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Mick Jones (The Clash)
Encyclopedia
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones (born 26 June 1955) 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 later Big Audio. He now plays with Carbon Silicon along with his lifelong friend, Tony James
and is currently touring the world as part of the Gorillaz
live band (which also includes former Clash member Paul Simonon
).
, South London
, England to a Welsh father and a Russian Jewish mother. He spent much of his early life living with his maternal grandmother, Stella, in South London. Jones' cousin is Grant Shapps
, the Conservative
MP
for Welwyn Hatfield
. Jones went to Strand School
– and then on to art school, because "[he] thought that's how you get into bands and stuff".
He started gaining recognition as a guitarist in the early '70s with his glam rock
band, The Delinquents. A short time later, he met Tony James
and formed the proto-punk
London SS
. By 1976, that band had broken up and remaining members Jones, Paul Simonon
and Keith Levene
were seeking a new direction.
When he was 21, he and Paul Simonon were introduced to Joe Strummer
by Bernie Rhodes (the self proclaimed inventor of punk rock) in a dirty squat in Shepherd's Bush. The band practised in a disused railway warehouse in Camden and The Clash was formed.
Jones played lead guitar, sang, and co-wrote songs from the band's inception until he was fired by Strummer and Simonon in 1983. Jones' lack of punctuality played a major role in his dismissal from the band.
For his time with The Clash, Jones, along with the rest of the band, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2003.
. Though he's listed in the credits of the band's 1984 début album All the Rage
as an official member, Jones actually left General Public part way through the recording process and was replaced by Kevin White. White's picture appears on the back cover; Jones' picture does not. Jones did play guitar on many of the album's tracks, including the North American top 40 single "Tenderness
".
with film director Don Letts
, who had directed various Clash videos and later the Clash documentary Westway to the World
. The band's début album This Is Big Audio Dynamite
was released the following year, with the song "E=MC²
" getting heavy rotation in dance clubs, and both singles "Medicine Show" and "E=MC2" charting
in the UK.
For Big Audio Dynamite's second album, No. 10, Upping St.
, Jones reunited with Strummer. Together, the two wrote several songs on the album, including "Beyond the Pale", "V. Thirteen", and "Sightsee M.C."; Strummer also co-produced the album. Their reunion did not last long, and following that collaboration, the two did not work together again for some time.
Big Audio Dynamite's third album, Tighten Up, Vol. 88
, featured album cover art
painted by the ex-Clash bassist, Paul Simonon. Shortly following its release, Jones developed chicken pox, along with pneumonia
and spent several months in hospital. After his recovery, Jones released one more album with Big Audio Dynamite, Megatop Phoenix
, before reshuffling the line-up, renaming the band Big Audio Dynamite II and releasing The Globe
album.
In 1990, Jones was featured on Aztec Camera
's song "Good Morning Britain", with Roddy Frame
.
The band's line-up was reshuffled again in 1994, and they released the album Higher Power
under the name Big Audio. In 1995, a greatest hits album, Planet B.A.D. was released as well as a studio album called F-Punk
under the original Big Audio Dynamite name. A further album, Entering a New Ride
was recorded in 1997, but was only released on the internet because of a disagreement with Radioactive Records
, their then record label
. One more "best of" collection, called Super Hits, was released in 1999.
Jones announced the reuniting of Big Audio Dynamite in January 2011.
In 2002, Jones teamed up with his former London SS colleague, Generation X
and Sigue Sigue Sputnik
member, Tony James to form a new band named Carbon/Silicon
. The band has toured the United Kingdom and the United States and has performed a number of anti-fascist benefit concerts; they have also recorded three albums: A.T.O.M
, Western Front
and The Crackup Suite
which were available on-line for free. Their first physical CD release was The News EP
. The band encourage their fans to share their music on P2P
networks, and allow the audio and video taping of their shows. Their first song, "MPFree" is an anthem for P2P file sharing.
Similar in many respects to Jones' earlier work in Big Audio Dynamite, Carbon/Silicon aims to break the traditional approach to rock and roll. The band was described by Alan McGee
as "...the Stones
jamming with a laptop," and they make use of samples in their recordings and live shows. The formation of the band was catalysed by the internet and p2p file sharing
. The first song written by Jones and James was entitled "MPFree," in which they expressed their willingness to embrace the technology of the internet and file sharing, in the interest of spreading music, rather than profit.
On seven consecutive Friday nights in January and February 2008 Carbon/Silicon played a series of gigs at the Inn On The Green, right under the Westway in Thorpe Close, between Ladbroke Grove
and Portobello Road
. As well as Carbon/Silicon there were many special guests, including appearances by Sex Pistols
' Paul Cook
and Glen Matlock
, former Clash drummer Topper Headon
and multi-instrumentalist and former Mescalero
, Tymon Dogg
.
's second album The Spirit of St. Louis. Jones was in a relationship with Foley, and co-wrote songs for the album with Strummer. Players on the album included members of The Blockheads
and all four members of The Clash
In 1981 Jones also produced Theatre of Hate
's first album Westworld
released in 1982, written by Kirk Brandon
. Jones also played guitar on the title track, "Do You Believe In The Westworld". Jones would also record and produce Aria of the Devil
in 1982 by Theatre of Hate
at Wessex Studios, which did not get released until 1998, when the master tapes were found by Kirk Brandon
.
He produced the London-based band The Libertines
' debut album Up The Bracket
(2002). The album was critically well received, both in the UK and US. Jones stayed on to produce the band's second and final album The Libertines
. He also produced Down In Albion
, the debut album of former Libertines lead singer and guitarist Pete Doherty
's new group Babyshambles
.
Jones is also credited with contributing guitar and vocals to "Mal Bicho", the lead track of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
' album Rey Azucar.
He recently provided the score for Nick Mead's film, Dice Life – the Random Mind of Luke Rhinehart, a contemporary dance film created by Nick Mead and Wayne McGregor, featuring Luke Rhinehart, author of The Dice Man
.
At the NME
Shockwave 2007 awards, Jones took to the stage and performed "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
" with Primal Scream
.
of Hard-Fi
first met Mick Jones when he was still with Contempo. Hard-Fi were looking for a producer when one of the members of the record company suggested Jones, to which the band agreed to. At a rehearsal in Putney
, Richard
compared his dress sense to that of "the Godfather
".
Archer worked for a year on the band's first record, but things didn't work out as planned because of problems with the record company.
Talking about Archer, Jones said:
At Hard-Fi's NME Awards show at the Koko club on 6 February 2008 Jones appeared with Hard-Fi to perform the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go
" and Hard-Fi's "Stars of CCTV
".
album, Plastic Beach
, on the title track "Plastic Beach". Jones is also performing in the Gorillaz live band supporting Plastic Beach, playing Rhythm Guitar, along with Simonon. The band headlined the 2010 Coachella Festival, Glastonbury
and Festival Internacional de Benicassim.
Mick Jones and Paul Simonon
are now working as executive producers for a new film based on the recording of The Clash
classic 1979 album London Calling
.
Jones' first guitar was a Gibson Les Paul Junior
with a P-90
pick-up, which he bought because Johnny Thunders
used one. The Junior was his main guitar up until late 1977 early 1978, and after that as a backup and studio-guitar. Around the same time he also owned another Les Paul Junior, all black (formerly red) with a black pick-guard, which got smashed at a gig in 1977. He then switched to the regular Gibson Les Paul
and later to Gibson Les Paul Customs.
"My favourites are still the Juniors," he told Gibson.com in 2006. "I had a great Les Paul Standard, a sunburst one. And then I had a black Custom, and a white Custom. And then the big white hollowbody for London Calling. But I still play the Juniors today."
He also occasionally played an Olympic White Fender Stratocaster
– for live versions of 'Straight to Hell' – and several Bond Guitars that were donated to him by good friend Andrew Bond, who made the guitars. For effects Jones mainly uses MXR
pedals including a 100 Phaser, a Flanger, an Analog Delay and a Noisegate as well as a Roland chorus or Space Echo effect. During his days with The Clash, Jones used a Marshall Plexi amplifier and occasionally a Fender Twin with a 2x12 cabinet. He later changed to Mesa Boogie amplifier with two Marshall 4x12 cabinets that he used throughout the rest of his career with The Clash.
Jones played a high-tech British-made guitar called the Bond Electraglide
with Big Audio Dynamite
. He wears it on the cover of No. 10, Upping St.
.
Live, Jones still occasionally plays a Gibson Les Paul Junior
guitar, but with his current band Carbon/Silicon
favours a much lighter, black 1972 Fender Thinline Telecaster guitar with its original Fender Wide Range
humbucker pick-ups. They are both played through a Fender Blues DeVille valve amplifier. Additional overdrive is provided by an Ibanez Tube Screamer
TS-9 overdrive pedal.
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...
band 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...
until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite are a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of the Clash, Mick Jones. The group are noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
with Don Letts
Don Letts
Don Letts is a British film director and musician. He is credited as the man who through his DJing at clubs like The Roxy brought together punk and reggae music.-Biography:...
before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and later Big Audio. He now plays with Carbon Silicon along with his lifelong friend, 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...
and is currently touring the world as part of the Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
live band (which also includes former Clash member 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...
).
Early life
Jones was born in BrixtonBrixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, England to a Welsh father and a Russian Jewish mother. He spent much of his early life living with his maternal grandmother, Stella, in South London. Jones' cousin is Grant Shapps
Grant Shapps
Grant V Shapps MP is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield in the United Kingdom and Minister of State for Housing and Planning...
, the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Welwyn Hatfield
Welwyn Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Welwyn Hatfield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1974 as 'Welwyn and Hatfield'.- Boundaries :...
. Jones went to Strand School
Strand School
Strand School was a boys' grammar school in the Tulse Hill area of South London. It moved there in 1913 from its original location in the Strand...
– and then on to art school, because "[he] thought that's how you get into bands and stuff".
He started gaining recognition as a guitarist in the early '70s with his glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
band, The Delinquents. A short time later, he met 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...
and formed the proto-punk
Protopunk
Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential...
London SS
London SS
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 was the only other semi-permanent member...
. By 1976, that band had broken up and remaining members Jones, 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 Keith Levene
Keith Levene
Keith Levene is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was an early member of The Clash, but is best known as being a founding member of Public Image Limited, along with John Lydon....
were seeking a new direction.
The Clash
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...
by Bernie Rhodes (the self proclaimed inventor of punk rock) in a dirty squat in Shepherd's Bush. The band practised in a disused railway warehouse in Camden and The Clash was formed.
Jones played lead guitar, sang, and co-wrote songs from the band's inception until he was fired by Strummer and Simonon in 1983. Jones' lack of punctuality played a major role in his dismissal from the band.
For his time with The Clash, Jones, along with the rest of the band, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 2003.
General Public
After his expulsion from The Clash, Jones was briefly a founding member of General PublicGeneral Public
General Public were a band formed by The Beat vocalists, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and which included former members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash...
. Though he's listed in the credits of the band's 1984 début album All the Rage
All the Rage
All the Rage is the debut album by General Public, released in 1984 .-Track listing:# "Hot You're Cool" - 3:47 # "Tenderness" - 3:34...
as an official member, Jones actually left General Public part way through the recording process and was replaced by Kevin White. White's picture appears on the back cover; Jones' picture does not. Jones did play guitar on many of the album's tracks, including the North American top 40 single "Tenderness
Tenderness (song)
"Tenderness" is a song by General Public from their 1984 album All the Rage, produced by I.R.S. Records.-Content:The song's lyrics tell about a man who really needs tenderness to feel like a man. It was one of the band's first singles...
".
Big Audio Dynamite
Leaving General Public behind, in 1984 Jones formed Big Audio DynamiteBig Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite are a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of the Clash, Mick Jones. The group are noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
with film director Don Letts
Don Letts
Don Letts is a British film director and musician. He is credited as the man who through his DJing at clubs like The Roxy brought together punk and reggae music.-Biography:...
, who had directed various Clash videos and later the Clash documentary Westway to the World
Westway to the World
The Clash: Westway to the World is a 2000 documentary film about the British punk rock band The Clash. In 2003 it won the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video....
. The band's début album This Is Big Audio Dynamite
This Is Big Audio Dynamite
-Personnel:* Mick Jones - vocals, guitar* Don Letts - sound effects, vocals* Dan Donovan - keyboards, photos* Leo Williams - bass, vocals* Greg Roberts - drums, vocals-Samples used on the album:Medicine Show...
was released the following year, with the song "E=MC²
E=MC² (song)
"E=MC2" is a 1985 single by Big Audio Dynamite, released as the second single from their debut album This is Big Audio Dynamite. The song was the group's first Top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at #11. Additionally, it peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the...
" getting heavy rotation in dance clubs, and both singles "Medicine Show" and "E=MC2" charting
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in the UK.
For Big Audio Dynamite's second album, No. 10, Upping St.
No. 10, Upping St.
- Notes :* "Dial A Hitman" contains a spoken-word outro featuring Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne* "C'mon Every Beatbox" was remixed and released in the USA as "Badrock City"* "C'mon Every Beatbox", "V...
, Jones reunited with Strummer. Together, the two wrote several songs on the album, including "Beyond the Pale", "V. Thirteen", and "Sightsee M.C."; Strummer also co-produced the album. Their reunion did not last long, and following that collaboration, the two did not work together again for some time.
Big Audio Dynamite's third album, Tighten Up, Vol. 88
Tighten Up, Vol. 88
-Personnel:* Mick Jones - vocals, guitar, producer* Don Letts - sound effects, vocals* Greg Roberts - drums, vocals* Dan Donovan - keyboards, vocals* Leo 'E-Zee-Kill' Williams - bass, vocals* Flea - Dynamite* Adele - Crew* Josh - Grand Poo-Bah...
, featured album cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
painted by the ex-Clash bassist, Paul Simonon. Shortly following its release, Jones developed chicken pox, along with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and spent several months in hospital. After his recovery, Jones released one more album with Big Audio Dynamite, Megatop Phoenix
Megatop Phoenix
- Samples :The album makes copious use of sampling from various musical and other sources. Many of the tracks listed are created mainly from samples...
, before reshuffling the line-up, renaming the band Big Audio Dynamite II and releasing The Globe
The Globe (album)
-Big Audio Dynamite II:* Mick Jones – lead vocals, guitar* Nick Hawkins – guitar, backing vocals* Gary Stonadge – bass, backing vocals* Chris Kavanagh – drums, percussion, backing vocals-Additional personnel:* Gobblebox – vocals on 4...
album.
In 1990, Jones was featured on Aztec Camera
Aztec Camera
Aztec Camera were a Scottish New Wave band from the Glasgow suburb of East Kilbride, formed in 1980 and centered around teenage singer-songwriter, Roddy Frame. Their album Love was among the nominations for Best British Album at the 1989 BRIT Awards....
's song "Good Morning Britain", with Roddy Frame
Roddy Frame
Roddy Frame is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician, who was the founder of the 1980s indie band, Aztec Camera, and more recently is a solo performer.-Career:...
.
The band's line-up was reshuffled again in 1994, and they released the album Higher Power
Higher Power
Higher Power is a term coined in the 1930s in Alcoholics Anonymous and is used in other twelve-step programs. It is also sometimes referred to as a power greater than ourselves and is frequently abbreviated to HP.-History:...
under the name Big Audio. In 1995, a greatest hits album, Planet B.A.D. was released as well as a studio album called F-Punk
F-Punk
F-Punk is a studio album by Mick Jones' post-Clash band Big Audio Dynamite. This was the first album to be released under the name of Big Audio Dynamite since 1989's Megatop Phoenix...
under the original Big Audio Dynamite name. A further album, Entering a New Ride
Entering a New Ride
Entering a New Ride is a downloadable album by Big Audio Dynamite, led by former Clash band member Mick Jones. After disagreement with their record label Radioactive Records they left it and released all the songs on their official site for free...
was recorded in 1997, but was only released on the internet because of a disagreement with Radioactive Records
Radioactive Records
Radioactive Records was an American record label. It was formed as a joint venture between talent manager Gary Kurfirst and MCA Records, and it is now out of business....
, their then record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. One more "best of" collection, called Super Hits, was released in 1999.
Jones announced the reuniting of Big Audio Dynamite in January 2011.
Carbon/Silicon
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:...
and Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band created in 1982 by the former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the song "Love Missile F1-11".-Early years:...
member, Tony James to form a new band named Carbon/Silicon
Carbon/Silicon
Carbon/Silicon is a punk rock duo consisting of two experienced punk rock musicians: Mick Jones formerly of The Clash and former Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik member Tony James. The band formed around 2002.-Career:...
. The band has toured the United Kingdom and the United States and has performed a number of anti-fascist benefit concerts; they have also recorded three albums: A.T.O.M
A.T.O.M
A.T.O.M is a downloadable album by Carbon/Silicon, a group consisting of Mick Jones from The Clash and Tony James from Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik...
, Western Front
Western Front (album)
Western Front is a downloadable album by a British duo Carbon/Silicon, consisting of Mick Jones and Tony James . It was officially released on October 14, 2006.-Track listing:* All tracks by Tony James and Mick Jones...
and The Crackup Suite
The Crackup Suite
The Crackup Suite is a mini-album by Carbon/Silicon and their third official release, put out on March 9, 2007 . The songs have now been removed and replaced with their new album The Carbon Bubble as a free download on their website .- Track listing :All songs by Tony James and Mick Jones#...
which were available on-line for free. Their first physical CD release was The News EP
The News EP
The News is an EP by British rock band Carbon/Silicon, released in 2007 . This is their first physical release, all previous records were only available for download...
. The band encourage their fans to share their music on P2P
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
networks, and allow the audio and video taping of their shows. Their first song, "MPFree" is an anthem for P2P file sharing.
Similar in many respects to Jones' earlier work in Big Audio Dynamite, Carbon/Silicon aims to break the traditional approach to rock and roll. The band was described by Alan McGee
Alan McGee
Alan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
as "...the Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
jamming with a laptop," and they make use of samples in their recordings and live shows. The formation of the band was catalysed by the internet and p2p file sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
. The first song written by Jones and James was entitled "MPFree," in which they expressed their willingness to embrace the technology of the internet and file sharing, in the interest of spreading music, rather than profit.
On seven consecutive Friday nights in January and February 2008 Carbon/Silicon played a series of gigs at the Inn On The Green, right under the Westway in Thorpe Close, between Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
and Portobello Road
Portobello Road
Portobello Road is a street in the Notting Hill district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in west London, England. It runs almost the length of Notting Hill from south to north, roughly parallel with Ladbroke Grove. On Saturdays it is home to Portobello Road Market, one of London's...
. As well as Carbon/Silicon there were many special guests, including appearances by Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
' Paul Cook
Paul Cook
Paul Thomas Cook is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band Sex Pistols.-Early life and career:...
and Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock is an English bass guitarist most famous for being in the original line-up of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Drummer Paul Cook has said that Matlock came up with much of the music for the band's songs and most of the lyrics, while lead singer Johnny Rotten made some adjustments...
, former Clash drummer 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...
and multi-instrumentalist and former Mescalero
The Mescaleros
The Mescaleros were the backing band for Joe Strummer, formed in 1999, which went on to make three albums prior to Strummer's death in 2002. Many of the band members were gifted multi-instrumentalists...
, Tymon Dogg
Tymon Dogg
Tymon Dogg is a highly idiosyncratic English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, violin, guitar, oud and a harp of his own invention...
.
Producer
Jones has also been an occasional producer. In 1981 he produced Ellen FoleyEllen Foley
Ellen Foley is an American singer and actress, who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom Night Court. In music, she has released three solo albums but is best known for her collaborations with the singer Meat Loaf.- Early life and career :Foley was born in St....
's second album The Spirit of St. Louis. Jones was in a relationship with Foley, and co-wrote songs for the album with Strummer. Players on the album included members of The Blockheads
The Blockheads
The Blockheads are an English rock and roll band. Originally fronted by vocalist Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. Current members include Chaz Jankel , Norman Watt-Roy , Mick Gallagher , John Turnbull and Davey Payne...
and all four members of The Clash
In 1981 Jones also produced Theatre of Hate
Theatre of Hate
Theatre of Hate were a post-punk band formed in Britain in 1980.Led by singer-songwriter and ex-member of punk band The Pack, Kirk Brandon, the original group also consisted of: guitarist Steve Guthrie, bassist Stan Stammers , saxophonist John Lennard and drummer Luke Rendle from Crisis/The...
's first album Westworld
Westworld (Theatre of Hate album)
Westworld is the only studio album released by Theatre of Hate prior to the band's dissolution in 1982. Released by Burning Rome Records in 1982, Westworld has been re-issued three times since, most recently on Compact Disc by Snapper Music in 1997....
released in 1982, written by Kirk Brandon
Kirk Brandon
Kirk Brandon is an English musician.-Musical career:Brandon's music career started in 1978, in Clapham, South London, with the formation of punk group The Pack, in which he was the singer/songwriter....
. Jones also played guitar on the title track, "Do You Believe In The Westworld". Jones would also record and produce Aria of the Devil
Aria of the Devil
Aria of the Devil is the second of two studio albums by Theatre of Hate released posthumously after the band's dissolution in 1983.-Track listing:All songs written by Kirk Brandon.# "Ovature" # "Aria Of The Devil"...
in 1982 by Theatre of Hate
Theatre of Hate
Theatre of Hate were a post-punk band formed in Britain in 1980.Led by singer-songwriter and ex-member of punk band The Pack, Kirk Brandon, the original group also consisted of: guitarist Steve Guthrie, bassist Stan Stammers , saxophonist John Lennard and drummer Luke Rendle from Crisis/The...
at Wessex Studios, which did not get released until 1998, when the master tapes were found by Kirk Brandon
Kirk Brandon
Kirk Brandon is an English musician.-Musical career:Brandon's music career started in 1978, in Clapham, South London, with the formation of punk group The Pack, in which he was the singer/songwriter....
.
He produced the London-based band The Libertines
The Libertines
The Libertines were an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty . The band, centred on the song-writing partnership of Barat and Doherty, also included John Hassall and Gary Powell for most of its recording career...
' debut album Up The Bracket
Up the Bracket
Up the Bracket is the debut album by British rock band The Libertines, released in October 2002. It reached #35 in the UK Albums Chart.The album was re-released on 8 September 2003 with an additional track, "What a Waster" and DVD featuring the promotional videos for the singles: "Up the Bracket",...
(2002). The album was critically well received, both in the UK and US. Jones stayed on to produce the band's second and final album The Libertines
The Libertines (album)
The Libertines is the second album by the British indie rock band The Libertines. Released on 30 August 2004, it is particularly biographical of the relationship between frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty. The album instantly reached #1 in the UK and is on its way to achieving platinum...
. He also produced Down In Albion
Down in Albion
Down in Albion is the debut album by Babyshambles, Pete Doherty's post-Libertines band.Down in Albion was released on November 14, 2005 on Rough Trade Records, although it was leaked on to the Internet on October 19, 2005. Produced by Mick Jones, Down in Albion contains a rerecorded version of...
, the debut album of former Libertines lead singer and guitarist Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty
Peter Doherty is an English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist. He is best known musically for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he reformed with Carl Barât in 2010. His other musical project is indie band Babyshambles...
's new group Babyshambles
Babyshambles
Babyshambles are an English indie rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his former band The Libertines, but Babyshambles has since become his main project . Babyshambles has released two albums, three EPs and a number of singles...
.
Jones is also credited with contributing guitar and vocals to "Mal Bicho", the lead track of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs is an Argentine ska band from Buenos Aires. Formed in 1985, they released their first album, Bares y Fondas in 1986...
' album Rey Azucar.
He recently provided the score for Nick Mead's film, Dice Life – the Random Mind of Luke Rhinehart, a contemporary dance film created by Nick Mead and Wayne McGregor, featuring Luke Rhinehart, author of The Dice Man
The Dice Man
The Dice Man is a novel published in 1971 by George Cockcroft under the pen name Luke Rhinehart and tells the story of a psychiatrist who begins making life decisions based on the casting of dice. Cockcroft wrote the book based on his own experiences of using dice to make decisions while studying...
.
At the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Shockwave 2007 awards, Jones took to the stage and performed "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
" In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by The Clash, self produced and first released as a 7" single, backed with the track "The Prisoner", in June 1978....
" with Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
.
Friendship with Richard Archer
Richard ArcherRichard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
of Hard-Fi
HARD-Fi
Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band formed in Staines, Surrey in 2003. The band's members are Richard Archer , Ross Phillips , Kai Stephens and Steve Kemp .They achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat" and then followed by other successful singles such as...
first met Mick Jones when he was still with Contempo. Hard-Fi were looking for a producer when one of the members of the record company suggested Jones, to which the band agreed to. At a rehearsal in Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, Richard
Richard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
compared his dress sense to that of "the Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
".
Archer worked for a year on the band's first record, but things didn't work out as planned because of problems with the record company.
Talking about Archer, Jones said:
"I guess I can have a lot of fun at this stage in my career and I like working with young people such as Rich because they're full of new ideas. I wouldn't say I'm a mentor to him, though. I just like to try to have some fun and play a few tunes.
At Hard-Fi's NME Awards show at the Koko club on 6 February 2008 Jones appeared with Hard-Fi to perform the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go
Should I Stay or Should I Go
"Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash, from their album Combat Rock. It was written in 1981 and featured Mick Jones on lead vocals. It became the band's only number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, a decade after it was originally released. In November...
" and Hard-Fi's "Stars of CCTV
Stars of CCTV
Stars of CCTV is the debut album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was first released on 4 July 2005 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK...
".
Gorillaz
Jones reunited with Simonon on the 2010 GorillazGorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
album, Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach is the third studio album by British virtual band and alternative hip hop supergroup Gorillaz, released 3 March 2010 on Parlophone and Virgin Records. Conceived from an unfinished Gorillaz project called Carousel, the album was recorded during June 2008 to November 2009 and produced...
, on the title track "Plastic Beach". Jones is also performing in the Gorillaz live band supporting Plastic Beach, playing Rhythm Guitar, along with Simonon. The band headlined the 2010 Coachella Festival, Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and Festival Internacional de Benicassim.
Mick Jones and 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...
are now working as executive producers for a new film based on the recording 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...
classic 1979 album London Calling
London Calling
London Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...
.
Musical equipment
Gibson Les Paul Junior
The Gibson Les Paul Jr. is a solid body electric guitar introduced in 1954 as an affordable, entry level Les Paul. It was first released with a single cut body style however models with a double cut body style were later introduced in 1958.-History:...
with a P-90
P-90
The P-90 is a single coil electric guitar pickup produced by Gibson since 1946. Having a more complex architecture and larger dimensions than Fender's single coils, it is occasionally mistaken for a humbucker.- History :...
pick-up, which he bought because Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
used one. The Junior was his main guitar up until late 1977 early 1978, and after that as a backup and studio-guitar. Around the same time he also owned another Les Paul Junior, all black (formerly red) with a black pick-guard, which got smashed at a gig in 1977. He then switched to the regular Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
and later to Gibson Les Paul Customs.
"My favourites are still the Juniors," he told Gibson.com in 2006. "I had a great Les Paul Standard, a sunburst one. And then I had a black Custom, and a white Custom. And then the big white hollowbody for London Calling. But I still play the Juniors today."
He also occasionally played an Olympic White Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
– for live versions of 'Straight to Hell' – and several Bond Guitars that were donated to him by good friend Andrew Bond, who made the guitars. For effects Jones mainly uses MXR
MXR
MXR, also known as MXR Innovations, was a manufacturer of guitar effects units, co-founded in 1973 by Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood . MXR was based in the United States in Rochester, New York. MXR Innovations, Inc. was incorporated in 1974...
pedals including a 100 Phaser, a Flanger, an Analog Delay and a Noisegate as well as a Roland chorus or Space Echo effect. During his days with The Clash, Jones used a Marshall Plexi amplifier and occasionally a Fender Twin with a 2x12 cabinet. He later changed to Mesa Boogie amplifier with two Marshall 4x12 cabinets that he used throughout the rest of his career with The Clash.
Jones played a high-tech British-made guitar called the Bond Electraglide
Bond Electraglide
The Bond Electraglide was a carbon fiber electric guitar manufactured by Bond Guitars between 1984 and 1985. It resembled a matte-black, 3-pickup Gibson Melody Maker , with a unique stepped aluminum fingerboard instead of traditional frets...
with Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite are a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of the Clash, Mick Jones. The group are noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
. He wears it on the cover of No. 10, Upping St.
No. 10, Upping St.
- Notes :* "Dial A Hitman" contains a spoken-word outro featuring Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne* "C'mon Every Beatbox" was remixed and released in the USA as "Badrock City"* "C'mon Every Beatbox", "V...
.
Live, Jones still occasionally plays a Gibson Les Paul Junior
Gibson Les Paul Junior
The Gibson Les Paul Jr. is a solid body electric guitar introduced in 1954 as an affordable, entry level Les Paul. It was first released with a single cut body style however models with a double cut body style were later introduced in 1958.-History:...
guitar, but with his current band Carbon/Silicon
Carbon/Silicon
Carbon/Silicon is a punk rock duo consisting of two experienced punk rock musicians: Mick Jones formerly of The Clash and former Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik member Tony James. The band formed around 2002.-Career:...
favours a much lighter, black 1972 Fender Thinline Telecaster guitar with its original Fender Wide Range
Fender Wide Range
The Fender Wide Range Humbucker is a humbucker guitar pickup, designed by Seth Lover for Fender in the early 1970s. This pickup was intended to break Fender's image as a "single coil guitar company", and to gain a foothold in the humbucker guitar market dominated by Gibson.The pickups enjoyed some...
humbucker pick-ups. They are both played through a Fender Blues DeVille valve amplifier. Additional overdrive is provided by an Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez Tube Screamer
The Ibanez Tube Screamer is a guitar overdrive pedal, made by Ibanez. The pedal has a characteristic mid-boosted tone popular with blues players...
TS-9 overdrive pedal.