London SS
Encyclopedia
London SS were an early British
punk rock
group founded in March 1975 by guitarist Mick Jones
and bassist Tony James
.
The band spent most of their short history auditioning potential members. Besides Jones and James, however, guitarist Brian James (not related to Tony) was the only other semi-permanent member. Other musicians who played with them included Matt Dangerfield and Casino Steel, then of The Hollywood Brats, who would later go on to play in The Boys
.
Many other notable musicians tried out for the band but did not make the cut including future members of The Clash
, Paul Simonon
and Terry Chimes
. Another future Clash member, Nicky "Topper" Headon
, was asked to join but declined. Rat Scabies
, future drummer for The Damned played with the band even though he was in his own protopunk band, Rot, at the time. Roland Hot also served as drummer. Punk poet Patrik Fitzgerald
also claims to have auditioned for the band.
The London SS's only recording was a demo featuring James, Jones, James and Hot. Musically they played straightforward rock 'n' roll and covered 1960s R&B although some former members felt the band's music was pretty poor. An example of this is their leftover song "1-2 Crush On You", which was later recorded by the Clash.
After Roland Hot was kicked out in January 1976, he joined fellow musicians Kid Rogers and Doug McArthur to form "Kid Rogers and the Henchmen". The band lasted less than two years but managed to sign with Chiswick Records and record a double A side single ("Getaway" b/w "Sensational"). "Sensational", penned by Hot and McArthur, was the more commercial number and was written after a chance meeting with Banshees vocalist Siouxsie Sioux
. "Getaway", penned by Kid Rogers (a guitar instrumental), was featured on the album 100 Great Guitar Instrumentals. McArthur went on to join "Killerhertz", a Motorhead-like three piece outfit, with guitar wizard Hugo Mallet and drummer (later to join Chelsea
) Marc Rathbone. Killerhertz had a strong following in London and were a regular feature at clubs like Dingwalls, the Marquee and the Music Machine. Notable recordings were "5 second wonders", "Heartbreak", "Nightmare", "All Along the Road".
Brian James left The London SS with Scabies to form The Subterraneans and later The Damned. The other James joined the band Chelsea
with Billy Idol
and the two later started Generation X
. Chelsea
drummer John Towe: "When Brian James played with London SS he wrote a song called "Why Won't She Talk" [...] October
kept the tune but put new words to the song and re-titled it "Get Out And Walk". When he discovered that the tune had been ripped off (early '77) he dropped it from Chelsea's
set."
Jones, Simonon, and Chimes teamed up with Joe Strummer
and founded The Clash
. Chimes was later replaced by Headon and then Headon was replaced by Chimes again. Ultimately, the London SS were more famous for what their members did later on in life than they were for anything that happened during their existence.
The group's name caused disquiet in some quarters, because "SS" is generally understood to refer to the Schutzstaffel
, an elite military force disproportionately involved in Nazi
war crime
s. This came to haunt Mick Jones
, when The Clash became Britain's premier left-wing political band. When questioned about the name Tony James stated:
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
group founded in March 1975 by guitarist Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
and bassist Tony James
Tony James
Tony James is a British musician, best known as a bassist of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.- Career :He was originally a member of the punk band London SS, along with Brian James, , and Mick Jones plus Terry Chimes .Later, James joined the early punk band Chelsea...
.
The band spent most of their short history auditioning potential members. Besides Jones and James, however, guitarist Brian James (not related to Tony) was the only other semi-permanent member. Other musicians who played with them included Matt Dangerfield and Casino Steel, then of The Hollywood Brats, who would later go on to play in The Boys
The Boys (UK Band)
The Boys are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976.Members of the band had previously played in other groups, such as London SS and Hollywood Brats. After recording four studio albums and eight singles, as well as recording Christmas themed music under the name The Yobs, they disbanded...
.
Many other notable musicians tried out for the band but did not make the cut including future members of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Paul Simonon
Paul Simonon
Paul Gustave Simonon is an English musician and artist best known as the bass guitarist for punk rock band The Clash. Recent work includes his involvement in the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007...
and Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes was the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He originally played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again from May 1982 to February 1983. He was the drummer for Hanoi Rocks in 1985, before the band broke-up that same year...
. Another future Clash member, Nicky "Topper" Headon
Topper Headon
Headon was extensively interviewed for the Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten documentary film about the late Clash frontman. He related his experiences during this period, how he became addicted to heroin and how there were problems before his dismissal...
, was asked to join but declined. Rat Scabies
Rat Scabies
Christopher Millar , better known by his stage name Rat Scabies, is a musician best known for his tenure as the drummer for The Damned....
, future drummer for The Damned played with the band even though he was in his own protopunk band, Rot, at the time. Roland Hot also served as drummer. Punk poet Patrik Fitzgerald
Patrik Fitzgerald
Patrik Fitzgerald is a singer-songwriter. The son of working-class Irish immigrant parents, he began recording and performing during the punk rock movement in 1977, after working briefly as an actor.-Early recordings:His early songs were generally short, sarcastic efforts, recorded with just an...
also claims to have auditioned for the band.
The London SS's only recording was a demo featuring James, Jones, James and Hot. Musically they played straightforward rock 'n' roll and covered 1960s R&B although some former members felt the band's music was pretty poor. An example of this is their leftover song "1-2 Crush On You", which was later recorded by the Clash.
After Roland Hot was kicked out in January 1976, he joined fellow musicians Kid Rogers and Doug McArthur to form "Kid Rogers and the Henchmen". The band lasted less than two years but managed to sign with Chiswick Records and record a double A side single ("Getaway" b/w "Sensational"). "Sensational", penned by Hot and McArthur, was the more commercial number and was written after a chance meeting with Banshees vocalist Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer of the critically acclaimed rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and of its splinter group The Creatures . The Banshees produced eleven studio albums and a string of hit singles including "Hong Kong Garden",...
. "Getaway", penned by Kid Rogers (a guitar instrumental), was featured on the album 100 Great Guitar Instrumentals. McArthur went on to join "Killerhertz", a Motorhead-like three piece outfit, with guitar wizard Hugo Mallet and drummer (later to join Chelsea
Chelsea (band)
Chelsea are an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.Three of the four original band members went on to help found Generation X. More than two decades after its release, "Right to Work", Chelsea's debut single, was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all...
) Marc Rathbone. Killerhertz had a strong following in London and were a regular feature at clubs like Dingwalls, the Marquee and the Music Machine. Notable recordings were "5 second wonders", "Heartbreak", "Nightmare", "All Along the Road".
Brian James left The London SS with Scabies to form The Subterraneans and later The Damned. The other James joined the band Chelsea
Chelsea (band)
Chelsea are an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.Three of the four original band members went on to help found Generation X. More than two decades after its release, "Right to Work", Chelsea's debut single, was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all...
with Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
and the two later started Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
. Chelsea
Chelsea (band)
Chelsea are an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.Three of the four original band members went on to help found Generation X. More than two decades after its release, "Right to Work", Chelsea's debut single, was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all...
drummer John Towe: "When Brian James played with London SS he wrote a song called "Why Won't She Talk" [...] October
Gene October
Gene October is an English musician, best known as the singer for the punk rock band, Chelsea.October was instrumental in the creation of the punk venue The Roxy, persuading the manager of gay London nightclub, 'Shageramas', to convert the club to cater for a punk clientele...
kept the tune but put new words to the song and re-titled it "Get Out And Walk". When he discovered that the tune had been ripped off (early '77) he dropped it from Chelsea's
Chelsea (band)
Chelsea are an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.Three of the four original band members went on to help found Generation X. More than two decades after its release, "Right to Work", Chelsea's debut single, was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all...
set."
Jones, Simonon, and Chimes teamed up with Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
and founded The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. Chimes was later replaced by Headon and then Headon was replaced by Chimes again. Ultimately, the London SS were more famous for what their members did later on in life than they were for anything that happened during their existence.
The group's name caused disquiet in some quarters, because "SS" is generally understood to refer to the Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
, an elite military force disproportionately involved in Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s. This came to haunt Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
, when The Clash became Britain's premier left-wing political band. When questioned about the name Tony James stated:
We hadn't thought at all about the Nazi implications. It just seemed like a very anarchic, stylish thing to do.