Stiff Records

The story of Stiff Records…When Jake Riviera (alias Andrew Jakeman), ex manager of pub rockers Chilli Willie & The Red Hot Peppers, got together with Dave Robinson ex tour manager of Dr Feelgood & Jimi Hendrix in July of 1976 and accepted a loan of £400 from Lee Brilleaux to start a record label, who could have foreseen the impact they would have.

Lee Brilleaux – ‘Where’s my money?”

Stiff Records, like a lot of the artists it released, collided with punk early on, accepted a lift on it and flourished because of it. Hell even their name ‘Stiff’ was of the times fitting in nicely with The Clash, Sex Pistols et al and offering plenty of scope for ribald wordplay!

Independent labels were no new thing back then as Chiswick were already in existence but noone took so little so far using all the power of promotion and gimmix from catchy sloganned T Shirts – If it ain’t Stiff it ain’t worth a fuck!’ to witty full page ads and virtually old style revues on the road and even 12 different covers of Ian Dury’s ‘Do it’ album by Barney Bubbles based on various wallpapers!

Their initial roster didn’t exactly look promising as being at the vanguard of Punk Rock or any rock come to think of it. The first releases featured Nick Lowe (ex pub rockers Brinsley Schwartz), Pink Fairies (aging psychedelic now more pub rock), Roogalator, Plummet Airlines. BUT, and it’s a big but, Stiff opportunely picked up early on some of the biggest Punk first wave names.

They released the first UK Punk single with the Damned’s New Rose and released two albums before dropping the band. Stiff released The Adverts debut One Chord Wonders (angering the band by featuring the iconic Gaye Advert on the cover to help sell the record) and they released Richard Hell’s seminal Blank Generation ep. They also featured records by Elvis Costello, Motorhead, Ian Dury, and Wreckless Eric all of which were tinged with zeitgeist and which filled a need when records and gigs with a bit of attitude and snappy songs weren’t in plentiful supply.

Is anyone here in a punk band?

By the end of 1977 you couldn’t move in a record shop without a thousand DIY record label concerns based on Stiff cramming the racks. Riviera had also gone – one too many arguments in an increasingly volatile relationship – taking Costello with him to form Radar Records. Despite this, Stiff flourished in the unlikely form of Ian Dury & The Blockheads whose debut album remained in the charts for a year and whose classic ‘Rhythm Stick’ single reached No1. It didn’t stop there as more success followed with Devo, Jona Lewie and Lene Lovich. Later bands like the Plasmatics, Members and Tenpole Tudor would have releases and varying success too before the label would strike gold with a little known band called Madness.

Arguably and ironically, what would help sink the label would be signing a deal with major Island in 1983 who took a 50% stake and then hit money troubles requiring a bailout from Stiff. By 1985 Stiff was on its own again struggling on before being sold to ZTT.

Rightly Stiff has its place in Punk Rock history. Its attitude & acts both availed itself of and contributed to, the musical spirit of the time.

For more details on Stiff visit these sites
Official Stiff Records Website | Stiff in the Wikipedia

Well underneath is a selection from Stiffs first 10 releases and some further punk/new wave essential highlights. Stiff played all sorts of shenanigans around releases and in January 1977 deleted from their back catalogue the first eight singles!! Other japes were Ian Dury’s Do It album in 12 different wallpaper sleeves, Wreckless Erics album in 10″ and 12″ and shit coloured, deliberately miss-pressing The Damned’s first LP with the Hot Rods picture on the back!

Buy 1 So It Goes/ Heart Of The City
Nick Lowe

“Stiff release No1. Issued 14 August 1976, this was originally made as a publishers demo and cost £45.00 for both sides. It made single of the week in Sounds and NME.”

Apart from drums Nick played everything. He would go on to produce the Damned’s first singles and Album and Elvis Costello.

“Its a sound that’s happening now. Clever words over a simple rhythm. Basically I’ll do anything. I can write in any style, but all my friends have turned into punks overnight and I’m a great bandwagon climber.” Melody Maker Aug 1976

Buy 2 Between The Lines/Spoiling For A Fight
Pink Fairies

An ill fated attempt to keep the psychedelic pixies together. Guitarist Larry Wallis would later release the fabulous ‘Police Car’ on Stiff and produce the Adverts and Wreckless Eric. The link doesn’t stop there though as Deviant/Pink Fairy Mick Farren would also record for the label.

Buy 5 Boogie On The Street/Caravan Man
Lew Lewis

“A one take masterpiece recorded on a Revox at no financial expense.”

The B side ‘Caravan Man’ is so elemental and so basic but just so compelling you can’t help but move your feet to this stonker of a toon. Lew certainly had an interesting career. First with the Hot Rods, then solo then appeared on the Stranglers ‘Old Codger’ and last seen languishing in stir following an attempted armed robbery.

Buy 6 New Rose/Help
The Damned

If Stiff had only released this one single, then their legend would have been assured. ‘New Rose’ was released on 22 October 1976 beating the Pistols ‘Anarchy‘ by several weeks and effectively the first UK Punk single released and a mention in every book and site and documentary for eternity!

An absolute 24 carat punk classic enhanced by its sonic destruction, and arguably bettering, of The Beatles ‘Help’ on the B side.

Buy 7 You Gotta Lose/ Blank Generation/In Another World Richard Hell

For the man who found it easier to write a song than pick up the phone. All the UK punks knew about the American scene and it don’t get more seminal than ‘Blank Generation’ and its influences on the Sex Pistol’s ‘Pretty Vacant’ and the look of punk too! Classic picture sleeve too catching Hell just after having a wee and forgetting to do his flies up!

Buy 9 White Line Fever/Leavin’ Here
Motorhead

Its amazing to think of the tribulations that beset early Motorhead. This single was never released by Stiff. They had previously recorded an album for United Artists with Larry Wallis on guitar that remained shelved too. Luckily Chiswick stepped in and the boys got going before finding success with Bronze. Two years later the boys would issue a live version of Leaving Here on their ‘Golden Days’ ep recorded at brain melting volume.

Can you guess what ‘White Line Fever’ is about?

Buy 11 Less Than Zero/Radio Sweetheart
Elvis Costello

While Motorhead couldn’t seem to get released, Elvis couldn’t get a hit despite platitudes being heaped so high they threatened to drown him. Of course we all know that success for the miserable bastard was just round the corner starting with the superlative ‘Watching The Detectives.’

This single touches on Fascist Mosley, Kennedy’s assassination and a whole heap of venom to a nifty little toon.