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The one and only Billy Bragg plays the songs he loves, old and new, as well as introducing you to a few obscure gems |
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It’s more than a quarter of a century since he took the stage for his first solo gig at North London Polytechnic, a gig he took under the name of Billy (he is still known to his mum as Stephen, his birth name) so his family wouldn’t spot his latest career move.
Since then he has travelled the world numerous times, played hundreds of gigs, created top ten ten albums (and sold hundreds of thousands of them), talked endlessly about politics, culture and life, as well as writing a book about what it means to be English.
He has sung at political rallies put his own spin on America’s greatest folk catalogue, he has contributed to highbrow late night chatshows, essayed for newspapers of record and campaigned for reform of the House Of Lords. The Bard of Barking is such a well-loved man of the people, he even attracted votes to occupy the fourth plinth in Leicester Square (well a statute at least).
From the most modest of musical starts – just a man and his guitar – Billy was at the forefront of a new wave of putting left wing politics back into pop music, championing dockers and miners and many other underdogs. Although the line-up may have changed with a full band or guest musicians over the years, his convictions remain and have seen him championing new causes, of which his Jail Guitar Doors work – developing the musical skills of prisoners – is just one recent example.
Over the years Billy has even achieved posthumous collaborations with the greats. This has included bringing new life to the lyrics of Woody Guthrie – with the blessing of Guthrie’s daughter Nora – and being commissioned to put lyrics to the music of Beethovern’s Ode To Joy at the Royal Festival Hall in London, a gala performance of which was attended by The Queen (the day before he met her he was awarded the classic songwriter title at the Q Awards).
Last year he released his latest album Mr Mr. Love & Justice which saw him collaborating with old pal Ian McLagan of The Faces and Robert Wyatt.
He said of his Q Radio show: “I think the best type of DJ is a music fan, so I’ll be playing music that I’m enthusiastic about, be it old or new. And occasionally I’ll endeavour to take the listener off-piste to hear some really interesting music, hopefully without getting them too piste-off.”
You can catch his monthly afternoon show (3pm to 5pm) on the following dates (and repeated on the following Tuesday at 9pm):
:: Sunday 18th January
:: Sunday 15th February
:: Sunday 15th March
:: Sunday 19th April
:: Sunday 17th May
:: Sunday 21st June
:: Sunday 19th July
:: Sunday 16th August
:: Sunday 20th September
:: Sunday 18th October
:: Sunday 15th November
:: Sunday 20th December
And these are the tracks Billy played:
February 15
:: Jimmy McGriff - All About My Girl
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Chairman Of The Board - Everything's Tuesday
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The Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy
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Emmy The Great - First Love
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Kampopo - The Very Best
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Jesse Colin Young - 4 In The Morning
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The Weaker Thans - Sun In An Empty Room
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Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line
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Don Drummond - Easten Standard Time
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Patches & Gretchen - Ant Farm
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Eddie And The Hot Rods - Teenage Depression
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Lily Allen - Everyone's At It
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Wynonie Harris - Good Rockin Tonight
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Dengue Fever - Tiger Phone Card
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XTC - Statue Of Liberty
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Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
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Stevie Wonder - Skeleton
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Okkervill River - Lost Coastlines
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Andrew Bird - Oh No
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Oumou Sangare - Yo Djeli
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Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle
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Mary Epwoth & The Jubilee Band - The Saddle Song
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Peter Broderick - And It’s Alright
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Laura Nyro - Stoned Soul Picnic
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The Table - Do The Standing Still
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Buddy Holly - Rave On
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Shrag - Forty Five 45s
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Bernard Cribbins - I Go A Bundle
January 18
:: Big Joe Turner - Boogie Woogie Country Girl
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The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Sun Ain't Shining
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The Culture - Back To The Wasteland
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Television - Venus
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Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
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Stevie Wonder - If You Really Love Me
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Camille - Gospel with No Lord
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Francoise Hardy - Je N'Attends Plus Personne
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The Weaker Thans - Civil Twilight
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The Family - My Friend The Sun
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Stevie Wonder - Heaven Help Us All
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Asie Pyton - I Love You
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The Rolling Stones - 100 Years Ago
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Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Astral Plane
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Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes
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Neko Case - Margaret Vs Pauline
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The Skatalites - Phoenix City
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Joe Henry - I Will Write My Book
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Stevie Wonder - I Believe When I Fall in Love
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Elbow - Grounds For Divorce
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Richard Hawley - Tonight The Streets Are Ours
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Delaney & Bonnie - Groupie
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Barbarossa - The Load
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Tom Waits - Jesus Gonna Be Here
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Roseanne Cash - The World Unseen
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Pete & The Pirates - Bright Lights
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David Shrigley - Don't
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