Sandinista! is the fourth album by the punk rock band The Clash, and their most experimental. Sandinista! was released in 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side. Some critics have argued that the album would have worked better as a less-ambitious, smaller project. Others think of the album as a breakthrough that deserves comparison to the Beatles' White Album. It was voted the best album of the year in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics poll.

History

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The album was recorded over most of 1980, in London and New York. It was produced by the band (which, essentially, meant Mick Jones and Joe Strummer), and engineered by Bill Price and Jeremy Green. Dub versions for some of the songs and toasting was done by Mikey Dread, who had first hooked up with the band for their 1980 single "Bankrobber". The album clearly displays the influence of reggae and in particular producer Lee Perry (who had worked with the band on their 1977 single "Complete Control"), with a dense, echoey sound on even the straightahead rock songs.

When recording began in New York bass guitarist Paul Simonon was busy making a film, and he was replaced briefly by Ian Dury and the Blockheads bassist Norman Watt-Roy; this later caused some bad feeling when Watt-Roy and keyboard player Mickey Gallagher, a fellow Blockhead, claimed they were responsible for co-composing the song "The Magnificent Seven". Dread, too, was upset that he was not credited as the album's producer. Other guests on the album include singer Ellen Foley (Jones' partner at the time), Richard Hell's guitarist Ivan Julian, and Strummer's old busking buddy Tymon Dogg, who plays violin, sings on and is credited with writing the track "Lose This Skin"; he later joined Strummer's band The Mescaleros.

For the first time, the band's traditional songwriting credits of Strummer/Jones were replaced by a generic credit to "The Clash". This is also the only Clash album on which all four members have a lead vocal.

Three singles were released from the album in the UK: "The Call Up", "Hitsville UK", and "The Magnificent Seven". The latter deserves mention as possibly the first-ever British rap single and the first rap single by a white band.

The title comes from the left-wing guerilla organization of Nicaragua, the Sandinistas, who the previous year had overthrown the dictator Anastasio Somoza. It has been said that Margaret Thatcher, no fan of left-wing guerrillas, wanted to ban the word sandinista, instigating the choice by The Clash for the title of their next album.

In January 2000 this album along with the rest of the Clash's catalog was remastered and re-released. A tribute to the album, planned for release in late 2006, is being created at sandinista.guterman.com

Audio excerpts

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Track listing CD

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Disc 1

1. "The Magnificent Seven"
2. "Hitsville UK"
3. "Junco Partner" (James Wayne; credited as AT PRESENT, UNKNOWN on insert notes)
4. "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe"
5. "The Leader"
6. "Something About England"
7. "Rebel Waltz"
8. "Look Here" (Mose Allison)
9. "The Crooked Beat"
10. "Somebody Got Murdered"
11. "One More Time"
12. "One More Dub"
13. "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)"
14. "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)"
15. "Corner Soul"
16. "Let's Go Crazy"
17. "If Music Could Talk" ("The Clash / Mikey Dread")
18. "The Sound of Sinners"

Disc 2

1. "Police on My Back" (Eddy Grant)
2. "Midnight Log"
3. "The Equaliser"
4. "The Call Up"
5. "Washington Bullets" (The Clash)
6. "Broadway"
7. "Lose This Skin" (Tymon Dogg)
8. "Charlie Don't Surf"
9. "Mensforth Hill"
10. "Junkie Slip"
11. "Kingston Advice"
12. "The Street Parade"
13. "Version City"
14. "Living in Fame" (The Clash / Mikey Dread)
15. "Silicone on Sapphire"
16. "Version Pardner"
17. "Career Opportunities"
18. "Shepherds Delight" (The Clash / Mikey Dread)

All songs by The Clash unless noted.

Tracklisting LP

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Side One

1. "The Magnificent Seven" (5:28)
2. "Hitsville UK" (4:20) Ellen Foley
3. "Junco Partner" (James Wayne; credited as AT PRESENT, UNKNOWN on insert notes) (4:53)
4. "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" (3:05) Topper Headon
5. "The Leader" (1:41)
6. "Something About England" (3:42)

Side Two

1. "Rebel Waltz" (3:25)
2. "Look Here" (Mose Allison) (2:44)
3. "The Crooked Beat" (5:29) Paul Simonon
4. "Somebody Got Murdered" (3:34)
5. "One More Time" (3:32)
6. "One More Dub" (3:34) Version of "One More Time"

Side Three

1. "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)" (4:51)
2. "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)" (4:31)
3. "Corner Soul" (2:43)
4. "Let's Go Crazy" (4:25)
5. "If Music Could Talk" (The Clash / Mikey Dread) (4:36)
6. "The Sound of Sinners" (4:00)

Side Four

1. "Police on My Back" (Eddy Grant) (3:15)
2. "Midnight Log" (2:11)
3. "The Equaliser" (5:47)
4. "The Call Up" (5:25)
5. "Washington Bullets" (3:51)
6. "Broadway" (5:45) an Epilogue sung by Maria Gallagher of "Gun's of Brixton"

Side Five

1. "Lose This Skin" (Tymon Dogg) (5:07) Tymon Dogg
2. "Charlie Don't Surf" (4:55)
3. "Mensforth Hill" (3:42) elements of "Something About England"
4. "Junkie Slip" (2:48)
5. "Kingston Advice" (2:36)
6. "The Street Parade" (3:26)

Side Six

1. "Version City" (4:23)
2. "Living in Fame" (The Clash / Mikey Dread) (4:36) Version of "If Music Could Talk", vocals by Mikey Dread
3. "Silicone on Sapphire" (4:32) Version of "Washington Bullets"
4. "Version Pardner" (5:22) Version of "Junco Partner"
5. "Career Opportunities" (2:30) Version sung by Luke and Ben Gallagher
6. "Shepherds Delight" (The Clash / Mikey Dread) (3:25)

Chart trajectories

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U.S. Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart trajectory
Week	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Chart position	99	46	29	26	24	24	39	47	66	66	69	77	95	124	153	151	172	192	191	199

UK Albums Chart trajectory
Week	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09
Chart position	19	25	25	27	25	30	35	41	50

External links

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• Sandinista! lyrics

References

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• Everyday Companion "Junco Partner" partial cover history website
• Rockabilly biography

1980 albums | The Clash albums | Triple albums | Epic Records albums

Sandinista! | Sandinista!