The Clash song inspired by The Beatles and The Who
Punk rock, as a musical movement, was built upon the foundations of revolution. Disenfranchised kids growing up in the 1970s felt alienated from the celebrated sounds of 1960s rock and roll and could find little connection to the corporate mainstream rock dominating the charts at the time. Groups like The Clash, The Slits and Sex Pistols pioneered an abrasive, innovative and revolutionary sound the likes of which had never been heard before. However, there were certain influences from the 1960s that were given a free pass by punks.
The origins of punk stretch long before the release of ‘Anarchy in the UK’ in 1976. You can trace the spirit of punk as far back as the early beatnik scene and shock rock pioneers like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. The buzzsaw sound that came to define punk can be heard within the 1960s rock of groups like The Kinks, The Who, and even some tracks by The Beatles, though it was American groups like the MC5 and The Stooges that really took it to the next level.
While many bands at the time were keen to downplay the influence of these earlier groups, The Clash were always quick to pay homage to their influences. The Joe Strummer-fronted group were something of a rarity in the punk scene, incorporating a wide range of influences including ska, rockabilly, dub and even hip-hop. It is not all that surprising, therefore, that The Clash occasionally and openly drew upon the influences of old-school rockers like The Who and The Beatles.
These influences are perhaps most obvious on ‘Deny’, an early track penned by guitarist Mick Jones that appeared on The Clash’s eponymous debut album. Originally written during Jones’ time with London SS, the song is potentially about Jones’ girlfriend at the time and his resentment towards her due to drug use. These themes were pretty typical of early punk tracks. In terms of sound, though, ‘Deny’ was much closer to the rock of swinging sixties.
For starters, the track oddly utilises a fade-in at the beginning of the song. This production technique was hardly ever used by rock bands during the 1970s, much less punk groups who tended to feature rough-and-ready DIY production. However, The Beatles famously used a fade-in for their classic track ‘Eight Days a Week’, which might have had an influence on the construction of The Clash song.
‘Deny’ also draws upon the influence of fellow 1960s rockers The Who. The riff that drives the song is not dissimilar to ‘The Kids Are Alright’, a beloved anthem by Townshend and co. Jones was famously a fan of The Who and drew upon their influence multiple times throughout the discography of The Clash, most notably on tracks like ‘Clash City Rockers’ which lifts from ‘Can’t Explain’.
While some early punks might have criticised The Clash for betraying the revolution by drawing upon these 1960s rockers, it was the disparate influences incorporated into the band’s sound that gave them such lasting success. The first wave of punk didn’t last all that long with its ethos of three chords and simple song structures, but The Clash were able to continue long into the 1980s as a result of their eclectic and enduring sound.
