Let's Stiff Again (Like We Did Last Summer)

An anonymous reader suggested Stiff Records as a topic for the blog. I thought, "What a great label for songwriters!"  Stiff was co-founded by Jake Riviera and Dave Robinson. Riviera soon left to form Radar Records, and took Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and the Yachts with him. 

Radar released The Pop Group's first album and The Red Krayola's "Wives In Orbit" before both groups decamped to Rough Trade. Radar also put out the Soft Boys' "Anglepoise Lamp" single before they signed to Armageddon. One of my all-time favorite LP's was a Radar release: Bram Tchaikovsky's debut, Strange Man Changed Man. The Yachts were great too. I should do a Radar Records feature... but let's get back to Stiff!

Early days at the Stiff HQ

Even after losing Lowe and Costello, Stiff was a label with a stable of estimable songwriters. Among them were Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric, Kirsty MacColl, Shane MacGowan, Mickey Jupp, Jona Lewie, and Clive Gregson (who led the band Any Trouble). 

Here's the first of several sets of Stiff covers, with two songs written by each of the aforementioned artists, plus two each from the pens of Brian James, Eddie Tudorpole, and members of Madness.

Thanks once again to Rock On Vinyl for that Darryl Cotton single: it has a Clive Gregson tune on the A-side, and a Moon Martin cover on the flip! Thanks also to HFM (the hospitable proprietor of the rudely named blog Pee-Pee Soaked Heckhole). HFM shared Marti Jones' lovely version of another Clive Gregson song. And thank you to the anonymous reader who came up with the whole idea! (ADD: I forgot to thank Teenage Dogs In Trouble for the Lemonheads b-side.)