Sophia Michaels
A new video for Joe Strummer’s recently released “Fantasy” draws from the former Clash frontman’s vaults to create a revealing, personal portrait of the late artist.
The clip opens with Strummer speaking posthumously from a boombox around New York City: “People are out there doing bad things together; it’s because they’re being dehumanized,” he says. “It’s time to take the humanity back to the center of the ring.” The clip shows snippets of Strummer’s lyrics along with footage of him walking around, tipping saxophonists on beach boardwalks, riding the bus, and signing autographs. Toward the end of the clip, Eddie Vedder — who credits some part of his career to Strummer — lifts up the boombox and smiles as Strummer sings about a “Ramshackle Day Parade.”
Lance Bangs, who has directed clips for Sonic Youth, Death Cab for Cutie, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, among several others, helmed the video. It features footage shot by Strummer, Dick Rude, Julien Temple, Don Letts, and Josh Cheuse.
The track is available on a new box set, Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years, which collects some of the artist’s last recordings with the backing group the Mescaleros, including 15 previously unreleased tracks. “If you think you miss Joe Strummer now, by the time you get to the end of this boxset, you are really going to miss this guy,” Strummer superfan Henry Rollins said in a statement. “What an impact, what an amazing musician, what an amazing human being, a great artist, and this box set perfectly captures the man, the music and the moment. I’m so glad this came out.”
