Live Stiffs Live

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title: "Live Stiffs Live" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1978-live-albums", "live-new-wave-albums", "stiff-records-live-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Stiffs_Live" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameLive Stiffs Live
typelive
artistvarious artists
coverStiffs_Live.jpg
released17 February 1978
recorded3 October – 5 November 1977
venueUniversity of East Anglia, Leicester University, and Lyceum London
genreRock, new wave
labelStiff
producerTim Summerhayes, Mick Crickmer
chronologyStiff Record Compilations
prev_titleHits Greatest Stiffs
prev_year1977
next_titleThe Stiff Records Box Set
next_year1992
misc{{Extra album cover
headerMusic for Pleasure re-issue cover
typeLive album
coverLive Stiffs reissue cover.jpg
::

| name = Live Stiffs Live | type = live | artist = various artists | cover = Stiffs_Live.jpg | alt = | released = 17 February 1978 | recorded = 3 October – 5 November 1977 | venue = University of East Anglia, Leicester University, and Lyceum London | studio = | genre = Rock, new wave | length = | language = | label = Stiff | producer = Tim Summerhayes, Mick Crickmer | chronology = Stiff Record Compilations | prev_title = Hits Greatest Stiffs | prev_year = 1977 | next_title = The Stiff Records Box Set | next_year = 1992 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Music for Pleasure re-issue cover | type = Live album | cover = Live Stiffs reissue cover.jpg | border = | alt = | caption = | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = |rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide |rev2Score = B+ Live Stiffs Live is a live album released in 1978 by Stiff Records. 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.{{cite book | first= Richard | last= Balls | year= 2000 | title= Sex & Drugs & Rock'N'Roll: The Life of Ian Dury | edition= 1st | publisher= Omnibus Press. | location= London | pages= 176–184 | isbn= 0-7119-8644-4}}

Songs

Among the recording artists featured on the album are Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Ian Dury & the Blockheads, Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric, and Larry Wallis. The album opens with tour MC (and later Clash road manager) Kosmo Vinyl calling audience members away from the bar and introducing the first act as "Nick Lowe's Led Zeppelin". The final cut of the album is a performance of Ian Dury's hit, "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" 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 Stiff Records 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 on 11 March 1980, eventually peaking at number 28.

Live Stiffs Live was later released by Demon Records on CD in 1994 (Demon 621) and re-released in 1997 (Edsel 621 & Diablo Records 851).

Critical reception

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

::quote[attribution="Elvis the C]] provides a brand new existentialist pronunciamento, 'I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself,' but the real threat there is [[Nick Lowe]]'s 'Let's Eat,' which garnishes a hot-and-greasy [[Mitch Ryder]] organ pump with lyrics like 'I wanna move move move move move my teeth' and 'Let's buy two and get one for free.' Filling out the good side are 'I Knew the Bride' (Lowe's answer to '[[You Never Can Tell (song)"] "[[Elvis Costello ::

In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine said "the entire record captures the wild, careening spirit of Stiff — it's fun, trashy rock & roll."

Track listing

Side one

  1. "I Knew the Bride" (Nick Lowe) - Nick Lowe's Last Chicken in the Shop - 3.25
  2. "Let's Eat" (Lowe) - Nick Lowe's Last Chicken in the Shop - 2.44
  3. "Semaphore Signals" (Wreckless Eric) - Wreckless Eric & the New Rockets - 3.25
  4. "Reconnez Cherie" (Eric) - Wreckless Eric & the New Rockets - 3.45
  5. "Police Car" (Larry Wallis) - Larry Wallis' Psychedelic Rowdies - 3.59

Side two

  1. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - Elvis Costello & the Attractions - 2.27
  2. "Miracle Man" (Elvis Costello) - Elvis Costello & the Attractions - 3.56
  3. "Billericay Dickie" (Ian Dury) - Ian Dury & the Blockheads - 4.24
  4. "Wake Up & Make Love with Me" (Dury) - Ian Dury & the Blockheads - 3.32
  5. "Sex Drugs Rock & Roll & Chaos" (Dury) - All artists - 5.41

Personnel

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

References

References

  1. {{AllMusic. Stephen Thomas. Erlewine
  2. Christgau, Robert. (1981). "[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]". [[Ticknor & Fields]].
  3. "Stiff discography". [[Stiff Records]].
  4. "Stiffs Live Stiffs".
  5. [{{AllMusic

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1978-live-albumslive-new-wave-albumsstiff-records-live-albums