The Dirty Strangers: Fast times, famous friends and filthy rock'n'roll
By Kris Needs
August 30, 2016

He’s toked with Bob Marley, played with Bobby Keys and partied with Keith Richards, but Alan Clayton’s new record with his band the Dirty Strangers is all his own brew



This particular autumn evening in 1984 has long darkened into deepest night, and the mood in Keith Richards’s suite at London’s plush Savoy Hotel is humorously mellow. Apart from the supremely chilled Rolling Stone, there are only two other people in the room: this writer and Alan Clayton, the Shepherd’s Bush singer/guitarist who, after hitting it off with Richards three years earlier, has been a regular visitor during the current internal conflict between Richards and Mick Jagger.

Perched on an antique couch, bottle of Jack Daniel’s in hand, Richards has hoisted up a big acoustic guitar and been gouging potent blues favourites, and even a spellbinding burst of Wild Horses. “Now it’s your turn,” he declares, handing the guitar to Clayton, who responds with a heartfelt rendition of his own The Gamblers Song. It earns howls of appreciation from Richards, who will even be reported in the press as having joined Clayton’s band the Dirty Strangers. Instead the Stone plays an active role getting the Dirty Strangers’ first album recorded and released, and becomes Clayton’s friend, collaborator, confidante, press champion and even employer over the next 32 years. “We’re the same, you and me, except you didn’t get the breaks,” Richards said to Clayton one night.

Now in his early 60s, Clayton has stuck to the simple but passionate rock’n’roll mission that started with the Dirty Strangers becoming terrors of London’s grass-roots gig circuit during the 1980s, cutting through shiny trends with their unpretentious celebration of rock’n’roll, as minted by Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent then continued through the Stones. Since then, Clayton has never stopped striving, ducking and diving. And now he has a sizzling new noir concept work, Crime And A Woman.

Over the years this Jack-the-lad-style dynamo has found himself recording at Richards’s Redlands home, travelling the world as part of the Stones’ inner circle, recording with legendary MC5 guru and beat poet John Sinclair, playing with late sax titan Bobby Keys at his last ever club show, and hosting the Dissenters’ Gallery series of events that saw former Clash members Mick Jones and Topper Headon reunited on stage for the first time in years. For the last two years, Clayton has also sung with the Brian James Gang, the original Damned guitarist being an old friend: “One of my favourite rock’n’roll players, a great guitarist.”

While the Keith Richards connection has been a major element in his life, Clayton’s own story has followed a fascinating trajectory, which always returns to the Dirty Strangers and his beloved West London. After his parents split when he was an infant, he grew up at his grandmother’s council house on the notorious Stonebridge Park estate. After attending school in Southall, he says he was “a proper hooligan, who got into doing security”. This could involve clearing out brothels, debt collecting and anything from working the Rolling Stones’ 1976 stint at Earls Court to Bob Marley’s 1980 show at Crystal Palace. At the latter, Clayton found himself sitting next to the late reggae icon in the backstage area, sharing “the biggest joint I have ever seen” after deflecting some unwanted backstage visitors. After Clayton’s wife Jackie became pregnant with their son Barrie around 1978, he bought the terraced house in Shepherd’s Bush that they still live in today.

Clayton was still working security when he started putting together the band named after a line in Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee’s Stranger Blues. He clicked with fellow bouncer ‘Big’ Joe Seabrook, who loved the Dirty Strangers and thought his current boss, Keith Richards, would too. “Big Joe looked after me. He believed Keith would like the band and also that the two of us would get on,” Clayton says.



Getting Dirty in the early 80s: (l-r) Ray King, Dirty Alan Clayton, Mark Harrison, Scotty Mulvey, Paul Fox

Big Joe was spot on. “There were so many sessions at the Savoy!” he recalls. “I used to leave there in the morning and go straight to the building site where I was working. Sometimes I’d be there for days on end.”

The first time this writer encountered the Dirty Strangers – who then included former Ruts guitarist Paul Fox, keyboard player Scott Mulvey, bassist ‘Steady’ Ray King and drummer Mark Harrison – was when Richards mentioned them during our interview at the Savoy in 1983. “Right now they’re probably the only British band I know of,” he told me. “There was a weird parallel, because the first stuff they recorded was at IBC Studios, which is where [the Stones] cut our first stuff. I heard three or four songs that were really interesting. I managed to lay this tape on a DJ in Paris and it took off like that, but they didn’t have a record to back it up then. But on the strength of that they got over to Paris to do a couple of shows.”

When the Dirties were recording demos at the rudimentary F2 studios in north London, Richards turned up at the all-night session and ended up playing on six tracks, including future singles The Thrill Of The Thrill and Bathing Belles, plus Diamonds, Clayton’s homage to his beloved Otis Redding.

“When I played Keith the mixes a few days later he wanted to go back in the studio to redo them,” Clayton recalls. “I told him we had no money left. So he offered to pay to redo his guitar, and we went back to the studio with Keith footing the bill. He says he never picked up a guitar to make money, and just wanted to play. There’s lots of people who like music, but only a few people passionate about it like that. Keith acted just like one of the boys, just mucked in and got on with it. He knew all the changes and put everything into it. It was a buzz but it just felt perfectly normal. We came out at seven in the morning and I took him back to his hotel in my white builder’s van.”

Complete with three tracks Ronnie Wood had already played guitar on, the Dirties’ self-titled album was released in 1987 on the Thrill Records label started by Keith’s old friend Prince Stanislaus Klossowski de Rola. Son of renowned painter Balthus, the 60s dandy known as Stash occupied a major place in the Stones’ inner circle, getting busted with Brian Jones in 1967 then with Richards in 1973. When Keith brought him to the studio, he asked which label would be releasing the album. “When he found out we didn’t have a label, says Clayton, “he said: ‘That’s preposterous. I’ll start my own and put it out.’ He got it released around the world.”


Wedding of Ronnie and Jo Wood at the Bellhouse, Beaconsfield - 02 Jan 1985

Maybe in return for the Dirties playing at his wedding to Jo in 1985, Ronnie Wood allowed himself and his house to be used in the Thrill Of The Thrill video, and the Dirties toured the US using his amps and guitars. However, Virgin Records, who had signed Richards to a solo deal, insisted the album be withdrawn in the US because his name was emblazoned on the cover.

Undeterred, the Dirties released 1993’s Burn The Bubble, on which Richards co-wrote Saturday Night. After the album was ignored by a Britpop-obsessed UK, the Dirties “sort of disintegrated”, although Clayton continued playing filthy rock’n’roll with the short-lived Jack The Lad, which mutated into Monkey Seed. While his younger son Paul came on board as a gig DJ and computer-savvy “full-time motivator”, Clayton continued hanging out with Richards, and still remembers the day in 2000 when, after playing at the Croydon Greyhound, he drove to Redlands clutching his latest demos.


Keith Richards, manager Ian Grant and Alan Clayton


“I had my two Telecasters with me, so I left them in the hallway. It was a good night, and Keith really liked the demos. Next morning, as we were leaving, I picked up my two guitars. Keith handed me this 1964 Gibson Hummingbird acoustic. ‘You left one,’ he said. ‘That’s not mine,’ I said. ‘It is now. It’s yours.’”

Not just a Hummingbird, it turned out to be the one Richards had played at key Stones sessions, including the One Plus One movie and Exile On Main St. “There’s a lot of spirits in that guitar,” says Clayton. “I didn’t know the history of it, but [guitar technician] Alan Rogan, who’d looked after it for Keith when he was doing the Stones, confirmed it. Then Keith gave it to me. I didn’t own an acoustic guitar – and it’s not like he gave me a bit of junk!”


Keith, Patti and Alan Clayton 2005

When the Stones celebrated their 40th anniversary with 2002’s Licks tour, Richards took Clayton on the road “as his mate, to sit next to him on the plane and stuff like that”. Next, while at Redlands, helping Richards write tracks for 2005’s A Bigger Bang, Clayton jokingly asked if he could go on the upcoming tour, and ended up on the road with the Stones for over two years. “Keith said sure, but this time I would have to work.”

His duties included line-checking Jagger’s microphone at some of the biggest gigs in the world, including one at Rio’s Copacabana beach, which attracted more than a million punters. Didn’t this sometimes seem surreal?

“I’ve always been in situations in my life that have been a bit surreal,” says Clayton. “Sometimes it was like being an extra in a film, but right in the middle of being the main part. The secret is not trying to be the main part. I never took it for granted. When I was on stage at Madison Square Garden, I rang my dad from the stage and said: ‘Guess where I am?’ Because he knew Frank Sinatra had sung there.”

On returning from the tour, Clayton reunited the Dirty Strangers and recorded 2009’s West 12 To Wittering: Another West Side Story with bassist John Proctor and drummer George Butler, a Notting Hill counterculture veteran who had played with the Lightning Raiders. The album’s title was inspired by Clayton’s eternal stomping ground and home studio location, while homaging Richards, who recorded piano on five tracks at Redlands and co-wrote unrepentant rockers Bad Girls and She’s A Real Botticelli.



Clayton (left) with the Dirties at the Wellington in London in 1982

The album was mostly produced by veteran Brit-rocker Joe Brown’s son Pete, whose dad played banjo on All Away. Brian James, one of Clayton’s closest friends for more than 30 years, produced two tracks at his Brighton studio.

Arriving like an exhilarating blast of West London rock’n’roll air, the album was released on the rejuvenated Track Records, then under the auspices of Dirties manager Ian Grant.

The Dirty Strangers joined the Dissenters Gallery events organised by the Rotten Hill Gang at the Inn On The Green on Portobello Road in 2010, with Clayton MC-ing those weekly celebrations of the “West London vibe”. The RHG then included Mick Jones, whom Clayton had known as a student at Hammersmith College Of Art And Building while he was working there as a technician.



Bobby Keyes and Alan Clayton during a break during the recording of the D Martins LP

When the Stones were in London for their 2013 Hyde Park appearance, Clayton booked a Dirties show at the Borderline. He already knew Stones sideman Bobby Keys, who accepted his invitation to play at their gig. The sax legend was only going to play the encores but “halfway through the set he was on stage, starting with Gene Vincent’s Baby Blue, then some Little Richard songs and Diamonds. He was unbelievable – he played like he’d been in the band all his life, and enjoyed it so much.”

Keys agreed to accompany the Dirties on a European tour for half his fee, but “unfortunately his health went down. We lost a great mate, but were so honoured to have played with him. Keith loved it that Bobby played with us.”

When it was time for the Dirties to record a new album, John Proctor (“the Bill Wyman of the band”) appeared, clutching 12 songs that Clayton had written but never recorded. These were then shaped into the new album.

“When I played the songs to my son Paul, he said: ‘How come all your songs are about either crime or women?’ I liked that so much I made it the title and started looking at it as a concept album; I don’t like that term, but even Frank Sinatra made concept albums. It follows the main character through a short period in his life. He’s been mixed up in a lot of crime but decides to change his life after he meets a girl. He’s just got one last thing to sort out, but it goes disastrously wrong and he’s left with @#$%& all.”

Setting Son, the intimately poignant closing track, recorded by Clayton and Scott Mulvey at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios, is about Clayton’s late son Barrie, who passed away in 2001. “That was a hard one to write. It’s been fifteen years now.” Cold Night is a spooky organ ballad, and Short & Sweet was written “for Otis Redding – there ain’t nothing better than an Otis ballad”. Meanwhile, the rockers are triumphant rampages, including the razor-edged strut of Danger First, the Gene Vincent-homaging You’ve Gotta Shake and the anthemic South Of The River. “It’s the first album I’ve ever done that Keith’s had nothing to do with!” says Clayton. “Before this he’d played on everything I’ve ever done.”

This is mainly because, right now, Richards has his own album to do (Clayton has heard some of it, including the blues set that may come out at the same time, but with understandable discretion he will say only that “it sounds great”).

Looking back, while proving he can stand on his feet perfectly well without his superstar buddy, Clayton has much to smile about from “that rock’n’roll path I’ve always been on. Keith’s always been the same in the thirty-five years I’ve known him. We get on, and we get off on one another. He loves my ‘youthful’ enthusiasm. There’s obviously a reason we’ve hung out together so long.”

And many more reasons to check out this irrepressible London guy’s single-minded mission to get into the heart of rock’n’roll.

Keith Richards, manager Ian Grant and Alan Clayton

A1 Thrill Of The Thrill
Backing Vocals – Angie Brown
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Mark Harrison
Guitar – John Rollason, Keith Richards, Paul Fox
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
3:47

A2 Baby
Backing Vocals – The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Phil Spalding
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Ron Wood
Guitar, Written-By – Alastair Symons
Horns – Vic Hines
Keyboards – Mickey Gallagher*
Vocals – Alan Clayton (2)
2:42

A3 Easy To Please
Backing Vocals – Angie Brown, The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Alastair Symons, Paul Fox, Ron Wood
Harmonica – Chris Winter
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
2:44

A4 Wide Boys & Slim Pickings
Backing Vocals – The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums, Written-By – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Keith Richards, Paul Fox
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
3:24

A5 Oh Yeah!
Backing Vocals – Angie Brown
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Keith Richards, Paul Fox
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
2:47

A6 Didn't Want To Be An Angel
Backing Vocals – Angie Brown, The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Keith Richards, Paul Fox
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
4:15

B1 Wild One
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Paul Fox
Harmonica – Chris Winter
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
3:37

B2 Bathing Belles
Backing Vocals – JoJo (33), Lin (12), The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – John Rollason, Keith Richards
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
3:06

B3 Here She Comes
Backing Vocals – The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Phil Spalding
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Paul Fox, Ron Wood
Keyboards – Mickey Gallagher*, Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
2:13

B4 Little Miss Vanity
Backing Vocals – The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Paul Fox
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
3:10

B5 Hands Up
Backing Vocals – Lin (12), The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – John Rollason
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
2:44

B6 Diamonds
Backing Vocals – Angie Brown, The Dirty Strangers
Bass – Ray King (6)
Drums – Mark Harrison
Guitar – Keith Richards, Paul Fox
Keyboards – Patrick "Scotty" Mulvey*
Vocals, Written-By – Alan Clayton (2)
5:08


Engineer – Andy Miller (4), Neil Huckstepp, Serge Glanzberg
Producer – Prince Stash Klossowski, The Dirty Strangers

RUTS; L-R Segs Jennings, Malcolm Owen, Dave Ruffy and Paul Fox
Photo by Virginia Turbett


The Ruts, who came together in 1977, were among the best of the second wave of British punk bands, inspired by the likes of the Sex Pistols and the Clash.

Like many in that second wave, the Ruts hailed not from the art school milieu of the first wave but from the London suburbs. Decent musicians, they had schooled themselves in jazz-funk and pub rock. Fox played a pivotal songwriting role, and quickly became a model punk guitarist at a time when the three-chord thrash was the height of many of his contemporaries' ambitions. The Crack showcased his menacing, often haunting, style to great effect, but also revealed his versatility; he was a lover of reggae and could switch styles with ease.

With Fox sharing some of the vocals - until late 1982, after the release of the patchy Animal Now album, and the dub reggae Rhythm Collision that further enhanced Fox's credentials.

Paul Fox later joined a west London band called Dirty Strangers, which he freely described as "a budget-priced Rolling Stones"; they recorded two albums on which Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood guested. Richards was a fan - they toured together briefly in the US - and Fox was also openly admired by the likes of Pete Townshend and Jimmy Page.

Paul Fox of the Ruts later joined the Dirty Strangers
Photo Virginia Turbett

Ronnie Wood allowed himself and his house to be used in the Thrill Of The Thrill video
Guitar – John Rollason, Keith Richards, Paul Fox

VIDEO: the Dirty Strangers feat Ron Wood - Thrill Of The Thrill

[www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-05 01:24 by exilestones.

VIDEO: the Dirty Strangers featering Ron Wood - Here She Comes
[www.youtube.com]

bought that album back in the late 80s; always wondered why the band never made

The photo of Keith with Ian Grant and Alan Clayton:
Doesnt look like Keith! More like a latter day Peter Green.

Thanks Exilestones; what a great interesting article. I never knew they were that close.

PS the picture of Keith and Alan playing guitar, labeled 2005 is from much earlier. I would say as much as 20 years earlier.

Quote
jlowe
The photo of Keith with Ian Grant and Alan Clayton:
Doesnt look like Keith! More like a latter day Peter Green.

Yes it does! But he forgot to shave...

Thanx for some nice memories.

Bought that first D. Strangers album when it came out.
Admittedly I wasn't that impressed, - by production and songs.
Perhaps I should give it another listen. Don't know about the later albums.

And, hey, it's great to hear about Brian James again. I loved him in the Damned.

First album had some great songs, ruined by awful production.

Keith looks awful, but it is Keith. That was a very bad time for him personally given Patti's health. Gratefully, it's behind for both of them.

Phil Spalding, from the first Dirty Strangers LP, later played bass for Mick on GODDESS IN THE DOORWAY and at the El Rey, on SNL, and when Mick was booked as a performer at one of the big industry conferences in early 2002.

Most interesting bit to me was Alan Clayton stating he co-wrote some material for A BIGGER BANG with Keith. Not that it means it made the album, but still interesting.

Quote
WorriedAboutYou
First album had some great songs, ruined by awful production.

Yes true. I went a couple times to re-visit that album. But every time it was like "Nope; still sucks".

wonder if any of them Dirty Strangers post here?

I'd think they'd love it..

I always wondered where and when this guest appearance took place?



N

Quote
duke richardson
wonder if any of them Dirty Strangers post here?

I'd think they'd love it..

Apart from folks saying their album sucks because of the production...

Quote
Rocky Dijon

Quote
duke richardson
wonder if any of them Dirty Strangers post here?

I'd think they'd love it..

Apart from folks saying their album sucks because of the production...

..but it had great songs ..

I have to admit that I very much follow Keith's leanings and endorsements. They are rare, and usually on the money.
The AC/DC thing surprises me a little. I can dig their credo, but the music...come on. With Bon Scott it was awesome though.
But it had to be a mindblower for the band. It's not like you got Van Halen's back-up bassist, or something - it's freakin Keith up there on that little stage with them.

Quote
HalfNanker
bought that album back in the late 80s; always wondered why the band never made

I still have my vinyl of it (along w/ the updated cd w/ bonus tracks). It's really good, every song on it kicks ass.

I have the Diamonds double album. Really great. Messy but great. Very Stones-like, not surprisingly.

[youtu.be]

There is clayton doing diamonds with the stones techs.
Amazing



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-12 19:17 by deardoctor.

The Dirty Strangers' Rolling Stones link was Virgin on trouble
ByBirmingham Live
22 MAY 2009
23 OCT 2012


GETTING the Rolling Stones to play on your debut album must be a dream come true, right?

Well, be careful what you wish for. Alan Clayton’s rabble-rousing rhythm’n’blooze band
The Dirty Strangers are best mates with Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood – but a guest appearance
turned into a nightmare.

“I used to do security for Billy Idol in the early 80s and my pal Big Joe was minder for The Stranglers
and The Cult,” says Alan. “He moved on to get a job with Keith Richards and reckoned the two of us would get on.

“I played Keith a demo of the debut album I was making and asked if he’d play on it. He said: ‘Yeah,
why not? I’ll bring
Ronnie along, too’. So there we were, me and the Rolling Stones in my garden shed!

“They’re great blokes and we played real rock’n’roll. But in the end it cost us our chance of breaking
big in America.”

Trouble was, Keith Richards was signed to a solo deal in the US with Virgin, and they took a dim view
of him playing guitar on a rival band’s label.

“We weren’t allowed to put the album out in the States,” sighs Alan. “But they can’t stop us this time –
we’ve got Keith playing piano instead! Not many people know Keef can play piano. He’s got a style
all of his own.

On the new album, West 12 To Wittering, Keith plays boogie-woogie, Ronnie plays guitar, and Joe Brown
adds banjo.

The enduring friendship has recently seen Alan touring the planet with Mick Jagger & Co on their
Bigger Bang world tour, acting as soundman.

“You know that gig they played in Brazil in front of two million people?” asks Alan. “I went out on
stage to do the sound-check for Jagger and blasted out a couple of my own songs. Now that’s a
big audience.”

He’ll be playing for a smaller crowd this Sunday at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, where the Dirty Strangers
are guests of George Thorogood, and an even more intimate audience at Bilston’s Robin 2 on June 3.

[www.birminghammail.co.uk]

video: [www.youtube.com]

Shepherd's Bush City Limits by the Dirty Strangers... With Bobby Keys on sax... Cool version of the old Ike and Tina song...

we’ve got Keith playing piano instead! Not many people know Keef can play piano. He’s got a style
all of his own.

On the new album, West 12 To Wittering, Keith plays boogie-woogie, Ronnie plays guitar, and Joe Brown
adds banjo.


Heck YEAh .... check out the cover of
Gene Vincent's - Aint That too Much from West 12 ......



ROCKMAN

The Dirty Strangers – West 12 To Wittering
UK 2009


[open.spotify.com]



The Dirty Strangers – West 12 To Wittering (Another West Side Story)
(Another West Side Story) UK release date: 27 April 2009

by Nic Oliver
published: 27 Apr 2009 in Albums


Alan Clayton and his merry band of brigands return to our stereos with a lewd collection of primal R&B and post-punk energy. West 12 To Wittering (Another West Side Story) takes its name from the band’s Shepherd’s Bush locale, a territory that encompasses everything from the Westway (familiar to Clash fans) to Notting Hill, although it is HMP Wormwood Scrubs and perennial underachievers Queens Park Rangers that chime more with The Dirty Strangers’ worldview.

Clayton has been bashing out this sort of music since the late ’80s, but despite the patronage of Keith Richards and Ron Wood his little band never really made it into the big time. The Rolling Stones connection raised its head again when Clayton joined the band on their Bigger Bang tour in the mid-’00s, and suitably refreshed he has revived The Dirty Strangers for this new album.

Richards and Wood return the favour by appearing all over the album, with Keith playing piano on five tracks and Woodie adding slide guitar to South Of The River and Gold Cortina. Another London geezer, Joe Brown, pops up on banjo on All Away.

The star names may grab the PR headlines but the real question is whether Clayton’s songs are any good. This is music rooted equally between the UK R&B revival of the early ’60s and the pub rock scene of the following decade. You won’t find any electronic glitches or world beats on this album. This is pure R&B, rough around the edges and with a lyrical insight that rarely extends beyond the heady days of, oh, 1975.

Listen to a few seconds of the opening track Talk To Me and it becomes clear what you are going to get; a rudimentary rhythm section, jagged guitars and a hoary old rock voice struggling to stay in tune. And at times it is damn exciting, not least on Talk To Me, Liberty Smile and All Away, which make you almost wish that popular music had not progressed beyond Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters.

The problems arise with a cursory listen to Clayton’s lyrics. As the album title suggests these songs are cast as a pastiche of Arthur Laurent‘s West Side Story, with plenty of references to gang culture, cars and girls, and the isolation of city life.

All well and good but Clayton is no Laurent, and at times his lyrics make AC/DC sound like enlightened intellectuals. Bad Girls (You’re Going Nowhere) and Real Botticelli are particular stinkers, and it’s no surprise to learn that both were co-written by Richards (never the world’s most challenging lyricist).

Gold Cortina may rock some people’s boats but really it sums up the fundamental problem with this album. Even most 50-something blokes are partial to listening to new music and if they want to hear about dodgy ’70s cars they will rewind and play some Ian Dury or Elvis Costello.

Clayton and The Dirty Strangers are diamond geezers to be sure, but the average modern music fan should approach this album with extreme caution.

Quote
barbabang
A new record is coming out called "West 12 To Wittering"

feat. Keith Richards and Ron Wood

Sounds good to me (listening to 'Diamonds' right now)

This is what I got from their Myspace page:


THE DIRTY STRANGERS
Who was it that said, you are what you eat? Some tribe of cannibals, probably. But for the Dirty Strangers, you are where you live. They are Shepherds Bush – cosmopolitan, a bit rough around the edges and beating with a heart of gold.

The West London suburb, postcode West 12, begins where the M40 haunches and flies into the capital on an elevated stretch called the Westway. From there it spreads south and east to its snootier neighbours in Chiswick and Notting Hill. The borough is home to the BBC, HMP Wormwood Scrubs, Queens Park Rangers FC and the greatest little rock’n’roll band in the world.

The Dirty Strangers were born in 1986-ish when Clayton – riding on the coat-tails of punk while mixing the rootsy rock’n’roll of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Chuck Berry with a little bit of Otis Redding soul – honed a five-piece line-up including sometime Chuck Berry sideman ‘Scotty’ Mulvey and former Ruts guitarist Paul Fox.

Clayton, the band’s prime motivator and chief songwriter remained a man prone to ducking and diving – a loft extension here, a bit of security work there – and in the latter capacity met Big Joe Seabrook, a man who did the same for Keith Richards. Recognising a pair of soul brothers this man introduced Clayton to Richards and within minutes – in full Shepherds Bush market nothing-ventured nothing-gained bravado – the Dirties frontman was asking Keef, ‘Wanna hear our album? Wanna play on it?’

It just so happened that with the Stones on downtime and Mick making a solo album, Keef and Ron Wood were kicking their heels. Next thing, they were in some low-rent studio jamming because, well, it’s only rock’n’roll but they like it.

Their names and work appeared on the Dirty Strangers’ self-titled debut album in 1987 and rave reviews followed. In 1993 a fine second album, Burn The Bubble, emerged but the world beyond W12 inexplicably missed out and the Dirties lapsed into hiatus – lofts were extended, kitchens finally finished…

Clayton, though, never stopped writing songs and playing gigs. He also stayed in touch with Keith and Ronnie and eventually joined the inner circle of crew on the Stones’ mammoth Bigger Bang tour of 2005-2007. With that jaunt completed the Dirties were reborn and a third album, once again featuring contributions by Keith and Ronnie. Its title – West 12 To Wittering – a homage both to the area that spawned it and the Rolling Stones guitarist who once told Alan Clayton: “We’re the same, you and me, but you didn’t get the breaks…”

The new album is somewhat of a pastiche of Arthur Laurent's 'West Side Story, (just swap Shepherds Bush for New York) Clayton writes his own musical, influenced by personal life experiences that embrace gang culture, hoodlums, isolation, liberty, motors, and love stories.

Keith plays piano on 5 tracks and on 'All Away' is joined by the legendary Joe Brown playing banjo. Ronnie Wood's slide guitar is on two tracks, 'South Of The River' & 'Gold Cortina'. Joe Brown's son Pete produced the album except for 'Real Botticelli' (co-written by Keith as was 'Bad Girls') which was produced by former Damned founder member, Brian James.

Quote
Rocky Dijon
Some of Keith and Ronnie's guitar licks on the first Dirty Strangers LP are virtually identical to licks they played on DIRTY WORK. I found this quite strange at the time. Its been ages since I've listened to The Dirty Strangers, but my recollection is it wasn't anything to be ashamed of.