THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Originally released in May 1982, Combat Rock is the final album from The Clash of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon. Featuring two of the band’s most well-known songs, Should I Stay Or Should I Go and Rock The Casbah, it has been re-released as a special edition, with an additional 12 tracks compiled by surviving members of the band.
Having returned to London following their pivotal 17-show residency at New York’s Bond’s Casino in 1981, the band rehearsed and recorded at The People’s Hall in the squatted Republic of Frestonia near Latimer Road in London. From there they embarked on a tour of the East and South East Asia, during which the album sleeve image was captured by Pennie Smith on train tracks in Thailand.
The cuts on The People’s Hall originate in the period between their Sandinista! single Radio Clash and the release of Combat Rock and include unheard, rare and early versions of familiar numbers.”
