I Fought the Lawby The Clash

The Cost of Living EP, featuring "I Fought the Law" was released on this day in 1979. Originally, ‘I Fought The Law’ was written by Sonny Curtis and released by The Crickets following the death of Buddy Holly. Members Joe Strummer and Mick Jones only learned this song after they initially heard the version by Bobby Fuller on a jukebox in a San Francisco studio where they were recording their sophomore album.

This is The Clash's version of a song written by Tennessee songwriter Sonny Curtis, first recorded by The Crickets (Buddy Holly's backup band, recording after his death), and made famous by The Bobby Fuller Four.

This is The Clash's version of a song written by Tennessee songwriter Sonny Curtis, first recorded by The Crickets (Buddy Holly's backup band, recording after his death), and made famous by The Bobby Fuller Four.

Originally, ‘I Fought The Law’ was written by Sonny Curtis and released by The Crickets following the death of Buddy Holly. Members Joe Strummer and Mick Jones only learned this song after they initially heard the version by Bobby Fuller on a jukebox in a San Francisco studio where they were recording their sophomore album.

This tune was written by Sonny Curtis of The Crickets. The Clash have another notable connection to the Hub City (Lubbock, TX) via their long friendship with Joe Ely.

“I Fought The Law” was first recorded by The Crickets, on the album they completed after Buddy Holly's 1959 death in a plane crash at the age of just 22. It's since become a punk rock anthem, iconically covered by The Clash.

“I Fought The Law” was first recorded by The Crickets, on the album they completed after Buddy Holly's 1959 death in a plane crash at the age of just 22. It's since become a punk rock anthem, iconically covered by The Clash.

On January 24th, 1979, The Clash released their first single in the U.S. with "I Fought The Law" (written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly's Crickets, later popularized in a version by the Bobby Fuller Four). Joe Strummer and Mick Jones were inspired to learn the song after hearing the Bobby Fuller version on a jukebox owned by a San Francisco recording studio where they had been recording overdubs for their second album.

Join KEXP for International Clash Day 2021 – observed all day long on Friday, February 5th. We’ll be playing the Clash, of course, but also diving into the band’s influences, as well as some of the amazing music being made all around the world that shares their ethos as a band. As Joe Strummer said “We’re anti-fascist, we’re anti-violence, we’re anti-racist, and we’re pro-creative. We’re against ignorance.” www.kexp.org

Originally written by Sonny Curtis, who was a member of The Crickets (Buddy Holly's group), this song is about a guy who goes to jail after a robbery spree - bit.ly

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Only 29 shopping days left until International Clash Day! How about the official video for "I Fought the Law": bit.ly

The song was written in 1958 by Sonny Curtis, and recorded in 1959 when he joined the Crickets, taking the place of the late Buddy Holly on guitar.

In mid-1978, the Clash were working on their second album, Give 'Em Enough Rope. Singer Joe Strummer and guitarist Mick Jones flew out to San Francisco to record overdubs in September–October at the Automatt studio. The owner of The Automatt kept his collection of classic jukeboxes distributed around the various rooms of the studio complex. Strummer and Jones listened to the Bobby Fuller version of "I Fought the Law" for the first time on one of the jukeboxes, and by the time they returned to England they could perform the song.

Fun Fact: February 7th is International Clash Day here in Seattle...the mayor even says so: blog.kexp.org

Check out all these great Clash videos blog.kexp.org

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by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and became popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four,

"I Fought the Law" was originally recorded in 1959 by Sonny Curtis and the Crickets, covered by the Bobby Fuller Four in 1964, and covered by The Clash in the 70's.