Billy’s first new studio album in six years, Mr Love & Justice, is released in the UK by Cooking Vinyl on 3 March 2008 and by Anti- in North America on 22 April. Shock Records is releasing the album in Australia and New Zealand.
The album is being released in two versions: one features Billy Bragg and The Blokes; the second is a 2 CD deluxe version featuring the band version and the same songs performed by Billy solo.
It will be available to order direct from the Billy Bragg Shop very soon.
The 12-track album has been produced by Grant Showbiz and features The Blokes, comprising the celebrated Ian McLagan – of Small Faces, Bob Dylan, The Faces and Rolling Stones fame – on Hammond organ and piano, with Ben Mandelson (lap steel guitar and bouzouki); Lu Edmonds (electric guitar and vocals); Martyn Barker (drums) and Simon Edwards (bass).They are joined by the legendary Robert Wyatt, the guest vocalist on a track called ‚I Keep Faith‘ recorded in South Thoresby, Lincolnshire. The collaboration came about when Bragg, in search of fresh rhubarb for a crumble, was in nearby Louth where he met Wyatt who lives in the town.
„I hadn’t seen him since Red Wedge (the 1986 Labour Party youth vote initiative),“ says Bragg. „He found me some rhubarb and then came along to the recording session and sang beautiful vocals to the chorus of ‚I Keep Faith‘ – it was like angels singing!“
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