…a lorry driver, poet, teacher, soldier, lawyer, doctor, writer, ticket collector, revolutionary, inmate or dreamer. But his career of choice was the fool in a six-piece band…and it most certainly was a welcome one as he and his mates brought untold pleasure to fans of new wave music in the late 70s:-
mp3 : Ian Dury & The Blockheads – What A Waste
April 1978 was when this crashed into the charts, giving the gnarled and veteran pub rocker his first real commercial success just shy of his 36th birthday.
The b-side was one of the most popular tracks from the album New Boots and Panties, released some six months previously and credited solely to the singer, albeit most (but not all) The Blockheads played on it. Also worth noting that it was given a shorter title for the single:-
mp3 : Ian Dury & The Blockheads – Wake Up
Oh, and any excuse to offer up this cover, with backing vocals from the main man himself:-
mp3 : Curve (feat Ian Dury) – What A Waste
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
This bloke appeared at the right time. It was always fun listening to him. Great job Jim
36 seemed very old to me in 1978.
Simply glorious, still.
Love this tune. Also love the Curve cover, which I never heard before.