Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 20 September 1976 | |||
Recorded | ||||
Studio | Albert (Sydney)[d]
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Genre | ||||
Length | 42:24 (Australia) 39:59 (international) | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
AC/DC chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover art | ||||
Singles from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap | ||||
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Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is the third studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, originally released only in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 1976. The album was not released in the United States until 1981, more than one year after lead singer Bon Scott's death. This was also AC/DC's first album in its entirety to be recorded with the same lineup, rather than including at least one track recorded with a different bassist or drummer.
Background
AC/DC began recording Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap in December 1975 at
Also according to AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, years later, Stephen King convinced the band to do the soundtrack for his film Maximum Overdrive (the soundtrack released as Who Made Who) by putting "Ain't No Fun" on the record player and singing along to the entire song line-for-line in order to prove how much of a fan he was of their music.[citation needed]
Composition
The title track would become one of the band's most famous songs. Its narrator invites people experiencing problems to either call him on 36-24-36, an actual phone number in Australia in the 1960s (then properly formatted as FM 2436 – 36 translated to FM on the rotary dial or keypad), or visit him at his home, at which point he will perform assorted unsavoury acts to resolve said problems. Situations in which he offers assistance include those involving lewd high school headmasters, and significant others who either are adulterous or persistently find fault with their partners. The term "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is an homage to the cartoon
In 1981, after the album was released in the U.S., Norman and Marilyn White of Libertyville, Illinois filed a $250,000 lawsuit in Lake County, Illinois Circuit Court against Atlantic Records and its distributors because, they alleged, their telephone number was included in the song, resulting in hundreds of prank phone calls. Their attorney told the Chicago Tribune that the song's 36-24-36 digits were followed by what to his clients sounded like an "8", thus creating the couple's phone number.[4]
Another fan favorite from the album is "Ride On". Atypically for an AC/DC song, it has a sad,
Record World said of "Problem Child" that the group "rocks hard, but with a sure melodic touch and satisfyingly raunchy guitar work."[8]
International releases
A modified international edition was released on Atlantic on 17 December 1976, although the label was unhappy with its vocals and production. (According to bassist Mark Evans, band manager Michael Browning told him he assumed Bon Scott would be fired as a result.)[9] The band even teetered on the brink of being dropped. "The Atlantic A&R department [in the US] said, 'We're sorry, but this album actually doesn't make it,'" recalled Phil Carson, who had signed the band. "'We're not gonna put it out and we're dropping the band'… So I went to [Atlantic executive] Nesuhi (Ertegun) and showed him the sales figures that we'd got for High Voltage. They were not awe-inspiring but, considering we'd only paid $25,000 for the album, this was not so bad… Nesuhi backed me up and I re-signed the band at that point. I managed to claw it back in. Thank God."[10]
As biographer Murray Engleheart observes in his book AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, the band had not even toured the States yet, a market the band longed to conquer:
The tough rock acts only got what little airwave attention they did because they'd built up a fanbase through years on the road. AC/DC hadn't had the opportunity to marshal troops through touring the U.S., and at the time there was no way something as raw and gritty as Dirty Deeds was going to make it onto American radio playlists by itself. It was a brutally simple catch-22...Americans were said to have trouble understanding Bon, and if the people working with the band couldn't make out the lyrics, how was his voice going to work on the all-important U.S. radio networks?
Following the American success of Highway to Hell in late 1979, copies of the album began to appear as imports in the US. Some of these were the original Australian edition on Albert Productions; however, Atlantic also pressed the international version in Australia, and many of these were also exported to the US. Strong demand for both versions (in the wake of the huge success of Back in Black) led the US division of Atlantic to finally authorize an official US release in March 1981. It went straight to No. 3 on the Billboard album charts.[citation needed]
However, the release was also poorly timed, considering that AC/DC had successfully reinvented itself with a new singer, Brian Johnson. The band was working on a new album, which would ultimately become For Those About to Rock We Salute You, released later that same year; the US release of Dirty Deeds was widely seen as damaging the momentum for that album, which it outsold. The band was forced to add songs from Dirty Deeds to its setlist on its subsequent tour, also taking the focus away from their new album.[citation needed]
In the book The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC, author Jesse Fink quotes Phil Carson as saying that the release of Dirty Deeds was "one of the most crass decisions ever made by a record-company executive",[11] blaming A&R man Doug Morris and his New York City cohorts:
At the time, Doug's argument was purely financial. Back in Black had already sold over five million copies. Because of those numbers, Doug told me Dirty Deeds would sell at least 2 million. I told him he was right about that, but that it would also create a new sales plateau for AC/DC...God knows how many albums For Those About to Rock would have sold had Doug waited for that to come out.[11]
The international release had significant variations from the original album. "Jailbreak" (which had preceded the LP's release in Australia and the UK) and "R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)" were jettisoned in favor of "Rocker" (from the 1975 Australian album
Two songs on the international album were edited from the full-length versions on the original Australian album. The full-length "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" has the title of the song chanted four times, starting at 3:09, but on the edited version the chant is heard only twice. "Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to Be a Millionaire)" lasted 7:29 on the Australian album but was faded out early to 6:57 on the international version. This means they trim off the Chuck Berry licks and title chanting to the end; however, both these full-length versions were restored on the 1994 Atco Records remastered CD of the international album. The most recent 2003 CD edition by Epic Records goes back to the edited versions, as originally on the 1976 and 1981 international vinyl editions. The uncut versions of both songs were released on the 2009 box set Backtracks. On the original version of "Rocker", included on the Australian T.N.T. album, the song lasts 2:55 and cuts out abruptly as the guitar riff hits its peak. Conversely, all international editions of the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap album have a slightly shorter version where the song fades out at 2:50 before the cut. "Squealer" appears to be longer by thirteen seconds on the international version; this is due to it having a bumper of silence at the end, as it is the final track on the record. "Ride On" has a four-second difference (longer on the international version) which appears to be from a minor speed issue, although the last guitar slide can be heard better on the shorter Australian version.[14]
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [15] |
Blender | [16] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+[17] |
Classic Rock | [18] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [19] |
Rolling Stone | [20] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 6/10[21] |
"Metal Storm" | 9/10[22] |
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap has been certified 6× platinum both in Australia and in the US, selling at least six million copies, becoming the third-highest-selling album by AC/DC in the US after Highway to Hell (7× platinum) and Back in Black (25× platinum). AllMusic gives the album five out of five stars and proclaims "it captured the seething malevolence of Bon Scott...encouraged by the maniacal riffs of Angus and Malcolm Young" and that there was a "real sense of danger to this record."[23]
Greg Kot of Rolling Stone gives the album a generally positive three out of five stars, commenting; "The guitars of brothers Angus and Malcolm Young bark at each other, Phil Rudd swings the beat even as he's pulverizing his kick drum, and Scott brings the raunch 'n' wail. The subject matter is standard-issue rock rebellion; Scott pauses only once to briefly contemplate the consequences of his night stalking in 'Ride On.'"
Track listing
Australian version
All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" | 4:12 |
2. | "Ain't No Fun (Waiting 'Round to Be a Millionaire)" | 7:31 |
3. | "There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'" | 3:18 |
4. | "Problem Child" | 5:47 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
5. | "Squealer" | 5:15 |
6. | "Big Balls" | 2:38 |
7. | "R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)" | 3:35 |
8. | "Ride On" | 5:54 |
9. | "Jailbreak" | 4:41 |
Total length: | 42:24 |
International version
All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" | 3:52 |
2. | "Love at First Feel" | 3:13 |
3. | "Big Balls" | 2:38 |
4. | "Rocker" | 2:52 |
5. | "Problem Child" | 5:47 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
6. | "There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'" | 3:18 |
7. | "Ain't No Fun (Waiting 'Round to Be a Millionaire)" | 6:58 |
8. | "Ride On" | 5:54 |
9. | "Squealer" | 5:15 |
Total length: | 39:59 |
Notes
- "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" was shortened from its original length on the Australian version of the album for the international release.
- "Love at First Feel" was a new track not previously available in Australia. It was later released there as a single.
- "Big Balls" faded out on the original international LP release.
- "Rocker" originally appeared on the Australian T.N.T. in a slightly longer version without the fade-out.
- "Problem Child" was included on the international release in its original Australian form, whereas the international version of Let There Be Rock contained a shortened version of the song without the extended ending.
- "Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to Be a Millionaire)" was also shortened from its original length on the Australian version of the album for the international release.
The 1994 remastered international Atco CD release of the album included the full-length Australian versions of "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Big Balls", "Rocker", and "Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to Be a Millionaire)". They were later reverted to the shortened versions for the 2003 Epic remastered versions of the album with "Big Balls" remaining in its longer version. The 2009 boxed set Backtracks Deluxe Edition featured the full-length original Australian versions of "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" and "Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to Be a Millionaire)", but not "Rocker", which is nevertheless billed as the original Australian version.
Personnel
AC/DC
- Bon Scott – lead vocals
- Angus Young – lead guitar
- Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Mark Evans – bass guitar
- Phil Rudd – drums
Production
- George Young – production, bass guitar on track 3[24]
- Harry Vanda – production
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[35] Australian release |
6× Platinum | 420,000^ |
Germany (BVMI)[36] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[37] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[38] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] | Gold | 100,000* |
United States (RIAA)[40] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
References
- ^ AC/DC crabsodyinblue.com Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "NO NONSENSE AC/DC – I'M A REBEL". Archived from the original on 2 October 2002. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
- ISBN 9781495056390. Archivedfrom the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ Hirsley, Michael (10 October 1981). "'Dirty Deeds' bring suit". Chicago Tribune. p. W3.
- ^ "Top 10 Bon Scott AC/DC Songs". Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ "Australian anthems: AC/DC – It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock'n'Roll)". The Guardian. 25 March 2014. Archived from the original on 17 January 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ^ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best AC/DC Songs". Rolling Stone. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. 8 October 1977. p. 46. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ Mark Evans Discusses Life In and Out of AC/DC http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ac-dc-mark-evans-interview/ Archived 10 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Wall, Mick (May 2012). "Let there be light! Let there be sound! Let there be rock!". Classic Rock #170. p. 36.
- ^ ISBN 9781742759791.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: Used for Australian singles and albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own chartsin mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back-calculated chart positions for the period 1970–1974.
- ^ Video Footage and Liner Notes, Family Jewels 2-Disc DVD Set 2005
- ^ Saulnier, Jason (30 September 2011). "Mark Evans Interview". Music Legends. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ^ Weber, Barry. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ Twist, Carlo. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Blender. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Archivedfrom the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Loudersound. Archivedfrom the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
- ^ Kot, Greg (25 February 2003). "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ISBN 1841955515.
- ^ "AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Album Review". Metal Storm. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (International Version)". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ISBN 0-7322-8383-3.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "Charts.nz – AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "AC-DC Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 12/2024)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Metal Albums of 2002". Jam!. Archived from the original on 12 August 2004. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (AC/DC; 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Archived(PDF) from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ^ "British album certifications – AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "American album certifications – AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap at Discogs (list of releases)
- Lyrics on AC/DC's official website