Author:Billy Bragg (Edited by Iain Key)
Billy Bragg wrote the foreword to the recent A People’s History Of The Clash, and now teams up with Iain Key (the author of The Clash tome) to release his own People’s History.
This is the history (from early days learning guitar with next door neighbour Wiggy) told by those who saw it from street parties, to any club that would host a gig, to the back of a Volvo, and from the stage of Wembley Stadium.
And when one of those voices is Billy himself, the oral history becomes partial autobiography.
Despite his well recorded activism and outspokenness, I’m not convinced the “real” Billy Bragg is recognised. This book comes as close to revealing just who is Billy Bragg than any of the many passages, Wikipedia entries, biographies (and I’ve read a few).
And who is he? Just a bloke from Barking with a belief in himself, those around him, fairness, justice, and the ability not to see himself as any better than anyone else.
It’s not an “against the odds I made it” or “poor me, the hardship I’ve suffered” tale, but there is a certain fight for his voice to be heard – not just musical voice, but one of his beliefs and political standpoint.
And as happens to us all, it would appear that relative success has (slightly) mellowed the man – still forthright, still writing songs with a point and message, but now drawing on greater experience (both life experience and musical style). And no longer needing to be the bolshy bloke wheeled out on Newsnight or Question Time to stand the leftie ground.
To partially nick the title of one of his retrospective albums, the contributions paint a picture of who the players were, and were they were, at the timeline they’re speaking of.
And also the esteem he is held in by the contributors – there is a very real mutual loyalty coming through the pages between fans, friends, and the man himself.
The tone of many of the stories here show that once you’ve been bitten, it is not easy to let go
(unlike my own relationship here which is bitty to say the least – see below)
And because I was never asked, here is my own History with Billy Bragg:
1983: Life’s A Riot With Spy vs Spy is released. I see it in Our Price, clock the legend “Pay no more than £2.99 for this 7 Track Album”.
I’ve got 3 quid … but I don’t buy it
Christmas 1983: I hear “A New England” on John Peel’s Festive Fifty – I like that song … aah that’s the bloke with the £3 album (but I still don’t buy it)
January 1985: Kirsty MacColl releases “A New England” … I know that song, but I never did buy the Billy Bragg version (making do with a taped off the radio copy on one of many badly labelled tapes I own)
February 1985: Between The Wars EP is released, Billy performs on Top Of The Pops – it’s the first time I put a face to the voice. And the following Saturday purchase both the EP and (18 months after it’s release) Life’s A Riot With Spy vs Spy
(Brewing Up With Billy Bragg is also available for £3.99, but I’m on a limited Paper Round Budget which I’m busily converting to Jam singles, Beatles singles, Judas Priest albums, and whatever else I can find in the second hand record shop – Brewing Up can wait …)
May 1988: Billy Bragg is back on Top Of The Pops – at Number One – with a cover of “She’s Leaving Home”. Just him and Cara Tivey at the piano – yes Bill, I’ve sort of been ignoring you since Red Wedge, but so glad to see you back on telly (even if it was Wet Wet Wet which sold the volumes to ensure this appearance).
September 1991: Your uncle didn’t play for Red Star Belgrade, and I don’t think you drive a Mitsubishi Zero, but Sexuality is a damn fine track, the video shows the big nose leftie bloke has a sense of humour, and the album Don’t Try This at Home now deservedly nestles on the shelf next to Spy vs Spy
(I never did get round to filling the gaps)
And now begins a 30 year gap … yes I finally got Brewing Up With and Talking with the Taxman About Poetry, and Must I Paint You a Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg also made it’s why from shop to shelf.
The next new Billy Bragg product I bought was 2021s The Million Things That Never Happened – which I firmly believe is at least the equal of all his albums, and contains what I contend is his greatest song in the shape of “Good Days and Bad Days”.
Length of read: Medium to Long – and also a “dipper in and out”
Length of Read:Medium
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
Speaking with the HMRC about W B Yeats, Oscar Wilde, and Edgar Allen Poe
One thing you’ve learned
Personally I need to go back and fill that 30 year gap.
And re-listening to Between The Wars, I am convinced the vocal melody has echoes of the German National Anthem
(surely I can’t be the only one hearing it?)
As a Bragg fan from the first time I heard his debut Peel Session back in 83 and then getting Life’s A Riot upon release, I’ll need to get this. I have all his albums and they all have their gems (the “pop” Billy of the late 80s/early 90s was probably the most consistent period) but although I do like the most recent Americana style phase, currently into around it’s second decade, I do sometimes find myself wishing he’d do something a bit more like the earlier, more raw stuff. The most recent album album I actually thought might have been his weakest overall, although the single was pretty good. He seemingly gave over a lot of production and direction to the Magic Numbers, a naughties band who I only ever saw as being another pleasant but inessential group of which there were quite a few around that time, when for me he’s up there with Weller, Strummer and Costello. However, I’ll probably always be keen to see what he’s been up to, and this book looks like one for the Christmas wishlist.
I sort of guess what you mean about the Magic Numbers, at least on record. Live, whether the band, or the component parts, predominantly Michele Stodart, they are far more vibrant and far more essential.
I’ve seen quite a bit of the Magic Numbers this year. They played the Arts Centre as an electric band and were terrific, then substituted for an indisposed Eddi Reader at Folk in the Park as an acoustic band and were less impressive. Perhaps they were under-rehearsed; they were last minute stand ins. Romeo and his other half Ren Harvieu were already on the bill, so Michele and Angela may already have been attending. Then the other Sunday Angie was in Louis Brennan’s band at the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon, which was a treat as she has a fantastic voice. Romeo and Ren also live in the same town as me, though I can’t say I’ve seen them out and about. Anyway, I agree with Retro. They’re well worth seeking out if the band or any part of it is playing near you.
Thirding this. Saw them onstage with Martha Wainright and they were great. Had forgotten all about them.
I just bought BB’s skiffle book after it was highly recommended by Andrew Hickey on the History of rock in 500 songs podcast. Couple of quid on Dodgers second hand. His autobiography was good too.