Ian Dury’s favourite rock and roll song: “I believe it’s quite rude”
Posted On
(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Although he’s sometimes grouped in with the punk movement of the 1970s, Ian Dury‘s musical style stretched far wider than three chords. With the Blockheads, he combined funk, reggae, new wave and jazz with classic rock and roll, which helped to mark the group out as one of the most distinctive UK acts in the late-1970s. With such a wide range of influences, his selections during a 1996 appearance on Desert Island Discs were always going to be interesting.
Dury first achieved critical and commercial success with his 1977 album New Boots and Panties!!, which included hits like ‘Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick’ and ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll’. His lyrics were often wry, observational, and unapologetically British, reflecting both his love of language and his working-class roots.
Likewise, Dury’s music moved freely between rock, punk, and funk, making him a standout figure in the British music scene. One of the songs on that breakout album—’Sweet Gene Vincent’—was Dury’s public love letter to the rock ‘n’ roll singer he had adored since his teens.
Gene Vincent was one of the early stars of rock ‘n’ roll, although technically, he pioneered the rockabilly subgenre. He was one of the first musicians of that era to move away from a light, bright, teen sheen and instead towards a darker, more defiant image. In the early 1950s, he formed the Blue Caps and went on to release some of the defining records of the genre – most notably ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ in 1956. That tune became an instant hit, earning him comparisons to Elvis Presley and helping to cement rockabilly as a genuine alternative to rock ‘n’ roll.
The B-side to ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ was a song called ‘Woman Love’, which Dury named as his favourite rock ‘n’ roll song during a Desert Island Discs appearance in 1996. Interestingly, ‘Woman Love’ was originally intended as the A-side to that single, but the record label flipped the order after American radio stations started playing ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ instead.
During the interview, Dury explained his deep love for ‘Woman Love’. He said: “When I was 14 or 15 I went to see a film called The Girl Can’t Help It,” he says. “And it was full of rock ‘n’ rollers – Little Richard, Eddie Cochrane…and Gene Vincent singing ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula.’ It’s in the film for about 18 seconds – you can hear it in the background. I couldn’t believe it! What’s that!? The voice, the song and the visuals combined, and my brain exploded. This (‘Woman Love’) is the B-side to that single. I believe it’s quite rude, but nobody knows what he’s talking about!”
It’s easy to see why Dury was drawn to Vincent. For one, Vincent was the most visceral representation of the raw, rebellious spirit of 1950s rock ‘n’ roll. Dury mimicked Vincent in both stagecraft and fashion, slicking his hair back and wearing fingerless gloves in the same style. But they also shared other similarities. Dury contracted polio at the age of seven, leaving him permanently disabled.
Vincent also suffered a life-changing accident when he was young, his leg shattering in a motorbike crash when he was 17. Both carried visible signs of their injuries throughout their lives – so Dury may well have been inspired by Vincent’s refusal to be bowed by his injury. Instead of having his leg amputated, he decided to wear a leg brace instead, using his disability to add to his unique stage demeanour.
Gene Vincent was Ian Dury’s musical icon, so it comes as little surprise that he chose a Vincent song as one of his all-time favourites. However, the fact that he chose a lesser-known B-side is typical of Dury and his natural inclination to go against the grain. For Dury, above all, it was Vincent’s rebellious spirit which left a lasting impact on his life. ‘Woman Love’ is the legacy of that.
[embedded content]
Related Topics
