Reaching to the Converted
Reaching to the Converted is an album by Billy Bragg released in August 1999. It is a collection of B-sides and rarities that spans Billy's entire career. It includes variations on old favorites, such as "Greetings to the New Brunette" (retitled "Shirley") and "Walk Away Renee".
| Reaching to the Converted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | August 1999 | |||
| Genre | Rock, folk | |||
| Label | Cooking Vinyl | |||
| Producer | Grant Showbiz, Gary Smith, John Porter, Kenny Jones, Edward de Bono | |||
| Billy Bragg chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| BBC | (positive)[2] |
| NME | (8/10)[3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The original album cover has the subtitle "(Minding The Gaps)".
Track listing
All tracks composed by Billy Bragg; except where indicated
- "Shirley"
- "Sulk" (words: Billy Bragg; music: Billy Bragg, Cara Tivey)
- "Accident Waiting to Happen" (Red Star Version)
- "The Boy Done Good" (words: Billy Bragg; music: Johnny Marr)
- "Heart Like a Wheel" (Anna McGarrigle)
- "Bad Penny"
- "Ontario, Quebec and Me"
- "Walk Away Renée" (Version) (music: Mike Lookofsky, Tony Sansone, Bob Calilli; monologue: Billy Bragg)
- "Rule Nor Reason"
- "Days Like These" (UK Version)
- "Think Again" (Dick Gaughan)
- "Scholarship Is the Enemy of Romance"
- "Wishing the Days Away" (Ballad Version)
- "The Tatler" (Ry Cooder, Russ Titelman)
- "Jeane" (Steven Morrissey, Johnny Marr)
- "She's Leaving Home" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
- "I Don't Need This Pressure Ron"
Song details
"Shirley" - Previously unreleased version of "Greetings to the New Brunette", recorded in 1992.
- Billy Bragg - Vocals
- Johnny Marr - Everything else
"Sulk" & "Accident Waiting to Happen" - B & A-side GO! Discs [U.K.] #67 (2/92).
- Billy Bragg - vocals, guitar
- Wiggy - lead guitar
- Cara Tivey - vocals, keyboards
- Nigel Frydman - bass
- Rob Allum - drums
"The Boy Done Good" - A-side of Cooking Vinyl [U.K.] #064 (5/97)
- Billy Bragg - vocals
- Cara Tivey - keyboards
- Jody Linscott - percussion
- Lorrain Bowen - backing vocals
- Johnny Marr - everything else
"Heart Like a Wheel" - B-side of "You Woke Up My Neighbourhood" GO! Discs [U.K.] #60 (8/91)
- Billy Bragg - vocals
- Cara Tivey - vocals, keyboards
"Bad Penny" - B-side of "Sexuality" GO! Discs [U.K.] #56 (6/91)
- Billy Bragg - vocals, guitar
- Wiggy - Guitar
- Amanda Vincent - piano
- Andy Hobson - bass
- JFT Hood - drums
- Kirsty MacColl - backing vocals
"Ontario, Quebec and Me" - B-side of "You Woke Up My Neighbourhood" GO! Discs [U.K.] #60 (8/91)
- Billy Bragg - vocals, guitar
"Walk Away Renee" - B-side of "Levi Stubbs' Tears" GO! Discs [U.K.] #12 (6/86)
- Billy Bragg - monologue
- Johnny Marr - acoustic guitar
"Rule Nor Reason" - B-Side of "Upfield" Cooking Vinyl [U.K.] #051 (9/96)
- Billy Bragg - vocals, guitar
- Cara Tivey - harmonium
"Days Like These" (UK Version) - A-side GO! Discs [U.K.] #8 (12/85)
- Billy Bragg - vocals, guitar
"Think Again" - B-side of "Levi Stubbs' Tears" GO! Discs [U.K.] #12 (6/86)
- Billy Bragg - vocals, acoustic & electric guitars
- Kenny Jones - guitar
- John Porter - mandolin
"Scholarship Is the Enemy of Romance" - B-side of "Days Like These" GO! Discs [U.K.] #8 (12/85)
- Billy Bragg - guitar, vocals
"Wishing the Days Away" (Ballad Version) - B-side of "Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards" GO! Discs [U.K.] #23 (8/88)
- Billy Bragg - vocals
- Cara Tivey - keyboards
"The Tatler" & "Jeane" - B-side of "Greetings to the New Brunette" GO! Discs [U.K.] #15 (11/86)
- Billy Bragg - vocals, guitar
"She's Leaving Home" - A-side of ChildLine [U.K.] #1 (5/88)
- Billy Bragg - vocals
- Cara Tivey - vocals, piano, recorders
"I Don't Need This Pressure Ron" - B-side of "Days Like These" GO! Discs [U.K.] #8 (12/85)
- Billy Bragg - vocals
- Robert Handley - vocals
References
All information is from album liner notes unless otherwise noted.[5]
- Allmusic review
- BBC review
- NME review
- Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 101. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone billy bragg album guide.
- Reaching the Converted,Billy Bragg, Rhino R2 75962 (1999) CD
