Janie Jones (song)

Song infobox
Name = Janie Jones


Artist = The Clash
Album = The Clash
Released = Start date|1977|4|8
track_no = 1
Recorded = March, 1977
Genre = Punk rock
Length = 2:09
Writer = Joe Strummer, Mick Jones
Label = CBS
Producer = Mikey Foote"Janie Jones" is a song by the Clash on their eponymous debut album. [Green, Johnny; Garry Barker (2003). "A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with The Clash", p. 151.] [Letts Don. (2001). "". Event occurs at 3:10–3:45.] The subject of the song, Janie Jones, was a famous madam in London during the 1970s and had been a pop singer during the 1960s.

The live performance of the song at The Apollo in Glasgow on July 4, 1978, features on "Rude Boy", a 1980 film directed by Jack Hazan and David Mingay, starring Ray Grange and The Clash. The track was re-recorded at Wessex Studios by engineer Bill Price and tape operator Jerry Green. [Green, Johnny; Garry Barker (2003). "A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with The Clash", pp. 153–154.] cite video
people = Hazan, Jack; David Mingay, Ray Gange, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Nicky Headon, Buzzy Enterprises, Epic Music Video
year2 = 2006
title = Rude Boy
medium = Documentary, Rockumentary
publisher = Epic Music Video
location = New York, NY, United States
accessdate = 2008-01-09
isbn = 0738900826
oclc = 70850190
quote = 2nd edition digitally restored and remastered sound. ] [cite web
url = http://www.theclash.org.uk/RudeBoy.htm
title = Rude Boy
accessdate = 2008-02-18
last = Whistance
first = Don J
publisher = theclash.org.uk
quote = Except for the Lyceum gigs, The Clash aren't live on the film at all, stated Johnny Green. Totally artificial. The backing tracks were done at Wessex Studios. ] The song also features on ', a 2000 documentary film about the British punk rock band The Clash, directed by Don Letts. [Letts Don. (2001). '. Event occurs at 3:10–3:45.]

"Janie Jones" features on their compilation albums: "The Story of the Clash, Volume 1" (1988) (disc two); "Clash on Broadway" (1991) (disc one; demo version); "The Essential Clash" (2003) (disc one). A live live version recorded on June 4, 1981 at Bond's Casino, New York City, features on the live bootleg "Live at Bond's Casino" (2000). [cite web
url = http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_clash
title = Albums by The Clash - Rate Your Music
accessdate =2007-12-03
publisher =rateyourmusic.com ]

In December 1982, Jones herself, backed by members of the Clash and the Blockheads and credited as Janie Jones & the Lash, recorded a 7" single, "House of the Ju-Ju Queen", which was written and produced by Joe Strummer and released on Big Beat in 1983. Strummer as well as Mick Jones also played guitar on the record, together with Paul Simonon on bass, Mickey Gallagher on keyboards, Mel Collins on saxophone, and Charley Charles on drums. The B-side of the single was a cover of James Brown's "Sex Machine".

Legendary film maker, Martin Scorsese, well known as an ardent fan of The Clash, claimed in the book "Scorsese on Scorsese", that he considers "Janie Jones" to be the greatest British rock and roll song. He also used the song in the film "Bringing Out The Dead". [cite book
last = Scorsese
first = Martin
authorlink = Martin Scorsese
coauthors = Ian Christie, David Thompson
title = Scorsese on Scorsese
origyear = 1989
edition = 4th edition
year = 1996
publisher = Faber
location = London
isbn = 0571178278
oclc = 35599754
pages =
chapter =
quote = ]

Cover versions

"Janie Jones", performed by The Farrell Bros., features on "This Is Rockabilly Clash", a tribute album released by various artists, and recorded by Raucous Records in 2002. The song has been covered by the English bands The Paddingtons, and Bush numerous times at live concerts. The song was covered in 2005 on the collaborative album "Slackness" by The Slackers and Chris Murray. It was covered again by the three-piece folk noir band Songdog who featured it on their album, "The Time of Summer Lightning" in 2005 and then by Babyshambles, featuring contributions from others, in 2006 and released to raise funds for Joe Strummer's charity foundation Strummerville. The version by the Neurotic Outsiders is practically definitive.

Notes

References

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