Wreckless Eric...A Popsong & Show # 329

Wreckless Eric (real name Eric Goulden) is known for his New Wave/Power Pop song writing abilities and was at one time on the Stiff Records label alongside Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury & The Blockheads and The Damned. While he is perhaps best known for his wonderful Pop concoction known as "The Whole Wide World", Eric wrote numerous catchy songs attributing to the same Power Pop/Punk/New Wave vein. One of those songs was the song entitled "A Popsong". The song itself opens Wreckless Eric's third album Big Smash! and was released as his sixth single on Stiff Records in January of 1980. The song itself lyrically is about a record company asking for a hit, and is undeniably catchy while at the same time ironic. The album on which it is contained, was a catchy album with comparisons often being made to his fellow label mates Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, but it has a style all it's own. When released in 1980, Big Smash! was packaged with a bonus compilation album of B-sides and early singles. The compilation on its own was known as The Whole Wide World in the US when it was released there in 1979 in hopes of Wreckless Eric breaking into the American Market. When Big Smash! was released on the Stiff Records label, it was created in a way that should have ensured success, but the album was overlooked. As a result Eric left Stiff and music for a few years. He returned to music in 1985 where he continued to pursue his career through other avenues.




This Week's Play List:

1. Lost Patrol - My Soul
2. UIC - What I Want
3. Deja Voodoo - 48 Bucks
4. The Haunted - Come On Home
5. The Mongrels - The Wreck of Ol' 97
6. Howlin' Wolf - Baby How Long?
7. Gene Vincent - Pink Thunderbird
8. John Lee Hooker - Dimples
9. Bob Dylan - Tombstone Blues (2010 Mono Version)
10. Elvis Costello - The Spell You Cast
11. Hands & Teeth - Race to the End
12. The Chords - Maybe Tomorrow
13. The Meteors - You're Out Of Time
14. Exploding Hearts - I'm A Pretender
15. Orphan Choir - Broken Strings
16. Burnt Ones - Real Gone
17. Revolvers - Break It Loose
18. The Spys - Underground
19. Wreckless Eric - A Popsong
20. The Police - Be My Girl Sally
21. Pere Ubu - Non-Alignment Pact
22. The Gun Club - Texas Serenade
23. True Lovers - Fade Away

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 7th. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Semaphore Signals...Wreckless Eric Story...Show # 184

Signing to Stiff Records in 1977, Wreckless Eric (real name Eric Gouldon) was a member of the emerging new wave roster on the label (alongside Ian Dury & The Blockheads, and Elvis Costello). Wreckless Eric's musical style was fuelled by the raw power chord punk and pop he produced. In 1977, "Whole Wide World/Semaphore Signals" as released. The song's backing instruments were provided by Nick Lowe on bass, and Ian Dury on drums. Eric's first album was self titled and came out in 1978, but he was known for his drunken antics while on tour, on and off stage. His first album reflected his drunken antics with a certain charm. it was a punk influenced album with pop sensibilities.

In 1979, The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric was released. This album showed that Wreckless Eric had a talent, and a knack for writing pop songs. The album did not do too well, along with he first one; He was poorly promoted on the Stiff label. Another album came out titled Big Smash (in 1980), that was so poorly promoted by Stiff and overlooked that he quite the music industry. In in 1979, The Whole Wide World came out in America only, it was a collection of Wreckless Eric's early singles. It came as a bonus with original pressings of 1980's Big Smash.

In 1985, Eric returned with a new group called Captain's of Industry. The group released one album called A Roomful of Monkeys; the band consisted of members from Ian Dury & The Blockheads. In 1986, he formed another group called The Len Bright Combo who would release two albums before quitting. In 1989, he signed to another record label as Eric Goulden and Le Beat Group Electrique. Since then and throughout the 90's, Eric has toured and released albums and even wrote an autobiography titled A Dysfunctional Success. Eric has since then relocated to France.

Next week I will be doing a different type of show. It will consist entirely of surf songs.

The Play List:

1. Sex Pistols - Holidays in the Sun
2. The Scabs - Don't Just Sit There
3. Subway Sect - Chain Smoking
4. The Skids - Skin of Our Own
5. Generation X - Listen
6. Saints - Wild About You
7. Scavengers - Supported by the State
8. The Jam - Art School
9. Modernettes - Celebrity Crackup
10. Spys - Underground
11. The Demics - The Gray and the Black
12. Teenage Head - Little Boxes
13. The Unknowns - Teenage Terrorist
14. Television - Friction (Alternate Version)
15. Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World
16. Gun Club - She's Like Heroin to Me
17. Wire - Three Girl Rhumba
18. The Victims - Television Addict
19. Radio Birdman - Hand of Law
20. The Shades - New Clientele
21. Gruesomes - I Need You
22. The Clash - Career Opportunities
23. Ramones - Teenage Lobotomy
24. Buzzcocks - Get On Our Own
25. Undertones - Mars Bar
26. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - the Kid With the Replaceable Head
27. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - It's Not Enough
28. The Hives - You Dress Up for Armageddon
29. Soundgarden - Ty Cobb

Wreckless Videos:

The Whole Wide World
A Pop Song
Reconnez Cherie (Live Stiffs Tour 1977)