A British rock group of the 1970s, noted for its strong rockabilly and power pop influences. The group was central to the rise of New Wave music and appeared on six albums as a featured act, although three of them were released as Dave Edmunds solo albums and two more were released as Nick Lowe solo albums.
Guitarist/vocalist Edmunds had recorded a 1970 solo album entitled Rockpile, and on his tour in support of the album he billed his band, which included Terry Williams on drums, as Dave Edmunds and Rockpile. However, the band broke up after the tour, and Edmunds returned to studio work.
When Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera co-founded Stiff Records, Lowe was the first artist signed to the label and he and Edmunds recorded new material for release under Lowe's name. However, the relationship between Edmunds and Riviera was always rocky, and in 1976 Edmunds signed a solo contract with Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records.
Lowe and Edmunds then formed a new version of Rockpile, with Williams returning on drums and Billy Bremner joining as second guitar and third vocalist.
Despite the pressures from having its two leaders signed to different labels, Rockpile toured in 1976-77 as the opening act for Edmunds' new labelmates Bad Company.
However, as Lowe and Stiff became increasingly popular, Rockpile went into an on-again, off-again status. Lowe recorded most of a solo album with the band, but then went on tour without Rockpile and only including Williams in his backing band.
Rockpile was the main backing band on Lowe's next solo album, but with only one song credited as being written and performed by Rockpile. However, Edmunds' next solo album was completely a Rockpile album with Edmunds on lead vocals, and Rockpile toured behind both releases in 1978.
In 1979, the band enjoyed hits on both sides of the Atlantic with Edmunds' Queen of Hearts and Lowe's Cruel to Be Kind. Rockpile also played in the December 1979 Concerts for the People of Kampuchea with Elvis Costello & The Attractions and Wings, where they were joined onstage by Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant and were included in the concert album.
In 1980, Edmunds had almost completed his Swan Song contract, and so Rockpile was able to record a true band record for Jake Riviera's new label F-Beat Records. But the album, Seconds of Pleasure, was considered a disappointment after the great Edmunds and Lowe 'solo' albums that Rockpile had made.
In August 1980, Rockpile played the noted Heatwave festival near Toronto, but tensions between Lowe and Edmunds led to the band's dissolution in 1981.