Labour of Lust

Labour of Lust
Studio album by Nick Lowe
Released	June 9, 1979[1]
Recorded	1979 at Eden Studios, London, England and Love Studios, Helsinki, Finland (except: "American Squirm": 1978)
Genre	New wave, pub rock
Length	32:40
Label	Radar (UK) Columbia (US) Demon (UK reissue) Proper Records (2011 UK reissue) Yep Roc (2011 US reissue)
Producer	Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe chronology
Jesus of Cool (1978) Labour of Lust (1979) Nick the Knife (1982)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	(A) link
Smash Hits	7/10[2]

Labour of Lust is an album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe. Also produced by Lowe, it was released in 1979 by Radar Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US. It was recorded and released at the same time as Dave Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary and features the same Rockpile personnel. It led off with the arch "Cruel to Be Kind," Lowe's only major US hit.

The American version of this record had a slightly different track listing, with "Endless Grey Ribbon" being deleted and replaced with the UK single A-side, "American Squirm." The latter song includes members of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, namely Elvis on backing vocals, Bruce Thomas on bass and Pete Thomas on drums. Credited to "Nick Lowe and His Sound," the B-side of this single was Elvis & The Attractions' version of the Lowe-penned "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?" "Endless Grey Ribbon" did get an American release as the B-side of the "Cruel to Be Kind" single.

Released on CD by Demon/Fiend (EU) and Columbia (US and Canada) in 1990, it fell out of print quickly and was available only in used CD stores and web sites.

Yep Roc Records reissued the album on CD on March 15, 2011, containing all tracks from the US and UK versions, as well as the B-Side "Basing Street."

Track listing

U.K. version

All written songs by Nick Lowe except where noted.

1. "Cruel to Be Kind" (Lowe/Ian Gomm) – 3:31
2. "Cracking Up" – 2:59
3. "Big Kick, Plain Scrap!" – 2:28
4. "Born Fighter" – 3:09
5. "You Make Me" – 1:53
6. "Skin Deep" – 3:12
7. "Switch Board Susan" (Mickey Jupp) – 3:50
8. "Endless Grey Ribbon" – 3:17
9. "Without Love" – 2:29
10. "Dose of You" – 2:21
11. "Love So Fine" (Lowe/Dave Edmunds/Billy Bremner/Terry Williams) – 3:52

U.S. version

1. "Cruel to Be Kind" – 3:31
2. "Cracking Up" – 2:59
3. "Big Kick, Plain Scrap" – 2:28
4. "American Squirm" – 2:29
5. "You Make Me" – 1:53
6. "Skin Deep" – 3:12
7. "Switch Board Susan" – 3:50
8. "Dose of You" – 2:21
9. "Without Love" – 2:29
10. "Born Fighter" – 3:09
11. "Love So Fine" – 3:52

2011 Yep Roc Records

1. "Cruel to Be Kind" – 3:31
2. "Cracking Up" – 2:59
3. "Big Kick, Plain Scrap" – 2:28
4. "American Squirm" – 2:29
5. "Born Fighter" – 3:09
6. "You Make Me" – 1:53
7. "Skin Deep" – 3:12
8. "Switchboard Susan" – 3:50
9. "Endless Grey Ribbon" – 3:17
10. "Without Love" – 2:29
11. "Dose of You" – 2:21
12. "Love So Fine" – 3:52
13. "Basing Street" (Bonus Track) - 2:32

Personnel

• Nick Lowe – bass and vocals
• Dave Edmunds – rhythm and solo guitars and backing vocals
• Billy Bremner – rhythm and solo guitars and backing vocals
• Terry Williams – drums

Additional personnel

• Huey Lewis – harmonica on "Born Fighter"
• Bob Andrews – Oberheim on "Endless Grey Ribbon"
• Elvis Costello – backing vocals on "American Squirm"
• Bruce Thomas – bass on "American Squirm"
• Pete Thomas – drums on "American Squirm"
• Roger Bechirian – Engineer-recorded and mixed by

Charts

Album

Album Charts

• Sweden-20
• United States-31
• United Kingdom-42

Single

Certifications

Canada-Gold (50,000 copies sold)^[3]

References