Dirty Work (Rolling Stones album)
Eighteenth studio album by the Rolling Stones, released in 1986.
Dirty Work is the eighteenth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 24 March 1986 on the Rolling Stones label by CBS Records. It was the band's first album under a new contract with Columbia Records and was produced by Steve Lillywhite during a period of severe tension between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The album would be the last to feature founding member and frequent piano contributor Ian Stewart, who died shortly before its release.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- the Rolling Stones
- Released
- 24 March 1986
- Recorded
- 5 April – 17 June and 16 July – 17 August 1985
- Studio
- Pathé Marconi, Boulogne Billancourt; RPM & Right Track (NYC)
- Genre
- Blues rock
- rock and roll
- reggae
- Length
- 40:03
- Label
- Rolling Stones, Columbia
- Producer
- Steve Lillywhite, The Glimmer Twins
Facts from the source article.
Recording
Recording for Dirty Work began in April 1985 in Boulogne Billancourt and ran for two months before a short break. Mick Jagger had recently released his first solo album, which displeased Keith Richards, and Jagger was often absent from sessions while Richards recorded instrumental parts with Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. Dirty Work became the first Rolling Stones album since Let It Bleed not to feature guitar from Jagger, who recorded his vocals later. The rift between Jagger and Richards was publicly visible on 13 July 1985 when Jagger performed a solo set at Live Aid while Richards and Wood backed Bob Dylan. Charlie Watts had limited involvement due to heroin and alcohol addiction; Steve Jordan and Anton Fig played drums on some tracks, and Ronnie Wood played drums on "Sleep Tonight". Jagger later cited Watts's condition as a reason for vetoing a tour. Four of the eight original compositions are credited to Jagger/Richards/Wood, one to Jagger/Richards/Chuck Leavell, and only three to Jagger/Richards—the lowest number since Out of Our Heads. Dirty Work is the first Stones album with two tracks featuring Richards on lead vocals. Further recording in July and August 1985 included guest appearances by Jimmy Page, Bobby Womack and Tom Waits. Co-producer Steve Lillywhite oversaw mixing and 12-inch remixes. On 12 December, Ian Stewart died of a heart attack; a hidden track of Stewart playing "Key to the Highway" was added to close the album.
Artwork and packaging
The original vinyl release was shrinkwrapped in dark red cellophane. Dirty Work was the first Rolling Stones studio album to include a lyric sheet in the United States, at the insistence of CBS Records. A comic strip titled "Dirty Workout" by Mark Marek was also included. In 2005, Pitchfork listed the cover among "The Worst Record Covers of All Time".
Release and reception
The lead single, a cover of "Harlem Shuffle", was released in March 1986 and reached No. 13 in the UK and No. 5 in the US. The follow-up "One Hit (To the Body)" became a US top-30 hit and featured a video showing Jagger and Richards appearing to trade blows, though Richards was syncing to Jimmy Page's guitar. Dirty Work reached No. 4 in both the UK and US and went platinum in the US, but critical reaction was largely negative. Some reviewers found the songwriting weak and Jagger's vocals abrasive; People named it one of the worst albums of 1986. However, Robert Christgau called it "a bracing and even challenging record," and in 2004 Stylus Magazine's "On Second Thoughts" assessed it as "a tattered, embarrassed triumph." Richards stated that songs were structured for a live tour, but Jagger decided against touring, later citing concerns about Watts's health. Only "One Hit (To the Body)" and "Harlem Shuffle" have been performed live, both on the Steel Wheels tour. The album was remastered and reissued by Virgin Records in 1994, by Universal Music in 2009, and on SHM-SACD by Universal Music Japan in 2011.
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