Keith Levene

Julian Keith Levene (18 July 1957 – 11 November 2022) was an English musician, who was a founding member of both The Clash and Public Image Ltd (PiL).

Life and career

Levene was born in Muswell Hill, London on 18 July 1957. His father was Jewish. He was an early fan of progressive rock; at fifteen he worked as a roadie for Yes on their Close to the Edge tour. In 1976, he became a founding member of The Clash and The Flowers of Romance. Levene was responsible for helping to persuade Joe Strummer to leave the 101ers and join the Clash. Although he left The Clash before they began recording, he co-wrote "What's My Name", featured on their first album.

After the late 1970s British punk band the Sex Pistols disintegrated, Levene and that band's lead singer John Lydon co-founded Public Image Ltd (PiL). He played on Travis Bean metal-neck guitars. He was involved in the writing, performing and producing of PiL's early albums: First Issue, Metal Box and Flowers of Romance.

Levene left PiL in 1983 over creative differences concerning what would eventually become the band's fourth album, This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get. In 1984, he released the original versions of the songs on his own label under the title Commercial Zone which was the original working title of the album. In 1985 he moved to Los Angeles where he formed a company with his second wife, journalist Shelly da Cunha. In mid-1986, Levene was asked to produce demos for the album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan by the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Master Control in Burbank with engineers Steve Catania and Dan Nebenzal. Also in 1986, Levene worked together with DJ Matt Dike, experimenting with sampling techniques and hip-hop for Ice T and Tone Loc on their early recordings for Delicious. In 1989, he released his first solo release, Violent Opposition, on which members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed.

In 2003, Levene contributed to industrial rock supergroup Pigface's album Easy Listening.... Thereafter he released several solo records, among which was the Killer in the Crowd EP in 2004.

At an impromptu appearance at the Musicport Festival in Bridlington Spa on 24 October 2010, where they were joined by vocalist Nathan Maverick, Levene returned with former PiL bassist Jah Wobble. In 2011 Levene contributed to three tracks on the album Psychic Life, a collaboration between Wobble and Lonelady.

In early 2012, after some planned Japan gigs were cancelled because of visa issues, Levene and Wobble played various venues in England, Wales and Germany as Metal Box in Dub. This was followed by the release of a four-song EP, Yin & Yang.

In spring 2014, Levene went to Prague to record Commercial Zone 2014, an album backed via a crowdsourcing campaign funding website at Indiegogo.

In later years, he invested heavily in Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency.

Death

Levene died at his home in Norfolk on 11 November 2022, at the age of 65.  At the time of his death, he had liver cancer.

Discography

Studio albums

• Violent Opposition (Taang!/Emergo/Rykodisc 1989)
• Murder Global Demos (Archive 2008)
• Yin and Yang (Cherry Red 2012) (Jah Wobble & Keith Levene)
• Search 4 Absolute Zero (self-released 2013, Gonzo Multimedia 2014)
• Commercial Zone 2014 (self-released 2014)

Extended Play

• Back Too Black (Iridescence 1987)
• Keith Levene’s Violent Opposition (Fundamental/Taang! 1988)
• Looking for Something (Taang! 1988)
• Murder Global: Killer in the Crowd (self-released 2002, Underground, Inc. 2004)
• EP aka Mississippi (Pressure Sounds/30 Hertz 2012) (Jah Wobble + Keith Levene)
• Meeting Joe aka The Guardian (self-released 2015)

Singles

• If Six Was 9 (Rykodisc 1988)
• Stille Im Meine Hamburg/ Clothesline (Overzealous Editions 1990) (Kendra Smith/Keith Levene & Hillel Slovak)