BE STIFF
The Stiff Records Story
by Richard Balls
More Than Just A Record Label!
Told here for the first time, the complete story of the legendary Stiff Records.
- Published: October 2014
- Paperback - the first 1000 available in five different colour covers!
- Includes 2 x 8 page plates sections
- ISBN: 9780957570061
- Price: £16.99
Paperback available from BeStiff.co.uk
Available in Kindle and paperback editions from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com and in paperback from the Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)
Read:
- Reviews from Amazon.co.uk (“Brilliant account of an amazing record company”) and Amazon.com (“Everything I’d hoped for and more”)
- An extract on Google Books
- An extract at The Quietus
- An extract at The Mouth Magazine
- Mad Yes Mad: The Stiff Records Story Uncovered In All Its Naked Glory - Brighton Magazine
- VIve Le Rock give Be Stiff 10/10 and describe it as “a must read. Stunning”.
- A transcript of the interview with Richard by Roch Parisien for his Rocon Communicatins music chat page on Facebook
- A review from the Irish Herald - “a fabulous account of heady times”
Listen:
- To Richard talk about the book with Robert Elms on BBC London
- To Richard and Stiff expert Tony Judge talk to Liz Kershaw on BBC Radio 6 Music
- To Richard on The Culture Studio with Janice Forsyth on BBC Scotland
Watch:
- Richard talking about the book (and playing guitar!) on BBC London Tonight
- Videos of Richard’s top ten Stiff releases over at RTE
- Richard’s top ten Stiff releases at The Quietus
Read this fascinating book and remember when rock was fun!
Told here for the first time, the complete story of the legendary Stiff Records. Started in 1976, by maverick music entrepreneurs Jake Riviera and Dave Robinson, Stiff changed the landscape of a moribund record industry. Both men were involved in the pub rock scene and their genius was to take un-hip pub rockers, such as Ian Dury and Elvis Costello, and turn them into cool new wavers. It didn’t stop there either, with Stiff releasing the first ever punk single (The Damned’s “New Rose”), in October 1976.
It all began in a small west London shop before going global during an eleven-year rollercoaster ride of rock ‘n’ roll excess, fights, package tours and smash hit records. Stiff were amazing marketeers, with their fund of slogans, badges, use of coloured vinyl and different packaging for the same records, appealing to the completest market. Riviera left Stiff in 1977, taking Costello with him, but Robinson soldiered on, signing Madness and the Pogues, amongst others. The label went bust in the mid-1980s, but was resurrected in 2006 by Trevor Horn’s ZTT operation and is still going to this day; witness their recent success with Sam And The Womp,
Richard Balls has interviewed over 50 people who were there – both record company staff and artists. Rat Scabies, Lene Lovich, Jona Lewie, Shane MacGowan, Wreckless Eric and more, all share their memories in this celebration of all things Stiff.
About the author
Richard Balls wrote Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Life Of Ian Dury. He lives in Norwich where he works as publicity manager for the City Council, and is a passionate fan of Norwich City. He is married with two daughters.