Stiff Records : Classic/Dud? Search / Destroy

Duds: too many to count, but that was part of Stiff's charm, wasn't it? Releasing stuff like "Peppermint Lump" by Pete Townshend's daughter (?).

search, in addition to most of those mentioned already:

rachel sweet, "who does lisa like?" -- classic late '70s teen-pop in a new wave stylee

kirsty maccoll, "they don't know" and "a new england"

dave stewart, "what becomes of the brokenhearted" (featuring a jaw droppingly great lead vocal by colin blunstone of the zombies)

anything and everything by ian dury

so many more

classic x2.....pointed sticks were on stiff!

try http://www.bestiff.co.uk/main.html if you want to be reminded

my personal favourite: "You'll See (Glimpses)", an Ian Dury B-side

'I Love My Label' is on SEEZ 2 'A Bunch Of Stiff Records', as is Wreckless Eric's finest moment.

FIST 1 'Hits Greatest Stiffs' was a bargain @ £3.99, gathering up BUY 1-9 & 11, of which Nick Lowe's 'Heart Of The City is my favourite. btw, that says that BUY9 was Motorhead's unreleased 'Leavin' Here'. The inner sleeve promoting other labels' product such as the latest releases from Abba, Tom Petty, Elvis, The Ramones, Blondie, Little Feat, Stevie Winwood, Captain Beefheart, etc. is classic.

My copy of 'New Boots & Panties' doesn't have a proper Stiff catalogue number as to be really cool at the time one had to buy the French import which had 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll' as an extra track.

SEEZ 3 'My Aim Is True' is another goodie.

Haven't looked over the singles yet.

Utterly, totally excruciating : Roogalator - 'Cincinatti Fatback', Tyla Gang -'Styrofoam'

They also went large with Tracey Ullman between Madness and the Pogues, BTW.

Classic, obviously.

I've been digging out a lot of old Stiffs after reading Will Birch's No Sleep Til Canvey Island (highly recommended). So It Goes b/w Heart Of The City has yet to be bettered as a record label's opening statement of intent. Nick Lowe: all-time pop hero, shame he left the label quite so soon.

Be Stiff tour LPs C/D:
Classic: Jona Lewie: On The Other hand There's A Fist, Wreckless Eric: The Wonderful World Of..., Lene Lovich: Stateless, Rachel Sweet: Fool Around.
Dud: Mickey Jupp: Juppanese.

Mostly classic for all the reasons already given plus in no particular order: the UK release of Richard Hell's Blank Generation; several early Devo singles IIRC; the first Motorhead single (well, sort of....); the first Adverts single; the first (only?) Subs single; the first Yachts single; Desmond Dekker's re-make of Israelites (with The Blockheads as his backing band); Lew Lewis; Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias' hilariously brilliant (and unnervingly accurate) Snuff Rock EP; the first Department S single; the first Members single; the first Belle Stars single; the Plasmatics....

Not actually entirely unreleased - it was included in a boxset re-release of the first 10 singles that Stiff put out around '79, 'cos I've got it!

I was listening to NB&P the other night (disastrously, the plain old UK version, sorry Mooro) and thinking during "Billericay Dickie" how you could draw a Kinks - Blockheads - Madness line quite sensibly.

I really like the first Any Trouble LP, too, though I know I shouldn't.

You're right of course - it was their second one (Going Left Right) that was on Stiff, wasn't it?

I was thinking the same only yesterday wrt to the [band] + Monkeys = [some other band] thread!

1. Nick Lowe: So It Goes
2. Tyla Gang: Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie
3. Lew Lewis: Boogie On The Street
4. The Damned: New Rose
5. Richard Hell: Blank Generation
6. Elvis Costello: Less Than Zero
7. Max Wall: England's Glory
8. The Adverts: One Chord Wonders
9. Wreckless Eric: Whole Wide World
10. Ian Dury: Razzle In My Pocket
11. The Yachts: Suffice To Say
12. Jane Aire & The Belvederes: Yankee Wheels
13. Rachel Sweet: B-A-B-Y
14. Devo: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
15. The Members: Solitary Confinement
16. Lene Lovich: Lucky Number
17. Kirsty MacColl: They Don't Know
18. Jona Lewie: You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties
19. Joe "King" Carrasco: Buena
20. Any Trouble: Girls Are Always Right
21. Tenpole Tudor: Swords Of A Thousand Men
22. Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin: It's My Party
23. The Pogues: A Pair of Brown Eyes
24. Madness & Elvis Costello: Tomorrow's Just Another Day

Full Stiff discography is here.

How could I have forgotten Wazmo Nariz?!

Has there ever been a book on Barney Bubbles' design work? I've never seen one.

I liked the Plasmatics the way any suburban, ignorant 15-year-old just getting into punk would.

About 200 brilliant recordings on this label - I'd say this was one of the best EVER (fuckin' stomps all over Creation for a start).

From: Paul Webster
Date: Sunday, Sep 10, 2006 3:57 am
Subject: [peel] BBC Four - Stiff Nights

All on BBC 4 next weekend

Ian Dury: On My Life
BBC 4
Friday 15th September 2006 21:00 to 22:00
Ian Dury reflects on his life and his musical comeback. Key figures include his mentor Peter Blake and his band, The Blockheads. First shown in 1999.
Strong language.

If It Ain't Stiff...
BBC 4
Friday 15th September 2006 22:00 to 22:45
1/2
First of two documentary films telling the story of the maverick Stiff
Records.
By the mid-1970s music had become a corporate affair, so thank goodness for
Stiff, a tiny, ramshackle independent that took music from out of the
boardroom and gave it back to the fan.
Founded by two penniless visionaries, Stiff invented the new wave with Nick
Lowe, put punk on vinyl with The Damned and gave the world Elvis Costello
and Ian Dury.
With contributions from Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Captain Sensible, Stiff
fan Jonathan Ross and label founders Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera.
Narrated by Adrian Edmondson.

Stiff at the BBC
BBC 4
Friday 15th September 2006 22:45 to 23:15
1/2
A nostalgic hour's romp through the Top of the Pops archive featuring
appearances from inimitable Stiff artists such as Madness, Ian Dury, The
Pogues, Lene Lovich and Jona Lewie.

So You Wanna Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star
BBC 4
Friday 15th September 2006 23:15 to 00:35
Melvin Bragg presents a portrait of a professional rock band, the Kursaal
Flyers, on the road as they tour a series on gigs in Aberdeen, Glasgow and
Middlesbrough. First shown in 1976. Strong language.

Stiff at the BBC
BBC 4
Saturday 16th September 2006 21:00 to 22:00 (starting in 6 days)
Duration: 1 hour.
2/2
A second hour of music from the BBC's archive, featuring appearances from
inimitable Stiff artists such as Madness, Ian Dury, The Pogues, Lene Lovich
and Jona Lewie.

If It Ain't Stiff
BBC 4
Saturday 16th September 2006 22:00 to 22:45
2/2
Concluding the story of Stiff Records.
The departure of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and founder Jake Riviera after
only 18 months almost spelt disaster for Stiff Records. But label boss Dave
Robinson turned its fortunes around with Ian Dury, Madness, The Pogues and
Tracey Ullman.
With contributions from Suggs, Shane MacGowan, Tracey Ullman, Charlie
Gillett, Pete Waterman and label boss Dave Robinson. Narrated by Adrian
Edmondson.

Young Guns Go for It: Madness
BBC 4
Saturday 16th September 2006 22:45 to 23:25
Members of the band Madness reflect on their formation, brushes with the
National Front, the hits, the splits and their reunion concert. Originally
shown in 2000.

The Great Hunger: The Songs of Shane MacGowan
BBC 4
Saturday 16th September 2006 23:25 to 00:25
An unflinching portrait of The Pogues' frontman, and his remarkable journey
from north London punk outsider to one of Ireland's most respected
balladeers.
Contributing their versions of MacGowan's songs are Nick Cave, Sinead
O'Connor, Christy Moore and Ronnie Drew.

Son of Stiff Tour Movie
BBC 4
Sunday 17th September 2006 00:25 to 01:15
In 1979 Stiff Records sent five of its up-and-coming bands around Europe on
one bus. This documentary, filmed at the time, captures the inevitable
mayhem that ensued.

Drop the Kursaal Flyers though.

No way. That programme is an engrossing, brilliantly shot piece of erm "investigative journalism", and probably the most essential viewing of the whole list (though I'll be watching it all, of course). Will Birch is a natural.

oh those poor mid-70s fans who had to suffer the powerpoints and fiscal statements full of corporate dreck like al green and the ohio players and donna summer and roxy music and stevie wonder and david bowie and alice cooper and whatnot. thank god elvis costello came around to save us all.

that all said, i'd love to see a lot of this stuff. wish they'd show it in the US.

A forgotten classic: Jona Lewie, “On the Other Hand There’s A Fist.”

Box Set is very good if you can still find it. First three and a half discs are excellent. It does trail off a bit on disc four.

Unless they melted them all down (I mean, who would actually buy one?)

Did anyone see the documentaries?

I manged to DVDR the broadcast, watching the part two doc now, and wow the "Son of Stiff" movie I'm looking forward to.

A flop tour, a real unseen movie, what will it be like?

Even so, a great weekend's entertainment. Roll on Chiswick Nights.

I'd recognised Kirsty behind Jona last time the clip was aired (TOTP2 I believe) but who was the other girl? She looked vaguely familiar.

Yes, I would have liked / would have preferred to see the Original Stiffs Live movie (there was one, I saw a bit at the Stiff Record Fair along with bits of the Plasmatics gig on a TV screen there.

I did get the Shane docu but have seen similar. The Kursaals is kept for post but I'll see it eventually.

Oh, and "Wunderbarrrrr!!! Wunderbarrrrr!!! Wunderbarrrrr!!! Wunderbarrrrr!!! "

"Wunderbarrrrr!!!"

I don't remember him even mentioning Stiff records in his autobiog.

Read the biography, and he's a bitter man prone to anger.

Both of those things being true, naturally. Someone mentioned to J.Lydon about how Ian had slagged him off saying he'd nicked his whole performance style off him (which had always been acknowledged) and other such. For all that Joh laughed it off, you could tell he was somewhat upset by that.

The "Son of Stiff" tour was quite funny. At the time, I saw a 12" single which was promoting the acts, and none of them I would have crossed the road to see. And quite right too. Any Trouble were the less trendy Elvis Costello, Equator were an OK support band, Dirty Looks also, TenPole was the resident wacky Moon character and Joe King Carasco was more having a "Hey I'm an american popstar girls" charm offensive.

"Pump it up, when you desperately need it"

Classic for Madness and Nick Lowe alone.

What I loved about the culture at Stiff was how artists were encouraged to write about the most mundane, dorky things. Listen to the box set and you'll hear songs about stuff like shoplifting, playing the slots, pimping your car stereo, hanging out at dull parties...songs about writing songs, for pete's sake. Such fun.

The Stiff Doc, for one, in one complete part (not two bits).

No Ian Dury repeat, but a "Rock goes to College" Lene Lovich special instead.

Richard Balls. oy oy!

http://www.myspace.com/theenemycoventry

despite nothing about the band here :

http://www.stiff-records.com/

i received the single today with the logo on .. nearly fell off me pub stool in shock ..

"Hold On" by Ian Gomm = Stiff's answer to yacht-rock.

The GOMM WITH THE WIND album is actually pretty solid pub-rock bordering on power-pop, but "Hold On" is wildly out of place. Guess my man wanted an American hit REAL bad (and he got it, too). With its' soft-rock feel and pseudo-Tom Scott sax solo, it sounds like Pablo Cruise or the Little River Band.

I always thought their sound was too white / old for me, like your dad's punk, but I am <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artists-The-Stiff-Singles-Volume-2-MP3-Download/10892522.html";> enjoying this quite a bit, to me it's fresh as spring</a>.

OOps. I keep forgetting to format properly.

LINK to volume two is here

Again, I am really sorry about it.

There's at least 3 Stiff singles box sets (Stiff Box, The Big Stiff Box Set and another, I believe). Anyone recommend one over the other(s)?

Gerald, the answer is . . . not really. As far as I know, there are two 4xCD boxes - the out-of-print "The Stiff Box" (the black and white one) and "The Big Stiff Box Set" - each with just under 100 tracks. There's also the 2xCD "Born Stiff" and the 2xCD "A Hard Day's Night" and two single CD sets - "If It Ain't Stiff" and "Stiff, Stiffer, Stiffest." The overlap between the six sets is mind-numbing. So the only way to compare is to first "remove" all the stuff you should have anyway.

The OBVIOUS stuff you should have includes all the relevant stuff by Ian Dury & the Blockheads, Elvis Costello, Madness, the Pogues, Nick Lowe, Lene Lovich, Graham Parker, The Damned, the Adverts, Devo and Richard Hell. (The last two of those aren't the easiest to get in their Stiff versions, but they're mostly out there.) I'd also include Wreckless Eric and John Otway on that list - entertaining, consistent stuff. Otway's a genius. Beyond that, depending on whether you like it or not, there are very cheap (generally under £3 from Amazon UK!) CDs which compile all the remotely okay stuff from Kirsty MacColl, Tracey Ullman, Tenpole Tudor, the Belle Stars, Jona Lewie and The Rumour. Lew Lewis Reformer (great!), Dr Feelgood (good, but this is their post-Wilko stuff - so, second tier), Department S (okay but not great) and the Members (only their first album - which is quite good - is relevant here) have slightly more expensive CDs available. One of these compilations comes with three newly-recorded songs - they suck and so I didn't include them here.

Subtract all that, and it's amazing how weak what's left is. Here's a breakdown of how many tracks are left on each set after one subtracts the stuff above, versus how many are on the set to begin with:

THE STIFF BOX SET - 42 of 96
THE BIG STIFF BOX SET - 49 of 97
BORN STIFF - 16 of 45
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT - 16 of 45
IF IT AIN'T STIFF - 10 of 21
STIFF, STIFFER, STIFFEST - 8 of 21

On percentage alone, "The Big Stiff Box Set" is probably your best bet. If you buy that, you'll reduce the leftovers on other sets to these numbers:

THE STIFF BOX SET - 16 of 96 (none necessary - songs by Roogalator, Furniture, Jamie Rae, the Untouchables, Jakko, King Kurt, Desmond Dekker (2), the Equators, Jill Read, Dave Edmunds, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Mickey Jupp, Theatre Of Hate, Dirty Looks and Pookiesnackenburger.)
BORN STIFF - 0 of 45 (so this comp is utterly pointless.)
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT - 1 of 45 (that song is King Kurt's "Destination Zululand," which is not worth your trouble.)
IF IT AIN'T STIFF - 3 of 21 (three songs, Dave Edmunds' "Jo Jo Gunne," Mick Farren and the Deviants' "Outrageous Contagious" and (again) King Kurt's "Destination Zululand," none of which are crucial.)
STIFF, STIFFER, STIFFEST - 2 of 21 (those songs are the live version of "Jimmy Mack" by the Mint Juleps, which is pointless, and Cincinnati Fatback" by Roogalator, which is okay but also available elsewhere.)

90% of this leftover stuff is very late-period, very weak Stiff material.

Hope this helps.

Now that's the great kinda post that keeps me coming back, kudos!!

Yeah!

I think a couple of discs came free with newspapers.

Anyway, I have the first bos set (THE STIFF BOX SET), so, blimey, will have to reverse-engineer to find out what's left.