Did The Jam influence The Clash or Vice Versa?

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A song by The Jam: "London Traffic" released in 1977 sounds like something that could have been written/recorded by The Clash whose debut album was in 1977.

The Jam apparently started in 1972 whereas The Clash started in 1976.

Who influenced whom?

Maybe both? Yes, the Jam were around earlier. The Sex Pistols even went to see them live out of curiosity, since the Jam were one of the few other groups around who were like them. This was before the Clash started. However, Weller was also inspired by punk, so "London Traffic" probably came from him listening to the Clash. It certainly sounds like the first Clash album.

I always thought the lead guitar part on "Going Underground" sounded like something Mick Jones would play.

On the other hand, some of the stuff on Sandinista!, like "Something About England," wouldn't be out of place on the last Jam album.

Thanks for this info. If you ever want to talk music, reach out to me.

I've never been to England, but I've always been drawn to its music even going back to The Beatles or before.

Some of my favorite bands for some reason are Manchester (Mahn-chay-stah!)bands: Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths and to a lesser extent Stone Roses and Happy Mondays.

England proper: Wire, Eno, Fripp, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Roxy Music, Zeppelin, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Sex Pistols, Joe Jackson, Bowie, Ian Dury, The Orb, the list goes on and on and on....

^You remind me of an earlier version of me when the majority of music I was listening to was by British bands. Some of my favorites: Yes, Peter Gabriel, The Clash, The Beatles, The (Mighty) Who, U2, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, UFO, U.K., Asia, ELP, The Specials, The English Beat, Squeeze, Queen, The Gang Of Four, The Stones, The Kinks, and many others.

I was an am now definitely an Anglophile when it comes to British pop and rock music. The Jam were always a punk mod hybrid.