Stupidity (Dr. Feelgood album)
Encyclopedia
Stupidity was the third album
by Dr. Feelgood
. It was released in September 1976, and was their first live album
recording. Their mushrooming popularity was confirmed when Stupidity (1976) topped the UK
charts
.
The album reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart
in October 1976 (for one week), and remained in that chart
for nine weeks. It was the first ever live album to go to number 1 in the UK chart in its first week of release. It was Dr. Feelgood's first and, to date, only recording
to reach number 1, and appeared over eight months before their first single
entered the corresponding UK Singles Chart
- "Sneakin' Suspicion
" (June 1977).
Along with Rock Follies
in 1976, it reached the top spot in the UK without the benefit of a hit single
.
The original vinyl album
had the first seven tracks, recorded in Sheffield
, on Side 1, and the next six tracks, recorded in Southend
, on Side 2. The final two tracks, recorded in Aylesbury
, were on a free single, only issued with the first 20,000 copies, making this a collector's item.
This is, however, contradicted on the back of the 1998 Grand Records re-release (GRANDCD 21), which states that tracks 8-15 were all recorded at Southend.
An extended CD
version of the album was released in 1991 (CDP795934-2) entitled Stupidity + and sub-titled Dr. Feelgood - Live - 1976-1990. In addition to the tracks above, there were an additional nine live tracks included: "Take a Tip" / "Every Kind of Vice" / "She's A Wind Up
" / "No Mo Do Yakamo" / "Love Hound" / "Shotgun Blues" / "King For A Day" / "Milk and Alcohol
" / "Down At The Doctors" - which were all recorded in the period after Wilko Johnson left the band in 1977.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood (band)
Dr. Feelgood are a British pub rock band formed in 1971. The band's name derives from a slang term for heroin or for a doctor who is willing to overprescribe drugs. It is also a reference to a 1962 record by the American blues pianist and singer Willie Perryman called "Dr Feel-Good", which...
. It was released in September 1976, and was their first live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
recording. Their mushrooming popularity was confirmed when Stupidity (1976) topped the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
The album reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
in October 1976 (for one week), and remained in that chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
for nine weeks. It was the first ever live album to go to number 1 in the UK chart in its first week of release. It was Dr. Feelgood's first and, to date, only recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
to reach number 1, and appeared over eight months before their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
entered the corresponding UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
- "Sneakin' Suspicion
Sneakin' Suspicion (Dr. Feelgood song)
"Sneakin' Suspicion" is a song by the band Dr. Feelgood. It was recorded in 1977 and appeared as the first track on their same titled album, Sneakin' Suspicion, which was released in May that year. It was recorded at the Rockfield Studios, and mixed at the Media Sounds Studios, New York."Sneakin'...
" (June 1977).
Along with Rock Follies
Rock Follies
Rock Follies, and its sequel, Rock Follies of '77, was a comedy musical drama shown on British television in the mid 1970s. The storyline, over 12 episodes and two series, followed the ups and downs of a fictional female rock band called the "Little Ladies" as they struggled for recognition and...
in 1976, it reached the top spot in the UK without the benefit of a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Wilko Johnson; except where indicated- "Talking About YouI'm Talking about YouI'm Talking About You is a song by Chuck Berry, released by him in 1961.Cover versions: The Hollies , The Animals, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, Roger Chapman, The Beatles I'm Talking About You is a song by Chuck Berry, released by him in 1961.Cover versions: The Hollies (in Stay with the...
" (Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
) - "20 Yards Behind"
- "Stupidity" (Solomon BurkeSolomon BurkeSolomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
) - "All Through The City"
- "I'm a ManI'm A Man (Bo Diddley song)"I'm a Man" is a song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. A moderately slow blues with a stop-time figure, it was inspired by an earlier blues song and became a #1 R&B chart hit. "I'm a Man" has been acknowledged by Rolling Stone magazine and has been recorded by a variety of artists,...
" (Bo DiddleyBo DiddleyEllas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
) - "Walking The Dog" (Rufus ThomasRufus ThomasRufus Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm and blues, funk and soul singer and comedian fromMemphis, Tennessee, who recorded on Sun Records in the...
) - "She Does It Right"
- "Going Back Home" (Mick GreenMick GreenMichael Robert "Mick" Green was an English rock and roll guitarist who played with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.-Biography:He was born Michael Robert Green, in Matlock, Derbyshire...
, Johnson) - "I Don't Mind"
- "Back in the NightBack in the Night"Back in the Night" is a song by the band Dr. Feelgood. Recorded in 1975 it appeared on their second album, Malpractice."Back in the Night" was also issued as a single in the UK in July 1975. It failed to reach the UK Singles Chart. Written by Wilko Johnson, and produced by Vic Maile, the song was...
" - "I'm a Hog for you Baby" (Leiber, StollerJerry Leiber and Mike StollerJerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller were American songwriting and record producing partners. Stoller was the composer and Leiber the lyricist. Their most famous songs include "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me" Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011)...
) - "Checking Up on My BabyCheckin' Up on My Baby"Checkin' Up on My Baby" is a song recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson II in 1960 that has become a classic of the blues. The song was not released as a single, but was included on Williamson's The Real Folk Blues album released after his death in January 1966...
" (Sonny Boy WilliamsonSonny Boy Williamson IIWillie "Sonny Boy" Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, from Mississippi. He is acknowledged as one of the most charismatic and influential blues musicians, with considerable prowess on the harmonica and highly creative songwriting skills...
) - "RoxetteRoxette (Dr. Feelgood song)"Roxette" is a song by the band Dr. Feelgood. Recorded in 1974, it was Dr. Feelgood's debut single and appeared on their debut album, Down by the Jetty....
" - "Riot in Cell Block No. 9Riot In Cell Block Nine"Riot In Cell Block #9" is a classic and pervasive R&B song composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.In this song, a man is serving his sentence in federal prison for armed robbery. At 4:00 AM on July 2, 1953, he wakes up to a rather alarming disturbance: a jail riot! It started in cell block #4...
" (Leiber, Stoller) - "Johnny B. GoodeJohnny B. Goode"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by American musician Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song is one of Chuck Berry's...
" (Chuck Berry)
The original vinyl album
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
had the first seven tracks, recorded in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, on Side 1, and the next six tracks, recorded in Southend
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
, on Side 2. The final two tracks, recorded in Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
, were on a free single, only issued with the first 20,000 copies, making this a collector's item.
This is, however, contradicted on the back of the 1998 Grand Records re-release (GRANDCD 21), which states that tracks 8-15 were all recorded at Southend.
An extended CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
version of the album was released in 1991 (CDP795934-2) entitled Stupidity + and sub-titled Dr. Feelgood - Live - 1976-1990. In addition to the tracks above, there were an additional nine live tracks included: "Take a Tip" / "Every Kind of Vice" / "She's A Wind Up
She's A Wind Up
"She's A Wind Up" is a song by the band Dr. Feelgood. The track was recorded in 1977, and appeared on Be Seeing You, an album by Dr. Feelgood that was released in September that year....
" / "No Mo Do Yakamo" / "Love Hound" / "Shotgun Blues" / "King For A Day" / "Milk and Alcohol
Milk and Alcohol
"Milk and Alcohol" is a song by the band Dr. Feelgood that ranked on Britain's top-10 hit singles chart in 1979. Written by Nick Lowe and Gypie Mayo, and produced by Richard Gottehrer, the song was Dr...
" / "Down At The Doctors" - which were all recorded in the period after Wilko Johnson left the band in 1977.
Chart positions
| Chart | Year | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1976 | 1 |
Personnel
- Wilko JohnsonWilko JohnsonWilko Johnson is an English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the UK rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s.-Career:...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Lee Brilleaux - vocals, guitar, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles... - John B. Sparks - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- The Big Figure - drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, backing vocals
- Dr. Feelgood - producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Vic MaileVic MaileVic Maile was a British record producer. After starting his career as sound engineer with Pye mobile studios for The Animals on their song, "We Gotta Get out of This Place", Maile worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, The...
- audio engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Will BirchWill BirchWill Birch is an English music journalist, songwriter, record producer and drummer.-Career:Birch played drums in various bands in the Southend area before helping to form The Kursaal Flyers in 1973...
- liner notesLiner notesLiner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:... - Paul Henry - designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...