My First Record: Kliph Scurlock of The Flaming Lips

My first record was The Clash Train In Vain 45.

I had several records (mostly 45s and 8-tracks) by this point, but they had all been handed down to me by relatives or given as gifts. Most of the time, if a song came on the radio that I liked, my mom or one of my cousins would usually already have the record, but I heard this late one night while in bed trying to get to sleep (I had a crappy little one speaker 8-track player/radio that I’d take under the covers with me) and I fell in love with it. The DJ didn’t say who it was by, so I listened to the radio obsessively for about a week waiting to hear it again. When it came on, I called the station and asked who it was. They said it was The Clash.

I asked my mom and everybody I knew about them. One of my cousins said, “I think they’re one of those punk bands,” but nobody else knew anything. So I begged my mom for 89 cents so I could go get the 45 and she gave me a list of chores to do. It took me nearly a week to do all of the chores, but, man, was I a happy little kid (I think I was 6) when I finally had it in my hands. The b side was “London Calling” and I loved it equally as much. My mom ended up digging it too and bought me/us (she said it was for us to share, but I hoarded it) the whole album (on 8 track) about a week later. I was initially bummed because “Train In Vain” wasn’t listed, but I thought the whole album was awesome and was cool with it not being on there by the time channel 4 started, but then, at the end…. there it was.

THE CLASH “train in vain” (EL edit) by Eoin Long

I told Mick Jones that story when I met him and he said it was really sweet and he was honored!

Kliph Sculock

Kliph Scurlock is the drummer for the Flaming Lips.

This entry was posted in TVD Memphis. Bookmark the permalink. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment.
  • SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL INDIE SHOPS SINCE 2007


  • Alternative Text
  • Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text