Rude Boy (film)
Encyclopedia
Rude Boy is a 1980
British film
directed by Jack Hazan and David Mingay and filmed in 1978 and early 1979.
The film, part fiction, part rockumentary
, tells the story of Ray Gange
, a Clash
fan who leaves his job in a Soho
sex shop to become a roadie for the band. The film includes footage of The Clash at a Rock Against Racism
concert at Victoria Park, on their "On Parole" and "Sort It Out" tours, and in the studio recording the album Give 'Em Enough Rope
. The film was named after the rude boy
subculture
. The band became so disenchanted with the film, that by its release, they had Better Badges
make badges stating 'I don't want Rude Boy Clash Film'.
In 1980, the film won the Honorable Mention, and was nominated for the Golden Bear
at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival
. It was re-released on DVD the UK in 2003 by Fremantle Media with a host of special features including interviews with 'Rude Boy' Ray Gange, The Clash's road manager Johnny Green and film makers Jack Hazan and David Mingay.
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
British film
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
directed by Jack Hazan and David Mingay and filmed in 1978 and early 1979.
The film, part fiction, part rockumentary
Rockumentary
The term rockumentary is a neologism denoting a documentary about rock music or its musicians. The term was used by Bill Drake in the 1969 History of Rock & Roll radio broadcast, and by Rob Reiner in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap....
, tells the story of Ray Gange
Ray Gange
Ray Gange is a former actor from London, England, best known for his portrayal of the roadie who starred in the film Rude Boy. The film won various awards but Gange did not continue his film career....
, a Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
fan who leaves his job in a Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
sex shop to become a roadie for the band. The film includes footage of The Clash at a Rock Against Racism
Rock Against Racism
Rock Against Racism was a campaign set up in the United Kingdom in 1976 as a response to an increase in racial conflict and the growth of white nationalist groups such as the National Front. The campaign involved pop, rock and reggae musicians staging concerts with an anti-racist theme, in order...
concert at Victoria Park, on their "On Parole" and "Sort It Out" tours, and in the studio recording the album Give 'Em Enough Rope
Give 'Em Enough Rope
Give 'Em Enough Rope is the second studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released on 10 November 1978 through CBS Records. It was their first album released in the United States, preceding the US version of The Clash...
. The film was named after the rude boy
Rude boy
Rude boy, rudeboy, rudie, rudi or rudy are common terms used in Jamaica. In the 1960s it was also used for juvenile delinquents and criminals in Jamaica, and has since been used in other contexts...
subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
. The band became so disenchanted with the film, that by its release, they had Better Badges
Better Badges
Better Badges was a London button-badge manufacturer, started in 1976 by Joly MacFie. During the years 1977-1984 it became the leading publisher and merchandiser of 'punk badges' - exporting millions worldwide from their offices at 286 Portobello Road...
make badges stating 'I don't want Rude Boy Clash Film'.
In 1980, the film won the Honorable Mention, and was nominated for the Golden Bear
Golden Bear
According to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival
30th Berlin International Film Festival
The 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 18 to February 29, 1980.-Jury:* Ingrid Thulin * Betsy Blair* Mathieu Carrière* Alberto Isaac* Peter Kern* Károly Makk* Alexander Mitta* Alexandre Trauner...
. It was re-released on DVD the UK in 2003 by Fremantle Media with a host of special features including interviews with 'Rude Boy' Ray Gange, The Clash's road manager Johnny Green and film makers Jack Hazan and David Mingay.
Cast
The cast included (in alphabetical order):- Dave Armstrong as Police officer
- Barry Baker as Drum roadie
- Elsie Barnes as Fan
- Terry Barry as Police officer
- Reg Bazell as Police officer
- Lutz Becker as Sex shop customer
- Stephen Behan as Fan
- Graham Brown as Fan
- Lizard Brown as Byron, a suspect.
- Colin Bucksey as CID officer
- The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
as Themselves - Caroline CoonCaroline CoonCaroline Coon is an English artist, journalist and political activist. Her artwork, which often explores sexual themes from a feminist standpoint , has been exhibited at many major London galleries, including the Saatchi Gallery and the Tate.Coon was born to a family of Kent landowners and had...
as Caroline, a Band representative. - Cathy Crawford as Fan
- John Daly as Bouncer
- Hicky Etienne as Suspect
- Plaxy Exton as Fan
- Tig Exton as Fan
- Ian Galland as Police officer
- Ray Gange as Ray (Rude Boy)
- Ben Gaze as Police officer
- Boss Goodman as Bouncer
- John Goodridge as Police officer
- Inch Gordon as Inch, a suspect.
- Willy Graham as Fan
- Johnny Green as Johnny, the Road manager.
- Sarah Hall as Ray's girlfriend
- Vic Hardwick as Bouncer
- Topper HeadonTopper HeadonHeadon was extensively interviewed for the Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten documentary film about the late Clash frontman. He related his experiences during this period, how he became addicted to heroin and how there were problems before his dismissal...
as Drummer - Jerry Healey as Fan
- Dave Johnson as Police officer
- Mick JonesMick Jones (The Clash)Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
as Lead guitarist - Kenny Joseph as Solicitor's clerk
- Tony Martin as Police officer
- David McDonald as Fan
- Patrick McDonnell as Police officer
- Terry McQuade as Terry, the Ray's mate
- Roy Menuir as Bouncer
- Berry Myers as DJ
- Tommy O'Reilley as Fan
- Lee Parker as Eel, a suspect.
- Julia Phelps as Fan
- Clare Pollock as Fan
- Jimmy PurseyJimmy PurseyJimmy Pursey is an English singer and record producer. He was the founder and frontman of the English punk rock band, Sham 69 from 1976 to 1980, and from 1986 to 2006.-Biography:...
as himself, guest musician on "White RiotWhite Riot"White Riot" is a song by English punk rock band The Clash, released as the band's first single in 1977 and also featured on their debut album. There are two versions: the single version , and a different version on the UK album...
". - Howard Rainey as Bouncer
- Colin Richards as Sex shop customer
- Paul SimononPaul SimononPaul Gustave Simonon is an English musician and artist best known as the bass guitarist for punk rock band The Clash. Recent work includes his involvement in the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007...
as Bassist - Charlotte Smith as Fan
- Tony Smith as Fan
- Alan Stanleye as Fan
- Joe StrummerJoe StrummerJohn Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
as Rhythm guitarist - Ken Tillock as Fan
- Dave Wakefield as Police officer
- John WoodsJohn LeveneJohn Levene is an English actor. His most famous role was that of Sergeant Benton of UNIT on the television series Doctor Who.He was born John Anthony Woods in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England....
as Police officer - John Yates as Police officer
- Elizabeth Young as Ray's girlfriend
Songs performed
- "Revolution Rock" (Jackie Edwards, Danny RayDanny RayDanny Ray, is an American tenor saxophonist, known for his exploding sax style, evolved from early punk rock and R&B roots....
)
InstrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
version of album track; title song - "Police and ThievesPolice and Thieves"Police and Thieves" is a well-known reggae song, first recorded in the Jamaican reggae style by the falsetto singer Junior Murvin in 1976 , and one year later in a punk-reggae version by The Clash. Murvin's first commentary was "They have destroyed Jah work!".The song was written by Murvin and the...
" (Junior MurvinJunior MurvinJunior Murvin is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known for the single "Police and Thieves", produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976. Murvin's soaring voice and the infectious rhythm made "Police and Thieves" into an international hit during the summer of that year. It peaked at #23 in the...
/Lee "Scratch" Perry)
Performed by The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
at Barbarellas, BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
on 1 May 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex StudiosWessex Sound StudiosWessex Sound Studios was a recording studio located in Highbury New Park, London, England. Many renowned popular music artists recorded there, including The Sex Pistols, King Crimson, The Clash, Theatre of Hate, XTC, The Sinceros, Queen, Talk Talk and The Rolling Stones...
. - "Police and ThievesPolice and Thieves"Police and Thieves" is a well-known reggae song, first recorded in the Jamaican reggae style by the falsetto singer Junior Murvin in 1976 , and one year later in a punk-reggae version by The Clash. Murvin's first commentary was "They have destroyed Jah work!".The song was written by Murvin and the...
" sung by Junior Marvin (Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
) - "Career Opportunities (from The ClashThe Clash (album)The album received positive reviews from critics and peaked at number 12 in the UK charts. In December 1979, critic Robert Christgau named it his favorite album of the 1970s....
album) - "Garageland"Garageland (song)"Garageland" is a song by English punk rock band The Clash featured as the final track for their 1977 debut album The Clash.The song was penned by Joe Strummer as a response to music journalist Charles Shaar Murray, who, after a gig in 1976, wrote a review saying that they were "the kind of garage...
Performed by The Clash at Rehearsal Rehearsals; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "Rudi" sung by Bob MarleyBob MarleyRobert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
(Coxsone Records) - "London's BurningLondon's Burning (song)"London's Burning" is a song by The Clash from their eponymous debut album. It is the eighth track in the U.K. version of this album, and the seventh track in the U.S. version, from 1979....
"
Performed live by The Clash at Open Air CarnivalRock Against RacismRock Against Racism was a campaign set up in the United Kingdom in 1976 as a response to an increase in racial conflict and the growth of white nationalist groups such as the National Front. The campaign involved pop, rock and reggae musicians staging concerts with an anti-racist theme, in order...
, Victoria ParkVictoria Park, East LondonVictoria Park is 86.18 hectares of open space that stretches out across part of the East End of London, England bordering parts of Bethnal Green, Hackney, and Bow, such as along Old Ford Road, London E3 and Victoria Park Road E9. The park is entirely within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets...
, London on 30 April 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "White RiotWhite Riot"White Riot" is a song by English punk rock band The Clash, released as the band's first single in 1977 and also featured on their debut album. There are two versions: the single version , and a different version on the UK album...
"
Performed live by The Clash at Open Air Carnival, Victoria Park, London on 30 April 1978 and featuring Jimmy PurseyJimmy PurseyJimmy Pursey is an English singer and record producer. He was the founder and frontman of the English punk rock band, Sham 69 from 1976 to 1980, and from 1986 to 2006.-Biography:...
from Sham 69Sham 69Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
on vocals; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by The Clash, self produced and first released as a 7" single, backed with the track "The Prisoner", in June 1978....
"
Performed live by The Clash at the ApolloThe Apollo (Glasgow)The Apollo was a music venue in Glasgow, Scotland, operating from 1973-1985. It was opened by Unicorn Leisure, in September 1973, after acquiring a lease from the owners George Green Ltd. The venue's debut live performance was by Johnny Cash on 5 September 1973. While in operation, it hosted the...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
on 4 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "I'm So Bored with the USAI'm So Bored with the USA"I'm So Bored with the U.S.A." is a song by British punk rock band The Clash, featured on their eponymous 1977 debut album, which was released in the United States in July 1979 as their second album after Give Em Enough Rope...
"
Performed live by The Clash at the Apollo, Glasgow on 4 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "Janie JonesJanie Jones (song)"Janie Jones" is a song by the Clash on their eponymous debut album. The subject of the song, Janie Jones, was a famous madam in London during the 1970s and had been a pop singer during the 1960s....
"
Performed live by The Clash at the Apollo, Glasgow on 4 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "White RiotWhite Riot"White Riot" is a song by English punk rock band The Clash, released as the band's first single in 1977 and also featured on their debut album. There are two versions: the single version , and a different version on the UK album...
"
Performed live by The Clash at the Apollo, Glasgow on 4 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "The Prisoner(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by The Clash, self produced and first released as a 7" single, backed with the track "The Prisoner", in June 1978....
"
Performed live by The Clash at the Civic Music Hall, AberdeenAberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
on 5 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "Johnny Too BadThe Harder They Come (soundtrack)The Harder They Come is the soundtrack album to the iconic film of the same name, released in 1972 in the United Kingdom as Island Records ILPS 9202. It was issued in February 1973 in North America as Mango Records SMAS-7400. It peaked at #140 on the Billboard 200.-Content:The heart of the...
" sung by The SlickersThe SlickersThe Slickers were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae group in the late 1960s and early 1970s.They are best known for the song, "Johnny Too Bad", which featured on the film soundtrack of The Harder They Come, and which was sung with additional lyrics by John Martyn on his Grace and Danger album.The...
(Island Records) - "Tommy GunTommy Gun (song)"Tommy Gun" is a song by the British punk rock band The Clash, released as the first single from their second album Give 'Em Enough Rope ....
"
Performed live by The Clash at Cinema, DunfermlineDunfermlineDunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
on 7 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "All the Young Punks"
Performed by The Clash at Wessex Studios. - "Stay Free"
Performed by The Clash at Wessex Studios. - "Complete ControlComplete Control"Complete Control" is a song by The Clash, released as a 7" single and featured on the U.S. release of their debut album.The song is often cited as one of punk's greatest singles, and is a fiery polemic on record companies, managers and the state of punk music itself, the motivation for the song...
"
Performed by The Clash at the Music Machine, CamdenLondon Borough of CamdenIn 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, London on 27 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "Safe European Home"
Performed by The Clash at the Music Machine, Camden, London on 27 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "What's My Name"
Performed by The Clash at the Music Machine, Camden, London on 27 July 1978; audio tracks re-recorded at Wessex Studios. - "No Reason" (piano song)
Performed solo by Joe StrummerJoe StrummerJohn Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
at Rehearsal Studio. - "Let the Good Times RollLet the Good Times Roll (song)"Let the Good Times Roll" is a song that was recorded by Shirley and Lee in 1956. This song was written by the duo, Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee, and by September 8, 1956 had climbed to #20 in the US charts....
" (piano song)
Performed solo by Joe Strummer at Rehearsal Studio. - "I Fought the Law" (Sonny CurtisSonny CurtisSonny Curtis is an American singer and songwriter. Most of his work falls into the Pop and Country genres. He was a teenage pal and band member with Buddy Holly in Lubbock, Texas...
)
Performed live by The Clash at The Lyceum, West EndWest End of LondonThe West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, London on 28 December. - "Rudie Can't Fail" (from London CallingLondon CallingLondon Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...
album)
External links
- The Clash: Rude Boy (1980) - Overview - MSN Movies
- The Clash: Rude Boy - MTV Movies
- The Clash - Rude Boy - Rotten Tomatoes
- The Clash: Rude Boy - VH1.com