Rock the Casbah - The Clash

[BigDogsWang]

I asked this question a year or so back and no one knew the answer, so here goes gain.

On the 'Teenage Kicks' compilation album, you can clearly hear a late 1990's mobile phone ringing during the third verse of Rock the Casbah, a track originally released in 1982.

Anyone know how this happened???

[delboy3]

I thought it was just electronic beeps & whistles, which coincidentally may sound like a modern ringtone

[littleoldme]

I'd agree with delboy3 - don't forget this was the early 80s when everyone was playing about with synthesizers, sequencers and other electronic music-making devices. I dare say The Clash would have sniffed at them rather more suspiciously than the likes of The Human League or Kraftwerk, but the beeps and bleeps in Rock The Casbah are probably the nearest The Clash got to selling out (the oh so ironically titled Cut The Crap album apart, of course).

Anyway, it sounds more like a digital watch alarm to me - very 80s!

[BigDogsWang]

Come to think of it I suppose it could be an alarm. But was it on the original? (I don't own any Clash albums as I'm not a great fan!).

[Goldspot]

The Clash were always ahead of their time !

[xanderma]

BDW, I'm so glad I read this post - I too heard the mobile, and thought I was hearing things!

I'd say it's def. a phone - will keep watching this thread to see if anyone has any answers on the original........

[198x]

BDW it is on the original Clash album and IT IS a mobile phone ringtone, not whistles or watch alarms

There's either 2 meanings as to why it's on the song :

Maybe it was one of the members phone going off during the recording. Other bands this has happened to (although not sure if it's intentional) is Deftones and Incubus.

Another alternative would be that this was intentionally placed to this verse to go with the lyrics - "The in crowd say it�s cool, To dig this chanting thing" and maybe Strummer knew of the mobile phone revolution.