On just his second single, Dave Edmunds scored a Top-5 U.S. hit with “I Hear You Knockin’” in 1970. He’d never again reach that level of success in the U.S., although the Welshman stayed strong in the UK and remained a critically acclaimed favorite in all areas.
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Our favorite Edmunds era took place from the late ’70s through the early ’80s, when his neo-rockabilly grooves managed to dovetail seamlessly with the new wave sounds of the day. Here are five outstanding songs from that stretch.
“I Knew the Bride” from Get It (1977)
One of Edmunds’ most prolific professional associations was with Nick Lowe. The two often appeared on each other’s records. They also joined together to form Rockpile, who delivered a single standout album in 1980 (Seconds of Pleasure). And Edmunds, who didn’t often write his own material, delivered some of the finest covers of Lowe’s songs. “I Knew the Bride” displays Edmunds’ standout ability to put across a fast-talking story in a song. He also stands out here with both his swinging rhythm guitar and his Sun Records-style leads.
“Crawling From the Wreckage” from Repeat When Necessary (1979)
In a unique bit of marketing, Edmunds released his Repeat When Necessary album on the same day as Nick Lowe’s Labour of Lust. The two albums were recorded at the same time with the same group of musicians (Edmunds, Lowe, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams, the quartet that would form Rockpile). Lowe got a hit single out of the deal (“Cruel to Be Kind”), but Edmunds came away with the pound-for-pound stronger album. One of the clear highlights is his frenetic take on “Crawling from the Wreckage,” Graham Parker’s irreverent tale of vehicular misadventures.
“Girls Talk” from Repeat When Necessary (1979)
Of all the artists one might try to cover circa 1979, Elvis Costello must have seemed like a daunting task. His hyper, verbal tirades seemed so suited to his own stance as an artist that anyone else might have struggled to do them justice. But Edmunds had an advantage with “Girls Talk” in that Costello handed over a demo of a song not yet released. Elvis underestimated Edmunds’ ability to transform a song via his incredibly sense of rhythm. It’s telling that when Costello got around to recording the song on his own, he strayed far from Edmunds’ own arrangement, likely knowing he couldn’t compete.
“(I’m Gonna Start) Living Again if It Kills Me” from Twangin’ (1981)
Edmunds took a little bit of a left turn on his Twangin’ album in 1981, leaning a bit more into the country side of rockabilly. The big hit (at least overseas) from this album was “Almost Saturday Night,” a peppy take on a John Fogerty track. But the ultimate gem from this terrific record is “(I’m Gonna Start) Living Again if It Kills Me,” a song contributed by Nick Lowe. It shows Edmunds was just as adept on the slower stuff as on the faster material. On a song with Everly Brothers vibes, he handles both the lead vocals and the high harmonies in affecting fashion.
“From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)” from D.E. 7th (1982)
It always helps to have fans in high places. In 1981, Edmunds decided to take in a London Bruce Springsteen show. Backstage after the show, The Boss met Edmunds and handed him over this song, one he’d written and recorded during The River sessions. It’s hard to say if Bruce had any intent of releasing it at the time, but it certainly seems like it was teed up perfectly for Edmunds’ signature style. By this time, Edmunds had moved on from the Rockpile gang, and his new band added some serious rock heft to this one while a horn section delivered the swing.
Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns
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