Who Took the London Calling Photo?

By Alice Nichols

If you’re a fan of The Clash, you’ve probably seen the iconic cover of their album ‘London Calling’. The image features Paul Simonon smashing his bass guitar on stage at New York’s Palladium in 1979. But who took the photo that would become one of the most recognizable images in punk rock history?

Contrary to popular belief, the photo was not taken by a professional photographer. In fact, it was shot by Pennie Smith, who at the time was The Clash’s official photographer.

Smith had been hired by the band to document their tour in support of their third album ‘London Calling’. On that fateful night at the Palladium, Smith had been taking photos from the side of the stage when she saw Simonon smash his bass guitar in frustration during the encore.

The moment was captured on film, but Smith initially thought that the photo was too blurry and out of focus to be used. She later reconsidered and showed it to designer Ray Lowry, who immediately knew it was perfect for the album cover.

Smith’s photo perfectly captured the energy and rebellion of The Clash’s music. It has become an enduring symbol of punk rock and has been imitated and parodied countless times over the years.

Interestingly, despite its status as one of rock music’s most iconic images, Smith didn’t think much of it at first. In an interview with NPR, she said: “It wasn’t until about 10 years after I’d taken it that I started to realize how important it had become.”

In addition to being featured on ‘London Calling’, Smith’s photo has also been used on numerous other releases by The Clash. It has even been turned into a statue located near London Bridge Station.

So there you have it – Pennie Smith is responsible for capturing one of rock music’s most recognizable moments. Her photo perfectly embodies everything that made The Clash such an important band and continues to inspire new generations of music fans.