''Live Stiffs Live'' is a live album released in 1978 by

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 ...

. It compiles concert performances by several of the record label's artists recorded during the " Live Stiffs Tour", which ran from 3 October to 5 November 1977.

Songs

Among the recording artists featured on the album are

Elvis Costello and the Attractions The Attractions were an English backing band for the English new wave musician Elvis Costello between 1977 and 1986, and again from 1994 to 1996. They consisted of Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Thomas (drums) ...

, Ian Dury & the Blockheads,

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave,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

Larry Wallis Larry Wallis (19 May 1949 – 19 September 2019) was a British rock guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead. Biography Early bands In 1968, he formed a band calle ...

. The album opens with tour MC (and later Clash road manager)

Kosmo Vinyl Kosmo Vinyl (born Mark C. Dunk, 9 February 1957, England) is a former longtime associate and sometime manager for The Clash, as well as being associated with Ian Dury & the Blockheads, two seminal English bands of the 1970s and 1980s. He can be ...

calling audience members away from the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

and introducing the first act as "Nick Lowe's

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

". The final cut of the album is a performance of Ian Dury's hit, "

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" is a song and single by the English singer Ian Dury. It was originally released as a Stiff Records single on 26 August 1977. The song was released under the single name "Ian Dury", but three members of the Blockheads ...

" performed by all of the tour's artists and crew.

Release

The album has various names from Stiffs Live Stiffs, Stiffs Live and Live Stiffs. The correct name of the original

release on 17 February 1978 was Live Stiffs Live. The album was later re-issued on Music for Pleasure (MFP 50445) as simply Live Stiffs. The album entered the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

on 11 March 1980, eventually peaking at number 28. ''Live Stiffs Live'' was later released by

Demon Records Demon Music Group Limited (DMG; formerly Object Enterprises Limited from 19821991 and Music Collection International Limited from 19912000) is a record company owned by BBC Studios that is mainly concerned with back-catalogue rights and re-iss ...

on CD in 1994 (Demon 621) and re-released in 1997 (

Edsel Edsel is a discontinued division and brand of automobiles that was produced by the Ford Motor Company in the 1958 to 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, son of company founder Henry Ford, Edsels were developed in an effort to ...

621 & Diablo Records 851). Allmusic Review by Stephen Thomas ErlewineRetrieved 25 February 2009

Critical reception

Reviewing in '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981),

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

wrote: In a retrospective review,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

said "the entire record captures the wild, careening spirit of Stiff — it's fun, trashy rock & roll."

Track listing

Side one

# "

I Knew the Bride "I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)" is a song written by Nick Lowe and first popularised by Dave Edmunds. It was released on Edmunds's 1977 album '' Get It'' and a year later in a live version by Nick Lowe's Last Chicken in the Sh ...

" (

) - Wreckless Eric & the New Rockets - 3.25 # "Reconnez Cherie" (Eric) - Wreckless Eric & the New Rockets - 3.45 # "Police Car" (

) - Larry Wallis' Psychedelic Rowdies - 3.59

Side two

# "

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The song was recorded by Dusty Springfield and it reached No. 3 on the UK chart in 1964. Composition and early versions The song's life be ...

" (

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

) - Elvis Costello & the Attractions - 2.27 # "Miracle Man" (

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 ...

) - Elvis Costello & the Attractions - 3.56 # " Billericay Dickie" (

Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was an English singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s, during the punk rock, punk and new wave music, new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Kilburn ...

) - Ian Dury & the Blockheads - 4.24 # "Wake Up & Make Love with Me" (Dury) - Ian Dury & the Blockheads - 3.32 # " Sex Drugs Rock & Roll & Chaos" (Dury) - All artists - 5.41

Personnel

Nick Lowe's Last Chicken in the Shop (side one, tracks 1 & 2) *

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave,Larry Wallis Larry Wallis (19 May 1949 – 19 September 2019) was a British rock guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead. Biography Early bands In 1968, he formed a band calle ...

- guitar * Terry Williams - drums * Pete Thomas - drums *

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 ...

- guitar *Penny Tobin - keyboards Wreckless Eric & the New Rockets (side one, tracks 3 & 4) *

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 ...

- guitar, vocals *

Davey Payne David Stanley Payne (born 11 August 1944) is an English saxophonist best known as a member of Ian Dury's backing band The Blockheads, and for his twin saxophone solo on their 1978 UK No. 1 single "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick". He also appeare ...

- saxophone *Denise Roudette - bass *Ian Dury - drums Larry Wallis' Psychedelic Rowdies (side one, track 5) *Larry Wallis - guitar, vocals *Nick Lowe - bass *Penny Tobin - keyboards *Terry Williams - drums *Pete Thomas - drums Elvis Costello & the Attractions (side two, tracks 1 & 2) *

- vocals, guitar *

Steve Nieve Steve Nieve ( "naïve"; born Stephen John Nason, 21 February 1958) is an English musician and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Nieve has been a member of Elvis Costello's backing bands the Attractions and the Imposters, as w ...

- keyboards * Bruce Thomas - bass *Pete Thomas - drums Ian Dury & the Blockheads (side two, tracks 3 & 4) *

- vocals * John Turnbull - guitar *Charley Charles - drums *

Norman Watt-Roy Norman Joseph Watt-Roy (born 15 February 1951) is an English musician, arranger and composer. Watt-Roy's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music as the bass ...

- bass *

Chaz Jankel Charles Jeremy "Chaz" Jankel (born 16 April 1952) is an English musician and songwriter. In a music career spanning more than 50 years, he came to prominence in the late 1970s as the guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Ian Dury and the ...

- guitar * Mickey Gallagher - keyboards *

- saxophone

References

{{Authority control 1978 live albums Live new wave albums Stiff Records live albums