Artist Of The Week - 7-9-2012 - Rockpile

[Flea]

Lennon/McCartney. Hood/Cooley. Strummer/Jones. The list of bands able to successfully harness the talents of 2 (or more) leads into a cooperative and stable synthesis, even for a relatively short amount of time in some cases, is rather small. I subject that one more name should enter the critic's mind when considering this subject: Rockpile.

Fronted by Dave Edmunds on guitar/keyboard/vocals and Nick Lowe on bass/vocals, with Billy Bremner on guitars/vocals and Terry Williams on drums, the band in this classic incarnation was formed in 1976 as the touring and studio band for the "solo" output of Edmunds (signed to Swan Song) and Lowe (signed to Stiff). Both Edmunds and Lowe had a measure of previous success prior to this in the UK (Edmunds as a solo artist, Lowe in the band Brinsley Schwarz) with relatively little exposure in the US outside of "I Hear You Knockin", a modest hit for Edmunds. Rockpile first appear on vinyl on Nick Lowe's solo album Jesus Of Cool on one track ("They Called It Rock" on the UK version; "Heart Of The City" on the US version, which had been cowardly renamed Pure Pop For Now People).



In 1978, the first of what I would consider to be a true Rockpile album was recorded under the Edmunds moniker: Tracks On Wax 4. I don't recall this disc achieving much inroads to the American market, but certainly remember at least one song receiving airplay in the Charlotte NC rock radio market: the Billy Bremner (as Billy Williams) composition "Trouble Boys".




(FYI, that is a young and smokin' Sara Brightman in the little green dress).

1979 found the band recording, essentially simultaneously, Edmunds Repeat When Necessary and Lowe's Labour Of Lust. Each title enjoyed hits on either side of the pond - the definitive version of Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk" from Repeat, and the reworked Brinsley Schwarz tune "Cruel To Be Kind" from Labour.





Other notable cuts from these sessions: a cover of Graham Parker's "Crawling From The Wreckage"...



...and "Cracking Up"



Rockpile toured in the States at this time as either "Dave Edmunds' Rockpile" or "Nick Lowe's Rockpile" (depending on whose album was selling best in the individual markets, I suppose), and submitted Dave Edmunds' Twangin', a collection of outtakes, to Swan Song to complete his contractual obligation. This was not released until after Rockpile's dissolution. The band in 1979 appeared in Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea, now sadly out-of-print as audio or video product.



October 1980 saw the release of the only LP officially contributed to Rockpile for F-Beat Records, Seconds Of Pleasure. It was a minor success in the US & UK, and included in it's initial pressings a 45-sized EP (to be played at 33 1/3) of Nick & Dave doing acoustic Everly Brothers covers: Take A Message To Mary, Crying In The Rain, Poor Jenny, and When Will I Be Loved).



"Teacher Teacher" was a minor US hit, reaching #51. As performed live on the late night ABC comedy show "Fridays":



"Heart", a Lowe tune given to Billy Bremner:



By 1981, it was over. "Creative differences" between Dave & Nick. As Lowe put it, "We got together for fun and when the fun had all been had we packed it in." The foursome has not worked together since. A little slice of British rockabilly history snuffed before it had a chance to grow up.

[LuthierJustin]

Please be n'sync!

[Flea]

Please be n'sync!

Not today, but maybe next time I'll take a run at The Village People for ya.

[LuthierJustin]

Please be n'sync!

Not today, but maybe next time I'll take a run at The Village People for ya.

Dammit

[Gang Green]

Great post Flea. These guys are so overlooked in the US, and rarely are they mentioned as influential. But, they played a huge role in bringing rock n roll back to earth before we started talking about punk rock. Plus they were great song writers and performers. They were all about the music.

[beantownbubba]

Great post Flea. These guys are so overlooked in the US, and rarely are they mentioned as influential. But, they played a huge role in bringing rock n roll back to earth before we started talking about punk rock. Plus they were great song writers and performers. They were all about the music.

Yeah. What he said. I remember Seconds of Pleasure getting a fair amount of notice or buzz, but i was living in NYC then, so that might not be indicative.

Note to powers that be: this thread ought to be pinned. These guys can't get any publicity even for their featured week

[Slipkid42]

Thanks Flea, for a great rundown of one of the most overlooked bands in all of rock history. In the early 80's, they were one of the few bands that gave me hope that it wasn't all over just yet. Nick Lowe is one of my pop/rock gods & he never shined as brightly as he did when he was teamed up with Dave Edmunds in Rockpile. Twangin' is also a great album, as are Jesus of Cool & Labour of Lust. If Rockpile was credited w/all of those albums, it wouldn't be so few of us that have heard of them. Thanks for including them in the AOTW.

[Slipkid42]

I love these guys. Such great pop sensibility.

[Flea]

I didn't include this track from Jesus Of Cool in the discussion, because it's technically not Rockpile (Williams was not on drums as best I can find) - but it is one of the catchiest and morbid 3 minute true slices of life you'll ever hear. How many artists could work the line "she was a winner/that became a doggie's dinner" into such an upbeat tune?

[Steve French]

I had heard both names but never heard of the band or any of their stuff.

Interesting, I learned stuff today: thanks!

[Gang Green]

Great post Flea. These guys are so overlooked in the US, and rarely are they mentioned as influential. But, they played a huge role in bringing rock n roll back to earth before we started talking about punk rock. Plus they were great song writers and performers. They were all about the music.

Yeah. What he said. I remember Seconds of Pleasure getting a fair amount of notice or buzz, but i was living in NYC then, so that might not be indicative.

Note to powers that be: this thread ought to be pinned. These guys can't get any publicity even for their featured week

How does a guy from New York call himself Beantownbubba? Anyway, I recall Rockpile as well as Nick Lowe and Dave Edmonds getting lots of coverage on WNEW in New York bAck in the day. But, I think these guys were more highly regarded in England, and history has kind of ignored them.

[Slipkid42]

Marie Provost is pop masterpiece.

[RevMatt]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this band. I have everything on vinyl. Replaced it a few times. They should have been the Creedence Clearwater Revival of the late seventies and early eighties but outside of New York they never got the sort of airplay that would have propelled them to that level of popularity.

It is a shame that these guys haven't been able to bury the hatchet and do a reunion tour. Their music is a treasure and you need all four of these guys to play those songs right.