Elgin Avenue Breakdown

Elgin Avenue Breakdown is a compilation album by The 101ers, Joe Strummer's band before he joined The Clash. It was released on Andalucía Records (distributed by Virgin) in 1981 because of The Clash's popularity but mooted at the time that it was a semi-unofficial release due to Joe Strummer's contractual obligations with CBS. The first 500 copies came with a free poster. Just a few thousand copies were sold. The re-issue by EMI in 2005 has an accompanying booklet with an overview by Allan Jones and detailed notes on each track by Richard Dudanski. Track listing Original release The original Andalucía release of Elgin Avenue Breakdown contained 4 of the 6 songs recorded by Dr. Feelgood and Motörhead producer Vic Maile, as a centrepiece. He had agreed to their use on the album in return for royalties. The 101ers owned the rights to the BBC Maida Vale recordings so they could also be used. However, most of the Pathway Studios material recorded by Roger Armstrong was not allowed on. There was one exception: "Sweet Revenge". Partly this was a cross promotional idea because pub-rock and proto punk record label Chiswick wanted to release the track as a single when they found out about plans for the album. The other fact is that the 101ers had allowed Roger's use of "Five Star Rock n Roll Petrol" from the BBC Maida Vale Sessions as the B-side for "Keys to your Heart" on Chiswick's 1976 single. Simon Jeffes of Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and also known for assisting Sex Pistols producer Bill Price with the string arrangement for the Sid Vicious version of "My Way" which reached #7 on the UK singles charts as part of The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle soundtrack, produced Keys to your Heart of which the reissue of the album features two versions, one significantly faster than the original. Roger felt honour bound to allow the use of one Pathway track on Elgin Avenue Breakdown. Some observations on the songwriting: