Cruel to Be Kind
"Cruel to Be Kind" is a song co-written by Nick Lowe and his former bandmate Ian Gomm while the pair were in Brinsley Schwarz. The song only appeared as a 1978 B-side until Columbia Records convinced Lowe to rerecord it as a potential solo single. Musically, the song was inspired by "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an influence reflected in more recent performances of the song.
| "Cruel to Be Kind" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cover of the 1979 UK single | ||||
| Single by Nick Lowe | ||||
| from the album Labour of Lust | ||||
| B-side | "Endless Grey Ribbon" | |||
| Released | 17 August 1979 (UK) | |||
| Genre | Power pop | |||
| Length | 3:31 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Lowe | |||
| Nick Lowe singles chronology | ||||
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| Official video | ||||
| "Cruel to Be Kind" on YouTube | ||||
Released as a single in 1979, the song peaked at number 12 on the charts of Australia, Canada, the UK and the US. In the US, where it is one of Lowe's most well-known works, 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, having reached number 7 a year earlier. The song was accompanied by a music video featuring Lowe's marriage to Carlene Carter.