Workers Playtime 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 Cooking Vinyl in the UK and on the Yep Roc label in the United States .
The album reached number 18 in the UK albums chart .[ 5]
It was voted number 499 in the third edition of Colin Larkin 's All Time Top 1000 Albums [ 6]
The original album cover has the subtitle "Capitalism Is Killing Music",[ 7] British Phonographic Industry 's then-current campaign that "Home Taping Is Killing Music ".
The album originally had a region- and format-specific price printed on the artwork, signifying the maximum price the album should be sold for (as "Pay no more than"), similar to Bragg's previous albums. For example, in the UK, no more than £4.99 should have been paid for the LP or cassette and £7.99 for the compact disc. Other prices included $15.99 for the LP or cassette in the US and AUD$23.99 for the Compact Disc in Australia. This particular aspect of the album was referenced in the TV series John Safran's Music Jamboree [ 8]
Track listing All tracks written by Billy Bragg except where noted.
Disc one
"She's Got a New Spell" – 3:26 "Must I Paint You a Picture?" – 5:32 "Tender Comrade" – 2:50 "The Price I Pay" – 3:34 "Little Time Bomb" – 2:17 "Rotting on Remand" – 3:37 "Valentine's Day is Over" – 4:53 "Life With the Lions" – 3:06 "The Only One" – 3:26 "The Short Answer" – 4:59 "Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards " – 4:35 Disc two (2006 reissue)
"The Only One" (demo version) – 3:36 "The Price I Pay" (demo version) – 4:01 "Love Has No Pride" (Eric Kaz , Libby Titus ) – 3:35 "That's Entertainment " (Paul Weller ) – 3:53 "She's Got a New Spell" (demo version) – 2:44 "The Short Answer" (demo version) – 5:21 "Little Time Bomb" (demo version) – 2:21 "Bad Penny" (demo version) – 3:05 "Reason to Believe " (live) (Tim Hardin ) – 2:12 "Must I Paint You a Picture?" (extended version) – 7:13 "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 guitarBarb Jungr – harmonica Julia Palmer – cello Camilla Brunt – violin Kenny Jones – 6 and 12 string acoustic guitar Theresa Pamplin – viola Donna Welchman – violin Porky – backing vocalsJayne Creamer – backing vocals Kaya Jenner – backing vocals Michelle Shocked – backing vocals
References Information from the Official Billy Bragg website discography[ 9] liner notes [ 10]
↑ AllMusic review ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Billy Bragg". Robert Christgau . ↑ Murphy, Kevin (24 September 1988). "33". Record Mirror 40. ISSN 0144-5804. ↑ "Billy Bragg: Workers Playtime : Music Reviews". Rollingstone.com . Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2025 . ↑ British Hit Singles & Albums ed.). 2006. ISBN 1-904994-10-5 .↑ Colin Larkin , ed. (2006). All Time Top 1000 Albums ed.). Virgin Books . p. 175. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6 .↑ "Workers Playtime", Billy Bragg, Electra 9 60824-2 (1988) CD ↑ MusicJamboree (7 June 2012). John Safran's Music Jamboree - Episode 8 . Retrieved 12 June 2026 – via YouTube. ↑ "billy bragg - albums". www.billybragg.co.uk . Archived from the original on 14 February 2002. ↑ "Workers Playtime", Billy Bragg, Yep records YEP2606 (2006) CD
