29 Facts About Bernard Rhodes

Bernard Rhodes is a designer, band manager, studio owner, record producer and songwriter who was integral to the development of the punk rock scene in the United Kingdom from the middle 1970s.

Bernard Rhodes introduced Joe Strummer to Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, who with Keith Levene then formed The Clash.

Bernard Rhodes was an important force behind The Clash not only managing their business but guiding their marketing and creative direction.

Bernard Rhodes meantime continued with other successful signings to his label Oddball Productions and major record companies.

Bernard Rhodes nurtured and managed other bands including Subway Sect, The Specials, Dexys Midnight Runners, Jo Boxers, The Lous, The Black Arabs, Twenty Flight Rockers, and Watts from Detroit.

Bernard Rhodes is known in Brazil for his friendship with Supla and baptising the band "Brothers of Brazil".

Bernard Rhodes was placed in a Jewish orphanage in South London where he remained until he was 15.

Towards the late 1960s Bernard Rhodes won a Design Council award for a children's educational toy he designed using newly developed plastic techniques.

Westwood wanted to expand the sleeveless T-shirt clothing line and Bernard Rhodes was an ideal colleague with his silk screen printing skill and whose 'complex meandering discourse threw up many new ideas'.

The T-shirt 'You're Gonna Wake Up One Morning and Know What Side of The Bed You've Been Lying On' was created and printed by Bernard Rhodes and uses his handwriting.

McLaren explained that Bernard Rhodes' idea was 'to create a dialogue'.

Bernard Rhodes has described the difference between himself and McLaren: 'Malcolm [McLaren] likes to titillate but I get down to substance'.

Bernard Rhodes took the group under his wing while McLaren was in New York looking after the New York Dolls.

Bernard Rhodes insisted he meet McLaren, Steve Jones and Paul Cook in the local Roebuck pub that evening.

Lydon says that Bernard Rhodes 'was important to me in so many ways.

Bernard Rhodes would indicate to me where the problems with the Pistols would be in the future.

Strummer said that Bernard Rhodes was the only one who understood how one should go about getting known.

Bernard Rhodes called his friend Guy Stevens in, to produce the Polydor recordings in 1977.

Bernard Rhodes sought out Lee 'Scratch' Perry to produce the single "Complete Control".

On 25 January 1977, Bernard Rhodes signed The Clash to CBS Records with CBS Records UK chairman Maurice Oberstein who promised to allow the group to do what they wanted on record and CBS would promote it.

From his Rehearsal Rehearsals studio, Bernard Rhodes nurtured and managed groups Subway Sect, The Specials, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Black Arabs and other musical projects.

The first album by Subway Sect, What's the Matter Boy, was produced by Bernard Rhodes and released by Oddball in 1980.

Bernard Rhodes introduced the idea of using a Burundi drum beat to Malcolm McLaren who gave it to Adam Ant.

Sean McLusky said that Bernard Rhodes gave him a break at Club Left in 1981 and then got a deal and success for his band JoBoxers, who enjoyed mainstream success on both sides of the Atlantic with their single "Just Got Lucky".

Strummer said if Bernard Rhodes did not come back and manage the Clash he would quit.

Paul Simonon states that Bernard Rhodes was not aware he and Joe were going to sack Mick Jones nor was he in favour of that action.

In 1990, Bernard Rhodes relocated from Los Angeles to Atlanta, Georgia where Doug Watts, lead singer of the band Naked Truth, asked him for help.

Bernard Rhodes brought in a new bass player and rehearsed the band over several months.

In 2014 Bernard Rhodes designed a range of biker T-shirts for Lewis Leathers, Britain's oldest motorcycle clothing company.