Editing Stiff Records

{{Short description|British record label}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Stiff Records
| image_name  = stiffrecordslogo08.jpg
| image_size  =
| image_bg    = 
| parent      = [[Universal Music Group]] (label)<br>[[Concord (entertainment company)|Concord]] (American back catalogue)
| founded     = August 1976<ref name="debt"/>
| founder     = {{hlist|Dave Robinson|Jake Riviera}}
| status      = Active
| distributor = Universal Music Group
| genre       = {{hlist|[[Pub rock (United Kingdom)|Pub rock]]|[[punk rock]]|{{nowrap|[[New wave music|new wave]]}}|}}
| country     = United Kingdom
| location    = 
| url         = {{URL|stiff-records.com}}
}}

'''Stiff Records''' is a British [[independent record label]] formed in London by [[Dave Robinson (music executive)|Dave Robinson]] and [[Jake Riviera]]. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007.

Established at the outset of the [[punk rock]] boom, Stiff signed various punk rock and [[New wave music|new wave]] acts such as [[Nick Lowe]], [[The Damned (band)|the Damned]], [[Lene Lovich]], [[Wreckless Eric]], [[Elvis Costello]], [[Ian Dury]], and [[Devo]], also signing artists with significant crossover appeal such as [[Motörhead]], [[Larry Wallis]] and [[Mick Farren]].  In the 1980s, with most of their early signings having moved on, the label found commercial success with [[Madness (band)|Madness]], [[The Pogues]], [[Tracey Ullman]], [[The Belle Stars]], [[Kirsty MacColl]] and others.

In December 2017, [[Universal Music Group]] acquired Stiff Records and [[ZTT Records]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/record-labels/8071006/universal-music-acquires-iconic-british-indie-labels-stiff|title=Universal Music Acquires Iconic British Labels Stiff Records and ZTT|magazine=Billboard|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref> [[Razor & Tie]], a division of the [[Concord Music Group]], holds the American rights to the Stiff catalogue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stiff-records.com/contact-stiff/ |title=Home &#124; Facebook |publisher=Stiff-records.com |date=2017-10-12 |access-date=2020-05-02}}</ref> The British rights to the Stiff catalogue were held by [[BMG Rights Management]] under Union Square Music until 2022, when Universal relaunched the Stiff and ZTT labels.

==History==
{{multiple image
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|header            = Stiff Records logos
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|image1            = Stiff Logo.JPG
|width1            = 119
|alt1              = 
|caption1          = The original Stiff Records logo
|image2            = Stiff Records.jpg
|width2            = 130
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|caption2          = A 2nd version of the Stiff Records logo
}}

Robinson and Riviera were well-known London music business characters. Robinson had briefly worked for [[Jimi Hendrix]] in the late 1960s and also managed minor pub rock band [[Brinsley Schwarz]] in the early 1970s, in which [[Nick Lowe]] was the bassist, vocalist and main songwriter; while Riviera had been an early manager for another pub rock band, [[Dr. Feelgood (band)|Dr. Feelgood]], from Essex. The label was started with a loan of £400 from [[Lee Brilleaux]] of Dr. Feelgood.<ref name="independent1">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-spirit-of-stiff-records-lives-on-773546.html |title=The spirit of Stiff Records lives on |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=2017-07-19}}</ref>

Originally, Stiff had been called Demon, but the phrase "It’s a stiff!" was more appropriate for the artists on the record label.<ref name="Louder">{{cite web | url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-of-stiff-the-most-anarchic-record-label-of-all-time | title=The story of Stiff, the most anarchic record label of all time| website=loudersound.com| date=28 March 2018 | access-date=4 June 2021}}</ref> Stiff found quick success. Its first release, on 14 August 1976, was a single (in the normal 7" vinyl 45 rpm format) by [[Nick Lowe]], "[[So It Goes (Nick Lowe song)|So It Goes]]", B-side "Heart of the City", with the striking catalogue number BUY 1.<ref name="debt">{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/stiff-records-if-it-aint-stiff-it-aint-worth-a-debt-415988.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/stiff-records-if-it-aint-stiff-it-aint-worth-a-debt-415988.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=Stiff Records: If it ain't Stiff, it ain't worth a debt – Features – Music | newspaper=The Independent | date=15 September 2006 | access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=DiscogsBUY1>{{cite web | title=Discogs Nick Lowe: So It Goes/Heart of the City | website=[[Discogs]]| url=http://www.discogs.com/Nick-Lowe-So-It-Goes-Heart-Of-The-City/release/1208199|access-date=2011-06-26}}</ref> That record sold 10,000 copies, but Stiff's next release, "Between The Lines" by [[Pink Fairies]], sold only around half of that.<ref>Dave Robinson International Times, Issue 4, Number 15</ref> Robinson and Riviera used money from their Advancedale management company to finance the release of what is generally accepted as the [[United Kingdom]]'s first punk single, "[[New Rose]]" by [[The Damned (band)|The Damned]], on 22 October 1976.

Early in 1977, Stiff Records picked up speed, signing [[Wreckless Eric]], [[Ian Dury]], and [[Elvis Costello]], who had once been a part-time roadie for [[Brinsley Schwarz]]. Bigger sales followed, and a distribution deal with [[Island Records]] through [[EMI]] was set up. After arranging for Costello and Lowe to be signed directly to [[Sony Music|CBS Records]]' [[Columbia Records|Columbia]] label, a similar deal was made with [[Arista Records|Arista]] who released [[Ian Dury]]'s first album and the ''[[Live Stiffs Live]]'' album. The deal was short-lived and Stiff then made a deal with [[Sony Music|CBS Records]] for Stiff releases in the United States, at both the [[Columbia Records|Columbia]] and [[Epic Records|Epic]] subsidiaries on the Stiff/Columbia and Stiff/Epic labels.

Robinson and Riviera were a fiery management combination, and after a series of disagreements, Riviera left Stiff in early 1978 to form the short-lived [[Radar Records]], taking [[Elvis Costello]], [[Nick Lowe]] and [[Yachts (band)|Yachts]] with him as a settlement package. Riviera's departure coincided with the end of the "5 Live Stiffs Tour", which showcased emerging star [[Ian Dury]]. Dury's album [[New Boots and Panties!!|''New Boots & Panties!!'']] had raced up the charts and its sales kept the label in business over the following months. In 1979, Robinson signed [[Madness (band)|Madness]], who released albums from 1979 to 1984.<ref>"The Madness Timeline: 1979". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2020.</ref>

The next few years were the halcyon period, with many Top 20 single chart placings, including the label's first No. 1 single, "[[Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick]]" by Ian Dury, and a number of other big-selling albums. Stiff expanded rapidly and moved its premises twice. It also continued to release dozens of obscure and uncommercial releases. For example, Stiff Records released the parody album ''The Wit & Wisdom of Ronald Reagan''. That LP, on Magic Records, was completely silent on both sides, with Reagan's own slogan, "If it's a success it must be Magic!".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/No-Artist-The-Wit-And-Wisdom-Of-Ronald-Reagan/release/1421098 |title=No Artist – The Wit And Wisdom Of Ronald Reagan (1980, Vinyl) |publisher=Discogs |access-date=2020-05-02}}</ref>

At the end of 1983, Island Records bought 50% of Stiff, and Robinson ran both labels. Island was very short of money at the time and Robinson had to lend it £1,000,000 to fund the share purchase and pay the payroll.<!--presumably in financial terms--:artistically Island's glory years were either the mid sixties ska record or the late sixties 'pink island' records--> In 1984 Island Records released hit single "Relax" by [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]].<ref>"Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood". MusikBloggNo. Retrieved 11 February 2020.</ref> Stiff signed [[The Pogues]], but then Madness left under a cloud.<!--another important spot for a cite--> The Island deal failed and Dave Robinson regained control of the newly independent label in 1985. Hits by The Pogues and [[Furniture (band)|Furniture]] helped Stiff to survive another twenty months, but the underlying causes for the failure of the Island deal finally became too burdensome for Stiff and it was sold to [[ZTT Records|ZTT]] in 1987.<ref name=DiscogsStiffRecordsProfile>{{cite web | title=Stiff Records profile|publisher=Discogs | url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Stiff+Records|access-date=2019-12-30}}</ref>

In 2007, ZTT and its parent company SPZ Group reactivated the label.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.trakmarx.com/2007_03/22-stiff.html |title=Stiff Records – The Legend Returns | publisher=trakMARX | access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref> Stiff quickly broke one of the UK's hottest new indie acts, [[The Enemy (UK rock band)|The Enemy]]. It then released a string of well-received albums of new work from legacy Stiff artists, including as [[Wreckless Eric]], [[Henry Priestman]], [[Any Trouble]], and [[Chris Difford]]. Brand new acts signed to the label included The Tranzmitors and Eskimo Disco. Swedish designer Tobbe Stuhre<ref>{{cite web | author=<!--Not stated--> | url=http://www.buythehour.se/artwork | title=Graphic Design |date=n.d. | website=Buy The Hour| access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref> was appointed official Stiff Records designer.

In 2008, Union Square Music released ''The Big Stiff Box Set''.

==The Stiffs Tours==

[[File:BE STIFF TOUR 78 Kensington Olympia.jpg|thumb|Part of the train that was used on the Be Stiff Route 78 Tour]]

Robinson and Riviera had arranged package tours ‒ such as the 1975 ''Naughty Rhythms'' tour ‒ for acts they managed before forming Stiff. The first tour, known as the ''Live Stiffs Tour'' or ''5 Live Stiffs'' (3 October – 5 November 1977), comprised five bands: [[Elvis Costello]] and The Attractions, [[Ian Dury]] and the Blockheads, [[Wreckless Eric]] and The New Rockets, [[Nick Lowe]]'s Last Chicken in the Shop, and [[Larry Wallis]]'s Psychedelic Rowdies. Having signed all the named artists as individuals, bands had to be formed in order to tour: these were largely based on the session musicians used for the artists' solo records. There were 18 musicians on the tour, several doubling up, e.g. Dury playing drums for Wreckless Eric while the last two "bands" had the same line up (Nick Lowe, Larry Wallis, [[Dave Edmunds]], [[Terry Williams (drummer)|Terry Williams]], [[Pete Thomas (drummer)|Pete Thomas]] and Penny Tobin).

The original idea was that the running order would rotate each night, but Dury and Costello were clearly the strongest acts. Costello played mostly new material and cover versions, rather than numbers from his recently released album ''[[My Aim is True]]'', so the gigs usually ended with most of the artists on stage performing Dury's "[[Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll]]". A live album entitled ''[[Live Stiffs Live]]'' and a video of the tour were produced, but the tour only covered the UK.<ref>{{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, England | pages=176–184 | isbn=0-7119-8644-4}}</ref>

After the departure of Riviera, Robinson arranged a second tour, the ''Be Stiff'' or the ''Be Stiff Route 78'' tour, from October to November 1978 (UK), again comprising five acts; Wreckless Eric, [[Lene Lovich]], [[Jona Lewie]], [[Mickey Jupp]], and [[Rachel Sweet]]. The mainland section of the UK tour was undertaken by train and the Irish section by coach, and then continued on to the USA without Jupp, who was afraid of flying. The artists contributed to an EP with cover versions of the Devo song, and early Stiff single, "[[Be Stiff]]".<ref>{{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, England | pages=208–209 | isbn=0-7119-8644-4}}</ref>

The final tour, the ''Son of Stiff Tour 1980'', comprised [[Ten Pole Tudor]], [[Any Trouble]], Dirty Looks, [[Joe Carrasco|Joe "King" Carrasco and the Crowns]], and The Equators. Undertaken by bus, this European tour was not successful.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-spirit-of-stiff-records-lives-on-773546.html | title=The spirit of Stiff Records lives on – Features – Music | newspaper=The Independent | date=25 January 2008 | access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref> The tour led to a 12" EP ''Son of Stiff Tour 1980'' (SON 1)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Son-Of-Stiff-Tour-1980/release/919995 | title=Various – The Son Of Stiff Tour 1980 (Vinyl) at Discogs | publisher=Discogs | access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref> and a short movie directed by Jeff Baynes. The movie has not been released for sale, but was shown on BBC4 in September 2006.<ref>[http://bbc.ask-adders.com/program-details/son+of+stiff+tour+movie/20060917002500/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215100638/http://bbc.ask-adders.com/program-details/son+of+stiff+tour+movie/20060917002500/|date=15 February 2012}}</ref>

==Marketing and design==
The label's marketing and advertising was often provocative and witty, billing itself as "The World's Most Flexible Record Label". Other slogans were "[[Veni, vidi, vici|We came. We saw. We left]]", "If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth a Fuck", and "When You Kill Time, You Murder Success"<ref name="independent1"/> (printed on promotional wall clocks). On the label of Stiff's sampler compilation ''Heroes & Cowards'' was printed: "In [[78 rpm|'78]] everyone born in [[45 rpm record|'45]] will be [[33 1/3|33-1/3]]". A very early Stiff sampler album, ''[[A Bunch of Stiff Records]]'', introduced the slogan, "If they're dead, we'll sign them" and "Undertakers to the Industry".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-A-Bunch-Of-Stiff-Records/release/1416413 | title=A Bunch of Stiff Records (Vinyl) at Discogs | publisher=Discogs | access-date=13 June 2016}}</ref>

Stiff also produced eccentric but highly effective promotional campaigns, such as the three package tours in 1977 (Live Stiffs), 1978 (Be Stiff) and 1980 (Son of Stiff), Elvis Costello's "[[street performance]]" outside CBS Records.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Jones |first=Allan |author-link=Allan Jones (editor) |title=A Day in the Life of a Bunch of Stiffs |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |date=1 August 1977 |url=http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/m/melody_maker.770801a.html |access-date=11 February 2020}}</ref>

[[Barney Bubbles]] was responsible for much of the graphic art associated with the early Stiff releases.

==Label artists==
<!--Artist entries should be sorted alphabetically either by group name or artist last name. Artist entries should already have their own dedicated Wikipedia page which is linked to.-->

{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[The Adverts]]
* [[Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias]]
* [[Alvin Stardust]]
* [[Any Trouble]]
* [[The Belle Stars]]
* [[The Bongos]]
* [[Billy Bremner (musician)|Billy Bremner]]
* [[Joe Carrasco|Joe "King" Carrasco & the Crowns]]
* [[The Catch (British duo)|The Catch]]
* [[Elvis Costello]]
* [[The Damned (band)|The Damned]]
* [[Department S (band)|Department S]]
* [[Desmond Dekker]]
* [[Devo]]
* [[Dr. Feelgood (band)|Dr. Feelgood]]
* [[Ian Dury and the Blockheads]]
* [[Electric Guitars]]
* [[The Enemy (UK rock band)|The Enemy]]
* [[The Feelies]]
* [[Fingerprintz]]
* [[Furniture (band)|Furniture]]
* [[Ian Gomm]]
* [[Richard Hell]] and [[The Voidoids]]
* [[Jakko Jakszyk|Jakko]]
* [[Mickey Jupp]]
* [[King Kurt]]
* [[Jona Lewie]]
* [[Lew Lewis]]
* [[Lene Lovich]]
* [[Nick Lowe]]
* [[Kirsty MacColl]]
* [[Madness (band)|Madness]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stiff-records.com/stiff-artists/madness/ |title=Stiff – Madness |website=Stiff-records.com |access-date=2017-07-19}}</ref>
* [[The Members]]
* [[The Mint Juleps]]
* [[Motörhead]]
* [[Humphrey Ocean|Humphrey Ocean and the Hardy Annuals]]
* [[Graham Parker]] and [[The Rumour]]
* [[Pink Fairies]]
* [[Plasmatics]]
* [[Plummet Airlines]]
* [[The Pogues]]
* [[Pointed Sticks]]
* [[The Dubliners]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.discogs.com/Pogues-Dubliners-The-Irish-Rover/release/2598815 | title=Pogues, The & Dubliners, The – The Irish Rover (Vinyl) at Discogs | publisher=Discogs | access-date=1 September 2013}}</ref>
* [[The Prisoners (band)|The Prisoners]]
* [[Roogalator]]
* [[The Sports]]
* [[Dave Stewart (musician, born 1950)|Dave Stewart]]
* [[Rachel Sweet]]
* [[Bobby Tench]]
* [[Tenpole Tudor]]
* [[Sam and the Womp]]
* [[Sean Tyla]] and [[Tyla Gang]]
* [[The Stiffs (band)|The Stiffs]]
* [[Tracey Ullman]]
* [[The Undead]]
* [[The Untouchables (Los Angeles band)|The Untouchables]]
* [[Max Wall]]
* [[Larry Wallis]]
* [[Wazmo Nariz]]
* [[Wreckless Eric]]
* [[Yachts (band)|Yachts]]
* [[Yello]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
*[[Stiff Records discography]]
*[[Two-tone (music genre)|2 Tone]]

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|author=Bert Muirhead|title=Stiff, the Story of a Record Label, 1976-1982|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atvZAAAACAAJ|year=1983|publisher=Blandford Press|isbn=978-0-7137-1314-5}}
*{{cite book|author=Richard Balls|title=Be Stiff: The Stiff Records Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NOQkBQAAQBAJ|date=30 October 2014|publisher=Soundcheck Books|isbn=978-0-9575700-6-1}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.stiff-records.com The Official Stiff Records Site]
*[http://www.buythehour.se/stiff Stiff Discography site]
*[http://www.discogs.com/label/Stiff+Records Stiff Records] discography at [[Discogs]]
*[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/tony-ferguson Tony Ferguson Interview] NAMM Oral History Library (2021)

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Stiff Records]]
[[Category:ZTT Records]]
[[Category:British record labels]]
[[Category:British independent record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1976]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1985]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 2007]]
[[Category:Rock record labels]]
[[Category:Punk record labels]]
[[Category:New wave record labels]]
[[Category:Re-established companies]]
[[Category:1976 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1985 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:2007 establishments in England]]