Ballad of a Spy Catcher
“Ballad of a Spycatcher” was written on the back of a book-banning, to deliberately provoke a reaction from the establishment. The book was Spycatcher (Peter Wright), an international best seller about goings on inside British secret services, which was banned by the UK government, adding to its notoriety.
Leon was approached soon after the banning by Duncan Campbell of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and asked to write a song about it, which he duly did (after obtaining an illicit copy). Quoting from the book was illegal, but Leon went out of his way to goad the powers that be, delving into the pages, and exposing many of the details within. In an act of open defiance, the song was published in New Statesman in August, and recorded at Topic Studios 11 days later, with Leon joined by singer Billy Bragg and the Oyster Band.
Leon was approached soon after the banning by Duncan Campbell of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and asked to write a song about it, which he duly did (after obtaining an illicit copy). Quoting from the book was illegal, but Leon went out of his way to goad the powers that be, delving into the pages, and exposing many of the details within. In an act of open defiance, the song was published in New Statesman in August, and recorded at Topic Studios 11 days later, with Leon joined by singer Billy Bragg and the Oyster Band.
Recordings
Version 1 (1987)