If the Abbey Road studios were the greatest in the world, then what was the greatest record label ever? Some say Motown, and since I was born in the Motor City when they were putting out hit after hit I might agree, some argue it's IRS, or Sub Pop, or Swan Song Records. Well those who say such things are wrong. No record label can hold a candle to Stiff Records in my book.
Stiff began it's short but productive life in the mid to late 1970's and it boasted a roster of talent that would make any other label green with envy. It had Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, the pride of Ohio Rachel Sweet, Tracey Ulmann, the wildly energetic Tenpole Tudor,
Lene Lovich, the late Desmond Dekker, Jona Lewie, possibly the greatest girl group ever the Belle Stars, the incomprable Wreckless Eric, Ian Dury, the late great Kristy MacColl, and many many more.
Eventually the label died in the mid eighties and you can read the Wikipedia article about it all here and the official website for the late lamented label is here.
One of my most prized albums used to be a Stiff Records sampler with Elvis Costello singing a Burt Bacarach song on it. It was the first time I ever thought ol' Burt was cool, until I found out he used to boink Angie Dickenson, then he was cool forever in my book. Alas I lost or sold or did something horrid to that album and it's lost forever. About 15 years ago Rhino Records came out with a 4 CD box set called The Best of Stiff or something like that and I snapped it up. Unfortunately I sold it a year later when I was unemployed and I regret to this day that I did that. But as luck would have it a Wreckless Eric song was featured in Stranger Than Fiction and after I saw it I went to Amazon.com and ordered the two Stiff sampler CDs they offered. I've been rocking out for two months now and I think my girlfriend is hooked on most of the Stiff music as well.
And boys and girls, if you listen to some of that music I linked, the reason it sounds so modern is because most of those artists were so far ahead of their time it's not funny. And that's why Stiff Records is my pick for the best record label ever.
