to hear that. It had to work every day, all the
time. And I really lost interest then, when
the hit-and-miss aspect of it went. That’s
what I was interested in, and most times
it did work, but I didn’t want to be under a
cosh; under pressure to come up with a sure-
fire result every time, because sometimes
it didn’t happen. I was very lucky with
the people I worked with, especially Elvis
Costello And The Attractions, obviously,
because they kept on asking me back.”
No slouch with other artists too, Lowe
produced acts like Graham Parker, pub
rockers Dr Feelgood (co-writing their
1979 smash hit, Milk And Alcohol), and
The Kursaal Flyers. He made his mark on
Wreckless Eric’s eternally glorious single,Whole Wide World, and worked with
everyone from The Pretenders and The
Fabulous Thunderbirds to Paul Carrack and
John Hiatt. Closer to home, he played with
Dave Edmunds’ underappreciated band,
Rockpile, who made one album (Seconds
Of Pleasure, 1980), had one hit single and
managed to sound retro and completely
of the moment. Lowe also played bass on
Edmunds’ hit single, Girl Talk (1981). Plus
there was his own, solo material (I Love
The Sound Of ) Breaking Glass, Cruel To
Be Kind, and old favourite, I Knew The
Bride (When She Used To Rock’n’roll).
“Sometimes,” says Lowe, “I think, I’ve done
hundreds of these records – and does the
world need another one?”MEANWHILE, LOWE HAD fallen in
love with and married country star Carlene
Carter (m. 1979-90). And that meant he’d
acquired the legendary Johnny Cash as
his stepfather-in-law, who went on to
cover Lowe’s song The Beast In Me on his
extraordinary American Recordings record.
He is obviously still in awe of the late, great
Cash. “I loved him,” says Lowe. “I loved
his early stuff like Cry Cry Cry and Hey
Porter and Get Rhythm. I Walk The Line
and all those hits were great. And it was so
distinctive, there’s nobody else sounded
like him.”
In typical, self-deprecating style, Lowe
refuses to put on rose-tinted glasses when
he surveys his crazy career. “I have a theoryLowe is currently touring with
rock’n’roll instrumentalists Los
Straitjackets
Nick Lowe