Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007.
Stiff Records
Universal Music Group (label)
Concord (American back catalogue)
August 1976[1]
- Dave Robinson
- Jake Riviera
Active
Universal Music Group
United Kingdom
Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff signed various punk rock and new wave acts such as Nick Lowe, the Damned, Lene Lovich, Wreckless Eric, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, and Devo, also signing artists with significant crossover appeal such as Motorhead, Larry Wallis and Mick Farren. In the 1980s, with most of their early signings having moved on, the label found commercial success with Madness, The Pogues, Tracey Ullman, The Belle Stars, Kirsty MacColl and others.
In December 2017, Universal Music Group acquired Stiff Records and ZTT Records.[2] Razor & Tie, a division of the Concord Music Group, holds the American rights to the Stiff catalogue.[3] The British rights to the Stiff catalogue were held by BMG Rights Management under Union Square Music until 2022, when Universal relaunched the Stiff and ZTT labels.
Marketing and design[edit]
The label's marketing and advertising was often provocative and witty, billing itself as "The World's Most Flexible Record Label". Other slogans were "We came. We saw. We left", "If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth a Fuck", and "When You Kill Time, You Murder Success"[4] (printed on promotional wall clocks). On the label of Stiff's sampler compilation Heroes & Cowards was printed: "In '78 everyone born in '45 will be 33-1/3". A very early Stiff sampler album, A Bunch of Stiff Records, introduced the slogan, "If they're dead, we'll sign them" and "Undertakers to the Industry".[19]
Stiff also produced eccentric but highly effective promotional campaigns, such as the three package tours in 1977 (Live Stiffs), 1978 (Be Stiff) and 1980 (Son of Stiff), Elvis Costello's "street performance outside CBS Records.[20]
Barney Bubbles was responsible for much of the graphic art associated with the early Stiff releases.