Right and Wrong (song)

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"Right and Wrong"
Single by Joe Jackson
from the album Big World
Released1986
Length4:11
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Joe Jackson
Producer(s)David Kershenbaum
Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson singles chronology
"Go for It"
(1985) 		"Right and Wrong"
(1986) 		"Left of Center"
(1986)

"Right and Wrong" is a song by British singer-songwriter and musician

UK Singles Chart,[2] and No. 11 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.[3]

Background

"Right and Wrong" was inspired by a speech made by Ronald Reagan in March 1985 where he defended the United States' involvement in the Nicaraguan Revolution.[4] Jackson told The Boston Globe in 1986: "I heard a Reagan speech about supporting the Contras in Nicaragua. That's where he said it was not a question of right and left, but of right and wrong. But anyone with a modicum of intelligence can see it's absolutely, definitely a question of right versus left."[5] After the song was written, Reagan asked Congress for $100 million to support the Contras in February 1986,[6] which Jackson felt added further meaning to the song: "Reagan has been ranting and raving about terrorism, but now he's given the Contras $100 million so they can commit their own terrorism. This is the kind of thing I get angry about - and when I get angry about something, it's going to come out in my work."[5]

Critical reception

On its release as a single, Paul Benbow of the Reading Evening Post considered the song to be "another blast from the not too distant past with a hard-hitting rock sound".[7] Jerry Smith of Music Week wrote, "Deciding to record his latest album live has paid off as this single shows, adding a crisp, vibrant feel that ought to revive his chart ambitions."[8] John Lee of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner described it as a "moody exercise in hard-edged sophistication" and "typical Jackson" with its "sneering vocals coupled with a gritty and economical music track". He felt the song was not Jackson's "best by any means", but added that it was "certainly a worthy notch in [his] tally of essential listening".[9]

Billboard considered the "in-concert recording" to give the song's "scathing political observation an eyeball-to-eyeball immediacy."[10] Cash Box described it as an "enchanting and sultry single" which "proves social conscience and good rock still go together well".[11] In a retrospective review of Big World, Jason Damas of AllMusic commented: "The best moments, like "Right and Wrong," establish Big World as one of the best and most overlooked records of Joe Jackson's career."[1]

Track listing

7" single
  1. "Right and Wrong" - 4:11
  2. "Breaking Us in Two" (Live Version) - 4:20
12" single
  1. "Right and Wrong" - 4:35
  2. "Breaking Us in Two" (Live Version) - 4:20
  3. "I'm the Man" (Live Version) - 3:47
12" single (US promo)
  1. "Right and Wrong" (Single Version) - 4:11
  2. "Right and Wrong" - 4:35

Personnel

Right and Wrong

  • Joe Jackson - vocals, piano
  • Vinnie Zummo - guitars, backing vocals
  • Rick Ford - bass, backing vocals
  • Gary Burke - drums
  • Joy Askew, Nikki Gregoroff, Peter Hewlett, Curtis King Jr. - backing vocals

Production

Charts

Chart (1986) Peak
position
Australia Kent Music Report[12] 64
UK Singles Chart[2] 90
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[3] 11

References

  1. ^ a b "Big World - Joe Jackson | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  2. ^ a b "JOE JACKSON | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  3. ^ a b "Joe Jackson". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  4. ^ Boyd, Gerald M. (March 2, 1985). "Reagan Terms Nicaraguan Rebels 'Moral Equal of Founding Fathers'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  5. ^ a b Morse, Steve (10 July 1986). "Joe Jackson does it his way". The Boston Globe.
  6. ^ Shipler, David K. (February 26, 1986). "Reagan Asks $100 Million for Contras". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  7. ^ Benbow, Paul (12 April 1986). "Singles...". Reading Evening Post. p. 23.
  8. ^ "A&R: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 19 April 1986. p. 17. Retrieved 25 July 2021 – via World Radio History.
  9. ^ Lee, John (19 April 1986). "Reviews: Singles". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. p. 14.
  10. ^ "Single Reviews". Billboard. 3 May 1986. p. 65.
  11. ^ "Single Releases". Cash Box. 3 May 1986. p. 13.
  12. ISBN 0-646-11917-6
    .
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