"Police on My Back" is a 1967 song originally released by The Equals from their second studio album Explosion. In 1980, the song was covered by The Clash.
| "Police on My Back" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Equals | |
| from the album Explosion | |
| Released | December 1967 |
| Recorded | 1967 |
| Genre | Funk, soul |
| Songwriter(s) | Eddy Grant |
"Police on My Back" was written by Eddy Grant and recorded by his band The Equals for their second studio album Explosion in December 1967.[1]
| "Police on My Back" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by The Clash | ||||
| from the album Sandinista! | ||||
| B-side | "The Crooked Beat" | |||
| Recorded | 12 December 1980 | |||
| Genre | Punk rock | |||
| The Clash singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1980, the Clash recorded a cover version of the song for their album Sandinista!,[2][3] and turned "the mid-paced soul-pop song into a charged-up, full-powered rocker".[4] Their version featured guitarist Mick Jones on lead vocals. Their version of the song was only released in Australia, and was described as a "punk anthem at a time of political and social repression", and as their "most full-throated rock song since I Fought The Law."[5][6]
The song was also covered by Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day in 2020, during the coronavirus lockdown.[7]
The song was described as being: "an expression of Jamaican rude boy culture".[8][9] The song has been covered a number of times over the years, including Zebda in 2003, Asian Dub Foundation,[9] Lethal Bizzle in 2007,[9] and more recently, Culture Abuse in 2018.[10]
Personnel
editThe Equals
- Derv Gordon – lead vocals
- Eddy Grant – lead guitar
- Pat Lloyd – rhythm guitar
- Lincoln Gordon – rhythm guitar, bass
- John Hall – drums
The Clash
- Joe Strummer – lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Mick Jones – guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
- Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "The Crooked Beat"
- Topper Headon – drums, lead vocals on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" and backing vocals in "The Sound of Sinners"
References
edit- ^ "The Equals - Equals Explosion (1967, Vinyl)".
- ^ "Police on My Back by The Clash - Track Info | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "Daily Dose of Protest: Police On My Back – The Equals". The Ongoing History of Protest Music. 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Swanson, Dave (2014-08-06). "Under Cover: The Clash Have the Police on Their Backs, Thanks to the Equals". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; Murray, Robin (2018-10-09). "Culture Abuse Tackle 'Police On My Back'". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Connelly, Jim (2015-06-25). "Certain Songs #232: The Clash - "Police on My Back"". Medialoper. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Neale, Matthew (2020-07-19). "Listen to Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong cover The Equals' 'Police On My Back'". NME. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Stratton, Jon (September 2013). "'Police On My Back' and the postcolonial experience". Social Identities. 19 (5): 536–551. doi:10.1080/13504630.2013.796882. hdl:20.500.11937/30636. ISSN 1350-4630.
- ^ a b c Becker, Jordan. ""Police on My Back" and the postcolonial experience" (PDF). Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Culture Abuse Release Cover Of Police On My Back". Kerrang!. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2024-02-14.