The 1980s were not a great time for Wreckless Eric. He had gained a certain recognition as part of Stiff Records’ roster of genial eccentrics on the basis of 1978’s Wreckless Eric and 1979’s The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric. But after his third album, 1980’s Big Smash!, failed to bring him a larger audience, he parted ways with Stiff, and Eric was saddled with an image he felt was doing him more harm than good. At loose ends, he formed a group, Captains of Industry, which featured Mickey Gallagher and Norman Watt-Roy of Ian Dury’s Blockheads, and he was credited by his given name, Eric Goulden. They cut an album, 1985’s A Roomful of Monkeys, that was poorly received by the few people who heard it, and its failure put Eric’s career in neutral, as he relocated..

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