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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
91:
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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'.
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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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330:(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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394:"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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592:"Ian Dury & The Blockheads - What A Waste!"
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344:very limited 12" pressing was also released.
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78:1978 single by Ian Dury & The Blockheads
965:The Bus Driver's Prayer & Other Stories
627:Ian Dury & The Blockheads: Song by Song
338:Ian Dury & The Blockheads: Song By Song
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66:Learn how and when to remove this message
29:This article includes a list of general
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494:- keyboards, guitars, musical direction
246:& The Blockheads singles chronology
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1124:Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
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7:
410:Live versions can be found on both
35:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1024:With Kilburn & the High Roads
420:. Dury re-recorded the song with
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566:"Albums and Tracks of the Year"
546:. Official Charts Company. 2016
312:Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll
117:"Wake Up and Make Love with Me"
1085:Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3
842:Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3
1:
1078:Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick
1014:Ten More Turnips from the Tip
835:Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick
792:Ten More Turnips from the Tip
275:Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick
150:The Workhouse Studio, London
461:, English indie rock band,
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381:The song was omitted from
293:" is a song and single by
1172:Songs written by Ian Dury
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441:Live! Warts 'n' Audience
372:Re-releases and versions
937:New Boots and Panties!!
521:Charley Charles - drums
396:New Boots and Panties!!
351:New Boots and Panties!!
316:Fulham Broadway station
50:more precise citations.
1092:Sueperman's Big Sister
1007:Straight from the Desk
849:Sueperman's Big Sister
810:Straight from the Desk
450:on their 1991 single "
417:Straight from the Desk
1182:Stiff Records singles
1106:Dance Little Rude Boy
856:Dance Little Rude Boy
1099:Spasticus Autisticus
951:4,000 Weeks' Holiday
540:"UK Official Charts"
448:A Tribe Called Quest
105:& The Blockheads
1064:Sweet Gene Vincent
544:Officialcharts.com
412:Warts 'n' Audience
257:Sweet Gene Vincent
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866:Related articles
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598:. 14 April 1978
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1167:1978 singles
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1071:What a Waste
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600:. Retrieved
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576:November 26,
574:. Retrieved
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548:. Retrieved
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512:- saxophones
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389:Jukebox Dury
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291:What a Waste
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266:What a Waste
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56:October 2016
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1141:Discography
873:Discography
802:Live albums
732:Dave Lewis
726:Davey Payne
713:Lee Harris
676:Chaz Jankel
550:15 December
510:Davey Payne
506:- keyboards
492:Chaz Jankel
463:theaudience
377:Re-releases
328:Chaz Jankel
231:Producer(s)
125:April 1978
48:introducing
1187:1978 songs
1161:Categories
1039:Wotabunch!
749:Dylan Howe
526:References
324:Rod Melvin
220:Rod Melvin
31:references
500:- guitars
473:Personnel
358:Reception
307:Penthouse
164:Funk punk
1032:Handsome
993:Laughter
922:Ian Dury
778:Laughter
744:Ian Dury
481:- vocals
479:Ian Dury
406:Versions
295:Ian Dury
244:Ian Dury
216:Ian Dury
169:new wave
137:Recorded
122:Released
103:Ian Dury
1049:Singles
820:Singles
615:Sources
596:Discogs
279:(1978)
270:(1978)
261:(1977)
44:improve
958:Apples
602:12 May
572:. 2016
518:- bass
178:Length
146:Studio
112:B-side
99:Single
33:, but
1116:Films
975:With
422:Curve
200:Stiff
195:Label
156:Genre
604:2019
578:2016
552:2016
414:and
140:1977
129:U.K.
570:NME
454:".
365:NME
101:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
