The Clash’s ‘Combat Rock’ Gets 40th Anniversary Reissue With Unreleased Songs, Demos

The Clash will mark the 40th anniversary of their penultimate LP Combat Rock with a new reissue featuring unreleased songs, demo and outtakes recorded in the lead-up to the 1982 album.

Ahead of the May 20 release of the Combat Rock/The People’s Hall special edition of the album, a pair of the band’s unreleased collaborations with the English Beat singer Ranking Roger have been released, with the late toastmaster contributing his rapid-fire vocal stylings to the hit “Rock the Casbah” and “Red Angel Dragnet.”

In addition to the legendary 1982 LP — featuring “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” “Rock the Casbah” and “Straight to Hell,” the latter sampled for M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” — the reissue also features a bonus disc dubbed The People’s Hall that boasts alternate versions, unreleased songs, instrumentals and a Mikey Dread collaboration.

The bulk of the bonus material was recorded in 1981 following the Clash’s New York residency, with the punk legends hold up at London’s The People’s Hall where they rehearsed and recorded what would become Combat Rock, the last “real” Clash album.

Combat Rock/The People’s Hall is available to preorder now in a variety of formats, including 3-LP, 2CD and a 7″ of the Ranking Roger versions.


Combat Rock/The People’s Hall Track List
“Know Your Rights”
“Car Jamming”
“Should I Stay Or Should I Go”
“Rock The Casbah”
“Red Angel Dragnet”
“Straight To Hell”
“Overpowered By Funk”
“Atom Tan”
“Sean Flynn”
“Ghetto Defendant”
“Inoculated City”
“Death Is A Star”

“Outside Bonds”
“Radio Clash”
“Futura 2000”
“First Night Back In London”
“Radio One” – Mikey Dread
“He Who Dares Or Is Tired”
“Long Time Jerk”
“The Fulham Connection”
“Midnight To Stevens”
“Sean Flynn”
“Idle In Kangaroo Court”
“Know Your Rights”