Stiff Records logo

Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976 by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman (aka Jake Riviera), and active until 1985. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... See also: 1970s in music. ... Jake Riviera (born Andrew Jakeman) founded Stiff Records in 1976, a label best known for its punk and new wave acts, including Elvis Costello, Madness, Ian Dury, and the Damned. ... See also: other events of 1985 Musical groups established in 1985 Record labels established in 1985 list of years in music 1980s in music // January 28 - Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny...

Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff Records often featured a provocative, rebellious stance. Stiff had billed themselves as "The World's Most Flexible Record Label". Other slogans were "We came. We saw. We left." and "If it ain't Stiff it ain't worth a fuck." Another legendary slogan -- which came printed onto some promotional clocks -- reads "When you kill time you murder success". Less known, but worth mentioning, is the small pun which can be found, for example, on the label of Stiff's sampler compilation Heroes & Cowards : "In '78 everyone born in '45 will be 33-1/3". A very early Stiff album was the sampler "A Bunch of Stiff Records" which introduced the slogans "If they're dead we'll sign them" and "Undertakers to the Industry". Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Veni, vidi, vici (IPA or ) is a famous Latin phrase spoken by Julius Caesar in 47 BC. The phrase appears in Plutarch and Suetonius (Plut. ...

Stiff is also well remembered for their eccentric but highly effective promotional campaigns, such as the two package tours in 1977 and 1978, featuring most of the artist roster performing at alternating times each night; Elvis Costello's "busking outside CBS Records" arrest or perhaps the 12 different wallpaper sleeves printed for Ian Dury's second album Do It Yourself, with associated unscheduled makeovers of unsuspecting record shops. Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. ...

Barney Bubbles was responsible for much of the graphic art associated with the early Stiff releases. Colin Fulcher aka Barney Bubbles (1942 - 1983) was a British graphic designer and video director. ...

History

Robinson and Riviera were well-known London music business characters, Robinson having briefly worked for Jimi Hendrix in the late 1960s and also managed pub rock combo Brinsley Schwarz in the early 1970s, and Jakeman having been an early manager for another pub rock band, Dr. Feelgood, from Essex. The label was started with a loan of £400 from Lee Brilleaux of Dr. Feelgood. Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Revival of the Pub Rock Scene made popular by Dire Straits and Elvis Costello. ... Brinsley Schwarz is a 1970s English pub rock band named for guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. ... Revival of the Pub Rock Scene made popular by Dire Straits and Elvis Costello. ... Dr. Feelgood as a nickname may refer to: Heroin, the narcotic Physicians generally who overprescribe psychoactive medications, and in particular to Dr. Max Jacobson Dr. Feelgood may also refer to: Dr. Feelgood (band), British rock/blues band (album), and a single of the same name, by American band Mötley... Dr. Feelgood is a British pub rock band, which was formed in mid 1971. ...

The Stiff record label found quick success. The first release, BUY 1, was "So It Goes" c/w "Heart Of The City" by Nick Lowe, a tune which bore more than a slight resemblance to a then-current Thin Lizzy hit. The next few releases featured a motley crew of artists. However, with the signings of Elvis Costello and punks The Damned at the tail end of 1976, the label picked up speed. Bigger sales followed, and a distribution deal with Island Records and EMI was set up. Each release was given individual attention, with inventive artwork, picture sleeves and a range of snappy slogans, often coupled with inventive marketing campaigns that achieved the label a great deal of notoriety, if not always huge profit margins. Bowi EP sleeve (1977). ... Thin Lizzy are a hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. ... Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick McManus August 25, 1954) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. ... This article is about the music group. ... Island Records is a record label that was founded by British record producers in Jamaica. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ...

Robinson and Riviera were a fiery management combination, and after a series of disagreements, Riviera left Stiff in early 1978 to form the short-lived Radar Records, taking Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe with him as a settlement package. Riviera's departure coincided with the end of the "5 Live Stiff's Tour" which showcased emerging artist Ian Dury whose album New Boots & Panties raced up the charts and kept the label in business over the following months. In 1979, Robinson signed Madness whose considerable commercial success, both in Britain and abroad, would keep the label afloat for several years. Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Radar Records was the label formed by Jake Rivera in 1978 after he had previously founded Stiff Records. ... Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick McManus August 25, 1954) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. ... Bowi EP sleeve (1977). ... Ian Dury, in a look combining Gene Vincent with a Cockney pearly king. ... Madness are an English pop/ska band from Camden Town, London that formed in 1976. ...

The next few years were the halcyon period for Stiff, with many Top 20 single chart placings (including the label's first No. 1 single: "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" by Ian Dury) and a number of big-selling albums. The label expanded rapidly and moved premises twice. It also continued to release dozens of totally obscure and often uncommercial releases (e.g. The Wit & Wisdom of Ronald Reagan--an LP that was completely silent on both sides, which actually had sales of over 30,000) many of which might well have only seen the light of day because of connections with Stiff management.

At the end of 1983 Island records bought 50% of the label with Robinson running both labels. Island was very short of money at the time and Robinson had to lend Island £1,000,000 to fund the share purchase and pay the Island payroll. Despite this, Island under Robinson had their best year ever with releases by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Legend by Bob Marley and U2's The Unforgettable Fire among others. Stiff signed the Pogues, however Madness left Stiff under a cloud, the Island deal wasn't a success, and Dave Robinson regained control of the newly independent label in 1985. Hits by The Pogues and Furniture helped the label to survive a further year and eight months but the reasons for the failure of the Island deal finally became too much of a burden on Stiff and the label was sold to ZTT Frankie Goes to Hollywood (FGTH) was a UK New wave band that was popular in early 1980s. ... This article is about the reggae musician. ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ... For the song of the same name from the album, see The Unforgettable Fire (song). ... The Pogues were a popular Irish folk/punk band of the 1980s. ...

Artists released by Stiff

Although closely associated with punk rock, Stiff Records hosted a wide variety of players, including:

• The Adverts

• Any Trouble
• The Bongos
• Joe "King" Carrasco & The Crowns
• Elvis Costello
• Devo; their single "Be Stiff" was later covered by several Stiff artists.
• The Damned
• Ian Dury and the Blockheads
• Dave Edmunds
• The Enemy (English band)
• Furniture
• Richard Hell and The Voidoids
• Jona Lewie
• Lene Lovich
• Nick Lowe, also Stiff's "in house" record producer
• Madness
• Kirsty MacColl
• Motörhead
• Graham Parker and The Rumour
• Pink Fairies
• Plasmatics
• The Pogues
• Rachel Sweet
• The Takeways
• Tenpole Tudor
• Sean Tyla and the Tyla Gang
• Tracey Ullman
• The Undead
• Larry Wallis
• Wreckless Eric
• Yachts (band)
• Yello

The Adverts were an English punk rock band who formed in 1976 and broke up in 1979. ... Any Trouble were a British rock band originating from Crewe, England. ... The Bongos, formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, were a pop band active in the early eighties. ... Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick McManus August 25, 1954) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. ... Devo (pronounced DEE-vo or dee-VO, often spelled DEVO or DEV-O) is an American New Wave group formed in Akron, Ohio in 1972. ... This article is about the music group. ... Ian Dury (May 12, 1942 - March 27, 2000) was a rock and roll singer, songwriter, and bandleader. ... Dave Edmunds (born April 15, 1944) is a singer, guitarist and producer from Cardiff, Wales. ... For other uses, see Enemy. ... Furniture was a British pop band, that was active from 1979 to 1991. ... Richard Hell (born October 2, 1949) is the stage name of Richard Meyers, an American singer, songwriter, bass guitarist and writer. ... The Voidoids, also known as Richard Hell and the Voidoids, were a New York City punk rock band of the late 1970s, fronted by Richard Hell, a former member of Television. ... Jona Lewie (born John Lewis, March 14, 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. ... CD reissue of Lene Lovichs first album, Stateless. ... Bowi EP sleeve (1977). ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Madness are an English pop/ska band from Camden Town, London that formed in 1976. ... Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) was an English singer-songwriter. ... This article is about the band. ... Graham Parker playing at Brits Pub in Minneapolis, Minnesota . ... The Pink Fairies were a British heavy/progressive/alternative rock group active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s . ... The Plasmatics were an American punk band, formed by Yale graduate and radical anti-artist Rod Swenson, around the late Wendy O. Williams. ... The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background, playing traditional Irish folk with influences from the English punk rock movement. ... Rachel Sweet (born July 28, 1962 in Akron, Ohio) is an American singer and actress. ... Tenpole Tudor were a British punk band led by Edward Tudor-Pole (born December 6, 1954). ... Tracey Ullman (born December 30, 1959) is a English comedian, actress, singer, dancer, screenwriter, and author, who is most famous for being the host of her eponymous variety television show. ... The Undead is a punk band formed in 1980 in New Milford, New Jersey by Bobby Steele (vocals and guitar), Jack Natz (bass), and Patrick Blanck (drums). ... Larry Wallis is a guitarist, songwriter and producer for Stiff Records. ... Wreckless Eric (born Eric Goulden on May 18, 1954 in Newhaven, East Sussex, England) is a rock and roll singer-songwriter. ... Yachts were a British power pop band, best remembered for their 1977 single, Suffice To Say. // The original members of Yachts were :- Henry Priestman (vocals, keyboards) - (born Henry Christian Priestman, 21 July 1955, Liverpool) Martin Dempsey (bass guitar, vocals) (later replaced by first Ray Cooper, then Glyn Havard and finally... Yello is a popular Swiss electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. ...

See also

• List of record labels

This is a list of record labels. ...

External links

• The Official Stiff Records Site
• Stiff site
• Stiff Discography site