When the band Any Trouble made its debut on Stiff Records in 1979 with the single “Yesterday’s Love” b/w “Nice Girls,” the label had already survived the defection of co-founder Jake Riviera and, with him, artists including Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe.  Any Trouble was one of the headliners of the 1980 “Son of Stiff” tour, alongside Ten Pole Tudor, Dirty Looks, Joe “King” Carrasco and The Crowns, and The Equators, and made their LP debut that year with Where Are All the Nice Girls?  Produced by John Wood, the album earned the band a Melody Maker cover story.  In late 2013, courtesy of Cherry Red Records, that album was joined with the band’s complete Stiff discography (one more studio LP, one live LP, and various singles and non-LP tracks) as a 3-CD set, The Complete Stiff Recordings 1980-1981.

Manchester’s Clive Gregson (rhythm guitar/vocals) founded Any Trouble with mates Chris Parks (lead guitar) and Tom Jackson (lead vocals) as a folk-styled trio inspired by, in his words, “rootsy American music [like] Dylan, The Band, Little Feat, Springsteen, etc.”  But the band evolved into an electric four-piece when Jackson departed, and drummer Mel Harley and bassist Phil Barnes were brought in from Parks’ old band Torch.  Gregson’s songs caught the ear of tastemakers including DJ John Peel, and as the band built a following on the U.K. pub circuit, Any Trouble was signed to Stiff. As Nice Girls capitalized on the New Wave sound, many expected the LP to be greeted with instant success.  But despite the critical acclaim, record buyers didn’t immediately take to Any Trouble, and Gregson was plagued by comparisons to Elvis Costello.

Undeterred, Any Trouble persevered with 1981’s Wheels in Motion.  Martin Hughes replaced Mel Harley on drums, and Mike Howlett took over for John Wood in the producer’s chair.  But despite another strong set of contemporary songs from Gregson, the Wheels weren’t in motion for Any Trouble, commercially-speaking.  An ill-fated U.S. tour concluded with the band dropped and, well, Stiffed by their label, left in America without so much as a return ticket home.

Following a sabbatical, Gregson and Barnes regroup with an EMI America contract and parlayed that into another two albums including the double set Wrong End of the Race.  In 1984, Any Trouble finally called it quits, and Gregson embarked on a solo career that continues to this day.  But Cherry Red’s Complete Stiff Recordings captures the seminal records that conferred cult status on the band.  After the jump: exactly what will you find on this 3-CD mini-box set?

All three albums are presented on individual discs, with each album expanded by bonus tracks.  The former album adds six tracks including the B-side alternate version of “Nice Girls,” a demo of “The Hurt,” and a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Growing Up” which appeared on the U.S. release.  Wheels is expanded by four cuts including Nick Simpson’s title track which didn’t actually appear on the original album.  Live at the Venue, recorded in London on May 31, 1980 with Mel Harley in the line-up, was first released as a promo-only item.  It is bolstered by two B-sides: the ABBA cover “The Name of the Game” and Gregson’s “Bible Belt.”

This slipcased, CD-sized box set produced by John Reed with the cooperation of Clive Gregson, includes a booklet with credits and a lengthy and candid interview with Gregson.  All of the tracks have been remastered by Simon Murphy at Another Planet Music.  All of this adds up to the definitive survey of Any Trouble’s pivotal Stiff period.

The Complete Stiff Recordings 1980-1981 is available now from Cherry Red Records and can be ordered at the links below!

Any Trouble, The Complete Stiff Recordings 1980-1981 (Cherry Red CDTRED 597, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1: Where Are All the Nice Girls? (originally issued as Stiff SEEZ 25, 1980)

1. Second Choice
2. Playing Bogart
3. Foolish Pride
4. Nice Girls
5. Turning Up the Heat
6. Romance
7. The Hurt
8. Girls Are Always Right
9. Honolulu
10. Get You Off (The Hook)
11. Yesterday’s Love (Stiff single BUY 74, 1980/reissue of Pennine PSS 7165, 1979)
12. Nice Girls (B-Side Version) (Stiff single BUY 74, 1980/reissue of Pennine PSS 7165, 1979)
13. No Idea (included on U.S. version of album, Stiff USE 6, 1980)
14. Growing Up (included on U.S. version of album, Stiff USE 6, 1980)
15. Turning Up the Heat (Remix) (origin TBD)
16. The Hurt (Demo) (origin TBD)

CD 2: Wheels in Motion (originally issued as Stiff SEEZ 37, 1981)

1. Trouble with Love
2. Open Fire
3. As Lovers Do
4. Walking in Chains
5. Dimming of the Day
6. Another Heartache
7. To Be a King
8. Power Cut
9. Eastern Promise
10. The Sun Never Sets
11. She’ll Belong to Me
12. Wheels in Motion (Final Studio Session) (included on Girls Are Always Right: The Stiff Years, Cherry Red CDM RED 211, 2002)
13. Snapshot (Final Studio Session) (included on Girls Are Always Right: The Stiff Years, Cherry Red CDM RED 211, 2002)
14. Follow That Car (Final Studio Session) (included on Girls Are Always Right: The Stiff Years, Cherry Red CDM RED 211, 2002)

CD 3: Live at the Venue (originally issued as Stiff TRUBZ 1, 1980/Teldec 6.25 967)

1. The Hurt
2. Bible Belt (Bonus B-Side) (from Stiff single BUY 79, 1980)
3. Second Choice
4. Foolish Pride
5. Nice Girls
6. Yesterday’s Love
7. (Get You Off) The Hook
8. The Name of the Game (Bonus B-Side) (from Stiff single BUY 79, 1980)
9. Girls Are Always Right
10. Follow That Car
11. Growing Up
12. Turning Up the Heat
13. Working on the Night Shift