British pop songwriter, bassist, and producer Nick Lowe had an interesting arrangement with his fellow Brit musician and longtime collaborator, Dave Edmunds. The two decided to produce tracks for and play on each other's solo albums, as well as be members in a band that would support each one when they toured as solo artists. Hence the birth of Rockpile, probably the best known and best loved of all U.K. pub bands.
For about five years in the late '70s and early '80s, the UK-based supergroup, Rockpile, captivated audiences around the world. Driven by their infectious energy and the imagination of the group's principle songwriter, Nick Lowe, the quartet churned out many rollicking performances, including this one, captured at the world-famous Palladium in New York City.
After leading and playing bass for the classic Brit pub band, Brinsley Schwartz, Lowe moved into producing by the mid-1970s. In 1976, he signed on with Stiff Records, the punk label started by Elvis Costello's manager, Jake Riviera. Lowe saw his initial success with Stiff, producing many of its artists at the same time he was an act on the label as well. Between 1979 and 1981, Lowe and Edmunds worked under the name Rockpile with Bremner and Williams. Vocally, Lowe and Edmunds borrowed heavily from the Everly Brothers. The band's one LP on Columbia did moderately well, but by 1981 the group was kaput.
Lowe went on to produce budding country-rock singer, Carlene Carter (daughter of June Carter-Cash and stepdaughter to Johnny Cash). During his work on her first LP, the two fell in love and married. He worked with her for three albums before divorcing and joining up with another ill-fated supergroup, Little Village, along with Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner.
Lowe battled alcohol abuse during much of the '80s, but cleaned up and has been making concise and extremely enjoyable country and rock albums ever since. His latest disc came out in 2007, and was entitled At My Age.