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Stiff Records
Memorably described by Pete Waterman as "a crepe soles
and roll-ups operation" since its inception at the eye of
the Pub Rock boom, Stiff in 1978 was a label in transition. Elvis
Costello and Nick Lowe manager Jake Riviera had eloped with his
charges, leaving Stiff boss Dave Robinson in a tight spot.
"I found drawers full of unpaid invoices," he recalls.
"We owed about £15,000. We were not in very good nick, if
you'll excuse the pun".</p>rn<p>Robinson's
ace in the hole was Ian Dury (fated to end the year with the
labels only Number One, <em>Hit Me With Your Rhythm
Stick</em>). For his less established artists, Robinson
organised a headline-catching tour. "We knew we had to make
it special, and I loved those old trains with the first-class
carriages that had the little compartments, so we hired
one".</p>rn<p>Entitled 'Be Stiff' (after
Devo's third and final Stiff single) the tour choogled between
Brighton and Wick, the logo-emblazoned train often shunted into
sidings as scheduled expresses hurtled past. The artists - Stiff
stalwarts Mickey Jupp and Wreckless Eric augmented by
poppier-yet-weirder recent signings Rachel Sweet, Jona Lewie and
Lene Lovich - played in 2½ hour, revue-style shows and five of
them enjoyed the dubious benefit of having their albums released
mid-tour on the same day.</p>rn<p>Akron-born
popstress Rachel Sweet, still only 16 during the tour, had an
on-tour tutor, a device which Robinson milked for all it was
worth. "Every day as the train pulled into a new town we
would have all the local media queuing
up".</p>rn<p>Robinson had read the runes of
the post-Punk fallout, and had seen a demand for old-fashioned pop
novelty return along with a new affection for quirky outsiders.
Head-turning publicity stunts and aggressive radio plugging did
the rest, and within 18 months even Lovich and Lewie had enjoyed
chart hits.</p>rn<p>"The train tour was
typical Stiff," concludes Robinson. "We liked to have
fun and we liked to keep our bands busy. 'A Tired Band Is A Happy
Band' - that was our motto".</p>rn<p>As
musical styles changed and Stiff struggled to stay in business,
the label gradually became Just Another Record Company. Millions
of quid in debt, Stiff limped to an end in 1987.</
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