Nick Lowe-Cruel To Be Kind -1979 #155.*T*O*T*Ps*70s*

[GilhamBob]

who's that playing the little solo?

[flaxonx3]

Bloke doing guitar solo shows that it wasn't just the Oasis era in the 90s when band members looked like roadies.

[GoofyRobo74]

Just heard this come up at Home Depot. Watching this video on the can.

[lcmtvbreath4]

This reminds me of ELO

[JoeyRivers]

5 People Are Cruel but not kind

[Yorkmackem]

LOL only 3 strings on the lead guitar.......great song

[LIVillov]

Шикарная песенка =)) поднимает настроение

[peachablemacaw]

What music...what an era!!!!!!

[kja427]

I would expect a tune like this to be released in The early 70's, NOT 1979. Oh well, I guess that's a pleasant surprise.

[keef71]

love the drums in this, at the start - baap baap!

[jennifer082255]

Some things don't get old,this song is one of them.

[MrMgillett]

Colin- I couldn't stand it and asked google. It seems that Edmunds and Lowe were signed to different record labels hence all Rockpile reocirds being badged up in different way.

JRT - Keith Chegwin - LOL! Good spot but that is Billy Bremner.

[JellyRubyTed]

Awesome song which doesn't get played enough! But is that Keith Chegwin in a bomberjacket, singing backing vocals? lol

[MrLawman10]

bruno brooks solo 01.45 to 01.55, brilliant.

[MrMgillett]

Rockpile....Dave Edmunds....Nick Lowe - why do you need a new band name depending on who is taking lead vocals? Top blokes nonetheless.

[colinraycyrus68]

@MrMgillett maybe it was a tax dodge as ive always thought that to but as you said top blokes and bloody great band

[markusdude1]

Damn, he has good hair!

[jpringle1979]

I feel old this song came out the same year I was born lol. Still a classic though.

[Super70duster]

this brings back alot of memories as a kid.what a cool song...

[TheGreekLOL]

vres to nisi mes to mialo mou!

[jamo387]

Is that Suzy Quattro ?

[pcsbeat]

awesome pop rock, simply awesome....

[Just1Cornetto]

Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Elvis Costello.

The late 70's early 80's were dominated by these guys..........and rightly so!

[zopicloneable]

Love it.

[LostDragonEmbers]

Sometimes I go up to people and sing "Cruel to be kind" and if they sing back "In the right measure" they pass :)

[MYJETGLO]

Folks everywhere!!! Do you not think it's time to stop in our tracks and take a good look at ourselves regarding the way we function and behave on a daily basis and stop this ridiculous and irresponsible path that we are allowing ourselves to blindly walk down. Each day we are getting further way from the wonderful creative and exciting conditions and productivty that we were once engulfed in!! This song just bring that all back. We exist to create. If we do not create we do not exist.

[MostlyPerfect]

Must have been nice to live in an age where you actually had to be able to sing to make it big. These days, with auto tuners, all you have to do is look good and cause drama to make it big.

[iw32]

3 people are being cruel to be kind.

[sandy1980ification]

classic

[bassplyrbobo]

Just love it...takes me back to childhood...love the groove and feel.

[Narcissisticnobody]

Keith Chegwin on guitar lol

[Colvin9994]

Heard this playing in a local store the other day and found myself singing along word for word, those were the days, 13 years old and more interested in The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers, but for some reason i loved this, i'm sure some of my Punk mates at the time would have strung me up at the time had they known!

[robertmondry]

who is on the guiter

swear i recognize him

[pkinnit]

@robertmondry

It's Billy Bremner (Not the footballer) who was in Rockpile along with Dave Edmunds

[IdaGno]

funny thing about this tune: thoroughly unforgettable but brings forth no specific memory re time & place - maybe that's part of what makes it timeless

[veraducky]

I too had this song in my head yesterday, reminding me of a holiday in Blackpool with the boy's when i was 18. I decided a few moments ago to stop gardening and come for a listen and just i was typing the song title into the search the very same song was being played on Capital Gold radio station which i had been listening to out in the garden!!! Spooky

[Raindropser3]

@veraducky

Hahhaha;-))) Was it for a chance...or for a reason...???

A wonder ....or a miracle...???:-)))

LOVE YOUR EXPERINECE, VERA:-)

Thanks for your comment! ☸ڿڰۣ—☸ ڿڰۣ ڿڰۣ—

♫♥♪(^_^)/♪♥♫

RON & RAINY

[timgrobinhood]

Saw him at the Isle of Wight at the Festival this year - realised that we were both getting old!! Great song though....

[bencrea1]

one of the greatest songs of all time

[landztranz]

What a song!

[jeff62rey]

O my, what a hot and exciting memory this song drags up! SouthVenice beach, May 1979 I had this European Lit. class with Tara. I sat behind her and would purposefully put my legs up against her chair during class. She would shove her little Junior derriere up against my legs. I wrote little "innocent" notes to her asking her, "can you believe this class, etc..." It ended in one hel of a date at 11;30pm, on the warm sands of South Venice beach.

[SuperSpockette]

I agree to all but the hairstyles...

[ilovemusic1968]

Don't know why but this song just popped into my head...

[ColumRogers]

Makes me feel so so happy :)

[DaveEllis13]

Brilliant

[apowell65]

I don't remember Keith Chegwin being in Rockpile

[apowell65]

I don't rememebr Keith Chegwin being in Rockpile

[carthoswalker]

no techno,george harrison meets the beach boys-awesome song

[geejun30148]

Cracking song...

[flamingember71]

This is a Great song , Great band , with real voices , trhe music is so uplifting , it makes you feel like dancing . The bands from the past really made great classic music , I am still amazed that my son ( Teenager ) and his friends have discovered the music of the 70's & 80's , they really enjoy those bands , whether its Rock or even Disco . They like todays music but they recognize how great the music is from the past . Thanks to Bluevelvetglove for posting !

[maxLeifermann]

Perfect Pop

[skinny12331]

What happened to Nick?

[garethparr]

@skinny12331

Still touring. Saw him a couple of years ago. Was ace, though this song was the only 'oldie' he did.

[joelsep1979]

ripper track... much better than todays shit!

[royalboy]

fantastic song reminds me of my school days perfect pop timeless

[larrystarstruck]

Great song in some ways, reminds me of Beatlesque power pop.

[rocktenniscat]

Happy Rockin' Birthday to the marvelous Nick Lowe!

[Joethemithra]

i love this song.

[BBSniper48]

IT'S JAMES MAY!?!?

[wooltonboy]

@BBSniper48 THAT'S who James May always reminded me of!...lol

[angryjohnny1]

this would be great if it wasn't (obviously) lip synced,it's too perfect!

[TRKizm]

It sounds more like a 60's record

[RayG844]

great song great lyrics...was that really 1979....still a great tune today

[matelot95]

The Letters To Cleo had one thing missing...Dave Edmunds.

He could have sorted out the piss-poor arrangement and the lack of harmonies for them.

[CrazyMarksta]

what happened to the awesomeness of pop music? dang..

[mario1921ful]

Some dinosaurs (men) believe this to be true - especially the Fred's (Flintstone) of this world! Ladies be prepared to reject cruelty as love!

[vcoaster]

@mario1921ful I guess you didn't understand the song. The girl is speaking to him. She says she has to be cruel to be kind. He's confused by her nastiness. Get it?

[mario1921ful]

@vcoaster Thank you I understand it very well  - I was just reversing!

[danw1374]

very 60s sounding even though was made nearly 80s, great song nonetheless

[slimshine953]

@danw1374 I agree... it has a great 60s feel to it and fresh for the time as well... but the 80s didn't really get in gear full swing until '81-'82 anyway. Also consider that Nick Lowe's roots and main influences were from the 50s/60s. All the pop and rockabilly he did so very well.

[zapdelivers]

Man, I love music where you can understand the lyrics. Rock on Nick!

[apache121]

Its funny i was listing to this one i like this one better than the 10things i hate about you one. you cant beat the original

[wellsrams]

First record I ever bought! Green & grey cover!

[spenckey]

Great song. Nice lip-sync.

[jeff4bucks]

@spenckey yeah i wonder why they didn't play it live

[philipg52]

Good song for us podiatrists.444444111111111111­111111111111111111111111111111­11111111111111111111111111.oop­s, cat stood on keyboard!

[utubemusiccritic]

This is rock & roll.

[Tazzman]

@utubemusiccritic Rock and roll with meaning! Not the same repititous beat to it like the trash out there today!

[musicmatty67]

Still a great song after all these years..has been all these year??

[SuperYob1]

The best power pop song ever recorded. Brilliant. Thanks for posting.

[deep71483]

I was wondering who sung this song when I was listening to the radio! I thought it was a sixties song

[Happyrein]

@deep71483 me also

[djbeema]

This was randomly stuck in my head this morning. I had to come listen to it. So good

[NicNacPTac01]

That is the song, luv it, always luved it, will always luv it...thank u much 4 the video.

[isawman1]

Better times,better society, better politics,better music,better hairstyles,better freedoms.

[gatoperezoso]

@isawman1 you know it.

[mahleajones]

@isawman1 the 70's are the new 40's for the good ole days

[BRUC2016]

@isawman1 More hair, more inflation, longer lines at the service station, Three Mile Island, and disco.

Donny Osmond was popular, Carter was President, and Iran seized American hostages. The 70s was a great decade, but 1979 but the bottom of the barrel (not musically, but in just about every other way).

[milkminotaur]

@isawman1 Not sure about the politics; Labour was screwed and the Tories.. well, the Tories.

[isawman1]

@milkminotaur Was it the Thatcher era then ??

[milkminotaur]

@isawman1 Yes.

[smallinson]

@isawman1

better build a time machine

[isawman1]

@smallinson Youtube will have to suffice for now !!!

[walleyrt69]

@isawman1 Man,you hit the nail on the head with that statement! WHAT HAPPENED?

[DavidJHarrisonEssex]

I just love this song, I bought it when it 1st came out when I was 11 years old, loved the guitaring then & still do. This was his 3rd of 4 U.K hits & his 2nd biggest, reaching number 12 on the 25th-Aug-79, his 1st was I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass (#7- 11th/3rd/78), another 1 I love, that was followed by Crackin' Uo (#34-25/6/79) & his last was Half a Boy Half A Man (#53-26/5/84).

[newsy8]

This song was one of the few bright spots of my youth. Thank you Nick. {{{HUG}}}

[sgtlzy]

Is the original video out there somewhere????

[utubemusiccritic]

Sounds great every time.

[HEMISUPERBEE426]

I AM 60 YEARS OLD AND GOT TO LIVE THROUGH GREAT MUSIC LIKE THIS FIRST HAND. THIS IS ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREATS.

[Stars777Stripes]

Excellent Song

[Gaelicgurl99]

Yep.



[SomethngBoutMary]

I think that guitar player on the right is a doll.....

[nutleyguitar1968]

Lowe produced Elvis Costello's first five albums, including My Aim Is True, This Year's Model, and Armed Forces.

[wellsrams]

First single I ever bought!

[rbjnla]

This came out my first year of High School. Heard it on Sirius radio today and had to look it up. Good time to grow up.

[heatherflof]

Ahhh someone posted this on facebook - forgot how much i loved it - thanks for posting ;0)

[jpringle1979]

The backup singers remind a little of those old feel good doublemint commercials lol

[ppaulmorris]

I have loved this for ever

[ppaulmorris]

Love this

[dockie1964]

Summer of my Freshman year in High School..Wow, thanks for the post man!

[apowell65]

Why was Keith Chegwin playing guitar on this record? Wasn't he busy enough with Swapshop?

[tickettime]

My ex used thsi as excuse. I finally don't buy it.

[daviej6666]

bring back TOTP

[kkdowning22]

One of the nicest guys I have ever met. Well done Nick.

[Schmoople]

Pop at is best! "I love the sound of breaking glass!"

[aprilstar33]

Brings back memories!

[shazbay]

Saw this song live on TV in Australia on Countdown along with Dave Edmonds, Girls Talk. Love them.

[shazbay]

Love this song.......still remember him and Dave Edmonds appearing live on Countdown in Australia.

[JVOCQC]

Sweet!

[castertunes1967]

probably the high water mark of all music i am listening to these days

[utubemusiccritic]

Love this style of vocal, drums and guitar. This is an enduring classic.

[ppaulmorris]

Love it

[Quedron]

Classic!

[wildcatter63]

Sure looks like Rockpile to me...right timeframe for it to be Rockpile

[jadelammusic]

I'm 13 years old and I love this song!! :)

[monoceros1222]

@jadelammusic Well you have good taste then kid. The song is certainly a classic of its era. In particular, the lyrics are both good and easy to understand. One of my favorites!!

[BluebirdintheSky]

Nick Lowe and Dave Edminds were both in a band called Rockpile in the 70s. Back then, songs that were going up the charts were on TOTP every other week. As Dave and Nick (that's Edmunds and Lowe, not Cameron and Clegg!) tended to have songs in the charts at the same time. they ended up being on TOTP backing each other up almost every week for a few years.

[wildcatter63]

@BluebirdintheSky This looks like Rockpile period

[BluebirdintheSky]

@wildcatter63 Yes, that's what I was saying, it's Rockpile.

[excelsiorents]

Sounds like Changes by David Bowie

[chazc2]

Born in '79 still say I can claim this. My mom played the 45 when I was young.

Don't make'm like this anymore. : (

[sultanofdark]

i love this song .thx for share

[MrRogersjon]

great music stiff tour 78

[Pacquaio]

just to try to clear up any arguments, yes Nick Lowe is in the vid ..duuuh

yes, Dave Edmunds is in the vid

but, you forgot.... our old mate Billy Bremner

go Bill

[phillipr61]

Good song!..lasted the test of time!

[ColumRogers]

This song is just the business. Nick Lowe is a god!

[bzuesprucex]

One of the BEST pop songs of all time!!! Thanks for posting.

[leehollings]

The song PEAKED at #12 in the U.S. and in Canada in 1979.....

[MrJonk1969]

this song didn't make it into the top 10? what the hell?

[H1bernia61]

That's not Dave Edmunds ... this isn't Rockpile.

[jo4nny]

@H1bernia61 Technically it is Rockpile, and that's definitely Dave Edmunds. Since Dave and Nick were on different labels they played most of their songs as Nick Lowe or as Dave Edmunds (instead of under the name Rockpile) even though it was the full Rockpile lineup performing.

[297bigbird]

Brings back memories! Great stuff!

[DasBlood]

It's so funny watching Dave Edmunds lip sync. You can tell he feels foolish doing it.

[philwarwick]

Oh great ! Je n'avais pas réécouté ce titre depuis tellement d'années. Merci à Patrice Blanc-Francard qui me la faite découvrir dans son émission "Loup Garou" sur France Inter à cette époque 79-80. Quelle émission géniale. J'avais 15 ans et j'étais scotché à mon poste de radio tous les soirs. Hommage à Bernard Lenoir qui suivait tous les soirs avec son émission "Feed back" juqsu'à minuit. Que de bons souvenirs.

[ChopstickBrando]

I miss '70s England!

[gatoguts]

one of my all-time favorites...what all pop music should aspire to

[Bluevelvetglove]

You´re so right, dear Jikko!

I thank God, too, that I was grown up those days

and not these days.

Thanks for your frank comment!

CU ☸ڿڰۣ—☸ ڿڰۣ ڿڰۣ—

♫♥♪(^_^)/♪♥♫

Ron.

[PAULLONDEN]

@Bluevelvetglove

Yeah ,sometimes one wonders what kids these days will have for musical memories.But then...that's also what our elders thought .

Maybe they will just dig back in musical history ,what a lot of kids do today.

It's just a given fact that the 5-6-7T's in musical terms were never bettered.

80's weren't that bad too, btw. ♫~~~«d◘_◘b»~~~♫

[proff180]

@gatoguts

Absolutely, well said.

[fancycanuck]

forever kewl

[mattanddi62]

one of the best ever

[ThyCakeConsumed]

This is just great music.

Nothing better to listen to when doing everyday business than this stuff.

[MarkMartin1]

Saw him opening for The Cars in the early 80's in Philadelphia, what a great memory

[MrJonk1969]

when i'm listening to this song, i don't want it to end. I want it to go on and on and on...

[bigpapatube]

awesome song STILL after all this time!

[FlyinZX10R]

I was 12 when this came out. I remember lying in bed at night and they would play this over and over on the radio. Still love it 30 years later!

[morrilf]

I was 11 flyinZX10R and have the same memories - just found the song again after all this time and I still love it - lyrics relate to whats happening now to me all these years later!

[Valis2008]

beautiful tune i love classic music classic cars ect

[joshuacrime]

Billy Bremner just blows me away. I love this solo. So simple and so perfect.

Oh yeah, the song is really good too. :)

[zekethefreak61]

Great tune...'79 - the year I graduated. This is a great lip sync version by Nick too. Great memories...

[HDbiikerchick]

Wow, the year I graduated? I didn't know that. I've always like this song, though.

[PhillSpace]

What a great song. I didn't mind the lip-sync at all.

[17865329]

It's actually very well lip-synched. Nobody could match the guitar solo note

for note like that of course, but Lowe really looks like he's singing live.

[Elvismanager]

Who had to be that Cruel to send us down to this Earth ? Is it just to learn to be kind ?

[Spellchecker]

Genius!!!!

[russ7510]

this is a brilliant tune,one of the best from the 70's

[eclipsepatent]

OMG This is brilliant.

[polarisathena]

This song started the 80's off for me and been with me ever since.

[jjjay69]

I have liked this song for 30 years & still counting : )

[lakeladymel]

Great video !

[4vinnyfan]

this is the first song i ever heard it was made 2 years before i was born it makes me cry and i dont know why :'(

[njiuma]

it is a beautful melody, when you relly listen, it feels a bit melancholy. some might dismiss this song as mere pop music, but there's more to it than that...

[hell5309]

Songs from the 60s and 70s tend to be like that.  Ever heard "I Am a Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel? Same thing.

[Indiexrockstar]

On the radio today, absolutely LOVE this song. Wish I was born earlier, the 70's were clearly the best music years. I got stuck with the 90's/00's :(

[joelgil42]

It was when it was happening.