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Dury's first hit, "What a Waste / Wake Up and Make Love with Me" was released in April 1978 just before the start of a headlining tour, entering the Top 75 on 29 April and spent 12 weeks there. It peaked at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming Stiff
Records' biggest selling single to date. A
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The single has most likely contributed to the confusion over exactly what Ian Dury songs are by 'Ian Dury & The
Blockheads' including as it did "Wake Up and Make Love with Me" on its B-side: this is not a new version of the song re-recorded by the band but the version from
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before the chorus reveals that instead he chose to 'play the fool in a six-piece band' highlighting some of the pitfalls of this (loneliness specifically), before deciding that 'rock and roll don't mind'.
325:". The song's verses list a number of things the song's narrator could have been, from a driver, poet, teacher or soldier to an inmate in a long-term institution and the ticket man at
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The song was written following the break-up of
Kilburn and the Highroads in a lull between the formation of Ian Dury & the Kilburns and was written with
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that while not condemning 9-to-5 jobs, he had written the song to make people question their lives, echoing the sentiments of his earlier single "
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quote the song in the chorus of the track "Running Out Of Space": 'It's high time for summer and for honesty / when you're drunk you will sing
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341:(Dury's long-term songwriting companion): this third writing credit has gradually been phased out and the 2004 Edsel Records re-issue of
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single BUY 27 "What a Waste" / "Wake Up and Make Love with Me". The song has remained in The
Blockheads' set following Dury's death.
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in keeping with Dury's then policy of not including singles on albums: the song was not available again until the compilation album
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which is not a
Blockheads album (although some of the band do play on it). "What a Waste", however, is a Blockheads track.
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Although the original single omits the exclamation mark, "What a Waste" is sometimes written with one, including on
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Essentially a song about being in a job that makes you happy, Dury claimed in a 1984 interview with
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in mid-1975, two years before it was released. Originally a third writing credit was given to
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405:"What a Waste" is included as the final track on the Demon Records re-issue of
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The song was ranked at No. 3 among the top "Tracks of the Year" for 1978 by
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album. The recording was also included on Curve's 2004 compilation album
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Part of the bridge section of "What a Waste" was sampled by
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by Jim Drury, first published 2003, Sanctuary
Publishing.
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and the
Blockheads, originally released in 1978 on the
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by
Richard Balls, first published 2000, Omnibus Press.
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Sex and Drugs and Rock And Roll: the Life of Ian Dury
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credits the song to Dury/Melvin solely. However, in
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603:"Ian Dury & The Blockheads - What A Waste!"
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355:very limited 12" pressing was also released.
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89:1978 single by Ian Dury & The Blockheads
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638:Ian Dury & The Blockheads: Song by Song
349:Ian Dury & The Blockheads: Song By Song
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77:Learn how and when to remove this message
40:This article includes a list of general
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505:- keyboards, guitars, musical direction
257:& The Blockheads singles chronology
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1135:Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
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421:Live versions can be found on both
46:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1035:With Kilburn & the High Roads
431:. Dury re-recorded the song with
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577:"Albums and Tracks of the Year"
557:. Official Charts Company. 2016
323:Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll
128:"Wake Up and Make Love with Me"
1096:Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3
853:Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3
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1089:Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick
1025:Ten More Turnips from the Tip
846:Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick
803:Ten More Turnips from the Tip
286:Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick
161:The Workhouse Studio, London
472:, English indie rock band,
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392:The song was omitted from
304:" is a song and single by
1183:Songs written by Ian Dury
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452:Live! Warts 'n' Audience
383:Re-releases and versions
948:New Boots and Panties!!
532:Charley Charles - drums
407:New Boots and Panties!!
362:New Boots and Panties!!
327:Fulham Broadway station
61:more precise citations.
1103:Sueperman's Big Sister
1018:Straight from the Desk
860:Sueperman's Big Sister
821:Straight from the Desk
461:on their 1991 single "
428:Straight from the Desk
1193:Stiff Records singles
1117:Dance Little Rude Boy
867:Dance Little Rude Boy
1110:Spasticus Autisticus
962:4,000 Weeks' Holiday
551:"UK Official Charts"
459:A Tribe Called Quest
116:& The Blockheads
1075:Sweet Gene Vincent
555:Officialcharts.com
423:Warts 'n' Audience
268:Sweet Gene Vincent
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890:Live Stiffs Live
877:Related articles
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1082:What a Waste
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611:. Retrieved
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587:November 26,
585:. Retrieved
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559:. Retrieved
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523:- saxophones
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302:What a Waste
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277:What a Waste
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67:October 2016
64:
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18:What A Waste
1152:Discography
884:Discography
813:Live albums
743:Dave Lewis
737:Davey Payne
724:Lee Harris
687:Chaz Jankel
561:15 December
521:Davey Payne
517:- keyboards
503:Chaz Jankel
474:theaudience
388:Re-releases
339:Chaz Jankel
242:Producer(s)
136:April 1978
59:introducing
1198:1978 songs
1172:Categories
1050:Wotabunch!
760:Dylan Howe
537:References
335:Rod Melvin
231:Rod Melvin
42:references
511:- guitars
484:Personnel
369:Reception
318:Penthouse
175:Funk punk
1043:Handsome
1004:Laughter
933:Ian Dury
789:Laughter
755:Ian Dury
492:- vocals
490:Ian Dury
417:Versions
306:Ian Dury
255:Ian Dury
227:Ian Dury
180:new wave
148:Recorded
133:Released
114:Ian Dury
1060:Singles
831:Singles
626:Sources
607:Discogs
290:(1978)
281:(1978)
272:(1977)
55:improve
969:Apples
613:12 May
583:. 2016
529:- bass
189:Length
157:Studio
123:B-side
110:Single
44:, but
1127:Films
986:With
433:Curve
211:Stiff
206:Label
167:Genre
615:2019
589:2016
563:2016
425:and
151:1977
140:U.K.
581:NME
465:".
376:NME
112:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
