Two Minutes Fifty-Nine

Because we recently celebrated the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday in the US, it seems like a good time to highlight the Clash’s commitment to fight racism in the UK and around the world. But first, some thoughts on the current campaign in the US against teaching the truth about America’s history in our schools, my own recollections of Dr. King’s assassination, and the tendency of some white Ameri...

On this week’s episode, I talk about the origin of the name Two Minutes Fifty-Nine, a lyric from the song “Hitsville UK” from the Sandinista! album:  They say true talent will always emerge in time When lightning hits, small wonder  It’s fast rough factory trade No expense accounts, or lunch discounts, Or hyping up the charts The band went in and knocked ’em dead In two minutes fifty-nine …  “Hits...

For me, I suppose, the easy answer is, why not? The Clash has been my favorite band since I first put needle to vinyl on the US version of their self-titled debut album in 1980. I have every album they ever put out in one format or another and I never get tired of listening to them. But that’s not really the reason for this podcast. The reason, I think, is that as we approached the twentieth anniv...