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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBRAGG, Billy(b 20 Dec. '58, Barking, Essex) Singer/songwriter, guitar. Heard the Clash, served spell with punk band Riff Raff '78, took to the road with guitar and amplifier supporting everybody '83--4 from Richard Thompson to Dave Gilmour. Dubbed 'one-man Clash'; seven-track mini- album Life's A Riot With Spy Vs Spy drew attention to pungent, topical material, staccato guitar. Further songs: 'The Milkman Of Human Kindness', 'A New England' (hit for Kirsty MacColl '85), 'Man In The Iron Mask'. Second album Brewing Up had 14 passionate tracks incl. 'St Swithin's Day' and 'Island Of No Return', a comment on the Falklands War. Bragg is dismissive of folk clubs ('They wish it was 1960, er, ideally 1860!') but because of his solo nature is championed by folkies and was part of the '80s folk mini- revival; throughout UK miners' strike '84--5 did benefit concerts, went on the road with Labour MPs 'Jobs for Youth' tour; Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock (life member of Gene Vincent fan club) climbed aboard. EP Between The Wars was surprise chart hit April '85, with title cut, Leon Rosselson's 'World Turned Upside Down' and the old strikers' anthem 'Which Side Are You On?'. The miners' strike ignominiously lost, Bragg went on to be the moving force behind the Red Wedge tour '86, with Tom Robinson and Paul Weller. Back To Basics came out on Elektra; hit single 'Levi Stubbs' Tears' was incl. in album Talking With The Taxman About Poetry '86; he contributed to the anti-apartheid album Not Just Mandela '86 and his further albums on Elektra were Help Save The Youth Of America and Workers Playtime '88 (disenchanted with politics after a third Tory victory back home, this one did not contain any political songs). He toured the world '89, denounced the Berlin Wall on East German TV; the next albums were The Internationale '90, Don't Try This At Home '91. Formed his own Utility label c'90, released albums such as Be A Devil by folksinger Caroline Trettine, Beyond Our Means by Clea and McLeod, a female Scottish duo who sang songs about men and shoplifting; he hoped that each album would be a one-off, the artists moving on to better deals. He married and became a father, came back with William Bloke '96 on Cooking Vinyl. He was working with Woody Guthrie's daughter '98 on turning a trunkful of Woody's lyrics into songs. |