Billy Bragg and The Blokes

Billy Bragg and Wilco recorded the albums 'Mermaid Avenue' and 'Mermaid Avenue Vol.2', featuring rediscovered Woodie Guthrie lyrics with music added by Billy and Wilco. Wilco were subsequently unable to tour with Billy, so he recruited 'The Blokes', initially to play at the London Fleadh in summer 1998. The band has continued to tour, including releasing a live album (mail order/gigs only), and has since written and recorded with Billy for his latest studio albums, 'England, Half English' and 'Mr Love & Justice'. The Blokes are:

• Martyn Barker - drums
• Simon Edwards - bass
• Lu Edmonds - guitar, saz and cumbus
• Ben Mandelson - steel guitar, bouzouki
• Ian McLagan - keyboards (Hammond and piano)

Needless to say, with Martyn, Simon and Lu involved, the sound has quite a bit in common with the mid-90s Shriekback material. (Also... Ben Mandelson played on 'Hammerheads'!)

• Mermaid Avenue Tour
  
  I Guess I Planted [3.35] / My Flying Saucer [1.53] / Eisler On The Go [5.38] / The Milkman Of Human Kindness [2.55] / She Came Along To Me [4.11] / All You Fascists Bound To Lose [4.12] / Must I Paint You A Picture [5.17] / Christ For President [4.12] / California Stars [3.59] / A New England [2.29] / Hoodoo Ska Voodoo [5.22] / Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key [5.32]
  
  Live/Studio CD: Billy Bragg BB5108 (1999)
  
  
• Brand New Boots And Panties
  [Ian Dury tribute album.]
  
  Includes Billy Bragg & The Blokes: Billericay Dickie
  
  V/A CD: East Central One NEWBOOTS 2CD (2001)
  
  
• Unconditionally Guaranteed 2000.7
  [CD free with July copy of 'Uncut' magazine, UK].
  
  Includes Billy Bragg & The Blokes: All You Fascists Bound To Lose
  
  V/A Compilation CD: Uncut UG-20 26 (2000)
  
  
• England, Half English / St. Monday
  
  England, Half English [2.27] / St. Monday [3.00]
  
  CD single: Cooking Vinyl FRY CD 120 (2002)
  
  
• England, Half English
  
  St. Monday [3.03] / Jane Allen [3.58] / Distant Shore [2.31] / England, Half English [2.28] / NPWA [5.32] / Some Days I See The Point [4.59] / Baby Faroukh [3.06] / Take Down The Union Jack [3.19] / Another Kind Of Judy [3.45] / He'll Go Down [3.21] / Dreadbelly [3.33] / Tears Of My Tracks [3.51]
  
  Promo CD: Cooking Vinyl COOK CD 222P (2002)
  LP: Cooking Vunyl COOK 222 (2002)
  CD: Cooking Vinyl COOK CD 222 (2002)
  2CD: Cooking Vinyl COOKCD351 (2006)
  
  • In gatefold card sleeve. For details of bonus disc see the entry for 'Volume II' below.
  
  
• Take Down The Union Jack
  
  Take Down The Union Jack (Album Version) [3.17] / Mystery Shoes [3.10] / England, Half English (7" Remix) [3.58]
  
  CD single 1: Cooking Vinyl FRY CD 131 (2002)
  
  Take Down The Union Jack (Band Version) [3.23] / Yarra Song [3.32] / England, Half English (12" Remix) [5.43]
  
  CD single 2: Cooking Vinyl FRY CD 131X (2002)
  
  Take Down The Union Jack (Live Version) [3.17] / You Pulled The Carpet Out [2.37] / England, Half English (Ambient Remix) [6.48]
  
  CD single 3: Cooking Vinyl FRY CD 131XX (2002)
  
  • With CD-ROM track 'Take Down The Union Jack (Live Video)'.
  
  
• St. Monday
  
  St. Monday
  
  CDR promo: Cooking Vinyll FRYCD172-CDR (2003)
  
  
• Must I Paint You A Picture?: The Essential Billy Bragg
  [* = with Wilco, ** = with The Blokes]
  
  CD1:
  A New England / The Man In The Iron Mask / The Milkman Of Human Kindness / To Have And To Have Not / A Lover Sings / St Swithin's Day / The Saturday Boy / Between The Wars / The World Turned Upside Down / Levi Stubbs' Tears / Walk Away Renee / Greetings To The New Brunette / There Is Power In A Union / Help Save The Youth Of America / The Warmest Room / Must I Paint You A Picture? / She's Got A New Spell / The Price I Pay / Valentine's Day Is Over / Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards
  
  CD2:
  Sexuality / Cindy Of 1000 Lives / Moving The Goalposts / Tank Park Salute / You Woke Up My Neighbourhood / Accident Waiting To Happen (Red Stars Version) / Sulk / Upfield / The Fourteenth Of February / Brickbat / The Space Race Is Over / The Boy Done Good / *Ingrid Bergman / *Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key / *My Flying Saucer / **All You Fascists Bound To Lose (Blokes Version) / **NPWA / **St. Monday / **Sometimes I See The Point / **Take Down The Union Jack (Band Version)
  
  CD3 (Limited Edition Bonus CD):
  A13, Trunk Road To The Sea / Fear Is A Mans Best Friend / Cold And Bitter Tears / Seven And Seven Is / When Will I See You Again? / Rule Nor Reason / Debris / Dry Bed / She Smiled Sweetly / Take Down The Union Jack (King Normal And The Rug Remix)
  
  2CD: Cooking Vinyl COOKCD 266 (2003)
  
  • In slimline jewel case. Some copies carry 'limited edition' sticker in error.
  Ltd. 3CD: Cooking Vinyl COOKCD 266X (2003)
  
  • Same 2CD set, plus slipcase and bonus CD in card sleeve. Some copies carry the sticker which was intended for the 2CD version.
• Volume II
  
  Including Billy Bragg & The Blokes on CDs 7 & 8:
  
  CD7 (England, Half English - Original Album):
  St. Monday / Jane Allen / Distant Shore / England, Half English / NPWA / Some Days I See The Point / Baby Faroukh / Take Down The Union Jack / Another Kind Of Judy / He'll Go Down / Dreadbelly / Tears Of My Tracks
  
  CD8 (Bonus CD):
  Billericay Dickie / Mansion On The Hill / Glad And Sorry / He'll Go Down (Demo) / Yarra Song / You Pulled The Carpet Out / Mystery Shoes / Tears Of My Tracks (Demo) / Take Down The Union Jack (Band Version) / England, Half English (7" Remix) / 1 2 3 4 / Dry Bed (Band Version) / Danny Rose / She Smiled Sweetly
  
  8CD+DVD: Cooking Vinyl BRAGGBOX002 (2006)
  
  • The Blokes do not appear on CDs 1-6 or the DVD, and do not play on 'She Smiled Sweetly' on CD8.
  • The two CDs listed above are also available as a separate 2CD set, 'England, Half English', Cooking Vinyl COOKCD351, 2006. This comes in a gatefold card sleeve.
  
  
• Mr Love & Justice
  
  I Keep Faith [4.34] / I Almost Killed You [2.39] / M For Me [2.44] / The Beach Is Free [2.43] / Sing Their Souls Back Home [3.28] / You Make Me Brave [3.06] / Something Happened [2.39] / Mr. Love & Justice [3.13] / If You Ever Leave [3.01] / O Freedom [4.05] / The Johnny Carcinogenic Show [4.16] / Farm Boy [3.37]
  
  CD: Cooking Vinyl COOKCD452 (2008)
  Ltd. 2CD: Cooking Vinyl COOKCD452X (2008)
  
  • Bonus CD contains solo versions of the same songs.
  • For what it's worth, the solo CD track times are: [4.45] / [2.06] / [2.29] / [3.27] / [3.19] / [2.30] / [1.56] / [3.20] / [3.21] / [3.29] / [3.18] / [3.09].
  • In gatefold card sleeve.
  
  

For ordering details for the 'Mermaid Avenue Tour' CD, tour dates, and other Billy Bragg information, please see the official Billy Bragg website (doesn't always work - keep trying).

The Billy Bragg site currently includes the Blokes' gig from the Music Hall, Toronto, Canada (8 October 2000). Follow the link to 'webcasts'. It previously included the 15th December 1999 gig from the Forum, London, but this has now gone... can anyone point me to an alternate source for a copy?

© P Hetherington 1998-2008.
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