The Wreckless Eric song that wasn't a hit, but has never really gone away

Stiff Records released 'Whole Wide World' on this date in 1977

Though its impact on the U.K. charts was minimal, Stiff Records served as the launching pad for several successful punk and new wave bands in the mid and late 1970s. Formed in the summer of 1976 by voluble and volatile U.K. music industry go-getters Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera, Stiff introduced the world (or at least the U.K.) to Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, The Damned, and Ian Dury and the Blockheads.

Stiff reveled in taking chances on “offbeat” artists that no major label would sign, something that greatly benefited the bespectacled Costello and eccentric Dury. However, not every Stiff act was destined for glory, or even a sustained commercial music career. One of those was Eric Goulden, known by his professional name, Wreckless Eric.

On August 25, 1977, Stiff released Wreckless Eric’s first single, Whole Wide World. Produced by Nick Lowe — who liked the demo of the song on a tape Goulden dropped off at the Stiff office in London — Whole Wide World would fail to chart. But it became Goulden’s most-popular song and has repeatedly popped up in movies, television shows, commercials, and cover versions. Hopefully that has made Eric a little extra money over the years, to offset the torture of having to sing Whole Wide World every time he’s had a guitar in his hand before an audience of more than one over the past 48 years.

I don’t love the song. It’s monotonous, bouncing from E to A, A to E, again and again, all fucking day. Also, Wreckless Eric sings it in a whiny, man-child voice that is quite irritating. (Goulden says in this interview that the track was sped up after he recorded it, pushing the key from E to F. It still sounds like it’s in E to me.)

Yet Whole Wide World remains beloved to many people, as does Goulden. And that second part I understand, because Wreckless seems like a good bloke! He’s a bit of a raconteur on stage, has a super-dry sense of humor, and is a very talented writer. Not just of song lyrics, either; Goulden penned a well-regarded autobiography that covers his early life, drinking problem, and checkered music career with unstinting honesty. In addition, he has a blog on his website full of self-deprecating wit. Example:

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Goulden’s first album for Stiff was released in January 1978, spending a week at No. 46 before disappearing. He released two more albums under the Stiff label before being dropped due to low sales. For his part, Goulden was unhappy with Stiff for what he felt was a lack of promotion.

Over the years Goulden has released more than a dozen self-recorded albums while living in England, France, and upstate New York. He’d probably be a fun guy to have a beer with, if he still drank. Perhaps it’s best that he doesn’t.

Whole Wide World is below. Nick Lowe plays guitar and bass on the track, while Steve Goulding of Graham Parker and the Rumour handles drums.