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
Genre	New Wave Pub rock
Length	32:40
Label	Radar (UK) Columbia (US) Demon (UK reissue)
Producer	Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe chronology
Jesus of Cool (1978) Labour of Lust (1979) Nick the Knife (1982)

Professional ratings
Review scores
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Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	(A) link

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 by 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 15th 2011, containing all tracks from the US and UK versions, as well as the B-Side "Basing Street."

Track listing

U.K. version

All 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. "Switchboard 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

All 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. "American Squirm" – 2:29
5. "You Make Me" – 1:53
6. "Skin Deep" – 3:12
7. "Switchboard Susan" (Mickey Jupp) – 3:50
8. "Dose of You" – 2:21
9. "Without Love" – 2:29
10. "Born Fighter" – 3:09
11. "Love So Fine" (Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner, Terry Williams) – 3:52

2011 Yep Roc Records

All 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. "American Squirm" – 2:29
5. "Born Fighter" – 3:09
6. "You Make Me" – 1:53
7. "Skin Deep" – 3:12
8. "Switchboard Susan" (Mickey Jupp) – 3:50
9. "Endless Grey Ribbon" – 3:17
10. "Without Love" – 2:2
11. "Dose of You" – 2:21
12. "Love So Fine" (Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner, Terry Williams) – 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 – Tape Engineer

Charts

Album

Year	UK album chart	US album chart
1979	42	31

Single

Year	Song	UK singles chart	US singles chart
1979	"Cruel to Be Kind"	12	12

References

1. ^ "Random Notes". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (293): 46. June 14, 1979.