V01-T04a "..and we're back..."

.....The next track was introduced with an interstitial that was one of the few in this collection that was created as an interstitial:

Volume 1: THE PITCHFORK APPROACH, track 4

• 00:27 [DJ's on WBAI-FM 99.5, NYC]
• aka an excerpt from "LIGHTNING STRIKES (NOT ONCE BUT TWICE)"
• performed by ? (nominally The Clash, but the identities of the disc jockeys speaking in this excerpt are likely among the 23 credited "guest musicians"-- see below)
• original source: 3LP "Sandinista!" Epic E3X 37037 (US) 12/12/80
• and my source: 2CD "Sandinista!" Epic E2K 37037 (US?) n.d. (1989?)

.....After 2LP "London Calling" was released at the end of 1979 The Clash had a tour that ended in Detroit. One of their long-time roadies went to work for Joe Ely, Paul Simonon started working on a movie and Joe Strummer began producing a lesser known band and grumbling about possibly quitting. Meanwhile, Mick Jones and Topper Headon stayed in New York to make demos and drum tracks. ((Technical note: Most pop music recording is made in layers, usually with rhythm recorded first and vocals last. Topper was the Clash's drummer. Despite their punk credentials, after four years The Clash was writing things that were more complex and had also learned that this layered track approach saves time in the studio since 'live-in-studio' recording requires all performers being perfect simultaneously-- not likely with self-taught musicians. Also, with layered production each musician can play along to whatever parts had been recorded up to that point, ensuring coordination. Any songs tested out on the road could be recorded live-in-studio, anything new would be demo'd in layers.))

.....Of course, Paul and Joe eventually returned, the album was finished and the rest was history, etc. The hand-lettered lyrics and credits were kind of haphazard. Robert Ellen's "Junco Partner" was credited as "Author Unknown", for instance. There were 23 guest musicians listed without any specific attributions. That doesn't even include a few that slipped through, such as Tim Curry's cameo as a priest on "The Sound Of Sinners". Theoretically, anyone on the list could be acting as the DJ's in this excerpt. Realistically, many of the names could be eliminated due to their known participation elsewhere on the album or in different capacities:

• Mickey Gallagher was the pianist with the Blockheads
• Timon Dogg was a violinist who wrote and sang "Lose This Skin"
• Norman Watt-Roy was the bassist with the Blockheads, brought in by Gallagher early in the sessions while Simonon was still working on his film
• J.P. Nicholson was the bassist on "Washington Bullets"
• Ellen Foley shared the vocals on "Hitsville U.K."
• David Payne was a saxophonist
• Den Hegarty was a backing vocalist
• Luke Gallagher (Mickey's son) sang on "Career Opportunities"
• Ben Gallagher (Mickey's son ) sang on "Career Opportunities"
• Maria Gallagher (Mickey's daughter) sang bits of "Guns Of Brixton" at the end of "Broadway"
• Gary Barnacle was a saxophonist
• Bill Barnacle was a trumpeter
• 'Jody Winscott' may have been a misspelling of Jody Linscott, a percussionist signed to Epic at the time
• Ivan Julien was a guitarist with the Voidoids
• Noel Tempo Bailey was a reggae artist who also goes by the name 'Sowell Radics'
• Anthony Nelson Steelie was a reggae artist whose real name is Wycliffe Johnson
• Lew Lewis played harmonica with Eddie and the Hot Rods
• Terry McQuade appeared in the film "Rude Boy"

.....Other unlikely candidates are Band Sgt Dave Yates, who was probably leading a military or Salvation Army band for background atmosphere on songs like "Something About England", and a credit that simply says "Battersea", without indicating if that's a person, a band, the neighborhood or the power station. That leaves three that I can't account for: Ray Gasconne, Gerald Baxter-Warman and Rudolph Adolphus Jordan. Since the actor McQuade is listed between Gerald and Rudolph, and all three are listed last (except for Battersea), it's possible that McQuade was the voice you hear asking for more music, coerced by the band members into crank calling a genuine radio station near the studio or hotel room while they recorded the exchange for the album or for their own amusement.

.....On the other hand, owing to the DJ's island accents, it's possible that it was staged using Sowell Radics and Steelie playing DJ's in a studio. That just seems less likely to me. Considering the immense volume of Clash-related chattering that transpires online, you would think a trivia nugget like the identities of these people would have surfaced. It could very well be out there, but I can't find it. Anyone with an inside scoop can feel free to chime in on the comments area. It would be much appreciated.