JOE STRUMMER---RECUERDOS.

[ExxonValdez]

Hola. El 22 de diciembre de 2002, recibí­ una llamada de un hermano mí­o desde Londres en la que me decí­a que la BBC estaba informando de que Joe Strummer, aquel tí­o que habí­a sido nuestro amigo, gran amigo de mucha gente en Granada, habí­a muerto. No me lo creí­, o no quise creérmelo, hasta que, unos diez minutos después, recibí­ otra llamada, llorando, de Richard Dudanski. Y luego otra, y otra, y otra. Y era verdad. Una llamada tras otra iban informando de lo mismo, de que Joe, el gran Joe (y no gran por estrella de rock, sino gran Joe por amigo í­ntimo, confidencial, entrañable, cariñoso y humano, demasiado humano, como dirí­a Nietzsche) habí­a muerto.

De pronto, como hací­a algunos meses me habí­a sucedido cuando recibí­ la noticia de la muerte de otro gran colega y amigo, Javier Garcí­a Lapido, hermano de José Ignacio Lapido, un montón de recuerdos se me vinieron a la mente. Risas, sonrisas, gestos, miradas, palabras, cervezas juntos, comentarios... Decidí­, unas semanas después, recobrar todos los recuerdos que yo tení­a de Joe Strummer, el amigo, el confidente, el colega, y los conté en una página americana denominada "Strummernews", que parecí­a dedicada a Joe Strummer, pero que estaba muy contaminada por la mentalidad norteamericana sobre asuntos como el 11-S, la guerra en Afganistán, la guerra contra Iraq...

En Estados Unidos, uno puede ser fan de The Clash y, al mismo tiempo, ser votante acérrimo de George Bush. Uno puede tener como su canción favorita "Washington bullets" y, al mismo tiempo, apoyar el bombardeo indiscriminado de cualquier aldea perdida en Tikrit o en donde sea. Eso me dejó bastante confuso y, a veces, muy cabreado -como habrí­a cabreado al mismí­simo Joe saber que sus fans americanos estaban más interesados en saber cuál era su color favorito de calcetines, o el nombre de su perro, que analizar sus letras o el sentido de sus canciones-...

Bien. Pese a todo, pese al pro-Americanismo de "Strummernews", decidí­, porque la chica que creó esa web (The Web Princess), aunque norteamericana, es bastante agradable, contar mis recuerdos sobre Joe Strummer. Y esto fue lo que escribí­ entonces, a bote pronto, dí­as o semanas después de la muerte de Joe, como una especie de anecdotario, de cosas mí­as con Joe que querí­a compartir, no como si él fuese una clase de mesí­as o alguna tonterí­a así­, sino como la clase de buen amigo que era, sonriente, positivo, generoso, despreocupado.

Evidentemente, lo escribí­ en un mal inglés, pero ya esto lo dejo para los que, aquí­, transcriban en un buen inglés lo que escribí­. Si no aparece nadie que traduzca, lo traduciré yo personalmente.

Que conste que esto es lo que escribí­ a bote pronto durante algunas semanas, y en mi torpe inglés, sobre mis recuerdos de Joe.

Me encantarí­a que otras personas en este foro, incluidos Julián Hernández o José Ignacio Lapido, escribieran también sus comentarios sobre Joe Strummer, que, aparte de ser un inmenso letrista, demostró ser, sobre todo, un inmenso amigo. Trataré de incorporar a este topic a Richard Dudanski y Tymon Dogg.

Mick Jones, de The Clash, ya me dijo que él nunca se conecta a Internet. Pero sigue siendo un gran tipo...

Bueno, aquí­ van mis impresiones (en inglés... S hay algún buen traductor, yo me ahorro el trabajo).




STRUMMER.

I was 16 years old the first time I heard "1977" on the radio, 17 years old when I read the lyrics of "The Clash" first record translated into Spanish -they were good lyrics and pretty good songs- and 21 years old the first time I met Joe Strummer in a pub in Granada. By that time, he was one of my heroes, as Rolling Stones or Sex Pistols. I was playing in my band, a famous local band by that time in my city with our first LP being a sensation in Madrid. We were more famous in Madrid and Barcelona that in Granada. We had crazy tours in which you one day had to play in Barcelona and next day you had to play in Cádiz, more than 1.000 kilometres far away, and just for a little bit money. But that was the life of musicians in those days. So I got in my discoteque two singles of my band, one maxi-single, and a LP with the first video of my band. The radio stations in Madrid called us "the Spanish Clash", because we were really involved in politics in our records with songs as "Cockroaches" (against Christianism, the Pope -in a kind of 'God save the Queen', by Sex Pistols-, priests and theologians), "Guernika" (about the bombing of the town of Guernica by Franco troops and Hitler's 'Condor's Aviation' in april, 1937), "Gilmore '77" (about the execution of Gary Gilmore in the United States in january, 1977) or "1984 (Euroshima)", about Orwell's book and the bombing of Hiroshima.
It was october, 1984. A brother of mine phoned me and told me that a guy who seemed to be Joe Strummer was drinking and getting drunk in a pub in which all the rock musicians used to meet each others. He was an English guy and didn't speak a word of Spanish. Because at that time I was studying English Translation and Interpretation, and I was a guy with a good accent at English, I could be the translator. All the guys in the pub also thought he was Joe Strummer, the leader of the Clash, my favourite band.
So I took a taxi, walked into the pub and I met that guy, 11 years older than me (he was 32) which was a great difference of age. You know, when you are 20, people in their thirties seem to be soooo old, and old that.
I said in English: "Hi, how you doing?" and he replied in Spanish: "Muy bien, amigo, ¿qué quieres beber?" ("Fine, friend, what do you want to drink?") "Yo invito" ("I'll buy"). We had a small talk. Then he told me that he was looking for a band called 091 -the Spanish number for Police, as 911 in USA or 999 in England- that he had heard. He didn't know at that time that the barman in that pub was the drummer of 091, than the boy on his left was the guitar player and leader of 091 and the 19 years old boy who phoned me was my brother and the bass player of 091. He told me that someone in Albaicin said to him: "Go to 'Silbar' pub if you want to meet the musicians of that band". But he didn't know that the guys sitting next to him in the bar were the musicians of 091. So when I told him those guys were 091, he thought I was lying to him. Someone put then a record by 091, and Joe shouted: "I want to produce you!!!!"
I was disappointed. I asked someone to put my record on. The music of my band sounded. Joe didn't put attention to it. "Hey", he said, "it sounds as shit as The Clash. Is it a new Clash shit? Put Cero-Noventa-Y-Uno again" (Spanish pronunciation of 091). I was devastated. 091 was my personal rival band. First) Because of our singer left my band to go into 091. Second), because my brother left my band to go into 091. Third) Because they got a lot of money for production, good managers, tours, with only a first single. And Fourth) Because there he was, Joe Strummer, lost in a pub in Granada, asking to hear 091 music. It's like saying that Keith Richards is looking for a British pop band instead U2 in Ireland. Something like this. That night, after talking about The Clash, music and The Rolling Stones (Strummer's favourite song was always 'Not fade away') a local journalist in the pub brought him to his hostal.
----------------

[ExxonValdez]

2.

The local journalist was Juan Jesus Garcí­a, an expert on music who was working for a Granada local newpaper, "Diario de Granada". At those times, I was his assistant in both conditions of punk musician and English translator. He was responsible from a page in the newspaper and he gave me the freedom to write in a newspaper as a punk musician. It was a very open-minded newspaper with good ideas, to the point that this year, 1984, choosed two Spanish newspapers as the newspapers with best design and issues: "El Paí­s" (national) and "Diario de Granada".

The following morning, I had a phone call from Juan Jesus. After he took Joe to a hotel, Joe promised to him that he would give him the first interview about the end of The Clash. "Joe, you and me are going to have a lunch and an interview", he told me. "Wake up, TNT" (my band's name was TNT).

We met at 12.00 with Joe in the Lisbon Hostal, in front the Granada Town House, and while saying hello and shaking hands, Joe asked me in English: "Can I visit some places related to F'redicco Lorca?". I replied in Spanish: "Federico Garcí­a Lorca?". He said: "Yes, repeat it in Spanish, please". I said: "Fe-de-ri-co Garcí­a Lorca. What do you want to know?". He told me: "Everything".

I knew about Lorca everything. My grandmother had met him. My father, who lived the Spanish Civil War in his childhood, knew a lot of things. So I talked to Joe about Lorca. The places Lorca used to go, the way he was killed... etc. Suddenly, Joe, as a tourist in Kenya looking for a safari, started to speak to me as though I was his saviour, his man. "Tell me a place he used to go", he asked me. I said, "Ok. Let's go to the Sabanilla".

The Sabanilla, in Granada, is an small bar, hidden in the corner of a shadowy street, which Lorca used to visit to drink a glass or two of wine before going to the Huerta de San Vicente, his summer home.

Joe, Juan Jesus and me went to The Sabanilla. The bar hadn't changed for 60 years, so it looked as in the times of Lorca. Strummer asked for the wine of Sabanilla, then he saw a table with sits in a corner, and sit down. He was all the time like breathing the air of the bar, until Juan Jesus said, "Well, ok? Are we going for a lunch?". Joe said "OK".

So we took a taxi, went to Sacromonte, Juanillo's bar, a place used by Camarón de la Isla, Paco de Lucí­a, Enrique Morente and flamenco's singers to have lunch or dinner. Despite all the stars who was having lunch or dinners there, is quite simple and cheap.

We had our lunch and, at the dessert, Joe said: "Ok, I'm going to five you both an interview. This place is good enough to talk. I love Granada. This is my city. I love Andalusia. I love Lorca".

So Juan Jesus started the interview asking about what happened to The Clash, why Joe was in Granada, etc. Joe replied. The end of The Clash started when Topper Headon was under heroin, when they got a economic collapse with CBS and Sandinista!, record which CBS didn't supported economically, although CBS promised to support, and all The Clash members put their money -million of dollars everyone- to get released. Sandinista! was a catatrosphe for The Clash because of its political opinion about USA interferring in Nicaragua.

"Combat Rock" was the legacy of The Clash for Joe. Mick Jones was really high on marihuana, Topper Headon was really high in heroine. It was the time for Joe to stop. "Mick became a rock star", Joe said in English. "I told him "Mick fuera" in Spanish. "Mick out". "Mucho joint" (Too many joints). Mick Jones left the band. But it was not Mick, but Joe, who was leaving the band.

Joe was really sensitive, very impressive. If he was walking down an street and a poor man told him his story, Joe was able to stop, coming back and able to say: "How much do you need?". If the poor man said, for a joke, "One hundred dollars", Joe was able to go to a bank, shouting for the doors to be opened and putting in the hands of the guy 5.000 USA dollars.

I saw that.

Well, that day, in Sacromonte, in front the Alhambra, Juan Jesus Garcí­a has the last question to ask to Joe Strummer. "What's Federico Garcí­a Lorca is for you?".

Strummer replied: "Federico Garcí­a Lorca is the empty chair in a corner of The Sabanilla".

After lunch, Strummer and me became good friends. He asked me about Lorca. I asked him about The Clash. In a certain moment, while watching the Alhambra, he told me: "Hey, let's make a photo together with the Alhambra". I said: "Ok, but I'm only your translator". He told me: "Fuck you, TNTishian. Come here: I'll have to teach you how a good photo is made".

So I have this photo with Joe Strummer:

[Damned]

Joer.. este topic tiene pinta de ser una bomba! ..pena que no sepa casi nada de ingles, copons.
No estarí­a mal una traducción a castellano.. si no es mucho pedir!! :))
Un saludo.

[ExxonValdez]

Traduzco en cuando se quiera...

[El Predicador]

joder que bueno Exxon, nunca habí­a leido nada tan cercano sobre Joe Strummer, aparte de alguna bio y eso pero no que sonara tan cercano.

Guapisimo.

[Mighty Bioman]

Pero que bien escribe usted, señor paisano, que gusto entrar en sus topics.

[bukkake]

Una maravilla Exxon

[Damned]

Traduzco en cuando se quiera...

Cuando usted tenga un hueco y pueda hacerlo, estaré encantado de leerlo. Thanx!

[leatherface]

El mejor topic que he leido en este foro

[durruti rules]

Strummer es tan de Granada como Lorca, Morente, La Alhambra, 091 o Lagartija...
Los lugares mencionados siguen abiertos?

[Bill Stevenson]

Joe was really sensitive, very impressive. If he was walking down an street and a poor man told him his story, Joe was able to stop, coming back and able to say: "How much do you need?". If the poor man said, for a joke, "One hundred dollars", Joe was able to go to a bank, shouting for the doors to be opened and putting in the hands of the guy 5.000 USA dollars.

I saw that.

Oye Exxon puedes explicar un poco esta anecdota? es por curiosidad

[TigerLopez]

Muy interesante. Yo habia leido algo sobre lo mucho que le gustaba Granada a Joe Strummer en la biografia de The Clash en la coleccion esa de libros de musica (donde habia otra de los Ramones escrita por I. Julia). Si no recuerdo mal, habia una foto con 091.

Lastima que el acento sea tan malo en los coros de 'Spanish bombs'! :-)

[ExxonValdez]

Bill: esencialmente, Joe Strummer era un tí­o generoso. Casi nunca llevaba dinero encima pero, en cuanto lo tení­a, podí­a gastarlo en lo que fuera, hacerte un favor o, si se encontraba con un colgado por la calle que le caí­a bien, darle toda la pasta que llevaba en los bolsillos o ir al banco a sacar dinero para dárselo.

Recuerdo una anécdota curiosa. Cuando él llegó a Granada por primera vez, traí­a una magní­fica gorra de cuero con la inscripción 'Out of control'. Yo estaba colgadí­simo por aquella gorra (yo solí­a utilizar gorra en nuestros conciertos), pero me daba corte hacerle algún comentario a Joe al respecto. Unos meses después, mientras grababa con 091, volvió de Madrid y, mientras charlábamos, casualmente, le pregunté por la gorra. "¿La vieja gorra de 'Out of control'?", me preguntó. "Sí­, ésa", dije yo. "Se la regalé a un tí­o en el metro de Madrid. Me dijo: Hola, tí­o, me gusta esa gorra que llevas. Y se la regalé".

Sobran los comentarios de cuántas veces le dije: "You, fucking bastard, you, fucking bastard" a Joe el resto del dí­a. Pero, esencialmente, era así­. Yo tuve durante meses un pedal de eco Boss suyo que se acababa de comprar en una tienda y que le pedí­ que me lo dejara para echarle un vistazo. "¿Quieres probarlo?", me dijo mientras me lo ensayaba. "Si me lo dejas...". "Llévatelo, ya me lo das cualquier dí­a". Seis meses después, le tuve que recordar que yo seguí­a teniendo su pedal de eco. "¿Es bueno?", me preguntó. "Sí­, muy bueno. He grabado muchas cosas con él". "Si quieres, quédatelo".

Fui honrado y se lo devolví­. Pero, si no lo hubiera hecho, él jamás lo habrí­a pedido. De ésas tengo a miles. Literalmente: a miles.

[ExxonValdez]

"me dijo mientras me lo enseñaba"... corrijo... la dislexia, a veces...

[Damned]

Esperemos que sigas contando (en castellano mejor!!) y nosotros disfrutando de miles de ellas por aqui, Exxon.
Un saludote.

[ExxonValdez]

Voy a hacerlo, Damned. Lo haré en castellano.

[Damned]

Cojonudo pues... y repito, gracias.

[crazy_legs]

La verdad es que está de puta madre y que lo tradujeras pues también, que algunos somos muy cortitos con el inglés.
Un saludo!!

[ExxonValdez]

Dadme unos dí­as porque, como además, estaba contado para fans ingleses y americanos (que no saben qué es Granada, qué eran los 091 o Federico Garcí­a Lorca), tengo que contextualizarlo un poco... Y luego está mi extraordinaria vagueza, que no tiene parangón, como bien saben en mi casa...

[Bill Stevenson]

Gracias por la aclaración Exxon. La verdad es que siempre alegra saber que uno de tus referentes (como para mi era Strummer) era como tu dices que era y como he leido en el libro aquel del roadie de los Clash, que ahora no recuerdo, en el que siempre destacaba el lado humano de Joe