Stiff Records BUY1 to BUY50: A Poll.

"they don't know"

close runner-ups:
"so it goes"
"who does lisa like?" (was that really the b-side??)
"new rose"
"problem child"
"whole wide world"
"hit me with your rhythm stick"
"reasons to be cheerful, pt 3"
"one chord wonders"
"alison"

"ENGLAND'S GORY/DREAM TOCACCO"

Ahum. Well, you know what I mean.

I went for predictablity and perfection: "Rhythm Stick/Bastards", just beating "New Rose/Help" (literally life-changing as the latter was).

Hoping to see a bit of love for "So It Goes/Heart of the City", "Yankee Wheels", "Suffice To Say", "One Chord Wonders" and "England's Glory".

I voted for the first Damned single, but my heart says Lene Lovich all the way. Did she ever write a bad song (even for Cerrone)?

I've heard so few of these.

best one hit wonder of the times - yankee wheels

"Watching the Detectives" very closely over "Reasons to Be Cheerful Pt. 3"

Between BUY 11 & BUY 13 for me. Went with the Adverts 'cause Declan will no doubt get plenty of love from other posters.

"What a Waste" is my official theme song, as well as being the most slyly (Sly-ly) funky Blockheads track here. So that.

"They Don't Know", but the race is really close to being about a 15-way tie.

What a great poll!

An easy choice for me - They Don't Know is one of the five best records ever made, so gets my vote. My other other favourites are I Think We're Alone Now, So It Goes/Heart Of The City, All Aboard/Cincinatti Fatback, all the Costellos, Reconnez Cherie, B.A.B.Y - actually everything on this list is fantastic.

The new Stiff Box (The Big Stiff Box : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Stiff-Box-Set/dp/B000V7G042/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1196328672&sr=8-1) is great!

BUY 6 for me, obv. - but most of 'em are great and especial thumbs up for all those Wreckless Eric singles, The Yachts' "Suffice To Say" and "Emotional Traffic" by (a Graham Parker-less) The Rumour - which may not be as well known as some of the Elvis Costello and Ian Dury numbers, but bloody well ought to be!

I don't think I've ever heard "All Aboard," but "Cincinnati Fatback" is a major fave from the Hits Greatest Stiffs thing. xpost.

Now there's a book idea, Stiff Records. Has anyone ever seen the film of the first tour?

"new rose" rules but "cincinatti (sic) fatback" is such a strange song -- who or what was roogalotr? somebody in the band must've been from cincinnati cause the lyrics list local music-heroes, not just obv ones liek LONNIE MACK and the COLLINS BROS but guys like POPEYE MAUPIN who played the blues in clubs on reading rd and mt adams. not sure if DEE FELICE is in there but what the heck "down by the banks of the o-hi-o"

WATCHING THE DETECTIVES/BLAME IT ON CAIN/MYSTERY DANCE

Very hard to pick: will have to get a hold of that box set and get back to you.

Roogalater was Danny Adler. Born in Cincinatti.

Danny Adler and Roogalator

http://www.roogalator.com/articles/Sounds-Rejuvenator.jpg

Oops.

Anyway - he was Elvis Costello before Declan MacManus was - note Fender Jazzmaster and national health specs.

thanks doc

Actually, I rememember the first time I saw EC's single, I thought it was Danny Adler. Some of the tracks on "My aim is true" could have been Roogalator.

First time I heard My Aim Is True, I thought: total Graham Parker & the Rumour rip-off, he won't last long...

Best Moment in a Record Shop Ever: having trawled every record store in Cambridge for singles on this new label called Stiff (and having been openly laughed at in Harlequin for my troubles), I found this odd little back street store called "Remember Those Oldies". Well, might be worth a try...

"Hello, have you got any singles on the Stiff label?"

Lee Wood, shop owner and future founder of Raw Records (for it was he): "We've got all of them."

I bought BUY1, BUY4, BUY5 and the just released BUY6 on the spot. (In fact, it might even have been pre-release, as Remember Those Oldies was the first shop in the country to stock it.) BUY6 changed my life.

(They sold Sniffin' Glue from the first issue, as well... even the ultra-rare 100 Club Punk Festival special. What a fine shop that was.)

There used to be a tiny record shop in Carnaby street, did oldies mostly, but one day they had loads of those early stiff singles. I was just about to pick up a couple, until my mate Brian said "noooo that's that Punk nonsense, you don't want any of that!" and yanked me out of the shop, virtually. Of course, six months later he'd changed his mind about 'all that'.

Some of the tracks on "My aim is true" could have been Roogalator.

I dunno - Roog are pretty different to the EC 1st album sound - they always had that jazzy keybd thing going on which sets them apart for me.

I just got given that new version of My Aim Is True with the Live CD from the Nashville Rooms with it. It's really, really good. Really nervy and tight.

OK, I admit purely on "Sneaky Feelings"

Never knew they reissued the Box Tops.....

the Answer is Whole Wide World

xpost Or Blame It On Cain - both have that swing.

"BUY6 changed my life."

Mine too.

"Alison" is great, so it's that one. Great poll btw!

You too eh, Stewart?

It was a Moment of Clarity. I can still remember sitting there in stunned silence after playing "New Rose" for the first time...

What is this: HUMPHREY OCEAN & THE HARDY ANNUALS - WHOOPS A DAISY/DAVEY CROCKETT (HUMPREY OCEAN'S IRON HOOF) ?

OK, I succumbed to a little poll-creator pressure and voted for "So It Goes/Heart of the City", although I think "Heart of the City" maybe should be docked for all the times Jake tried to foist it upon us, studio version/live (UK) album version/live album version with Dave's voice instead of Nick's.

I once read an interview with Dave Edmunds where he complained about this: "what did I want to release "Heart of the City" for? That was Jake's idea!"

xpost - it's Kilburn and The High Roads (7-foot tall) bassist Humphrey Ocean. I guess the Hardy Annuals are some kind of Blockheads/Kilburns collective, or the Rumour?

Thanks, Doc. Apparently he is now a painter (Ian Dury was his art tutor?), with a Philip Larkin and Sir (James) Paul McCartney hanging in the National Portrait Gallery. Also was artist in residence for Wings over America tour! Also was curious if his Davey Crockett was the same corny old song that went "Davey, Davey Crockett, king of the wild frontier" but it's probably not.

Russell Hardy was the Pianist in Kilburn and the High Roads, and occasionally with Ian, solo. Co-wrote (presumably the music) loads of songs with him.

xpost yes, yes it was.

BUY 33 WAZMO NARIZ - TELE-TELE-TELEPHONE/WACKER DRIVE

Famous for always wearing two ties, apparently.

Also, his name is esperanto for "Was Morrissey a racist?"

I *think* saw the Hardy Annuals supporting ID & The Blockheads in London in December 1978, sharing a bill with the Albertos and a puppet show called Mr Adams & Mr Dandridge, but the old memory's not what it used to be and I was upstairs in the circle, so, um, not much use really!

Binky Baker (BUY 41) was (is?) Annie Nightingale's husband, by the way. The entire lyric of "Toe Knee Black Burn" consists of the four constituent syllables being repeated in different sequences, in a jolly music hall style.

I like BUY 41 - didn't he release some stuff on Compact too?

This seems like a good place to mention this wonderful compilation :

pub-rock goodness

Black Claw! The Pirates! Tyla Gang! Bees Make Honey!

BUY 10 'Neat Neat Neat' for me.

Almost too tough to call. So many of these singles meant so much to me at the time and ever since. And I was entirely besotted with Lene Lovich.

Revive from Downtime siesta.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

ohooooo.

Is the Motorhead b-side "Leaving Here" the Eddie Holland song?

Yes it is, and a wonderful thing to behold.

Awesome.

For years I thought they were covering the Birds, I thought their version was the original. Still never heard the actual original.

I have 3 versions on my ipod here : Eddie Holland, The Birds and The Who. Great song!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

i can get behind those results

Yeah!

ILM gets it more or less right shockah! (Although I'd like to have seen some love for "Suffice To Say"...)

No love for the mighty Roogalator :(

But, yeah an OK result. Shoulda been Kirsty though.