''Sandinista!'' is the fourth studio album by the English
rock band
the Clash
The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a
triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side.
It crosses various genres including
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
,
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
,
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
,
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk horror
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Fo ...
,
dub,
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
,
calypso,
disco
Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
, and
rap.
Related news articles:
*
*
* For the first time, the band's songs were credited to the Clash as a group, rather than to
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...
and
Mick Jones.
The band agreed to a decrease in album royalties in order to release the 3-LP at a low price.
Related news articles:
*
The title refers to the
Sandinistas in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
, and its catalogue number, 'FSLN1', refers to the abbreviation of the party's Spanish name, ''Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional''.
[Jaffee, Larry. "The Politics of Rock". ''Popular Music and Society'', Winter 1987, pp. 19–30.]
''Sandinista!'' was mostly well received, though there was criticism towards the large size of the triple album. ''Sandinista!'' is the lowest charting album for the Clash in their native
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. However, the album was influential in the punk rock movement with its experimental sound and was voted best album of the year in the
Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
critics poll in ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
''. In 2020 it was ranked number 323 on the ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' list of "
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indu ...
" and ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' listed the album at number 85 on its "Best Albums of the 1980s" list.
Background and recording
The album was recorded over most of 1980, in London,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
,
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
and New York. It was produced by the band (primarily
Mick Jones and
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...
), recorded and mixed by
Bill Price, and engineered by Jeremy "Jerry" Green (
Wessex Sound Studios), J. P. Nichols (
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios is a recording studio in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was commissioned by rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968 and designed by architect John Storyk and audio engineer Eddie Kramer. It was completed by 1970. Hendrix ...
), Lancelot "Maxie" McKenzie (
Channel One Studios), and
Bill Price (Pluto + Power Station Studios).
Dub versions of some of the songs and
toasting was done by
Mikey Dread, who had first worked with the band for their 1980 single "
Bankrobber". With ''Sandinista!'' the band reached beyond
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
into dub,
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
,
calypso,
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
and other genres.
The album clearly displays the influence of reggae musician and producer
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, songwriter and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development ...
(who had worked with the band on their 1977 single "
Complete Control" and who had opened some of the band's shows during its stand at Bond's in New York in 1980), with a dense, echo-filled sound on even the straight rock songs.
When recording began in New York, bass guitarist
Paul Simonon
Paul Gustave Simonon (; born 15 December 1955) is an English musician and artist best known as the bassist for the Clash. More recent work includes his involvement in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen and playing on the Gorillaz alb ...
was busy making a film called ''
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains'', and he was replaced briefly by
Ian Dury and the Blockheads bassist
Norman Watt-Roy; this later caused some bad feeling when Watt-Roy and keyboard player
Mickey Gallagher, a fellow Blockhead, claimed they were responsible for co-composing the song "
The Magnificent Seven
''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay, credited to William Roberts, is a remake – in an Old West-style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself init ...
", as the song was based on a tune of theirs. Watt-Roy and Gallagher would subsequently be given a co-writing credit. Dread, too, was upset that he was not credited as the album's producer, although he was credited with "Version Mix". Other guests on the album include singer
Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley (born June 5, 1951) is an American singer and actress who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the hit NBC sitcom '' Night Court'' during its second season. In music, she has released five solo albums, bu ...
(Jones' partner at the time), guitarist
Ivan Julian
Ivan Julian (born June 26, 1955) is a guitarist, singer-songwriter, and founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids and Lovelies. He has also performed with The Isley Brothers, The Clash, Matthew Sweet, The Bongos, Richard Barone, and Shr ...
formerly of
the Voidoids, harmonica player
Lew Lewis (formerly of
Eddie and the Hot Rods), and Strummer's old friend and musical collaborator
Tymon Dogg, who plays violin, sings on and wrote the track "Lose This Skin"; he later joined Strummer's band
the Mescaleros
The Mescaleros were the British backing band for British singer, musician and songwriter Joe Strummer, formed in 1999, which issued three albums prior to Strummer's death in 2002.
Many of the band members were multi-instrumentalists. The origi ...
. Gallagher's children also made appearances: his two sons, Luke and Ben, singing a version of "Career Opportunities" from the band's
first album, and his daughter Maria singing a snippet of "The Guns of Brixton", from ''
London Calling
''London Calling'' is the third studio album by the English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records. ...
'', at the end of the track "Broadway".
This is also the only Clash album on which all four members have a lead vocal. Drummer Topper Headon made a unique lead vocal contribution on the song "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", and Simonon sings lead on "The Crooked Beat".
The song "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)" borrowed some lyrics from the
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter, protest song, protest singer (or, as he preferred, "topical singer"), and Political Activist, political activist. Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic h ...
song "United Fruit" featured on the album ''
Sings for Broadside'' (released 1976).
Release
According to Joe Strummer, the decision to release a triple-LP was their way of mocking CBS for resisting their desire to release ''London Calling'' as a double album, then releasing Bruce Springsteen's double album ''
The River'' less than a year later. Strummer took pleasure in the abundance, saying "It was doubly outrageous. Actually, it was triply outrageous." Mick Jones said, "I always saw it as a record for people who were, like, on oil rigs. Or Arctic stations. People that weren't able to get to the record shops regularly."
The band's wish to release the album at a low price was also met with resistance, and they had to forgo any royalties on the first 200,000 copies sold in the UK and a 50% cut in royalties elsewhere.
Four singles were released from the ''Sandinista!'' sessions in the UK: "
Bankrobber" (which did not appear on the album), "The Call Up", "Hitsville UK", and "The Magnificent Seven". A single disc promotional sampler called ''Sandinista Now!'' was sent to press and radio. The side one track listing was "
Police on My Back", "Somebody Got Murdered", "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" and "Hitsville U.K.". The side two track listing was "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)", "The Magnificent Seven", "The Leader", "Junco Partner", "One More Time" and "The Sound of Sinners".
The song "
Washington Bullets
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
" was lyricist
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...
's most extensive—and most specific—political statement to date. In it, Strummer name checks conflicts or controversies from around the world; namely in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
,
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
and
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
. (In reference to the first three, Strummer seems to side with what he sees as popular leftist movements or governments, while in the latter two, he sharply criticises the policy of Moscow's and Beijing's communist governments for what he sees as their imperialist actions). The ''Rolling Stone'' review of ''Sandinista!'' calls "Washington Bullets", along with "The Equaliser" and "The Call Up", "the heart of the album".
The original, 3-disc vinyl release of ''Sandinista!'' included a tri-fold lyric sheet titled ''The Armagideon Times, no. 3'' (a play on "Armagideon Time", the B-side from the single ''
London Calling
''London Calling'' is the third studio album by the English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records. ...
''.) ''Armagideon Times'', nos. 1 and 2 were Clash fanzines. The lyric sheet featured cartoons credited to
Steve Bell, as well as hand-written (but still legible) lyrics of all the original songs. The 2-CD release contains a facsimile of the lyric sheet considerably reduced in size.
The cover photo of the band was taken by
Pennie Smith, in
Camley Street, behind
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station (), officially known since 2007 as London St Pancras International, is a major central London railway terminus on Euston Road in the London Borough of Camden. It is the terminus for Eurostar services from Belgium, F ...
.
Reception
In the UK, initial reviews were mostly poor. In the ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
''
Nick Kent wrote that "the record simply perplexes and ultimately depresses". Upset, the Clash approached editor
Neil Spencer to have the record re-reviewed. The request was denied. "None of the other reviews in the music press, bar Robbi Millar's in ''
Sounds'', thought much of the record, either. ''
The Face'' magazine mercilessly took the piss out of it."
In the US, the story was a bit different. John Piccarella, in a review for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' headlined "The Clash Drop the Big One", argued that in effect, the band said "to hell with Clash style, there's a world out there."
Some critics have argued that the album would have worked better as a less ambitious, smaller project, while Piccarella (in his ''Rolling Stone'' review) and others think of the album as a breakthrough that deserves comparison to
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' "
White Album".
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
wrote in ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'', "If this is their worst—which it is, I think—they must be, er, the world's greatest rock and roll band".
The triple album was included in several "best of the year" critics' polls in 1981. It was voted first place in ''The Village Voice''s 1981
Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
critics' poll. According to
CMJ
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...
, ''Sandinista!'' was the second most-played album of 1981 on American
college radio
Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...
.
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh (born ) is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has published num ...
noted that it was a record whose topic was as many years ahead of its time as its sound. ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political r ...
'' included ''Sandinista!'' on its 2000 list of the "10 Essential Political-Revolution Albums". In 2018, ''Sandinista!'' was ranked at number 144 on ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
''s list of the 200 best albums of the 1980s. In 2020, the album was ranked at number 323 on ''Rolling Stone''s list of
the 500 greatest albums of all time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indu ...
.
''The Sandinista! Project'', a tribute to the album featuring
the Smithereens
The Smithereens are an American rock music, rock band from Carteret, New Jersey. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio lead vocals, (vocals and guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar and backing vocals, vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar and bac ...
,
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California, in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk, folk, alternative, country, and world music, among other ge ...
,
Jon Langford
Jonathan Denis Langford (born 11 October 1957) is a Welsh musician and artist based in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Langford is a founder member of the punk band The Mekons, the post-punk group The Three Johns, and the alternative count ...
and
Sally Timms
Sally Ann Timms (born 29 November 1959) is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Leeds, England, she now lives in the Chicago area, where she works as a paralegal.Lipez, Zachary.Mekons Finally Get Their Revenge: An Interview with Sally Timm ...
(
Mekons),
Amy Rigby
Amy Rigby (born Amelia McMahon, January 27, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter. After playing with several New York bands she began a solo career, recording several albums which had only modest sales despite enthusiastic reviews. She settle ...
,
Katrina Leskanich
Katrina Elizabeth Leskanich ( ; born April 10, 1960) is an American musician and the former lead singer of the British pop rock band Katrina and the Waves. Their song "Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves song), Walking on Sunshine" was ...
(of
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves were a British Rock music, rock band formed in Cambridge in 1981, widely known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves song), Walking on Sunshine". They won the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with the ...
),
Wreckless Eric
Eric Goulden (born 18 May 1954), known as Wreckless Eric, is an English rock music, rock and New wave music, new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single "Whole Wide World (song), Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two d ...
,
Willie Nile, Matthew Ryan, Stew,
Mark Cutler, Sex Clark Five, Sid Griffin & Coal Porters,
Haale,
the Blizzard of 78 featuring
Mikey Dread, Ruby on the Vine, and many others, was released on 15 May 2007, on the 00:02:59 Records (a label named after a lyric from the ''Sandinista!'' song "Hitsville U.K."). The album also features a collaboration by Soul Food and
Mickey Gallagher on "Midnight Log".
''Sandinista!'' is remembered as an important influence for the Chilean rock band
Los Prisioneros
Los Prisioneros ("The Prisoners") was a Chilean rock band formed in San Miguel, Chile, San Miguel, Santiago Province, Chile, Santiago, in 1982. Considered one of the most influential Latin-American bands of all time, they've been evaluated as pio ...
. The band members discovered the album in the austral summer of 1981 through a special report in
Radio Concierto.
Jorge González recalls he found it "advanced" and "Martian" and that "it taught me to do music".
[
]Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...
of Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
referenced the album negatively as his first introduction to punk rock stating, "I went to borrow the Clash's ''Sandinista!'' from the library ..'if this is punk rock, I'm not sure I like it.'"
Track listing
The compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. It employs the Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard and was capable of hol ...
release has the first three sides on the first CD and the latter three sides on the second CD.
All lead vocals by Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...
, except where noted.
Personnel
The Clash
* Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...
– lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards
* Mick Jones – guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
* Paul Simonon
Paul Gustave Simonon (; born 15 December 1955) is an English musician and artist best known as the bassist for the Clash. More recent work includes his involvement in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen and playing on the Gorillaz alb ...
– bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "The Crooked Beat"
* Topper Headon
Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon (born 30 May 1955) is an English drummer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer of punk rock band the Clash. Headon was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the Clash in 2003.
...
– drums, lead vocals on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" and backing vocals in "The Sound of Sinners"
Additional musicians
* Tymon Dogg (credited as 'Timon Dogg') – vocals and violin on "Lose This Skin", violin on "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)", "Something About England", "Mensforth Hill", "Junco Partner" and "The Equaliser", keyboard on "The Sound of Sinners"
* Mickey Gallagher (Blockheads) – keyboards
* Norman Watt-Roy (Blockheads) – bass guitar on "The Magnificent Seven", "Hitsville UK", "One More Time", "Look Here", "Something About England", "The Call Up", "Lose This Skin", "Charlie Don't Surf", and "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)"
* J.P. Nicholson – bass guitar
* Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley (born June 5, 1951) is an American singer and actress who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the hit NBC sitcom '' Night Court'' during its second season. In music, she has released five solo albums, bu ...
– co-lead vocal on "Hitsville U.K.", backing vocals on "Corner Soul" and "Washington Bullets"
* Davey Payne (Blockheads) – saxophone on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", "Something About England", "The Crooked Beat", "If Music Could Talk", "Lose This Skin" and "Mensforth Hill"
* Rick Gascoigne – trombone on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", "Something About England", "Lose This Skin", "Mensforth Hill" and "The Street Parade"
* Band Sgt. Dave Yates – drill sergeant on "The Call Up"
* Den Hegarty
Denis Hegarty (born 13 September 1954) is an Irish rock and roll, doo-wop and a cappella singer, television presenter, and psychology lecturer.
Biography
Darts (1976–1978)
At an early age Hegarty moved to Brighton, England. Hegarty formed ...
(Darts) – vocals on "The Sound of Sinners"
* Luke & Ben Gallagher – vocals on "Career Opportunities"
* Maria Gallagher – coda vocals on "Broadway" (singing " The Guns of Brixton")
* Gary Barnacle – saxophone on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", "Something About England", "The Crooked Beat", "Lose This Skin", "Mensforth Hill" and "The Street Parade"
* Arthur Edward "Bill" Barnacle (Gary's father) – trumpet on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", "Something About England", "Lose This Skin" and "The Street Parade"
* Jody Linscott – percussion
* Ivan Julian
Ivan Julian (born June 26, 1955) is a guitarist, singer-songwriter, and founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids and Lovelies. He has also performed with The Isley Brothers, The Clash, Matthew Sweet, The Bongos, Richard Barone, and Shr ...
(Voidoids) – guitar on "The Call Up"
* Noel "Tempo" Bailey (aka Sowell, reggae artist/session man) – guitar
* Anthony Nelson Steelie (Wycliffe Johnson of Steely and Clevie) – keyboards
* Lew Lewis (Eddie and the Hot Rods) – harmonica on "Junco Partner", "Look Here", "Corner Soul", "Midnight Log", "The Equaliser", "Version City" and "Version Pardner"
* Gerald Baxter-Warman
* Terry McQuade (had a small role in '' Rude Boy'')
* Rudolph Adolphus Jordan
* Battersea (Topper Headon's dog) – barking on "Somebody Got Murdered"
* Mikey Dread – vocals on "The Crooked Beat", "One More Time", "Living in Fame" and "Look Here"
* Style Scott
Lincoln Valentine Scott (29 April 1956 – 9 October 2014), better known as Style Scott, was a Jamaican reggae drummer, famous for playing in the Roots Radics and, later, with Dub Syndicate. He also recorded and performed with Prince Far I, Bunn ...
– drums on "Junco Partner" and "Version Pardner"
A recording of Habte Selassie, host of the WBAI
WBAI (99.5 FM) is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station licensed to New York, New York. Its programming is a mixture of political news, talk and opinion from a left-leaning, liberal or progressive viewpoint, and eclectic musi ...
radio show ''Labbrish'', can be heard at the beginning of "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)."
Production
* The Clash – producers
* Bill Price – chief engineer
A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "Chief" or "ChEng", is the most senior licensed mariner (engine officer) of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that departmen ...
* Jerry Green – engineer
* J. P. Nicholson – engineer
* Lancelot "Maxie" McKenzie – engineer
* Mark Freegard – assistant engineer
* Mikey Dread – version mix
* Pennie Smith – photography
* Steve Bell – cartoonist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...
Charts
Certifications
References
Further reading
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External links
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''Sandinista!''
at the Clash official website.
Song Histories: Junco Partner
at Everyday Companion Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandinista
1980 albums
The Clash albums
Dub albums
Epic Records albums
Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios
Sandinista National Liberation Front
Nicaraguan Revolution
Experimental music albums by English artists
World music albums by English artists
Reggae albums by English artists