Workers Playtime (album)

Workers Playtime
Studio album by Billy Bragg
Released	September 20, 1988
Recorded	Pavilion Studios, London
Genre	Folk Punk
Length	42:22
Label	Go! Discs
Producer	Joe Boyd, Wiggy
Billy Bragg chronology
Talking with the Taxman about Poetry (1986) Workers Playtime (1988) The Internationale (1990)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	B[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

Workers Playtime is a 1988 album by Billy Bragg. Originally released on the Go! Discs label, it is his fourth release but third full length album. It was reissued on compact disc in September 1996 on the Cooking Vinyl label before being remastered, expanded and reissued in 2006 on the Cooking Vinyl label in the UK and on the Yep Roc label in the United States.

The album reached number 18 in the UK albums chart.^[4]

The original album cover has the subtitle "Capitalism Is Killing Music".^[5]

The album is referenced in the TV series John Safran's Music Jamboree stating that the album originally appeared with text that the album should not be sold for more than $15 - the label was later removed.

Track listing

All tracks written by Billy Bragg except where noted.

Disc one

1. "She's Got a New Spell" – 3:26
2. "Must I Paint You a Picture?" (Extended Version 7:08 Minutes) – 5:32
3. "Tender Comrade" – 2:50
4. "The Price I Pay" – 3:34
5. "Little Time Bomb" – 2:17
6. "Rotting on Remand" – 3:37
7. "Valentine's Day is Over" – 4:53
8. "Life With the Lions" – 3:06
9. "The Only One" – 3:26
10. "The Short Answer" – 4:59
11. "Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards" – 4:35

Disc two (2006 reissue)

1. "The Only One" (demo version) – 3:36
2. "The Price I Pay" (demo version) – 4:01
3. "Love Has No Pride" (Eric Kaz, Libby Titus) – 3:35
4. "That's Entertainment" (Paul Weller) – 3:53
5. "She's Got a New Spell" (demo version) – 2:44
6. "The Short Answer" (demo version) – 5:21
7. "Little Time Bomb" (demo version) – 2:21
8. "Bad Penny" (demo version) – 3:05
9. "Reason to Believe" (live) (Tim Hardin) – 2:12
10. "Must I Paint You a Picture?" (extended version) – 7:13
11. "Raglan Road" (live) (Patrick Kavanagh, traditional) – 3:46

Personnel

Musicians

• Billy Bragg – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, triangle
• Danny Thompson – double bass
• Cara Tivey – piano, vocals, Hammond C-3 organ
• Micky Waller – drums
• Wiggy – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals
• Tony Maronie – percussion
• Bruce Thomas – bass guitar
• Dave Woodhead – trumpets, flugelhorn
• B.J. Cole – pedal steel guitar
• Martin Belmont – electric guitar
• Barb Jungr – harmonica
• Julia Palmer – cello
• Camilla Brunt – violin
• Kenny Jones – 6 and 12 string acoustic guitar
• Theresa Pamplin – viola
• Donna Welchman – violin
• Porky – backing vocals
• Jayne Creamer – backing vocals
• Kaya Jenner – backing vocals
• Michelle Shocked – backing vocals

Production

• Joe Boyd – producer
• Wiggy – producer
• Martin Hayles – engineer
• Graham Dear – assistant engineer
• Lawrence Watson – photography
• Liu Chih-Kuei – artwork
• Thumbnail – design

References

Information from the Official Billy Bragg website discography^[6] and the 2006 reissue CD liner notes^[7] unless otherwise noted.

1. Allmusic review
2. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Billy Bragg". Robert Christgau.
3. Rolling Stone review
4. British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). 2006. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
5. "Workers Playtime", Billy Bragg, Electra 9 60824-2 (1988) CD
6. http://www.billybragg.co.uk/releases/albums/index.html
7. "Workers Playtime", Billy Bragg, Yep records YEP2606 (2006) CD