Strummer asyouhave neverheard himbefore

AS FRONTMAN of The Clash, Joe Strummer will always be remembered as one of punk’s leading lights.

But the singer, who died in 2002, aged 50, had a rich body of work before and after his time with the seminal band.

Some of it has now been painstakingly brought together as Joe Strummer 001.

It’s the first compilation to span Strummer’s career outside his time with The Clash.

The album includes fan favourites with pre-Clash band The 101ers, The Mescaleros, soundtrack work and previously unheard recordings and unreleased songs.

The 32-track double album, released today, was overseen by Strummer’s widow Lucinda Tait, Robert Gordon McHarg III and Grammy winner Peter J Moore.

The music was discovered in writings and tapes stored in Strummer’s back garden. Some songs had been superimposed on eight-track recordings which Moore managed to reinstate.

Lucinda said: “We had no idea of the wealth of recording material in the boxes and bags.

“The project has been huge and without the input, help and enthusiasm from Gordon and Martin Bradley and his team, I would have abandoned it years ago. It really has been a mammoth undertaking.”

Strummer’s career after The Clash stuttered to a halt in 1986 was patchy.

He worked on soundtracks to films including Sid and Nancy, Walker and a South Park album.

He found a steady ship in The Mescaleros, a band he fronted from 1999 to his death, but the highest chart placing they got in the UK was No50.

Joe Strummer 001 shines a light on his songwriting ability before and after The Clash.

His widow admitted there Compilation spanning star’s career outside The Clash

features unheard recordings and unreleased songs BY RICK FULTON were arguments about whether some of the songs should be released.

She added: “The question of why these gems never found the light of day was prominent in our selection and personal preferences are subjective.”

Much of the material on the album is already available, from It’s a Rockin’ World from South Park to his incredible duets with Johnny Cash on Redemption Song and Jimmy Cliff on Over the Border. But the album also has a 1983 previously unreleased demo of Czecholslovak Song/Where is England – an early version of This is England. In addition, there is a solo demo of Letsagetabitarockin recorded in Strummer’s home, Elgin Avenue, in 1975 and out-takes from Sid and Nancy featuring Mick Jones. There are also unreleased songs Rose of Erin, the biographical and mythical recording The Cool Impossible and London Is Burning, one of the last songs Strummer recorded. It became Burnin’ Street on his final album Streetcore. McHarg, who complied Joe Strummer 001, said the project took months. He added: “I worked on around seven variations.”

Having archived so many of Joe’s setlists, it was imperative to try to channel that dedication into trying to get it right.”

McHarg formed a friendship with Strummer after meeting him in the 90s.

Since Strummer’s death, McHarg, who is an artist by trade, has created exhibitions about the punk legend.

But his work isn’t complete yet.

Lucinda reckons there are at least two more compilations of music left in the archive.

She said: “I’m sure there are many varying opinions out there as to what we should and shouldn’t have included but there is easily a 002 and maybe even a 003.”

Joe Strummer 001 is out today.