Never Hurt Nobody

On 8th August 1980, The Clash released the single Bankrobber. It was a standalone release bridging the albums London Calling and Sandanista! and their second biggest UK chart single (peaking at #12), after the title track of the former which got one place higher in 1979.

 

The above is Don Letts' official video for Bankrobber, mainly showing Joe, Mick, Paul, Topper and Mikey Dread in the studio and on stage and intercut with a loose narrative of a bank job. The heist was filmed in Lewisham and stars Clash roadies Barry 'The Baker' Auguste and Johnny Green. Both were reportedly stopped and questioned by police during filming, who clearly thought they were genuinely up to no good!

 

In 1996, Audioweb's self-titled debut album contained their own version of Bankrobber. It too was released as a single (featuring Half Pint aka Lindon Roberts) and provided their biggest hit and sole UK Top 20 in February 1997. Directors GobTV provide some interesting background to the making of the video to accompany the YouTube clip.

 

The CD single that I bought at the time additionally contains a live version and a couple of remixes, which you can also find in it's entirety on YouTube. 

 

Mikey Dread was at the controls for the original recording of Bankrobber. He also delivered an alternative version, Rockers Galore...U.K. Tour, which appeared on the B-side of the 7" single and subsequently on 1993's Super Black Market Clash compilation. Here's Mikey performing a cover of Bankrobber as a tribute to Joe Strummer at Glastonbury in 2004.

Fast forward to 2005 and Chumbawamba included a short and sweet a capella version of Bankrobber on their album A Singsong And A Scrap. I've not heard this before and I like it a lot.

 

A decade later Combat Cancer, a fundraising tribute to The Clash featured a couple of versions of Bankrobber, closing with this 'live 'n' loose' take by Nick Welsh and Susan Cadogan. A good cause and lovely to hear the latter, but not a version that I'm likely to return to repeatedly.

In July 2020, Dub Pistols - perhaps unsurprisingly - took on the challenge, with vocals by head man Barry Ashworth and guest Seanie T. It was released on 7" vinyl with the King Yoof Dub version on the flip side, which is equally pleasing.

 

Speaking of dubs, back in 1980 Mikey Dread produced a version of Bankrobber intended for the single. Inexplicably, the record label decided not to release a 12" single of Bankrobber but it did pop up later that year as a combined edit on Black Market Clash, a 10" compilation available in the USA and Canada only. To bring things full circle and to a fitting close, here's Bankrobber/Robber Dub in it's full glory.

 

This post is dedicated as an early happy birthday to Joe Strummer, who would have turned 71 on 21st August.