- Cruel to Be Kind
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"Cruel to Be Kind" is a 1979 single by Nick Lowe, co-written by Lowe and his former Brinsley Schwarz band-mate Ian Gomm, that peaked at #12 in both the British and US charts that summer. In the US, where it is Lowe's most well-known work, it remains his only single to hit the top 40, whereas in the UK "I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass" remains his biggest hit after reaching #7 a year earlier.
"Cruel To Be Kind" was released on the Radar Records label in the UK and Columbia Records in the USA. It was originally featured on the album Labour of Lust. The video to the song was one of the first music videos aired on MTV, and is a humorous re-enactment of Lowe's wedding to Carlene Carter, featuring Carter herself and Dave Edmunds as their limo driver.
The track has been covered by many artists including: Letters to Cleo, for the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You and Lazlo Bane on their Guilty Pleasures album. A Greek language version has also been recorded by Stavros Michalakakos. The original recording was played during the end credits for the documentary I.O.U.S.A.[1].
It should not be confused with the song "You've Got to Be Cruel to Be Kind" which was a UK hit for Unit 4 + 2 in December 1965, nor for the song "Cruel To Be Kind" by Spacehog, released in 1996.
References
Studio albums Jesus of Cool · Labour of Lust · Nick the Knife · The Abominable Showman · Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit · The Rose of England · Pinker and Prouder Than Previous · Party of One · The Impossible Bird · Dig My Mood · The Convincer · At My AgeEPs Live albums Singles "So It Goes" · "Keep It Out of Sight" · "Halfway to Paradise" · "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" · "Little Hitler" · "American Squirm" · "Cracking Up" · "Cruel to Be Kind" · "Switch Board Susan" · "Stick It Where the Sun Don't Shine" · "Burning" · "My Heart Hurts" · "Ragin' Eyes" · "Cool Reaction" · "Wish You Were Here" · "Half a Boy & Half a Man" · "L.A.F.S." · "I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)" · "Lovers Jamboree" · "All Men Are Liars" · "You Got the Look I Like" · "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" · "I Live on a Battlefield" · "You Inspire Me" · "Lately I've Let Things Slide" · "She's Got Soul"Compilations 16 All-Time Lowes · Nick's Knack · Basher: The Best of Nick Lowe · The Wilderness Years · Boxed · The Doings · Quiet Please... The New Best of Nick Lowe · The Brentford TrilogyRelated articles Categories:- 1970s song stubs
- 1979 singles
- British rock songs
- New Wave songs
- Songs written by Nick Lowe
- Nick Lowe songs
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