A New England
"A New England" | |
---|---|
Song by Billy Bragg | |
from the album Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy | |
Released | November 1983 |
Recorded | 2–4 February 1983 |
Studio | Chappell Music, London |
Length | 2:14 |
Label | Utility |
Songwriter(s) | Billy Bragg |
Producer(s) | Oliver Hitch |
"A New England" is a song written and recorded by Billy Bragg, included on his album Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy, released in 1983. It became a hit single in 1985 with Kirsty MacColl's cover (recorded in 1984), and remains a signature song from the early years of Bragg's recording career.[1]
Background and composition[]
The opening lines of the song ("I was 21 years when I wrote this song/I'm 22 now, but I won't be for long") are identical to the opening lines of Paul Simon's song "Leaves that Are Green", which appears on Simon and Garfunkel's 1966 album Sounds of Silence. During a concert in Winnipeg, Canada, on 26 September 2006, Bragg stated Simon and Garfunkel had a strong influence on him and that he took the line from their song intentionally.[2]
Bragg has said the song had its origins in seeing two satellites flying alongside each other. Searching for romantic inspiration, he had to make do with "space hardware".[3] He told a BBC interviewer he "stole" the melody from Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song".[3]
Kirsty MacColl version[]
"A New England" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Kirsty MacColl | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | December 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1984 | |||
Genre | New wave | |||
Length | 3:49 | |||
Label | Stiff | |||
Songwriter(s) | Billy Bragg | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |||
Kirsty MacColl singles chronology | ||||
|
Kirsty MacColl recorded the song the year after its release by Bragg. Her version was produced by her then husband Steve Lillywhite.[4] Entering the UK chart in 1985, it was her biggest solo hit, reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart[5] and number 8 in the Irish Singles Chart.[6]
Bragg's original version of the song had only two verses. MacColl thought the song was too short, and so Bragg wrote a further two verses for her which she consolidated into one. Since MacColl's death, Bragg has included the additional verse in performances of the song as a tribute.[7]
The recording of "A New England" was the first collaboration between MacColl and her husband Steve Lillywhite on one of her own solo recordings.[8]
Background[]
MacColl first discovered Bragg in 1983 when she went to see one of his live performances.[9] One of the songs Bragg played was "A New England", which MacColl immediately identified as having hit potential. MacColl told Smash Hits in 1985: "I always thought 'A New England' would be great with loads of harmonies, it's such a good melody. Billy does it in a very rough way, and it's like a busker doing a really good Beatles song."[9] She added to Gilbert Blecken in 1994: "I knew the song was fantastic, but [Bragg's] version was just the skeleton of the song, so I wanted to dress it up."[10]
Track listing[]
7-inch and picture disc[]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "A New England" | Billy Bragg | 3:51 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
2. | "Patrick" | Kirsty MacColl | 3:07 |
12-inch[]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "A New England (Extended Version)" | Bragg | 7:56 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
2. | "Patrick" | MacColl | 3:07 |
3. | "I'm Going Out with an Eighty Year Old Millionaire" | MacColl | 2:52 |
References[]
- ^ Fiona Shepherd. "Billy Bragg has new look, new tech, but the same message". Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ^ "Yep Roc | an article, a podcast & Billy Bragg (CD/tour dates)". BrooklynVegan. 14 September 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Billy Bragg in an interview with Alan Thompson". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ "Freeworld – Kirsty MacColl: Official Releases". Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company – Kirsty MacColl – A New England". Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ "irishcharts.ie search results for A New England". Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ "Freeworld – Kirsty MacColl: singles". Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ "Interviews 1985 - On the Beach - Kirsty MacColl". www.kirstymaccoll.com.
- ^ Jump up to: a b MacDonald, Vici (14 February 1985). "She was on the front cover of Smash Hits in June 1981. Then what happened?". Smash Hits.
- ^ "Interviews 1994 - Titanic Days - Kirsty MacColl". www.kirstymaccoll.com.
External links[]
- "A New England" at Discogs (list of releases)
- 1984 singles
- Kirsty MacColl songs
- Billy Bragg songs
- 1983 songs
- Songs written by Billy Bragg
- Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite
- Songs about England
- Songs about the United Kingdom