(Image via YouTube)
Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe both had their mojos working in 1979 – both released (nearly simultaneously, although on different labels) the most successful albums of their respective careers, each of which produced the biggest hits of their respective careers (in Australia anyway). And both toured Australia and appeared on Countdown. And of course, they did this TOGETHER, because, for a couple of years at that point, they’d together been fronting the band Rockpile.
Rockpile originally formed to back Dave on the back of his Get It album in 1977, but then swung around to support Nick on the back of his Jesus of Cool album in ’78, by which time it was its own live entity, and a band that some people thought was the best in the world at the time. They even had the likes of Keith Richards and Robert Plant wanting to jam with them. It’s worth mentioning too that Rockpile’s great drummer Terry Williams ended up joining Dire Straits on the verge of them becoming the biggest band in the world, and guitarist Billy Bremner became a successful session guitarist in Nashville…
Rockpile’s one Down Under tour, on the back of Dave and Nick’s simultaneous hits, led to this great double banger appearance on Countdown. Yes, that’s Shirley Strachan intro’ing Nick, and Nick’s wearing his fabulous Riddler suit coat to boot! Enjoy!
-DL
