Alan Clayton Of The Dirty Strangers: The Authorised Biography

by John Wombat

Featuring exclusive and never before published interview content and photographs, this is the authorised biography of the Dirty Strangers' Alan Clayton.Forming the Dirty Strangers in the late-1970's, Alan Clayton has recorded and worked with some of rock 'n' roll's biggest names, from the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood to the Damned's/ Lord of the New Church's Brian James, from Ian Dury and the Blockhead's Micky Gallagher to the 1960's counterculture icon John Sinclair.Released in 1987 to much critical acclaim, the Dirty Strangers’ self-titled debut album featured contributions from the Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, as well as Micky Gallagher. Meanwhile, rock ‘n’ roll dandy, musician, artist and film maker Stash Klossowski de Rola painted the album’s risqué cover.For a time, the Dirty Strangers were hotly tipped as the next big thing, however, regardless of their association with Rolling Stones and their own brand of raucous rock ‘n’ roll classics, they never managed to reach the heights others predicted. Six years after the release of their debut album the Dirty Strangers released their follow-up ‘Burn the Bubble’, soon afterwards the band drifted apart.Resurfacing with drummer George Butler and bassist John Proctor, for a decade Alan performed as Jack the Lad, Monkey See, Monkey Seed, Monkey C, and Va Va Voom. Suffering personal tragedy, Alan then joined the road crew of the Rolling Stones’ two and a half year ‘Bigger Bang’ world tour, invited on board by Keith Richards.Reverting back to the name of the Dirty Strangers, with Ian Grant managing, in 2009 the band released ‘West 12 to Wittering’, an album which featured Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Joe Brown. Still, the Dirty Strangers failed to breakthrough into the mainstream. Undaunted, the band continued and later released ‘Crime and a Woman’.Entering into a new chapter of the Dirty Strangers story, Alan’s son Paul stepped into the role of band manager and secured the group a second home at London’s famous Troubadour music venue, playing residency performances to enthusiastic crowds, whilst joined onstage by a plethora of guest guitarists.With a musical career that stretches more than four decades, whilst commercial success has always alluded him, Alan remains a true rock ‘n’ roller with an infectious enthusiasm who shows no signs of slowing down. This book details the highs and lows of rock ‘n’ roll’s forgotten man, the Dirty Strangers’ Alan Clayton.

Record 4/ 5
Classic 4/ 5
Vive Le 8/ 10

296 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 2021