Rockpile
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Defunct | 1981 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Rock music, albums, singles |
Rockpile was a British rock group active during the late 1970s and early 1980s, known for combining elements of pub rock, rockabilly, and power pop, while also shaping the sound of new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds (vocals, guitar), Nick Lowe (vocals, bass), Billy Bremner (vocals, guitar), and Terry Williams (drums).
Although they recorded enough material for nearly five studio albums, only one—Seconds of Pleasure—was officially released under the Rockpile name. Three other albums—Tracks on Wax 4, Repeat When Necessary, and Twangin...—were issued as solo projects by Edmunds, and one—Labour of Lust—was released under Lowe’s solo career. Additionally, Rockpile served as backing musicians for artists such as Mickey Jupp in 1978 and Carlene Carter in 1980.
History
The name Rockpile was initially used by Edmunds for his 1972 solo album and accompanying tour, which featured drummer Terry Williams. Following the disbandment of that lineup, Edmunds took on production duties for the pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz, managed by Dave Robinson and fronted by bassist and vocalist Nick Lowe. Their 1974 album The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz, produced by Edmunds, marked a shift toward power pop and included the original version of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding". After Brinsley Schwarz dissolved, Lowe and Edmunds collaborated on various session projects, including Edmunds’ 1975 album Subtle as a Flying Mallet.
When Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera launched Stiff Records, Lowe became their first signed artist; he and Edmunds recorded tracks released under Lowe’s name. Although Stiff promoted Edmunds strongly, he signed a solo contract with Swan Song Records in 1976. Alongside Lowe and Williams, Edmunds recorded Get It. Subsequently, they formed a new incarnation of Rockpile by adding Billy Bremner.
Despite contractual complications—Edmunds being with Swan Song while Lowe was under Stiff Records—Rockpile embarked on extensive tours throughout 1976-77, including opening slots for Bad Company. As Lowe’s solo success expanded, Rockpile’s activity varied. In 1977, during the "Five Live Stiffs" tour, Edmunds unexpectedly joined Lowe’s backing band alongside Williams; Bremner soon rejoined as well.
Rockpile contributed to Lowe’s debut solo album in 1978: the UK release Jesus of Cool featured them live on "Heart of the City," whereas the US version Pure Pop for Now People included the studio track "They Called It Rock," credited to Lowe/Edmunds/Rockpile. Edmunds’ 1978 album Tracks on Wax 4 was effectively a Rockpile project with Edmunds handling lead vocals. That year, the band toured to support both Lowe’s and Edmunds’ albums and also backed Mickey Jupp on his Stiff release Juppanese.
In 1979, Rockpile simultaneously recorded Edmunds’ Repeat When Necessary and Lowe’s Labour of Lust. This era was captured in the television film Born Fighters. After Jake Riviera departed from Stiff Records to join Radar Records—taking artists like Lowe and Elvis Costello with him—Edmunds remained signed to Swan Song.
Both solo albums produced chart successes: Edmunds’ "Girls Talk" reached the top 20 in the UK and Canada; Lowe’s "Cruel to Be Kind" entered the top 20 charts in the UK, Canada, and US. Labour of Lust achieved gold certification in Canada while Repeat When Necessary earned silver status in the UK. In December 1979, Rockpile performed at the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, sharing billing with Elvis Costello & the Attractions and Wings; Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin also appeared onstage with them during this period. Two tracks by Rockpile were included on the concert’s album release.
Seconds of Pleasure
In 1980, Edmunds delivered the solo record Twangin..., primarily composed of leftover tracks from earlier solo sessions, to fulfill his contract with Swan Song. This enabled Rockpile to produce a genuine group album under Jake Riviera's newly established label, F-Beat Records. Issued in the fall of 1980, Seconds of Pleasure showcased lead vocals shared among Edmunds, Lowe, and Bremner, and included the modestly successful single "Teacher, Teacher", with Lowe on vocals. Half a year later, Twangin... was released, featuring Rockpile performing on nine out of its eleven songs.
Additionally, Rockpile provided instrumental support for Lowe's spouse Carlene Carter (stepdaughter of Johnny Cash) on most tracks of her 1980 album Musical Shapes. In August of that year, the band appeared at the Heatwave festival near Toronto—a significant punk and new wave gathering attracting around 100,000 fans. Despite this exposure, internal conflicts between Lowe and Edmunds culminated in the group's dissolution in 1981. Lowe reflected, "We came together for enjoyment and once that was over, we called it quits." Edmunds pointed to frustrations with their manager Jake Riviera as a major cause.
Following the breakup, Bremner and Williams maintained their working relationship with Lowe on numerous albums throughout the 1980s. However, Lowe and Edmunds only collaborated again on Lowe's 1988 release Pinker and Prouder Than Previous. Edmunds went on to produce Lowe’s 1990 album Party of One. The song "Teacher, Teacher" later appeared in the 2011 motion picture Bad Teacher.
Since 2011, five distinct live Rockpile albums have been issued, with the most recent appearing in 2021. The 2013 album Live at Rockpalast includes a DVD capturing their 1980 concert. For further information, refer to the discography section.
Members
- Billy Bremner – guitar, vocals
- Dave Edmunds – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Nick Lowe – bass guitar, vocals
- Terry Williams – drums
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | CAN | US | SWE | ||
| 1980 | Seconds of Pleasure
|
34 | 29 | 27 | 8 |
Live albums
- Live at Montreux, 1980: issued in 2011 by Eagle Records
- Live at Rockpalast, 1980: issued in 2013 by Repertoire Records
- Live at The Palladium, 1979: issued in 2017 by Vogon
- Live in New York, 1978: issued in 2020 by Laser Media
- The Boston Show, 1979: issued in 2021 by Laser Media
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | CAN | US | |||||||
| 1980 | "Wrong Again (Let's Face It)" | — | — | — | Seconds of Pleasure | ||||
| "Teacher, Teacher" | 83 | 31 | 51 | ||||||
| "Now and Always" | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart | |||||||||