Wreckless Eric English rock 'n' roll and new wave singer and songwriter Date of Birth: 18.05.1924 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Rise to Fame
2. Stiff Records and "Whole Wide World"
3. Albums and Label Issues
4. Solo Career and Collaborations
5. Continued Success and Recognition

Early Life and Rise to Fame

Wreckless Eric, born Eric Goulden on May 18, 1954, is an English rock and new wave singer-songwriter. He is best known for his 1977 single "(I'd Go the) Whole Wide World." Over two decades after its release, the iconic single was included in Mojo magazine's list of "The Best Punk Rock Singles Ever." It also featured in Q Magazine's "Top 40 Alt Singles of 1975-2000."

Stiff Records and "Whole Wide World"

Eric is known as one of the inaugural artists of the independent record label Stiff Records, along with Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe. His first studio experience was recording "Whole Wide World" for the compilation album "A Bunch of Stiff Records" in April 1977. The single version was released in August with Nick Lowe on bass and Ian Dury on drums.

The song became one of five tracks Eric recorded for BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel. It placed 47th on Peel's annual "Festive Fifty" of the best fifty songs of 1977. The single also ranked 8th in Sounds magazine's list of singles of the year and received a highly favorable review in New Musical Express. Over time, the song gained widespread recognition, with numerous groups and musicians, including the Lightning Seeds, Mental As Anything, the Monkees, the Proclaimers, and Paul Westerberg, recording their own versions.

Albums and Label Issues

Eric's debut album, "Wreckless Eric," charted in the Top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. However, by the time of his second album, "The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric," on Stiff Records, the punk-aligned label began pressuring him to promote his excessive drinking habits. On his next album, "Big Smash!," Eric veered more towards pop music. Ironically, Cliff Richard's cover of "Broken Doll" from this album became his most successful charting song.

Dissatisfied with Stiff Records' policies and lack of artistic freedom, Eric parted ways with the label in 1980 and began recording on his own. He dropped out of the mainstream music industry for a period but continued writing songs and performing in clubs and pubs.

Solo Career and Collaborations

Post-Stiff, Eric performed with groups such as The Captains of Industry, The Len Bright Combo, Le Beat Group Electrique, and The Hitsville House Band. In 1997, he released an album under his real name, Eric Goulden, titled "Karaoke." Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, he released a slew of solo albums in partnership with independent labels.

Continued Success and Recognition

In 2002, "(I'd Go the) Whole Wide World" was featured in the soundtrack of the film "Heartlands." In 2005, Eric toured the UK with The Damned. In the 2006 film "Stranger Than Fiction," Will Ferrell performs "Whole Wide World," followed by Eric's original version. In 2008, Eric and his wife, Amy Rigby, released "Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby." The album's sound has been described as featuring "lots of chiming acoustic guitars, ear-caressing and melodic basslines, and atmospheric sounds created by vintage synthesizers, guitar processors, and electronic effects." Amy and Eric toured in support of their album.

In 2012, Amy and Eric recorded their own rendition of Bread's iconic song "The Guitar Man" for the radio station WFMU.