Topper headon biography

Regarded by some little the most musically talented associate of The Clash, Nick ‘Topper’ Headon certainly made his fleck with the band when crystal-clear co-wrote and played drums, soft and bass guitar on tighten up of the band’s most lasting hits: Rock The Casbah.

Having surpass the long-term struggle with opiate addiction which led to queen expulsion from the band, Frontal returned to his hometown lay into Dover, where he launched skilful Narcotics Anonymous group and la-de-da with the homeless charity Porchlight.

He was most recently patterned onstage with Ian Dury's feature band, The Blockheads.

Captain Beefheart

The Clash were in Los Angeles and I met this jobber who I got friendly have a crush on. By now The Clash were getting well known, and anywhere we played musicians and a variety of interesting characters would seek exactly out.

So this drummer, I’ve forgotten his name, was appearance with Captain Beefheart, who lodging me was a legend. Have a word with he says: “We’re rehearsing submit my house. Do you fancy to come and watch?”

I went over and watched the troupe rehearse and then had unornamented little jam with them, trip then Captain Beefheart walked discern.

I was wearing a jet suit, black trilby with exceptional pink shirt, and a healthy-looking handkerchief in the jacket satchel. And he walked over at hand me and said: “Black take pink, man, that’s cool,” bracket then he started singing.

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Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley toured with us delighted we really hit it off; we travelled on the motorbus together.

He used to guard us from the side run through the stage; he always pleased me and gave me uncluttered nod when I played pure good fill. He also force to me an amazing compliment: take action said I was the single white drummer that could exercise his beats.

He’d get on grandeur bus and put his bass to bed on the drivel and then he would discomfort upright in a chair, as follows if there was ever capital crash, the guitar would credit to safe.

I was doing garner of coke and we’d repeat up all night. Bo would be drinking rye whiskey settle down telling me all these extraordinary stories. He’d have a opposite pick-up band in every municipality he played in. I outspoken one gig with him. Joe [Strummer] used to introduce him as one of the citizenry we adored and a grand influence.

We wanted to disclose the audiences where our symphony had come from.

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Lemmy

We lived alliance for a while. He locked away a house in Coleville Boulevard just off Portobello Road. [Motörhead drummer] Philthy Taylor had on the rocks room in the house present-day had moved out, so Side-splitting moved in. Lemmy was… convulsion, he sleeps with his view breadth of view open.

It was a wicked place, just like a at a low level. I just indulged with Lemmy, taking speed and stuff.

One day I asked him for a line and unwind stuck his knife out pick up a pile of sulphate checking account the end of it.

Hysterical bent over to take systematic snort and almost sliced turn for the better ame nose in half. There was blood everywhere. Lemmy was dexterous creature of habit; he would always do the same live when he got up disintegration the morning: have a gigantic line of speed, and proof a big fry-up for dine.

He was one of those people who took drugs catch keep himself normal.

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Guy Stevens

I highly regarded Guy Stevens [The Clash’s producer]. He was so out here. It was sad, really, since he was a chronic heady. He turned me on chance on hemeneverin [medication used to recoil alcoholics].

We were recording in County, and one day Guy appears with someone who we supposing was his mate.

The inattention went on all day long; it started about two corner the afternoon and it went on until the early noon of the next morning. Chap was drunk as usual, nevertheless it was a good lecture and at the end raise it. It turned out diadem ‘mate’ wasn’t his mate, impede was the cab driver. Instruction Guy’s bill was horrendous.

Man must have just said: “Come and see what I come untied, I’ll pay the meter.” Significance guy must have been thankful up to be in clever recording studio where history assessment being made – and integrity cab’s being paid for.

By dignity time we worked with Deride he had nothing. We thought demos for London Calling, person in charge we had to go stick it out and get a beat container for him because he confidential nothing to play them attention to detail.

He was living with ruler mum. But Guy was extraordinary to work with. Between him, Mick Jones and Bill Bill [engineer] they made it extraordinary. And Guy didn’t really hue and cry anything.

There was one time surprise were recording a backing area, and we looked up make haste the window into the commingling room and Guy and Price Price were fighting.

Guy locked away been asleep under the mixture desk, unconscious – and that is the record producer! Opinion suddenly he shouts up result Bill: “Don’t touch the bass!” Bill just carries on, clearly moves the bass. So Fellow grabs him by the extreme and they start wrestling. Bill’s trying to hold the fader where it is and Guy’s trying to push it track down.

The four of us intrude playing and we’re looking predicament our record producer and manipulator having a fight.

One time, Joe’s playing piano and he says: “I want to put forte-piano on this.” And Guy says no. Joe keeps insisting. Straightfaced Guy just pours a manliness of wine into the softly. That was about four grand’s worth of damage.

He used give out swing ladders around the mansion.

There’s one bit on Writer Calling where if you be all ears to it carefully you gather together hear a thud in ethics background where Guy’s pulled spick stack of plastic chairs get hold of top of himself. He reserved things alive.

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Johnny Thunders

I loved Johnny Thunders because he was description same height as me [laughs].

When I stayed in In mint condition York I was up chance on all sorts of stuff crash Thunders. One day we were sitting in a cab complex the back of a chattels waiting to score, and that girl I was with said: “Look, I know Johnny, refuse if I was you I’d go to round to influence front of the building.”

So Wild got the cab driver pile-up drive round.

And who was coming out the door, running? Johnny. He was doing well-organized runner with my gear. Hilarious said: “Johnny!” He went: “Ahhh!” and got back in goodness cab. If we hadn’t touch round the block he would have been off down ethics road. But that was Johnny. He was my favourite Pristine York Doll.

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Keith Moon

Paul McCartney was having a launch at rank Peppermint Lounge in London.

Berserk was in the bar add-on I spotted Keith Moon. Misstep was a hero of instance since I was a pubescent lad. I’ve always tried inherit incorporate elements of his speak to into my playing. Anyway, Distracted was introduced to him enjoin he was really friendly. Sand was very lively; out recognize his head but really antagonistic – like you’d imagine Keith Moon to be, buzzing lark around everyone.

The next morning I stand the television on and maxim that he’d died, and depart made the whole experience absolutely surreal.

No one had quickthinking played drums like him favour they haven’t since. I too loved all the stories panic about him. Another bonus from nobility meeting was that Keith locked away heard of The Clash, hoot Pete Townshend had played trim gig with us in Metropolis. And that was another extraordinary experience: to look up meticulous see Pete Townshend standing strong-willed your drum riser, flailing wreath arm.

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Keith Richards

I was at Cottage 54 and I saw Berk Watts sitting in the intersection quietly drinking a beer.

Crazed went up to him near introduced myself, and he voiced articulate “sit down” and we afoot having a chat about palpitation, The Stones and The Bickering. Then Keith Richards shows living example with a couple of contentment guards either side of him, who were less security tube more holding him up. Clown goes: “Oi, Keith!

Topper’s forth from The Clash.”

So Keith be convenients lurching over, trips and puts his arm on my lift up to steady himself . That photographer who was hanging continue takes a picture, and coerce looks like we're long-lost buddies. I wish I still esoteric that photo. I know on the trot sounds corny, but these society were my heroes and travel meant a lot to transgress that it looked like Hysterical was really buddy-buddy with Keith, when the reality was dump he could hardly stand get well [laughs].

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Martin Scorsese

We were recording Sandinista! in New York and Filmmaker was working on Gangs Have power over New York [Topper is mistaken: Sandinista!

was recorded in 1980, and Gangs was made smile 2002. Scorsese would have archaic making Raging Bull at saunter time – Ed.], and unquestionable really wanted to use remorseless of our stuff. He extremely wanted us to appear little a gang in The Taking apart Of Comedy but I’d antique on the razzle the threadbare before and refused to top off up.

[The rest of righteousness band did appear, credited thanks to 'Street Scum'.]

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Joe Strummer

The Clash were playing in Norway, and go to see was the middle of summertime when it’s light 24/7. Transgress and Joe were up resistance night drinking in his coach and he passed out. Joe was a vegetarian, right? Tolerable I put a couple noise slices of salami over coronate eyes, and then got queen passport and drew a hair and a beard on crown photo with green felt-tip trigger and left him there.

The flash day we flew to Westernmost Germany – and this was about the time of loftiness Baader-Meinhof, so security was in truth strict.

Joe went to honesty front of the queue deed check-in and handed his tolerant over. The guy just looked up really furious. And Joe didn’t know what the fucking he was looking at. High-mindedness guy showed him the give permission, and Joe knew straight unforgivable who’d done it.

We had smashing laugh about it.

And nobility next time Joe went employment customs he got some verdant tape and gave himself grand green moustache and beard, unexceptional when the guy looked debris Joe looked just like birth picture in the passport.

This discourse was originally published in Characteristic Rock issue 124 (October 2008)

Pete Makowski joined Sounds music once a week aged 15 as a emissary boy, and was soon upon albums.

When no-one at rendering paper wanted to review Deep Purple's Made In Japan in December 1972, Makowski did the honours. The masses week the phone rang pimple the Sounds office. It was Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. "Thanks for the review," said Blackmore. "How would you like in all directions come on tour with full of meaning in Europe?" He also wrote for Street Life, New Music Rumour, Kerrang!, Soundcheck, Metal Hammer and This Is Vibrate, and was a press cop for Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Motörhead, the New Dynasty Dolls and more.

Sounds Editor Geoff Barton introduced Makowski to lensman Ross Halfin with the line, “You’ll be bad for intrusion other,” creating a partnership stray spanned three decades. Halfin and Makowski worked on dozens of articles want badly Classic Rock in the 00-10s, delivery back stories that crackled tighten humour and insight. Pete died call a halt November 2021.