After leaving Brinsley Schwarz in 1975 Lowe began playing bass in Rockpile with Dave Edmunds. In August 1976, Lowe released "So It Goes" b/w "Heart of the City", the first single on the Stiff Records label, where he was an in-house producer. The single and the label were funded by a loan of £400 from Dr. Feelgood's Lee Brilleaux. The label's first EP was Lowe's 1977 four-track release "Bowi", apparently named in response to David Bowie's contemporaneous LP "Low". The joke was repeated when Lowe produced the Rumour's album "Max" as an 'answer' to Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours". Lowe continued producing albums on Stiff and other labels. In 1977 he produced Dr. Feelgood's album, "Be Seeing You", which included "That's It, I Quit", written by Lowe. "Private Practice", issued the next year, included "Milk and Alcohol", written by Lowe and Gypie Mayo. This song and "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" are the only Lowe compositions to reach the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart.