‘Walks Come Tumbling Down’ by Daniel Rachel
This has been on my reading list a long time. I remember going to a Red Wedge gig and with a lot of commentary from Billy Bragg along the way it was always going to be an interesting read. And it was.
The book itself begins in 1976 when Eric Clapton made a speech in support of Enoch Powell, then explores the late 70s and 80s with the Rock Against Racism, the Specials, Red Wedge, ending in the early 90s and the Anti-Apartheid movement.
The book tells the story through conversations with over one hundred contributors, including Billy Bragg, Paul Weller, Paul Heaton, Richard Coles, Rhoda Dakar, Neil Kinnock, Phill Jupitus, Joe Strummer, Tracey Thorn, and Elvis Costello.
A fantastic oral history of a time when music fought against fascists.
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