Topper Headon
Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon (born 30 May 1955), known as "Topper" because of his resemblance to Mickey the Monkey from the Topper comic, is an English drummer, best known for his membership of the punk rock band The Clash.
Early life
Topper Headon spent his early childhood in Crockenhill, northwest Kent, before attending Dover Grammar School for Boys. He started playing drums at an early age and was a jazz fan, citing Billy Cobham as a strong influence. In 1973, Headon joined the cult progressive rock outfit Mirkwood. He appeared with them for a year and a half and they supported major acts such as Supertramp. He later played with a band which opened for American R&B legends the Temptations and admits to falsely claiming that he played with the Temptations.
The Clash
I knew Mick [Jones] a year and half ago. For a week I played with the London SS. I really wanted to join the Clash. I want to give them even more energy than they've got — if that's possible.
Originally Headon joined the Clash in 1977 with the intention of establishing a reputation as a drummer, before moving onto other projects, but he soon realised their full potential and remained with them for four and half years. Headon appeared on the albums Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978), The Clash (1979 US version), London Calling (1979), Sandinista! (1980) and Combat Rock (1982), as well as several landmark singles the Clash recorded during their early period. Also of note are his lead vocal on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" from Sandinista and his work on the hit single "Rock the Casbah" from Combat Rock, on which Headon composed most of the music and played drums, piano and bass guitar. He also appeared on Super Black Market Clash (1993), which included B-sides from the band's single releases.
'Topper Headon' is featured as a movie character in the following productions:
The Clash: Westway to the World (2000)
Actors: Terry Chimes (actor), Terence Dackombe (actor), Topper Headon (actor), Mick Jones (actor), Shane MacGowan (actor), Paul Simonon (actor), Joe Strummer (actor), Jordan (actress), Siouxsie Sioux (actress), Don Letts (director),
Plot: This documentary combines recent interviews and old footage to provide a comprehensive view of The Clash, one of the world's most influential rock bands. Footage from old club shows and stadium concerts is intercut with interviews with band members Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon, and Joe Strummer. The Clash began as rebellious punks eager to combine their influences: Simonon leaned towards reggae, and Jones leaned toward harder-edged British rock, while Strummer favored American R&B.; Despite various fights and conflicts, The Clash emerged as "the only band that mattered," a punk rock band which ventured beyond punk to create a unique and unforgettable sound. WESTWAY TO THE WORLD documents their beginnings, their rise to stardom, and their collapse.
Keywords: band, england, london-england, musician, new-york-city, punk, punk-band, punk-rock, punk-rocker, queens-new-york-cityGenres: Documentary, Music,
Quotes:
Joe Strummer: If someone had in and gone, "Let's play this with balalaikas," everyone would have gone, "Give me the biggest balalaika," you know?Joe Strummer: Whatever a group is it was the chemical mixture of those four people that makes a group work. That's a lesson everyone should learn, "Don't mess with it!" If it works just let it... Do whatever you have to do to bring it forward but don't mess with it. And like, we learned that... bitterly.
Joe Strummer: [about Art School] They weren't teaching us to draw an object, they were teaching us to make a drawing to make it look like we knew how to draw the object.
Joe Strummer: It seems to me that origination is perhaps instinct, not intellect.
Headon, Topper Filmography
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2013, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2012, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2008, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2007, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2007, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2006, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2006, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2005, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2004, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2003, role: actor , character name: Himself
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2000, role: actor , character name: Topper Headon
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1980, role: actor , character name: Drummer
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1980, role: actor , character name: Himself
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1980, role: actor , character name: Himself
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1977, role: actor , character name: Himself
Podcasts:
Leave It To Luck
Hey, hey
Heyhey
Heyhey
Alright
You shouldn't put a limit
On the things you can do
Just give it all your spirit
Be surprised at what you do
Just give it all your best
Let luck take care of the rest
Sometimes when you're down (Sometimes when you're down)
And there's no work for you (Oh, there's no work for
you)
Wipe away your frown (Just wipe away your frown)
Just do what you can do (Just do what you can do)
Always give it all your best
Let luck take care of the rest
Oho, say leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Say leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Leave it to luck, baby, ooohooo (Ooohooo)
Leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Oh, living from the city (Oh, living from the city)
Or living out of town (Or living out of town)
Stay safely in your limits (Stay safely in your limits)
Or break out and look around (Break out and look
around)
You must lie where you can rest
Let luck take care of the rest!
You've been seeing too nice women (You'r seeing too
nice women)
But they both bring you down (They both, they bring you
down)
One is dim but very pretty (One's dim but very pretty)
One is bright but kinda round (One's bright but kinda
round)
Just put them to the test, yeah
Let luck take care of the rest
Oh, leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Said leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Said leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Put them to the test
Let luck take care of the rest
Oh no!
Got to leave it to luck, baby, oho (Ooohooo)
Got to leave it to luck, baby, ooohooo (Ooohooo)
Got to leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Got to leave it to luck, baby (Ooohooo)
Put it to the test