It Was Thirty Years Ago Today !

It was thirty years ago today that the general election campaign that ushered in possibly the most devise decade of the 20 century in Britain started in earnest.

In just over 3 weeks Margaret Hilda Roberts would walk through the door of number 10 Downing Street for the first time and would take up residency there for 11 years.

I blame her for most of the world's ills, I may be right but am probably wrong, however one thing is for sure, if there had been no Thatcher there would have been no need for us to have invented Tony Blair.

The Groove Armada - Hands of Time

Billy Bragg - Days Like These

Possibly the finest anti-Thatcher song ever.

If there is one thing I hate with all my being it is Margaret Thatcher and I make no apologies for this, the sight of her can induce apoplexy in me and when I here her voice I feel physically sick. I read recently an article which said that the left should by now have gotten over their irrational hatred of the Iron Lady ( a term which I was once told had been mistranslated from the Russian and the actual quote was "frigid bitch", oh how I wish that to be true) and embrace the reforms that she had introduced, after all their leadership have. Bollocks!

The reason for the rant is that on the way home from an excellent lunch yesterday the Fine Young Cannibals popped into my head. They were responsible for, in my opinion, the finest anti-Thatcher song, Blue. The song is neither ranty nor preachy, it has a rather catchy chorus, is extremely soulful and is quite upbeat until you listen to the lyrics.

The version posted is the original album version, the track was remixed by someone for the single version and in my opinion they made a pig's ear of it, replacing the real emotion of the original with stale electronic beats, extra horn flourishes and a new vocal track.

This track also reminds me of my time as a student in Aberdeen long ago. A girl I knew then would substitute "Drew" for blue in the chorus and with hindsight she was probably right.

Fine Young Cannibals - Blue

And as an extra treat, the second best anti-Thatcher song.

The Beat - Stand Down Margaret.

Soulcialism For The Masses

As another week of meetings, talk of EPS & End of Year results and other such corporate bullshit looms, how about a bit of angry yet soulful mid 80's idealism to put it all into perspective. Well at least we're not living in the decade of "greed is good", no condescending tone from that witch and her moralising, money grabbing cronies. Things have got so much better, we now have all of the tories worst attributes rolled into one odious figure, that hero of the left Lord Mandelson.

Back to the music, the Redskins were one of the most underrated bands to come out of the Thatcher years. Their mix of 60's soul, punk and pop made being preached at by Chris Dean a pleasure (those horns). Though I didn't agree with all that Chris Dean said including his scathing criticism of both Neil Kinnock and Billy Bragg, he did speak a lot of sense and to an absolutely cracking soundtrack

The band released one album Neither Washington Nor Moscow, a Peel Session 12" and 8 singles before splitting due to Chris Dean's increasing commitment to the Socialist Workers Party. In Neither Washington Nor Moscow they left an album that was of its time but after listening to it at the weekend hasn't dated badly and is actually very prescient.


The Redskins - The Power Is Yours

The Redskins - Keep On Keeping On

Mixing Pop and Politics

The mid to late 80's were a good time if you were an earnest young man with lofty ideals and a rudimentary knowledge of politics and class struggle. Not so good if you were a miner, shipyard employee, steel worker or any of the other "traditional industries" that were decimated during that decade.

By about 1983/84 I had become quite politicized after being introduced to Crass via my best mate's older brother's record collection (when he was out). I had avidly sought out music on Crass's label and bands with the same anarcho punk leanings, however there were a couple of problems for me in most of this otherwise worthy output. Most of the music was rudimentary at best with lyrics spat out at 100 miles an hour. Lyrics that made me think and question my own beliefs. But was it music? Possibly. Could you listen to it on a daily basis? No. Did I really believe that we could live in "anarchy, peace and freedom"? Not a chance in my neck of the woods, Strathclyde or any where else in the UK for that matter. For me there was a gap waiting to be filled. Yes I could listen to Dylan but it said nothing to me about Britain under Thatcher and although I loved all the political punk/new wave stuff such as TRB, SLF, The Angelic Upstarts etc, they belonged to the guys a few years older.

Then one Friday night I was sitting in the living room as usual watching the Tube and it happened, this guy with a big nose and a guitar was singing" just because your better than me doesn't mean I'm lazy, just because your going forwards doesn't mean I'm going backwards". I had found my protest singer, who was saying what I was thinking and with the bonus of being reasonably tuneful.

Through the 80's I got involved with a few political/protest movements, Red Wedge, although I was not yet age to vote, the Anti Apartheid movement, Amnesty International and CND. I remember this time as being thoroughly fucking grim but with a great soundtrack of protest songs by the likes of Bragg, the Beat, the Redskins, the Communards, Chumbawamba etc and up here Dick Gaughan.

The first track up is the track that first put me on to Billy Bragg, from the 6 track mini lp Life is A Riot with Spy vs Spy.

Billy Bragg - To Have And To Have Not

Secondly, a track from the first Chumbawamba lp "Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records". This was long before they signed to EMI, released Tub Thumping and were involved with the debacle at the Brits with John Prescott.

Chumbawamba - Whitewash

Lastly possibly my favourite of Bragg's own political tunes recorded live for KEXP.

Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forward.