If it Ain't Stiff....

 

In the absence of inspiration for my Saturday posts I shall continue with compilations of a certain vintage.

Stiff Records founded by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera were active from 1976 to 1986 and were one of the UK's most legendary Indie labels.

The CD compilation If It Ain't Stiff ...  from 2001 on Union Square Music by and large concentrates on records from the later part of that decade. It features many artists that you know and love such as Dr Feelgood, Wreckless Eric, Dave Edmunds and Kirsty MacColl. Indeed I have featured it here before with a concentration on some of the more classic tracks

Today I'm going to concentrate on some of the more obscure acts (to me at any rate) tucked away towards the end of the 21 tracks (numbers 13,17,18 and 19 to be precise)

The Deviants were an English garage band in the 60s but had a second wind when billed as Mick Ferren & the Deviants in the late 70s recording a one off EP for Stiff called Screwed Up in 1977 which includes the track below.

Any Trouble were a band from Crewe who signed to Stiff in the late 70'S with the single below being released in 1980. The band included Clive Gregson who went on to become a successful musician and music producer.

The Equators were a Birmingham Ska band descibed by Marco on the Bass as the best Ska band you've never heard. Here they do a cover of the Equals classic Baby Come Back.

There are two bands called Dirty Looks (take note Ernie) One are a rock band from San Francisco .The other and the ones who feature here are from Staten Island  featuring singer Patrick Barnes who does a rather good Joe Jackson impersonation.

Mick Farren & the Deviants - Outrageous/Contagious

Any Trouble - Girls Are Always Right

The Equators - Baby Come Back

Dirty Looks - Let Go