Cruel to be Kind - Nick Lowe (1979) 4/10/21

There's a whole lot of interesting trivia surrounding today's "Great Song of 1979."

1: "Cruel to Be Kind" was written by Nick Lowe and Ian Gomm, and was originally recorded while they were in a British group called Brinsley-Schwartz. Unfortunately, the group broke up and the song was never released.

2: After Nick went solo, Columbia Records wanted him to re-record and release the song as a single. Nick thought the song was "too wimpy," and refused--until Columbia convinced him it would be a hit and he could make some serious money from it. Columbia was right!

3: In a strange coincidence, "Cruel to Be Kind" peaked at #12 on the charts...in Australia, the UK, Canada, AND the US.

4: The song featured one of the first videos ever shown on MTV.

5: In an effort to kill two birds with one stone, the video was made using footage from Nick's real-life wedding to Carlene Carter (Daughter of June Carter Cash and step-daughter of Johnny.)

6: Carlene and the wedding guests play themselves, and the limo driver was played by Welsh singer/songwriter Dave Edmunds.

7: Some additional footage was also shot on the day of the event, and it took so long, he was late to his own wedding. Oops!

"Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe: a "Great Song of 1979" even without all the cool trivia!