A music video for “Fantastic,” a previously unheard solo Joe Strummer song featured on Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years box set, has debuted on the late Clash frontman’s official YouTube channel.
The clip features a montage of photos and candid archival footage of Strummer, and includes a brief cameo appearance by Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder. The video begins with an emotional spoken-word recording of Strummer encouraging people to get along with each other.
The clip was directed by Lance Bangs, whose credits include videos for songs by R.E.M., Green Day and George Harrison.
“Fantastic” was one of Strummer’s last recordings and includes vocals he recorded at the famous Rockfield Studios in Wales in December 2002, the same month that he died.
Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years features remastered versions of the three studio albums Strummer made with his backing band, The Mescaleros — 1999’s Rock Art and the X-Ray Style, 2001’s Global a Go-Go and 2003’s posthumous Streetcore — as well as a disc titled Vibes Compass that boasts 15 rare and previously unreleased tracks.
Vibes Compass includes “Fantastic,” as well as some of the first demos Strummer made for The Mescaleros, outtakes of several later tracks by the group and a song called “Ocean of Dreams” that features contributions from Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.
The collection was curated by Strummer’s widow, Lucinda Tait, and is available as a four-CD set, a seven-LP vinyl package and digitally.
The physical versions of the box set come with books featuring exclusive new interviews with Strummer’s friends, collaborators and Mescaleros bandmates, as well as previously unseen handwritten notes, lyrics and drawings from Joe’s archives.
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