False Memories

November 14, 2006 7:35 PM

Did Billy Bragg ever record a version of Barry McGuire's Eve of Destruction?

I found myself watching an episode of Eureka and they were playing a cover (a really bad one I though) of that song. And I had a craving to listen to what I thought was the original. In my head it has always been Billy Bragg singing it. But upon judicious use of google I learned that it was a 60's song by Barry McGuire, and there is no evidence of Billy Bragg recording it. So was I imagining it, or did Billy Bragg record that at some time.

posted by TahitiBlue to media & arts (12 comments total)

Not according to allmusic.com.
posted by dobbs at 7:44 PM on November 14, 2006

AllMusic doesn't list a Billy Bragg version.

I used to be a moderate Bragg fan, and I can't remember him doing it either, though it sounds like the sort of song he might have covered live. Archive.org has 46 of his live sets, which I don't have time to trawl through, sorry.

The songfinder at Braggtopia doesn't list Eve of Destruction - and it does list other covers, such as Ever Fallen in Love.

On balance, I'm guessing that BB didn't record the song.
posted by Infinite Jest at 7:47 PM on November 14, 2006

When I read your question, I thought, "yeah, of course he did." But I can't find it either, even though I can "hear" it too in my faulty memory.

Is it possible that Accident Waiting to Happen kinda sorta sounds like the chorus of Eve of Destruction?
posted by baltimore at 8:05 PM on November 14, 2006

Could it be the version by Afrika Bambaataa featuring John Lydon?
posted by emurray at 9:14 PM on November 14, 2006

I don't think so. And Braggtopia is pretty much definitive.
posted by cushie at 9:16 PM on November 14, 2006

< slight derail>

The songfinder at Braggtopia doesn't list Eve of Destruction - and it does list other covers, such as Ever Fallen in Love.

Anyone have this? I'd do something very very naughty for it.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:57 PM on November 14, 2006

Anyone have this? I'd do something very very naughty for it.

Ditto!
posted by Robot Johnny at 11:15 PM on November 14, 2006

You can download it here.
posted by TheRaven at 6:06 AM on November 15, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

AllMusic doesn't list a Billy Bragg version.

Allmusic also doesn't list him as having covered Ice Cream Man, which he did.
posted by Mayor Curley at 6:31 AM on November 15, 2006

I heard the Barry McGuire version on the radio the other day and I was thinking that this was the original version of a song that somebody covered in the 80's (or early 90's?). I was trying to put my finger on who sang the version I am familiar with (I'm pretty sure that I hadn't heard the McGuire version before). When I saw this question, I thought, "Aha. It was Billy Bragg. Of course!" But now I'm confused again.
posted by winston at 6:48 AM on November 15, 2006

I also can hear it in my mind, with him spitting out the words. I think -- this could be wrong -- but I think that I used to have it on a bootleg of live show. I had the tape in 1989, so it would've been from before then -- but not much before. I faintly recall that the performance was at NYU. Of course, I no longer have the tape. I could be more vague and less helpful if you want.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:45 AM on November 15, 2006

Allmusic also doesn't list him as having covered Ice Cream Man, which he did.

Good point. Looks like All Music only includes songs that were officially recorded - it doesn't list him as doing 'Ever Fallen in Love' either. I certainly wasn't quoting AllMusic as the definitive answer, which is why I linked to the Internet Archive and Braggtopia.
posted by Infinite Jest at 3:02 PM on November 15, 2006