In this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, we hear the incredible story of Red Wedge from its co-founder, Annajoy David.
Our conversation is packed full of tales of collaboration and a shared passion for fashion and politics that all kicked off with Paul hearing a radio interview with Annajoy from a CND rally in the early 1980s.
Paul was inspired to reach out and a tight friendship and incredible working relationship quickly formed – leading to activity with The Jam and The Style Council and the creation of Red Wedge – an organisation dedicated to getting young people involved in politics through the popular arts.
I found Annajoy to be a hugely engaging and inspirational guest, with so much smart thinking that our politics today is sadly lacking. Irrespective of your party politics, I think you’ll find this an interesting listen as we dive in to a critical period in our country’s recent history and another key time for Paul Weller’s career too.
I’d also love to hear your memories of Red Wedge so please do share by hitting the comment link at the bottom of the page. If you’ve enjoyed the podcast please do share on your social media channels, leave a review and it would be lovely if you could buy me a virtual coffee to help pay for my podcast subs too. Cheers.
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EP105 – Annajoy David – Co-founder of Red Wedge… ”You see things can change…” – Desperately Seeking Paul : Paul Weller Fan Podcast
Red Wedge Documentary
Read more in Walls Come Tumbling Down by Daniel Rachel
I have to say what a huge help this fabulous book was in the research for my conversation with Annajoy.
Daniel Rachel was a brilliant podcast guest on Episode 43 – funny, engaging, super-smart, a in-depth knowledge and love of his subject matter – what more could you ask for as a host? He’s one of those amazing guests who you can ask a question and ten minutes later he’s still replying, selecting the right words to bring you in to his stories, rising out of his seat as he shares his passion with you. Brilliant!
The book Walls Come Tumbling Down charts the pivotal period between 1976 and 1992 that saw politics and pop music come together for the first time in Britain’s musical history; musicians and their fans suddenly became instigators of social change, and ‘the political persuasion of musicians was as important as the songs they sang’. Through the voices of campaigners, musicians, artists and politicians, Daniel Rachel follows the rise and fall of three key movements of the time: Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone, and Red Wedge, revealing how they all shaped, and were shaped by, the music of a generation.
Composed of interviews with over a hundred and fifty of the key players at the time, Walls Come Tumbling Down is a fascinating, polyphonic and authoritative account of those crucial sixteen years in Britain’s history.
Enjoyed Red Wedge podcast, however as an American I can’t help but wonder why the words Socialism and Socialist were never used. In this country, many artists refrain from using these terms because of the political backlash. Of course, it would be difficult for Springsteen to call himself a Socialist, especially after pricing VIP tickets at $4000, after Bruce and Dylan sold their catalogs for hundreds of millions, after U2 makes hundreds of millions on tour. Perhaps a tithe would be appropriate for our activists, what we call putting their money where they put their mouths, “Money Go Round” indeed! How many Rolls Royce’s does Elton own? How many artists were buying cocaine by the kilo? One of the great ironies of the past 50 years is how much”conspicuous consumption “ occurred with our most beloved artists? I know it costs a lot to feed 8 children, to support several ex wives. What would have been the impact of several of our greatest artists starting their own media conglomerates, and competing for ideas with the fascists like Murdoch?
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