STIFF & Co at The BBC

Just been watching a BBC4 programme about the history of Stiff Records on the BBC! 
For bands on Stiff I loved Madness,  Devo and especially Ian Dury and The Blockheads (of course) and didn't really realise until after Ian died what he meant to Suggs and the lads. I was also struck by the number of hits Madness had. Twenty releases that all made the top twenty! Also the Pogues and how they featured so regularly . . . . . the last single from the label was the classic folk song 'The Irish Rover'! Who would have guessed?! ! Never fails to stir my Gaelic roots! (Irish on my mother's side and Scottish on my father's! Didn't stand a chance! Hah!)

My brother, Steve, loved Wreckless Eric although I didn't really get it as much as some others. Tracy Ullman covered my New Orleans Queen, Irma Thomas' 'Breakaway' but I preferred Lene Lovich  and Kirsty MacColl not to mention Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe and of course there was always Eddie Tenpole Tudor!






The Maestro's first appearance on Top of The Pops


For my brother Steve!






Oh go on then, if you must


the fantastic Kirsty MacColl who died tragically young and had suffered terrifying stage fright for years which really stopped her achieving the fame she deserved but was supported by many of her label mates not least Billy Bragg






Elvis  . . . . . well the only one who mattered to me . . . . . 



The Tube - Peter Cook introduces Nick Lowe


Iko Iko



Cos of course it was always about what he heard on the radio . . . . . . 

and just remember if it ain't Stiff . . . . . . . . . it ain't worth a . . . . . . .