''Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit'' is a 1984 album by British singer-songwriter

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,The Abominable Showman ''The Abominable Showman'' is the fourth solo album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe, released in 1983. The album was out of print for two decades until being reissued on CD and vinyl by Yep Roc Records on 14 July 2017. The reissue contain ...

''). ''Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit'' was reissued in 2000 by

Demon Music Group Demon Music Group (DMG) is a record company owned by BBC Studios that is mainly concerned with back-catalogue rights and re-issuing recordings as compilations on physical media (CDs and vinyl) via supermarkets and specialist stores. History DM ...

. ''Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit'' incorporates more of a

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

feel than Lowe's previous albums, including nods to

Tex-Mex Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine, American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the Tejanos, ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others i ...

music ("Half a Boy and Half a Man"), 1950s guitar instrumentals ("Awesome"), and

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

(via a cover of

Faron Young Faron Young (February 25, 1932 – December 10, 1996) was an American country music producer, musician, and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. Hits including "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" and " Live Fast, Love Hard, D ...

's "

Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" was Faron Young's first number-one song and his fifth consecutive top ten hit. It spent three weeks at the top of the ''Billboard'' country music chart in 1955. Background "This was a tune I detested", Young said. ...

"). Other notable tracks include the

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

-influenced "L.A.F.S."—which was co-produced and arranged by

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

(a role reversal of sorts, as Lowe had produced Costello's first five albums). The album also includes a cover of

Mickey Jupp Michael Graham "Mickey" Jupp (born 6 March 1944, in Worthing, Sussex, England) is an English musician and songwriter, mainly associated with the Southend music scene. Career Jupp played in several Southend bands after leaving art college in 196 ...

's "You'll Never Get Me Up in One of Those", which had been previously recorded by Lowe's former

Rockpile Rockpile was a British rock and roll band of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong pub rock, rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds (vocals, gui ...

bandmate

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has alwa ...

(the Edmunds version can be heard on his album '' Twangin...''). Rockpile had also played as backing band on the Jupp original, on his 1978 album ''Juppanese''.

Reception

Despite good reviews (including a B+ grade from critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

), ''Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit'' only reached No. 113 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The first single off the album, "Half a Boy and Half a Man", would become a moderate chart hit in the UK, reaching No. 53.

Track listing

All songs written by Nick Lowe except as noted. #"Half a Boy and Half a Man" – 2:52 #"Breakaway" (

Tom Springfield Tom Springfield (born Dionysius Patrick O'Brien, 2 July 1934 – 27 July 2022) was an English musician, songwriter and record producer who was prominent in the 1960s folk and pop music scene. He was the older brother of singer Dusty Springfield ...

) – 3:38 #"You'll Never Get Me Up in One of Those" (

) – 4:38 #"Love Like a Glove" (

Carlene Carter Carlene Carter (born Rebecca Carlene Smith; September 26, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith. As of 2020, since 1978, Carter has recorded 12 album ...

, James Eller) – 3:14 #"The Gee and the Rick and the Three Card Trick" – 4:19 #"(Hey Big Mouth) Stand Up and Say That" – 2:47 #"Awesome" (Lowe,

Profile Profile or profiles may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Music * ''Profile'' (Jan Akkerman album), 1973 * ''Profile'' (Githead album), 2005 * ''Profile'' (Pat Donohue album), 2005 * ''Profile'' (Duke Pearson album), 1959 * '' ''Profi ...

) – 2:48 #"God's Gift to Women" – 3:30 #"Maureen" – 3:04 #"L.A.F.S." – 3:32 #"

" (

Joe Allison Joseph Marion Allison (October 3, 1924 – August 2, 2002) was an American songwriter, radio and television personality, record producer, and country music business executive. Allison won five BMI performance awards for hit singles he wrote and ...

) – 2:39 Note: the US and UK versions of the album had different track orders; the above is the US order. However, there are no song differences between the two.

Personnel

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,Martin Belmont Martin Belmont (born 21 December 1948) is an English rock and country-blues guitarist, best known for being a founding member of Graham Parker & The Rumour. Life and career Belmont was born in Bromley, Kent, England. After working as a roadie ...

– guitar *

Paul Carrack Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

– keyboards, backing vocals *

Bobby Irwin Bobby Irwin (23 March 1953 – 8 May 2015) was an English drummer, record producer and songwriter. He is known for working in close collaboration with Nick Lowe as co-songwriter and drummer and as a member of Lowe's band the Cowboy Outfit, as w ...

– drums, backing vocals *

Billy Bremner William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional footballer and manager. Regarded as one of the game's great midfielders, he combined precision passing skills with tenacious tackling and physical stam ...

– guitar on "Break Away" and "Love Like A Glove" * Bobby Valentino – fiddle on "God's Gift To Women" * TKO Horns (Jeff Blythe – saxophone; Jimmy Paterson – trombone; Dave Plews – trumpet; Paul Speare – saxophone) – horns on "L.A.F.S."

Production credits

*Produced by

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,Paul Riley – (tracks 1–9 and 11) &

, Colin Fairley – (track 10) *Recorded and Mixed at Ampro Studios – Shepherds Bush, Riverside Studios – Chiswick, Eden Studios – Acton, Boathouse Studios – Twickenham *Engineering assistants Colin Phillips, Tony Phillips, Chris Ludwinski *String Arrangements by

Robert Kirby Robert Kirby (16 April 1948 – 3 October 2009) was a British-born arranger of string sections for rock and folk music. He was best known for his work on the Nick Drake albums, ''Five Leaves Left'' and ''Bryter Layter'', but also worked wi ...

– (track 10) *Horn Arrangement by

– (track 10)

Notes

External links

* {{Authority control 1984 albums Nick Lowe albums Albums produced by Paul Riley (musician) Albums produced by Nick Lowe Albums produced by Elvis Costello F-Beat Records albums Columbia Records albums RCA Records albums