Wreckless Eric

Wreckless Eric (born Eric Goulden on May 18, 1954 in Newhaven, East Sussex, England) is a rock and roll singer/songwriter.

History

Wreckless Eric is best known as one of the original members of the Stiff Records artist roster, along with Ian Dury, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, and his biggest hit record was "Whole Wide World". This, his debut single, was produced by, and featured bass (and most of the other instruments) by Nick Lowe, with Ian Dury on drums. Eighteen bands have covered "Whole Wide World." For instance, The Monkees covered the song on their Pool It! album in 1987.

His debut album Wreckless Eric was a Top 50 hit in the UK Albums Chart. But, by the time his second album with Stiff Records The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric came out, he was pushed by the punk label to display his spectacular alcoholism. He attempted a more pop music style on the (either dryly or optimistically) titled Big Smash album, his last with Stiff Records. Ironically Cliff Richard's cover of "Broken Doll" from Big Smash was the highest one of his songs that ever charted.

In 1985 he released A Roomful of Monkeys with a new band, Captains of Industry. It was followed in 1986 by a couple of homemade garage albums with "The Len Bright Combo". He always stayed in touch with Ian Dury and the Blockheads - two Blockheads , Norman Watt-Roy and Mickey Gallagher, were in the Captains of Industry.

In 1989, he signed to New Rose Records as Eric Goulden, released the homemade Le Beat Group Electrique with bassist André Barreau and drummer Catfish Truton. This same year he moved to France, in a quiet countryside corner where he stayed for about ten years. By the time he made this move to the vineyard country, he had already ended his "career of full-time alcoholic."

Eric toured Eastern Europe in a 1960s Peugeot car, both solo and with his band. In 1990, he released a second Le Beat Group Electrique album, recorded live in a New Rose record shop in Paris, entitled At the Shop with Eduardo Leal de la Galla and Fabrice Bertran on the drums.Together they formed the Hitsville House Band.

Eric returned to the UK in 1998, wrote his autobiography A Dysfunctional Success - The Wreckless Eric Manual about his life in England in the crazy punk years and music business, ending at his departure for France. A second part is expected. Eric contributed his version of "Clever Trever" to the Ian Dury tribute album "Brand New Boots and Panties" released in 2001. His latest album Bungalow Hi was home recorded, produced and released in 2004.

In late 2005 Eric toured the UK (also playing Dublin and Belfast) supporting fellow ex-Stiff artistes The Damned.

A tribute album to Wreckless Eric is currently being recorded, featuring cover versions of his songs performed by upcoming bands like The Crimea, plus established acts, such as The Wedding Present, among others.

In the 2006 movie Stranger Than Fiction starring Will Ferrell, he sings "Whole Wide World" while playing the guitar, until the Wreckless Eric version takes over.

Discography

As Wreckless Eric

• Wreckless Eric (1978) [album]

Album credits —
Dave Lutton: Drums
Dave Otway:Drums
David Witton: Drums
Steve Goulding: Drums
Barry Payne: Bass, Guitar (Bass)
Davey Payne: Saxophone, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Larry Wallis: Guitar, Producer
Charlie Hart: Organ, Piano, Keyboards, Accordion
Ian Dury: Producer
Wreckless Eric: Guitar, Main Performer, Vocals, Drums
Steve Currie: Bass, Guitar (Bass)
Glyn Johns: Producer
Barry Farmer: Saxophone, Sax (Tenor)
Nick Lowe: Bass, Guitar, Producer

• The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric (1978) [album]
• The Whole Wide World (1979) [album]
• Big Smash (1980) [album]
• Yuletide Forty-Five (1990) [single]
• Sweet Jane (2002) [single]
• Almost a Jubilee: 25 Years at the BBC (with Gaps) (2003) [album]
• Bungalow Hi (2004) [album]

With Captains of Industry

• Roomful of Monkeys (1984) [album]

With The Len Bright Combo

• The Len Bright Combo Presents... (1985) [album]
• Combo Time (1986) [album]

(The two Len Bright Combo albums were re-released on a single CD on Eric's Southern Domestic label in 2004.)

With Le Beat Group Electrique

• Le Beat Group Electrique (1989) [album]
• At the Shop (1990) [album]
• The Donovan of Trash (1991) [album]

With Hitsville House Band

• 12 o'Clock Stereo (1996) [album]
• The Girl with The Wandering Eye (1996) [single]

As Eric Goulden

• Karaoke (1997) [album]

Compilation appearances

• Bunch of Stiffs (1977) [album]
• Live Siffs Live (1978) [album]
• Heroes & Cowards (1978) [album]
• Can't Start Dancing (1978) [album]
• The Last Compilation Album (1980) [album]
• The Stiff Records Box Set (1991) [album]
• DiY 3: Teenage Kicks - UK Pop I (1976-79) (1993) [album]

Bibliography

• "Wreckless Eric" Goulden: A Dysfunctional Success - The Wreckless Eric Manual Do Not Press (2004), ISBN 1-904316-18-2 Book Homepage

External links

• The official Wreckless Eric web-site (and blog)