Paul Simonon of The Clash - The British Masters Season 4, Chapter 3

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Күн бұрын

After Mark E Smith, Goldie, Liam Gallagher and John Lydon, Paul Simonon of The Clash joins host John Doran to be inducted as a British Master.
Originally known as the bass player in The Clash, a lifelong artist and style obsessive, Paul was one of the key architects of the aesthetics of punk. His obsession with dub and reggae helped broaden the sound of The Clash gloriously. We spoke to him in Damon Albarn's West London Studio, where they were rehearsing for their upcoming tour as one half of The Good, The Bad & The Queen.
Watch next: John Lydon - The British Masters - Chapter 8 bit.ly/2TATCAa
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Пікірлер: 355

@OldWolflad Жыл бұрын

I absolutely idolised Paul Simonen and still think he was the best looking punk of all the bands - the way he dressed, the way he looked, the way he moved...............and I loved the Clash! Fantastic bloke

@marymary5494 5 ай бұрын

Me too, I used to drool over him. 😊

@drexlspivey5828 5 жыл бұрын

When he says "I've got a financial cushion from The Clash that allows me to do what I want" I love hearing stuff like that. You always worry that these musicians who were a huge influence on folk never got anything themselves so that's always good to hear.

@ronnysterling7694 4 жыл бұрын

lewis morrison paul and “joe” gave their money away because they’re communists, the soft kind well kinda, they’re hardscrabble commies

@enriqueosorio3731 4 жыл бұрын

@@ronnysterling7694 as far as I know, Joe wasn't a communist, he was a socialist, two different political ideologies. Joe has even criticized communism in his songwriting. I'm not sure about Paul though

@drexlspivey5828 4 жыл бұрын

@@ronnysterling7694 he couldn't have made it any clearer here that he doesn't give his money away, he said in the politest possible way that he's minted

@davidwhite4874 4 жыл бұрын

@@ronnysterling7694 Joe Strummer died a millionaire.

@jam1ga 3 жыл бұрын

Aka the Ramones.They had to tour their whole career in a van to get the cushion

@thecamerastoreguy1233 3 жыл бұрын

As a lifelong Clash fan i was fortunate to meet Paul last year, what a lovely guy.

@jacquiventurini7877 2 жыл бұрын

I’d love to meet him too. 😍

@lptomtom 5 жыл бұрын

Paul is an absolute legend, and I've dreamt my whole life of meeting either him or his legendary black&white "Paul" Fender Precision bass

@joshs1533 2 жыл бұрын

Exhibition at the Museum of London houses the bass he trashed on the cover of "London Calling"

@mrpaulwright 5 жыл бұрын

Lovely guy, deserves a lot of credit for the reggae influence on the clash.

@DS-xk6yr 5 жыл бұрын

True.

@deerhunter2218 9 ай бұрын

To be fair Paul gets every credit from us Clash fans mate

@bill_case 5 жыл бұрын

Paul is the coolest, most stylish, dude to ever come out of the punk scene. John Doe, from X, is a close second.

@yassassin6425 5 жыл бұрын

Burnel up there too.

@AFormerClarity1 5 жыл бұрын

Paul Simonon is the definition of cool

@alondathomas293 5 жыл бұрын

He still looks good for his age, too---he must have been taking care of himself all these years.

@freebee8221 4 жыл бұрын

Sid vicious was the coolest

@ouFabLseK-LLangir 3 жыл бұрын

@@alondathomas293 DNA...and oil of ulay...I don t think he's a yoga enthusiast

@JohnnyPunish 5 жыл бұрын

"When they kick out your front door how you gonna come with your hands on your head or the trigger of your gun"

@lucyllewellyn2850 4 жыл бұрын

Love that song

@thewhoman3182 4 жыл бұрын

You can crush us you can bruise us but you'll have to answer to the guns of Brixton.

@izzygallegos2745 5 жыл бұрын

He’s still incredibly handsome, love him! Thank you for this interview.

@theworldisavampire3346 5 жыл бұрын

Since day one, 40 some years on... HUGE Clash fan. Love Paul. what a talent.

@tonyhall3365 5 жыл бұрын

whoever thought it would be a good idea to play a tiny level of music over them speaking needs to be stopped from working in media ever again

@cob1965 5 жыл бұрын

yes, have you noticed how they do that during radio news, radio 6 etc.

@GilbertSyndrome 5 жыл бұрын

Not to mention the fact that it's some weird, unsettling, Hitchcock-type tune, lol.

@chrisjdgrady 5 жыл бұрын

What do you do in "media"?

@judasgoat4230 5 жыл бұрын

@@chrisjdgrady The higher you go, the less you do.

@Traumm9 5 жыл бұрын

(Y) (Y)

@AbductionDevlog 7 ай бұрын

7:36 You can see him weathering a wave of emotion here thinking about his last message to Joe, I think there is a poetry to the fact their last words were essentially referring to the band's somewhat manifesto, which was keeping music about the music and nothing else matters.

@le9879 5 жыл бұрын

I was IN LOVE with this guy when I was a teen. He still looks mighty good! I'd take him anyday

@LouLou-bl7lw 2 жыл бұрын

Me too he was a beaut

@jacquiventurini7877 2 жыл бұрын

The same 🤣 he is still hot!

@marypoppins123 Жыл бұрын

Agreed. He has aged very well indeed!

@Tony-lv8uh 3 жыл бұрын

Entwistle, Bootsy... so many great bass players but none had the stage style and presence like Paul. I’ve always had a man crush on him!

@gordieparenteau6555 2 жыл бұрын

If there's any musician deserving of the title "master", it's Paul Simonon.

@AnthonyMonaghan 4 жыл бұрын

Simply, such a cool guy. He really inspired me at a young age to play an instrument. He has always been a dandy and his intellect is fierce. Great interview.

@punkisinthedetails1470 5 жыл бұрын

Unsung hero of modern music today. Humble genius.

@realityrealestate5755 4 жыл бұрын

The Clash were the Beatles of punk. No other punk bassist had a huge song on the radio such as "Guns of Brixton". Some idiot below commented he had not played on London Calling, of course he did. God bless you, Paul!

@downwarddonk 3 жыл бұрын

I've heard that rumour about him not playing bass on Clash recordings - I think it was started or at least perpuated by Vince White who was one the guitarists who joined the band when Mick left. I read somewhere that White claimed this in his bitchy memoir. It's clearly untrue as we can watch Paul playing those songs in live footage. Don't think White thought that one through...

@downwarddonk 3 жыл бұрын

Also, why would they fire Topper who was too high to play drums but not a fire bass player who supposedly can't play when he's sober?

@vincentkilpatrick3808 2 жыл бұрын

Mick wrote almost every bass part and taught them to Paul. Or Mick just played them himself of overdubbed parts on Paul’s existing studio tracks. Facts.

@realityrealestate5755 2 жыл бұрын

@@vincentkilpatrick3808 Yes, Mick Jones definitely did that but Paul still had to learn how to play it when playing live.

@RaiderfanCali 5 жыл бұрын

Damn! How cool is that guy!

@refoliation 5 жыл бұрын

What a cool dude. Thanks for everything Paul!

@plasteredbastard 5 жыл бұрын

He radiated the ethos of the band.

@sonofboar13 5 жыл бұрын

Bro this series is still going? Hell yes. I just saw a video of Paul, so glad we’re still celebrating Paul

@barefootfrolick 4 жыл бұрын

great mention of Stuart Sutcliffe - Paul Simonon connection/comparison x

@DanielGarciaNYC 5 жыл бұрын

Actually became a Clash fan because as a kid I saw the album London Calling and a dark sillouette smashing a guitar ( what I thought was at the time I later found out it was a bass) and I thought it was cool as hell. Remember back then there wasn't no streaming or snippets it was either buy it your friend had one and you made a copy but I brought allot of albums based on album covers and this was one and I loved the album and was obessed with it. That was the entry point to my love of the Clash

@johnnobrega4767 4 жыл бұрын

Daniel Garcia , cool I got that guitar smashing tattooed on my leg

@BARTFUNKBASS 5 жыл бұрын

One of the most underrated bass player! I love The Clash!

@williamlegg7669 4 жыл бұрын

Not underrated at all....he was never a good bass player.

@Noisey 5 жыл бұрын

Watch next: John Lydon - The British Masters - Chapter 8 bit.ly/2TATCAa

@OA-zis 5 жыл бұрын

12/15/2018 ... HAPPY 63RD BIRTHDAY, DEAR PAUL!!! :-) The Clash Fans wish Lots of Happiness and Very Good Health to You on this special day, Punk Legend, The Most Coolest Bassist on Earth.

@rays2794 5 жыл бұрын

Tremendous interview!

@DirectorSkitsandBTS 5 жыл бұрын

Great episode

@gustavoalfaro1245 5 жыл бұрын

Can't wait for a John Squire interview. Reni would also be great!

@pica6888 2 жыл бұрын

I love Paul. What a great human being.

@aliya.ayyyeee 5 жыл бұрын

Forever the coolest human being.

@timmcPherrin 5 жыл бұрын

didn't Doran talk shit about The Clash in the Lydon episode? Also, he wrote a piece in The Quietus years ago about how much he thought Oasis sucked, but then he interviews Noel as a British master?

@andrewstanesby 5 жыл бұрын

Just watched the Lydon interview. Your right, he did. How two faced. I'm sure the interview would have had a different tone if Simonon knew

@thoseswellnachos 5 жыл бұрын

Simonon did know

@timmcPherrin 5 жыл бұрын

@@thoseswellnachos dang! lol, thanks for sharing this

@andrewstanesby 5 жыл бұрын

@@thoseswellnachos interesting

@edwinjamespope8118 5 жыл бұрын

imagine knowing the interviewer slagged you off, then he asks you to sign some Clash vinyl..@@thoseswellnachos

@WyattScott 5 жыл бұрын

Hell yeah! nothin but the truth the from my favorite bass player from my favorite band

2 жыл бұрын

A real inspiration for real artist. A pirate, a legend.

@justinkline1294 2 жыл бұрын

Dude that closing story about the narrowly-averted prison fight was one for the ages. This man is indeed a great human being.

@justinkline1294 2 жыл бұрын

@@Yoop678 Yours has been filled with prison fights?

@Happy.Jack818 6 ай бұрын

Clash , best show I ever saw or will ever see ! “A small cushion “ well deserved !!! The Music 🎶

@Mike-bp2hh Жыл бұрын

You can call me Al is one of my favorites

@antscott4922 5 ай бұрын

I'm 63 and got to meet the clash once or twice (don't matter) The thing that is important, is, we still care!!!!

@Stella-mt2bb 7 ай бұрын

I just love him! ❤️👌

@professorpancakes6545 5 жыл бұрын

Legend

@hunterredday5988 4 жыл бұрын

wow! still a legend gwaarn boss.

@Le_Petomane 5 жыл бұрын

Its funny looking back at the Lydon interview and his comments regarding the clash after this.

@marcgordon3239 2 жыл бұрын

After Seeing Paul Smash His Bass Guitar On Stage ,,, Through Video & Poster Art Cover's For There Record's !!! I Knew Bass Guitar Playing Was My Calling ... Him ,,, Flea ,,, Brad Wilk ,,, Bootsy Collins & Stanley Clarke Has Been Sooo InFlential In My Love Of Music & Bass Playing ... I Can't Thank Him/Them Enough ...

@MrMonikerjay Жыл бұрын

Guns of Brixton is my favorite Clash tune. Love everything about it.

@deerhunter2218 9 ай бұрын

Was Guns of Brixton not a rip off from Beats International?

@ghostkid8324 5 жыл бұрын

John mate, keep up the good work. Fantastic as always. Very envious of the musicians you get to “talk to” rather than conventionally interview. Much more interesting than more typical music journalism. Great series.

@danielelston7457 Жыл бұрын

This Man is a true legend ❤

@marymary5494 5 ай бұрын

Interesting interview. I loved the creativity of punk clothes. I made most of my clothes, yes some from second hand or Army and Navy Stores. Im still making my clothes in 2024.

@et8352 5 жыл бұрын

My love 😍

@andchat6241 4 жыл бұрын

The "band that were assassinated in Northern Ireland" were the Miami Showband.. The Clash 1st 'Northern Ireland trip' didn' t go to plan ..having posed in front of Soldiers ,Check points & any various other places the gig was cancelled .Making it seem they went there for some 'photo ops'..this wasn't helped when they used an image from Northern Ireland as part of their live backdrop in '78 . You can see the image in the live footage from the Music Machine used in 'Rude Boy' ... In fairness they soon realised living in Northern Ireland wasnt the same as Ladbroke Grove, London .. & the backdrop with the 'Northern Ireland' image quite quickly was removed from their stage set up..

@kitwalker2968 2 жыл бұрын

Would've liked to have seen them and Stiff Little Fingers on the same bill !!!

@andchat6241 2 жыл бұрын

@@kitwalker2968 if they could have done it in '79 it would have been a hell of a gig !....SLF were great live around the release of of their debut lp ( & Gotta Getaway 7" etc) but it only really lasted about a year & by '81 they were just a decent rock- punk - pop group- they couldn't replicate the intensity of their early days & unlike the Clash or the Jam didnt really progress in new musical directions. But many groups had that problem ,the last time I saw the Clash (in '82) they were just a good rock band.. If you're interested in SLF watch the 'South Bank Show 'programme that covered Rough Trade records & some of the groups ( inc SLF being interviewed & live footage) .it went out on a Sunday night in May '79 ... I was on holiday & the next day I found a record store that had 'Inflammable Material ' - I was that blown away by what I'd seen the previous evening ! (Only problem was no record player available! - so It was a couple of days before we went home & I could listen to it ).. If you type 'South Bank Show - Rough Trade' you'll find the 30min programme on KZfaq.....

@bigearedmouse17 3 жыл бұрын

One of the coolest men on the Planet !

@benlawer7564 5 жыл бұрын

Cool, interview Mick jones too!

@SPLENDIDZEN 5 жыл бұрын

Thumbs up#600... one of my favorite bassists!...

@bitchboy4076 5 жыл бұрын

everyone cans the background music but i really like it?? adds another element to the interview

@giadac.8677 5 жыл бұрын

Oh Paul

@murrayballard 5 жыл бұрын

Great episode. Hopefully he'll interview Damon Albarn next.

@fourkray4825 5 жыл бұрын

Murray Ballard He did!

@davidpucciarelli9373 7 ай бұрын

Really touching that Paul talked about the influence of Stuart Sutcliffe

@dfpguitar 5 жыл бұрын

the irony of a many quizzing about style whilst wearing a suit with white socks, trainers and a jumper underneath a blazer.

@cmortenson3647 3 жыл бұрын

Pretty bad.

@omfug7148 5 жыл бұрын

Terrible interview I wanted to hear more about how Paul shaped himself into being a musician since that was never his aspiration in the first place, unlike Syd Vicious, Paul actually did learn how to play I would have liked to have heard the process of that.

@lucasrichards5793 2 жыл бұрын

Tbf to him, sid never really got the chance to improve haha

@paulbaker3465 5 жыл бұрын

Just Paul ❤️

@riffraff2770 5 жыл бұрын

Get rid of that horrible background music.

@Charlito732 4 жыл бұрын

Totally agree! Fucking music sounds like death therapy.

@remlaps7074 4 жыл бұрын

Yes! Please! I had to stop watching

@dasguero9655 3 жыл бұрын

Does not fit or even seem to serve any purpose

@samharvey3241 3 жыл бұрын

An absolute gent..

@DJBFAD 5 жыл бұрын

Make background noise stop please - I want to hear this legend speak, not that annoying tone...

@sallie5321 5 жыл бұрын

Can't say I'm surprised that Paul doesn't like him...

@mariuspoppFM Жыл бұрын

Who?

@samuelblinne6040 5 жыл бұрын

Love Paul simmon

@tonymack66 5 жыл бұрын

Had never heard Simonon talk before. Interestin. Yeah.

@sspbrazil 5 жыл бұрын

Really nice interview with Paul. Great bloke, great bass player and great artist.

@yassassin6425 5 жыл бұрын

Great bloke and great artist no doubt. Great bass player?....

@sspbrazil 5 жыл бұрын

@@yassassin6425 indeed he is.

@yassassin6425 5 жыл бұрын

@@sspbrazil Why?

@sspbrazil 5 жыл бұрын

@@yassassin6425 because he is! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rdeTnN2LysjHkYk.html

@yassassin6425 5 жыл бұрын

@@sspbrazil Yeah, thanks for that, not exactly supporting your contention is it? I'm as familiar with his work as I am Brixton given that I too used to live there. Presumably you also think that he's a great vocalist?

@brunob.7737 2 жыл бұрын

I´ve always known the Clash didn´t get together in 2002 because of Paul and this interview confirms it. Well done mate, great argument!

@thomasandersen6719 9 күн бұрын

Paul will always be the coolest cat in the room

@theodontosaurus 5 жыл бұрын

Does anyone know what the soundtrack to this is?

@andreajeffries5502 5 жыл бұрын

Great interviews but lose the background music.

@patswayze7359 4 жыл бұрын

Down to earth gentleman

@sitruk6120 3 жыл бұрын

So thats why their channels called Noisey

@hamupinhere 5 жыл бұрын

The Miami Showband is the band he was thinking of that was murdered in Belfast. They were murdered by the U.V.F.

@andchat6241 4 жыл бұрын

It's good to see Paul with 'the Gap in his front teeth' back... Although the Clash didn't have a Sex/Seditionaries style clothes shop at the start , they soon had a 'dedicated clothes designer' & the '5th Column' making t shirts ..

@rexcatajan1009 5 жыл бұрын

More documentary about the noisey music. Please

@LawrieFamily 5 жыл бұрын

That was a bizarre abrupt end to the interview 🤔

@markgullick1725 5 жыл бұрын

Simonon beat me at table-tennis.

@renny5835 5 жыл бұрын

Can u REUPLOAD the video WITHOUGHT THE BACKGROUND MUSIC, cause its pissing me off but good documentary tho :}

@duffbaker9554 4 жыл бұрын

A great ploy to get your albums signed.

@HeroesZeros 5 жыл бұрын

He's turning into "Old Man Steptoe". "Harold!" ;)

@killiangarvan2766 5 жыл бұрын

I think the name of the band who were assasinated in Northern Ireland he was refering to was a band called The Miami Showband.

@jameskelly2559 4 жыл бұрын

zephyra there’s a really moving documentary about that senseless act of killing

@jonstamatiou9641 2 жыл бұрын

What a character! He didn't write the basslines for the clash songs, he wrote only a few ,Guns of Brixton was one of them!

@sleepleZZZV3 5 жыл бұрын

When "The Prodigy"??

@kellymacbus1 2 жыл бұрын

A cool humble decent gentleman, bravo!

@noestahechalamielparatuboca Жыл бұрын

y bien pagado bravo

@mitchellmckee9287 5 жыл бұрын

Good interview, however that background music is a pain in the arse

@riffraff2770 5 жыл бұрын

Agreed!

@matthatter2849 5 жыл бұрын

Also Agreed!

@fabiopunk1661 5 жыл бұрын

right

@theodontosaurus 5 жыл бұрын

I think its great

@crapple009 4 жыл бұрын

It's supposed to be 'arty', I suppose.

@shesawindup 4 жыл бұрын

John Doran is like Dr.Who - each episode he looks different

@zZEDMUIRZz 5 жыл бұрын

Aphex Twin, massive attack, primal scream

@atulyab561 4 жыл бұрын

Did he just mention Mani from the Stone Roses at 7:21 ?

@leighfoulkes7297 5 жыл бұрын

From my google search, I think the band killed in Belfast was Miami Showband.

@k8lyndontsurf673 5 жыл бұрын

Miami showband were killed in banbridge were they not?

@steadyrm 4 жыл бұрын

I wish he would have played on London Calling “That’s not Simmo playing bass on that record “

@paulodentino1 4 жыл бұрын

Where do I find a cap like his?

@davidwhite4874 4 жыл бұрын

In your grandmothers wardrobe.

@jonstern7511 4 жыл бұрын

Sussex Tweed

@leganihanoi 5 жыл бұрын

What’s the track

@BedeLaplume Жыл бұрын

Great Talent without him there would have been no : London Calling, Hitsville UK, Guns of Brixton, Lost in the superMarket and the list goes on..

@iliketolkien Жыл бұрын

Rock The Casbah and Magnificent Seven were actually played by other musicians

@BedeLaplume Жыл бұрын

@@iliketolkien You are right I double checked during the Magnificent seven recording he was out filming a movie. Same thing with Magnificent Seven who was also done by Norman Watt-Roy.. In any event Paul Simonon made so many great lines it's not too difficult to find something else.. Thanks .

@RYx222 Жыл бұрын

@@iliketolkien Paul played on Rock the Casbah