Noh Baddah Try Fi Hide Fram It

Linton Kwesi Johnson performing his poem Inglan Is A Bitch on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1980.

It was another five years before I was exposed to LKJ's writing, thanks to an inspirational English teacher who saw some glimmers of hope in the rag tag jumble of spotty teens facing her. I can't remember which selection of poems she chose, though it's fair to assume that Inglan Is A Bitch may not have been one of them.

I was nine years old when Inglan Is A Bitch was transmitted on BBC2 and there's no way that either my parents would be watching OGWT or that I would be allowed to stay up that late to watch it with them.

Forty six years later, Inglan Is A Bitch has lost none of it's impact, and this reading of the poem conveys the sheer power of LKJ's words and masterfully paced and restrained performance. 

For Bass Culture, Linton's second album, he teamed up again with Dennis Bovell, Inglan Is A Bitch leading side two. The tempo is up, the rhythm and melody is the musical equivalent of sunshine, a counterpoint to the stark narrative. 

1980 also saw the release of LKJ In Dub, a seminal release and companion to Bass Culture. BItch Dub is track two side two and takes the song on a while different (road)trip.

Waking up to the news that the grifter has returned as MP for Clacton is no surprise. Whilst he'll be crowing about his victory and "letting the people decide", it's against a backdrop of less than 50% voter turn out, none of the major parties participating in the by-election, and Count Binface coming second with nearly 9,500 votes.

Inglan Is A Bitch.