"Be Stiff" is the third single by American new wave band Devo. It was released in 1978. The song was taken from the sessions for produced by Brian Eno. Guitarist Bob Lewis wrote the music and came up with the title concept; bassist Jerry Casale penned the verses. With its stop-start rhythms and angular arrangement, "Be Stiff" exemplified Devo's stance against soft rock complacency. It became an anthem for Stiff Records, and a minor success in the UK. It was covered multiple times, including on a Stiff-released EP of their own artists' interpretations. It was performed in 1980 and live recordings appear on DEV-O Live and Devo Live 1980. It was also performed as an encore on the Freedom of Choice shows of Devo's November 2009 tour, and included in the setlist of their 2014 Hardcore Devo Live! tour.
Release history
An early demo of "Be Stiff" with a very different sound appears on the collection , recorded in either 1974 or 1975. In early 1978, Devo toured the UK for the first time, and Stiff Records released three Devo singles in a row: "Jocko Homo" which charted at number 51, Devo's wildly different arrangement of the Rolling Stones' " Satisfaction" which reached number 41, and "Be Stiff" which rose to number 71. "Be Stiff" was also produced in London in limited quantities on clear and yellow vinyl, released at the same time as five colored vinyl versions of "Whoops-a-Daisy" by Stiff Records artist Humphrey Ocean and the Hardy Annuals.
Covers and alternate versions
Following Devo's popular July 1978 performance at the Knebworth Festival, Stiff released an EP featuring six artists from the "Be Stiff '78" tour performing versions of "Be Stiff". The artists were Lene Lovich, Mickey Jupp, Wreckless Eric, Rachel Sweet, Jona Lewie, and the Be Stiff Ensemble. A website devoted to Mickey Jupp offers the following review: Live recordings of the song from Devo's 1980 tour have been released on DEV-O Live and Devo Live 1980 and an alternate demo version appears on the compilationRecombo DNA. In 1982, Toni Basil released a version of "Be Stiff" on her album Word of Mouth, featuring music recorded by Devo. The version of "Social Fools" featured on the B-side of the single is a Devo-produced studio version. A second studio version produced by Brian Eno was later issued as the b-side of the "Come Back Jonee" 7" single. Big Business released a cover of "Be Stiff" on their 2006 Tour EP II.
