Eric Goulden (born 18 May 1954), known as Wreckless Eric, is an English rock and new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single "Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two decades after its release, the song was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all time. It was also acclaimed as one of the "top 40 singles of the alternative era 1975–2000".

Early life

Wreckless Eric was born on

18 May 1954 in Newhaven, East Sussex. He is a cousin of actress Gemma Arterton through her mother. In 1973, he began attending Art School in Hull, where he joined bands such as Dirty Henry that played local clubs. On a break after his first year at school he saw Kilburn and the High Roads in Oldham. Struck by their honest approach to music, Eric decided to employ the same to his composing and performing. His next band, Addis and the Flip Tops, were the first incarnation of what would later be known as the DIY style. He first became known as one of the original members of the late 1970s Stiff Records artist roster, along with Ian Dury, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe.

Eric's first appearance on record was "Whole Wide World" on the Stiff label sampler A Bunch of Stiff Records in April 1977. The single version of that song was finally released in August. The song was produced by, and featured bass and guitar by Nick Lowe, with Steve Goulding on drums. The following month, the song was one of five tracks broadcast for the first of two sessions Eric recorded for DJ John Peel at BBC Radio 1. The song went on to make number 47 in John Peel's 'Festive Fifty', the so-called 'lost list' of 1977; it was also number 8 in the Sounds critics' singles of the year. The song's reputation has grown over the years and numerous bands have covered "Whole Wide World", such as the Lightning Seeds, Mental As Anything, The Monkees (on their Pool It! album in 1987), The Proclaimers (on their 2007 album Life with You), Paul Westerberg, The Bahamas, and Cage The Elephant (on their 2017 album Unpeeled).

His debut album Wreckless Eric was a Top 50 hit in the UK Albums Chart. His second album with Stiff Records was The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric.

End of Stiff days

Eric became increasingly unhappy with Stiff Records' business ideas and promotion. The label forced Eric to work with songwriting teams, hired backing bands and assigned his music to unsympathetic producers. By 1980, shortly after the release of Big Smash!, he decided to leave Stiff and record music at his home studio. Despite leaving the mainstream music business, he has continued writing songs and performing consistently throughout Europe and the United States. Since the 1980s Eric has released albums on numerous independent record labels.

Post-Stiff bands

Eric's post-Stiff bands/projects include: the Captains of Industry, the Len Bright Combo, the Hitsville House Band, with one album Karaoke (1997) recorded under his real name, Eric Goulden.

In 2008, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby, recorded with his wife and co-performer, singer-songwriter Amy Rigby, was released. The album had a sound that was described as including "lots of strummed acoustic guitars, insistent and melodic bass lines and atmospherics created by vintage keyboards, synthesizers, processed electric guitars and electronic effects". They toured to support the album.

Eric joined The Proclaimers onstage at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, on 19 July 2008, to perform "Whole Wide World" which they covered on their album Life with You. Eric and Amy Rigby joined John Wesley Harding onstage at Wiggins Park in Camden, New Jersey, United States, on 25 July 2009, to perform "(I'd Go the) Whole Wide World".

In September 2010, Eric and Rigby offered a track for a compilation album, Daddy Rockin Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & The Diablos. They recorded a cover of the 1950s doo-wop song "I Want To Be Your Happiness." The Wind Records, along with Norton Records, released the album.

After some years living in France with Rigby, Goulden moved with her to the United States in 2011. As of November 2011, they lived in upstate New York, and continued to tour together.

In 2012, Eric and Rigby recorded a version of the Bread song "The Guitar Man", for the fund raising CD Super Hits of the Seventies, for the radio station WFMU.

In December 2013, Fire Records re-released both Len Bright Combo records and the band reunited for a one off show at The Lexington in London. In 2014, Fire Records re-released Le Beat Group Electrique, The Donovan of Trash and 12 O'Clock Stereo.

In December 2016, Eric appeared in the Mighty Mighty Bosstones Hometown Throwdown at the House of Blues in Boston. He sang "Whole Wide World".

In April 2018, he released an album of new songs, Construction Time & Demolition, supported with shows in the UK, the US, and Canada.

"(I'd Go The) Whole Wide World" appears in the eighth episode of the 2019 Amazon TV series The Widow.

In December 2024, Eric supported the Lightning Seeds at the Cambridge and London dates of their 35th Anniversary tour, and collaborated with them on a cover of "Whole Wide World".

Discography

Albums

As Wreckless Eric

  • Wreckless Eric (March 1978: Stiff Records, SEEZ 6) No. 46 UK Albums Chart
  • The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric (October 1978: Stiff, SEEZ 9)
  • Big Smash! (February 1980: Stiff, SEEZ 21) [double, inc. compilation album] No. 30 UK
  • The Donovan of Trash (1991)
  • Bungalow Hi (2004)
  • AmERICa (2015)
  • Construction Time & Demolition (2018)
  • Transience (2019)
  • Leisureland (2023)

Compilations

  • The Whole Wide World (December 1979) [compilation album] US release
  • Almost a Jubilee: 25 Years at the BBC (with Gaps) (2003)
  • Hits, Misses, Rags and Tatters (2010)

With Captains of Industry

  • Roomful of Monkeys (1984)

With The Len Bright Combo

  • The Len Bright Combo Presents... (1985)
  • Combo Time (1986)

(The two Len Bright Combo albums were re-released on a single CD on Eric's Southern Domestic label in 2004).

With Le Beat Group Electrique

  • Le Beat Group Electrique (1989)
  • At the Shop (1990)

With Hitsville House Band

  • 12 O'Clock Stereo (1996)

As Eric Goulden

  • Karaoke (1997)

With Amy Rigby

  • Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby (2008)
  • Two-Way Family Favourites (2010)
  • A Working Museum (2012)

Various artists compilation album appearances

  • A Bunch of Stiff Records (1977)
  • Live Stiffs Live (1978: Stiff Records, GET 1) No. 28 UK Albums Chart

References

  • Official website
  • Review of Len Bright Combo reunion show – Rockerzine.com 2013