Album: Dirty Work (1986)

Charted: 28

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Songfacts®:

• Jimmy Page played lead guitar on this track. He was in the area because of Live-Aid, a huge benefit concert that reunited Led Zeppelin members Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. On "One Hit (To The Body)," Page took the role of session guitarist, which he used to be. Jimmy Cliff, Patty Scialfa and Tom Waits also contributed to the album.
  
  While Live Aid brought Led Zeppelin together, it did the opposite for The Stones: Mick Jagger performed solo for the first time at the concert, and Keith Richards backed up Bob Dylan. The Dirty Work album was spearheaded by Richards, as Jagger was fed up with the band and focused on his solo career. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Joel - Chicago, IL
• Producer Steve Lillywhite's wife, Kirsty MacColl, sang backup. She also performed on "Harlem Shuffle."
• The lyrics are not literal. The song is about a figurative punch from an emotionally charged love affair.
• This opens with a clash of acoustic and electric guitars. The acoustic was Ron Wood's idea - he got a writing credit for it.
• The video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, shows Mick Jagger and Keith Richards jabbing at each other. They were feuding at the time, so it wasn't much of a stretch; there was no tour for the album because Jagger refused.
• When this album came out, a group called the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was trying to get any music they considered offensive banned from the airwaves. They came up with a list of 15 artists they really didn't like and called them the "Filthy 15." The Stones were a famous band with some raunchy songs, but the PMRC left them off this list, but did manage to include Sheena Easton and Cyndi Lauper. In order to stay out of the controversy, The Stones record label released the Dirty Work album in a wrapper that hid any offensive words.

Comments: 6

• Bap from Toronto CanadaIt's also about heroin addiction; Keith and Jimmy Page were both heroin addicts who had finally cleaned up by the time this album was recorded. It's Jagger taunting Richards and taking the reflective perspective that Richards should've been taking through his addiction. It's also about AIDS which was very much in the news during this period: "damaged my defenses", there are lot of references to the weakend immune system caused by drugs and HIV. Remember, Richards went into the studio to make a sequel to "Exile" during the"Dirty Work" sessions to piss off Jagger because Jagger had publically stated that he wasn't keen on "Exile" and "Exile" is all about drugs and a friendship gone down the toilet and Jagger was too aware of that and it shows in all the lyrics of "Dirty Work".
• Alastair from Stranraer, United KingdomIt was performed several times on the Steel Wheels 1989 North American tour and a soundboard recording from Toronto 3rd of September is available unofficially.
• Boris Müller from Zürich, Switzerlandfantastic song. can't understand why they almost never played it live....and why i'ts not on 40 licks.
• John from Garland, Txis this song in an 80s movie? because it really sounds like i've heard it in an 80s movie. but i don't know which.
• Johnny from Los Angeles, CaWow, I searched random until the Rolling Stones came up and this was the first one I tried. Anyway, I'm listening to a song called "Can't Be Seen" by the Rolling Stones on Flashpoint, and I was wondering how many live albums the rolling stones have out. I should probably go to a more popular RS chat. Damn.
• Ted from Loveland, CoRecorded Jan - March, July & Aug, and November & December, 1985. Released on the album Dirty Work, on March 24, 1986. Also released as a single in the UK on May 19, and in the US on May 20, 1986.
  Lead Vocals: Mick Jagger Electric Guitars: Jimmy Page (Lead), Keith Richards, Ron Wood Acoustic Guitar: Ron Wood Bass: Bill Wyman Drums: Charlie Watts Keyboards: Chuck Leavell Background Vocals: Keith Richards, Bobby Womack, Don Covay, Patti Scialfa, Kirsty MacColl, Beverly D'Angelo
  
  
  

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