoming one of the most influential British bands of the 20th century.

Items on show include:

*Joe Strummer’s notebook: One of Strummer’s notebooks from 1979, the period when London Calling was rehearsed and recorded. Open at page showing “Ice Age,” which was to become lyrics for the album’s title song

*Paul Simonon’s broken bass guitar: Simonon’s Fender Precision Bass was damaged on stage at The Palladium in New York City on September 21, 1979, as Simonon smashed it on the floor in an act of spontaneous and complete frustration.

*Handwritten album sequence note by Mick Jones, placed here in correct order for the four sides of the double album.

*Joe Strummer’s typewriter: Strummer used it to document ideas, lyrics and other writings

*Topper Headon’s drum sticks: The only remaining item of his which remains from this time

To coincide with the opening of the exhibit on November 15, Sony Music will release the London Calling Scrapbook, a 120-page hardback companion which comes with the album on CD and contains hand-written lyrics, notes, photos and previously unseen material from the period when the record was made.

The Clash: London Calling is curated by Robert Gordon McHarg III with The Clash and Beatrice Behlen of the Museum of London.

Commented Museum of London Senior Curator of Fashion and Decorative Atts Behlen, “London Calling is The Clash’s defining album, a rallying call for Londoners and people around the world. The album’s lyrics reflected contemporary concerns, many of which are still relevant today, as it moved away from traditional punk by adopting and reworking much wider musical influences. At the Museum of London, we tell the stories of our capital through the objects and memories of the people who have lived here. This display will provide a brand new, exciting and vibrant take on this, showcasing rarely seen personal objects and telling the incredible story of how London Calling was, and for many still is, the sound of a generation.”

The Clash: London Calling will be shortly followed at the Museum of London by a brand-new display exploring London’s relationship with dub music and culture as part of its Soundclash season.