Dirty Work (Rolling Stones album)

Dirty Work
Dirty Work
Studio album by 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
The Rolling Stones chronology
Singles from Dirty Work
	"Harlem Shuffle"; Released: 3 March 1986; "One Hit (To the Body)"; Released: 9 May 1986;

Dirty Work is the eighteenth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released on 24 March 1986 on the Rolling Stones label by CBS Records, their first under their new contract with Columbia Records. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album was recorded during a period when relations between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had soured considerably, according to Richards' autobiography Life.^[4]^[5]

The album was recorded during a time of turmoil for the band, as its two principal songwriters, Richards and Jagger, had been feuding over the band's direction during most of the 1980s. Almost all of the band members had spent the previous few years working on solo albums or side projects. Some band members, including guitarist Ronnie Wood, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman, were often absent from the studio during recording sessions; it was rare that all five principal members were together at the same time. It would be the last album to feature former member and frequent piano contributor Ian Stewart, who died shortly before the album's release. As a result, a number of guest musicians appeared on the album, including guitarists Jimmy Page and Bobby Womack. Keyboards were played by Ivan Neville and Chuck Leavell, who would remain with the band for decades. Unlike most Stones albums, there was no supporting tour, as the level of animosity among band members prevented them from being able to work together live onstage.

Dirty Work sold well, reaching platinum or gold status in several countries, including the United States, Canada and the UK, and peaking as a top-10-charting album in over a dozen markets. The album spawned two top-40 hits: a cover of Bob & Earl's song "Harlem Shuffle" and one of the songs written with Ronnie Wood, "One Hit (To the Body)". However, the album was a critical flop, with most critics then and now finding it uneven and uninspired,^[6] many reviewers citing the tensions within the band at the time.

^ Cite error: The named reference Boulogne was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Pareles, Jon (24 March 1986). "Dirty Work". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 10.
^ Rich, Motoko (1 August 2007). "A Rolling Stone Prepares to Gather His Memories". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
^ Richards, Keith (2010). Life. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-03438-8. OCLC 548642133.
^ Banulescu, Eduard (5 September 2023). "The Rolling Stones Albums Ranked: The Story of the World's Premier Rock Band - from Worst to Best". Alt77. Retrieved 28 September 2023.

[Boulogne-1] Cite error: The named reference Boulogne was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Pareles, Jon (24 March 1986). "Dirty Work". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.

[3] "Music Week" (PDF). p. 10.

[autobio-4] Rich, Motoko (1 August 2007). "A Rolling Stone Prepares to Gather His Memories". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2008.

[5] Richards, Keith (2010). Life. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-03438-8. OCLC 548642133.

[6] Banulescu, Eduard (5 September 2023). "The Rolling Stones Albums Ranked: The Story of the World's Premier Rock Band - from Worst to Best". Alt77. Retrieved 28 September 2023.

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