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The Clash’s Paul Simonon wouldn’t have reunited with his bandmates for a million pounds.
The 67-year-old bassist of the legendary punk rock group says the rumours were true that he and late guitarist and co-vocalist Joe Strummer and singer Mick Jones were in talks to reunite in the 90s after parting ways in 1986.
However, he insists there were “lots of reasons” why they didn’t get back together, including his feud with Mick.
He told MOJO magazine: “There was talk between me, Joe, Mick and Mick’s manager, Gary Kurfirst, who was looking after Mick in B.A.D. But it didn’t happen for lots of reasons. I was getting p***ed off with Mick. I said, ‘I don’t want to do it.’ Mick said, ‘Why not? You’ll get a million pounds.’ That p***ed me off even more. So I said, “I don want a f***ing million pounds.’ I think he was a bit shocked that I wasn’t keen on the idea.
Paul added: “And I don’t think Joe would have really wanted to do it either. For me The Clash story was over.”
A month after the death of Joe in December 2002, the band – including original drummer Terry Chimes – was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 2003.
The ‘London Calling’ rockers were also invited to perform at the ceremony, but again, Paul wasn’t interested.
He recalled: “They wanted us to play on the stage at the ceremony. I said, ‘I’m not doing that.’ So Joe said, ‘OK, maybe we’ll get Mani to do it.’ I said, ‘OK, go on then…’
“I had no interest in those kind of awards things. I don’t want a pat on the back.”
Paul went on to play in the supergroup the Good, the Bad and the Queen and performed on the Gorillaz album ‘Plastic Beach in 2010’, which saw him reunite with former bandmate Mick and Blur frontman Damon Albarn.
