Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in pub rock,

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

and new wave,Cruel to be kind of old
"The man originally known as one of the architects of the new wave sound of the '70s – having served as house producer for the legendary Stiff Records, as a pioneer of neo-power pop in his solo albums", ''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'', 17 June 2007 Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with being a vocalist, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

. He is best known for the songs " Cruel to Be Kind" (a US top 40 single) and "

I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" is a song written by Nick Lowe, Andrew Bodnar, and Steve Goulding and performed by Lowe. It reached number 7 on the UK Singles in 1978. The song was featured on his 1978 album, ''Jesus of Cool''. The song was ...

" (a top 10 UK hit), as well as his production work with

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

, Graham Parker, and others. Lowe also wrote "

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a 1974 song written by English singer/songwriter Nick Lowe. Initially released by Lowe with his band Brinsley Schwarz on their 1974 album ''The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz'', ...

", a hit for Costello and " I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)", a hit for

Rockpile Rockpile were a British rock band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Noted for their strong pub rock, rockabilly and power pop influences, they were a foundational influence on new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds (vocals, guitar), ...

bandmate

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh retired singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock and New wave music, new wave, having many hit record, h ...

Biography

Lowe attended the independent Woodbridge School in

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

. He began his musical career in 1967, when he joined the band Kippington Lodge, along with his school friend Brinsley Schwarz. They released a few singles on the

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...

record label as Kippington Lodge before they renamed the band Brinsley Schwarz in late 1969 and began performing

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

and blues-rock. The band were launched by their management company Famepushers Ltd with an appearance at New York's

Fillmore East The Fillmore East was Promoter (entertainment), rock promoter Bill Graham (promoter), Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue (Manhattan), Second Avenue near 6th Street (Manhattan), East 6th Street on the Lower East Side section of Manhattan, ...

; a planeload of British journalists were flown over by Famepushers to witness the event, but the stunt backfired and Brinsley Schwarz became a laughing stock until they established credibility on the London pub rock circuit. Lowe wrote some of his best-known compositions while a member of the band, including "

", a hit for

in 1979; and " Cruel to Be Kind", also in 1979, Lowe's single and biggest worldwide hit, co-written with bandmate Ian Gomm. After leaving Brinsley Schwarz in 1975 Lowe began playing bass in

with

. In August 1976, Lowe released " So It Goes" b/w "Heart of the City", the first single on the

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London by Dave Robinson (music executive), Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the p ...

label, where he was an in-house producer. The single and the label were initially funded by a loan of £400 from Dr. Feelgood's Lee Brilleaux. The label's first EP was Lowe's 1977 four-track release ''

Bowi ''Bowi'' was the first EP released on Stiff Records. Recorded by Nick Lowe, who had also released the first Stiff single, the title and cover were intended as a humorous response to the David Bowie album '' Low'', which had been released earlier ...

'', apparently named in response to

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

's contemporaneous LP '' Low''. The joke was repeated when Lowe produced the Rumour's album ''Max'' as an 'answer' to

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

's '' Rumours''. Lowe continued producing albums on Stiff and other labels, including The Damned’s first album. In 1977 he produced Dr. Feelgood's album, ''

Be Seeing You ''Be Seeing You'' was the fifth album by Dr. Feelgood (band), Dr. Feelgood, and was released in October 1977. After the departure of Wilko Johnson, this was Dr. Feelgood's first album with guitarist Gypie Mayo. The album reached number 55 in th ...

'', which included "That's It, I Quit", written by Lowe. '' Private Practice'', issued the next year, included " Milk and Alcohol", written by Lowe and

Gypie Mayo John "Gypie" Mayo (born John Philip Cawthra; 24 July 1951 − 23 October 2013) was a British guitarist and songwriter, playing in Dr. Feelgood from 1977 to 1981, and from 1996 to 2004 in the reborn Yardbirds with Alan Glen. Early career Mayo ...

. This song and "

" are the only Lowe compositions to reach the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. Because the two main singers in Rockpile had

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...

s with different record labels and managers, albums were always credited to either Lowe or Edmunds, so there is only one official Rockpile album, 1980's '' Seconds of Pleasure'', which was not released until the waning days of the collaboration. ''Seconds of Pleasure'' featured the Lowe songs "When I Write the Book" and "Heart". However, two of the pair's most significant solo albums from the period, Lowe's '' Labour of Lust'' and Edmunds' '' Repeat When Necessary'', were effectively Rockpile albums, as was

Carlene Carter Carlene Carter (born Rebecca Carlene Smith; September 26, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith (country musician), Carl Smith. Since 1978, Carter has ...

's Lowe-produced '' Musical Shapes'' album. Lowe's album ''Labour of Lust'' received a gold certification in Canada in November 1979. " Cruel to Be Kind", drawn from that album, was Lowe's only international Top 40 hit, coincidentally reaching No. 12 in four separate territories: the UK, Canada, Australia, and the US (on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart) in 1979. "Cruel To Be Kind", which was a new Rockpile re-recording of a previously issued Brinsley Schwarz outtake, also charted in the top 40 in Ireland and New Zealand. In 1979, Lowe married country singer

, daughter of fellow country singers Carl Smith and

June Carter Cash Valerie June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was an American country singer and songwriter. A five-time Grammy Award–winner, she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. Prior to her marria ...

and stepdaughter of

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

. He adopted her daughter, Tiffany Anastasia Lowe. The marriage ended in 1990, but they remained friends, and Lowe remained close to the Carter/Cash family. He played and recorded with Johnny Cash, and Cash recorded several of Lowe's songs. Lowe and Carter's 1979 wedding was filmed and the footage became the basis for the promotional video clip for "Cruel to Be Kind". After the demise of Rockpile, Lowe toured for a period with his band Noise to Go and later with the Cowboy Outfit, which also included the noted keyboard player

Paul Carrack Paul Melvyn Carrack (born 22 April 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and composer who has recorded as both a solo artist and as a member of several popular bands. The BBC dubbed Carrack "The Man with the Golden Voice", while '' ...

. Lowe was also a member of the short-lived mainly studio project Little Village with

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including New wave music, new wave, blues, and country music, country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Gramm ...

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and h ...

and

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Do ...

, who originally got together to record Hiatt's 1987 album '' Bring the Family''. In 1990 he wrote a song, "Who Was That Man?" about a man who died in the

King's Cross fire The King's Cross fire occurred in 1987 at King's Cross St Pancras tube station in London, England, causing 31 fatalities. It began under a wooden escalator before spreading into the ticket hall in a flashover. The fire began at approximately ...

. In 1992 "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" was

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of ...

Curtis Stigers Curtis Stigers (born October 18, 1965) is an American jazz singer. He achieved a number of hits in the early 1990s, most notably the international hit " I Wonder Why" (1991), which reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the US. Career S ...

on the soundtrack album to '' The Bodyguard'', an album that sold about 44 million copies worldwide. A New York ''Daily News'' article quoted Lowe as saying his greatest fear in recent years was "sticking with what you did when you were famous." "I didn't want to become one of those thinning-haired, jowly old geezers who still does the same shtick they did when they were young, slim and beautiful," he said. "That's revolting and rather tragic." Rock critic Jim Farber observed, "Lowe's recent albums, epitomised by the new '' At My Age'', moved him out of the realms of ironic pop and animated rock and into the role of a worldly balladeer, specialising in grave vocals and graceful tunes. Lowe's four most recent solo albums mine the wealth of American roots music, drawing on vintage country, soul and R&B to create an elegant mix of his own." Lowe was quoted as saying that he had "escaped from the tyranny of the snare drum" in ''No Depression'', (September–October 2001) when explaining his move away from regular pop music that would get played on mainstream radio. In 2008,

Yep Roc Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Fountains of Wayne ...

and

Proper Records Proper Records is an English record label founded by Proper Music Group Chairman – Malcolm Mills and Paul Riley. Commencing with a handful of releases, including the Balham Alligators and Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers, the label grew ...

released a thirtieth anniversary edition of Lowe's first solo album, ''

Jesus of Cool ''Jesus of Cool'' is the solo debut album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe. Produced by Lowe, it was released in March 1978 by Radar Records in the UK. In the United States, the album was reconfigured by Columbia Records and retitled '' ...

'' (entitled '' Pure Pop for Now People'' in the US, with a slightly different track listing). The re-issue includes tracks from the British and American releases in addition to several bonus tracks. In March 2009, he released a 49-track CD/DVD compilation of songs spanning his entire career. Proper Records released it in the UK and Europe, entitled '' Quiet Please... The New Best of Nick Lowe''. In September 2010 Yep Roc issued '' The Impossible Bird'', '' Dig My Mood'' and '' The Convincer'' on vinyl for the first time, and after a one-night reunion concert with Elvis Costello in October in San Francisco, Lowe embarked on his first non-solo United States tour "this millennium." His backing band consisted of Geraint Watkins (keyboards), Robert Treherne (drums), Johnny Scott (guitar) and Matt Radford (bass). In March 2011,

reissued Lowe's 1979 solo album '' Labour of Lust''. Lowe played Glastonbury 2011, performing a short solo set of Brinsley Schwarz tracks on The Spirit of 71 stage, where they played back in 1971, before heading to the Acoustic Stage for a full band show. On 29 October 2013, he released his first Christmas album, ''Quality Street'', on Yep Roc Records. He performed two songs from this album on 7 December taping of NPR's '' Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'' In spring 2019 he embarked on tours, in both the US and UK, with American

instrumental rock Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes instrumental performance and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental music in rock can be found in practically every subgenre of the style. Instrumental rock was most popular f ...

band Los Straitjackets. In June 2019 Lowe played at the

Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...

. In July 2024, he helped close out the

Newport Folk Festival The Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. The festival was founded by music promoter and Jazz Festival founder Geor ...

with

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...

Personal life

Lowe has been married twice. His first marriage to country singer

lasted from 1979 to 1990. He married designer Peta Waddington in 2010. The couple have a son. Lowe lives in

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

, London, England.

Career history

Songwriter

Lowe's best-known songs include his own hits: * " So It Goes" – first song on the

label * "

" – his biggest UK hit * " Cruel to Be Kind" – his biggest US hit He also wrote songs most famous for their cover versions: * "

" – famously covered by

* " I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)" – a hit for

bandmate

* " The Beast in Me" – covered by stepfather-in-law

Some songs were written or co-written for albums he produced: * " Milk and Alcohol" and "That's It, I Quit" – Dr. Feelgood * "(I Live on a) Battlefield" and " I Need You" –

Lowe also wrote a number of songs with clever wordplay that qualify as "

novelties A novelty item is an object which is specifically designed to serve no practical purpose, and is sold for its uniqueness, humor, or simply as something new (hence "novelty", or newness). The term also applies to practical items with fanciful or ...

", among them: * "Bay City Rollers We Love You" – recorded as "Terry Modern" of "The Tartan Horde" * "I Love My Label" –

paean A paean () is a song or lyric poem expressing triumph or thanksgiving. In classical antiquity, it is usually performed by a chorus, but some examples seem intended for an individual voice ( monody). It comes from the Greek (also or ), "song ...

to the United Artists label, released on Stiff Records * "Time Wounds All Heels" – co-written with

and Simon Climie * " All Men Are Liars" * "Half a Boy and Half a Man" – covered by George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Producer

Lowe's work as a producer is at least as notable as his work as a performer and songwriter. His early 'rough and ready' production style earned him the nickname "Basher", inspired by his supposed instructions to bands to 'bash it out—we'll tart it up later'. Beginning with his tenure at Stiff Records as an in-house producer in 1976, Lowe was responsible for producing some of the benchmark releases of punk and new wave, including the Damned's first single, "

New Rose "New Rose" is the first single by British punk rock band the Damned. It was released on 22 October 1976 on Stiff Records, and in 1977 in the Netherlands, Germany and France. It is notable as the first ever single released by a British punk band ...

", considered the first English punk single, as well as the group's debut album, '' Damned Damned Damned''. Lowe also produced

's first five albums, from 1977 to 1981, including '' My Aim Is True'', ''

This Year's Model ''This Year's Model'' is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 17March 1978 through Radar Records. After being backed by Clover (band), Clover for his debut album ''My Aim Is True'' (1977), Coste ...

'', and ''

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

'', which spun off numerous UK hit singles. Other Stiff acts produced by Lowe included punk parody group

Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias were an English comedy rock band, formed in Manchester, England in 1973. Their story is told in CP Lee's book ''When We Were Thin'' (published 2007 by Hotun Press). The name of the band is a corruption of the Pa ...

, new wave singer

Wreckless Eric Eric Goulden (born 18 May 1954), known as Wreckless Eric, is an English rock music, rock and New wave music, new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single "Whole Wide World (song), Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two d ...

and roots rocker

Mickey Jupp Michael Graham "Mickey" Jupp (born 6 March 1944, in Worthing, Sussex, England) is an English musician and songwriter, mainly associated with the Southend music scene. Career Jupp played in several Southend bands after leaving art college in 19 ...

. Other clients (both before and after Lowe left Stiff in 1978) included the

Pretenders Pretenders may refer to: Film * ''Pretenders'' (2018 film), an American drama film * ''The Pretenders'' (1916 film), a lost American silent film * ''The Pretenders'' (1981 film), a Dutch film Literature * ''Cemetery Girl – Book One: The P ...

(the 1978 debut single "

Stop Your Sobbing "Stop Your Sobbing" is a song written by Ray Davies for the Kinks' debut album, ''Kinks''. It was later covered by the Pretenders as their first single. Background The Kinks recorded "Stop Your Sobbing" on ''Kinks'', which was rushed out in or ...

", which was a modest UK and U.S. hit); Graham Parker (his well-received first and third albums); Dr. Feelgood (several LPs, and their biggest hit single, 1979's " Milk and Alcohol");

(his 1980 single "Without Love", a minor hit on the U.S. and Canadian country charts); and his then-wife

(2 albums in 1980 and 1981). From 1982 to 1985, he produced material for

the Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds is an American blues rock band formed in 1974. Singer Kim Wilson is the only constant member through the band's entire history. Their 1986 album ''Tuff Enuff'' sold over a million copies, and spawned two minor hit singl ...

and the Men They Couldn't Hang. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Lowe became more selective in his choice of outside production tasks, helming the 1986 LP '' Blood & Chocolate'' for Elvis Costello, a 1988 single ("Windows of the World" b/w "1969") for the Pretenders, and the Katydids' self-titled debut album of 1990. After that, Lowe essentially retired from producing recordings for other acts, although the country-rock band

the Mavericks The Mavericks are an American band from Miami, Florida. The band consists of Raul Malo (lead vocals, guitar), Paul Deakin (drums), Eddie Perez (lead guitar), and Jerry Dale McFadden (keyboards). Malo and Deakin founded the band in 1989 along ...

persuaded him to produce one track for the ''Apollo 13'' soundtrack in 1995.

Bands

Influence

In 2011, ''The New York Times'' claimed: "The 40-year career of the English singer-songwriter Nick Lowe constitutes a paradox: the songs he has written are better known than he is."

Alex Turner Alexander David Turner (born 6 January 1986) is an English musician. He is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Arctic Monkeys. Turner is known for his Songwriter, lyricism ranging from kitchen sink realism to surrealism, surreal ...

, of the

Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. They comprise lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley. The co-founder and original bassist Andy Nicholson ...

, described Lowe as one of his favourite lyricists. In another interview, he said that he was "blown away" and sent "back to square one" by Lowe's songwriting.

Wilco Wilco is an American Rock music, rock band based in Chicago. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo after singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its fir ...

covered the Nick Lowe song "I Love My Label" as the B-side to "I Might" (2011) on their own dBpm label. Nick Lowe toured with Wilco for their album '' The Whole Love'' and would make guest appearances on his " Cruel to Be Kind" and (along with

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel music, gospel singer and civil rights activism, activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving memb ...

) appeared onstage for a cover of

the Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...

's song "

The Weight "The Weight" is a song by the Canadian-American group the Band that was released as a single in 1968 and on the group's debut album '' Music from Big Pink''. It was their first release under this name, after their previous releases as Canadian ...

Discography

;Studio albums: * ''

'' (1978) * '' Labour of Lust'' (1979) * '' Nick the Knife'' (1982) * '' The Abominable Showman'' (1983) * '' Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit'' (1984) * '' The Rose of England'' (1985) * '' Pinker and Prouder Than Previous'' (1988) * '' Party of One'' (1990) * '' The Impossible Bird'' (1994) * '' Dig My Mood'' (1998) * '' The Convincer'' (2001) * '' At My Age'' (2007) * '' The Old Magic'' (2011) * '' Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family'' (2013) * '' Indoor Safari'' (2024)

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lowe, Nick 1949 births Living people English record producers English rock guitarists English male singer-songwriters English singer-songwriters English rock bass guitarists British male bass guitarists People from Walton-on-Thames English rock singers English male singers Power pop musicians Protopunk musicians English new wave musicians People educated at Woodbridge School Rockpile members Stiff Records artists Radar Records artists Columbia Records artists Reprise Records artists Elvis Costello British male new wave singers Brinsley Schwarz members Second British Invasion artists Yep Roc Records artists Proper Records artists Cash–Carter family