Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (song)
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| "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" | ||||||||||
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| Single by AC/DC | ||||||||||
| from the album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap | ||||||||||
| B-side | "R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)" (Australia) "Big Balls" / "The Jack" (UK) "Highway To Hell" (US) |
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| Released | 1976 | |||||||||
| Format | 7-inch single | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1976 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||||||||
| Length | 4:12 | |||||||||
| Label | Albert Productions | |||||||||
| Producer | Harry Vanda, George Young | |||||||||
| AC/DC singles chronology | ||||||||||
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| "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (live)" | ||||||||||
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| Single by AC/DC | ||||||||||
| from the album 'Live' | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Shoot to Thrill" (live) | |||||||||
| Released | 1992 | |||||||||
| Format | CD, 12-inch single | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||||||||
| Length | 5:02 | |||||||||
| Label | ATCO | |||||||||
| Producer | Bruce Fairbairn | |||||||||
| AC/DC singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the title track and first track of their album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, released in September 1976, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott.
It was also released as a single - first in Australia in October 1976 with "R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)" as its B-side, and then in the UK in January 1977 as a maxi-single with "Big Balls" and "The Jack" as its B-sides. Once the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap album was finally released in the US in 1981 the "Dirty Deeds..." single was released there (backed by "Highway To Hell"), where it reached number four on the charts.
The song ranked #24 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs[1] and in 2009 it was named the 31st best hard rock song of all time also by VH1.[2]
It features a backing vocal consisting of a heavy breathing sound, made on the downbeat during verses. It also features the title in a spoken-word style at the end of the chorus; plus a scream at the end of the song. The full length recording (approximately 4:11) has the title of the song chanted four times starting at 3:09, but on the more common edited version (approximately 3:51) the chant is heard only twice.
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[edit] Composition
The song's narrator invites people experiencing problems to either call him on 36-24-36 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 are either adulterous or who persistently find fault with their partners. As detailed by the song, the "dirty deeds" performed at low cost include:
Two of the services offered share names with AC/DC's first two Australian albums, T.N.T. and High Voltage. They are also the names of songs that appeared on Australia's T.N.T. and the international version of High Voltage. Additionally, the six digits of the telephone number provided by the speaker are the idealized "perfect measurements" of a woman (36"-24"-36" (91 cm-61 cm-91 cm)).[citation needed]
[edit] Influences
The phrase "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is an homage to the cartoon Beany and Cecil, which Angus Young watched when he was a child. One of the cartoon's characters was named Dishonest John, who carried a business card that read: "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Holidays, Sundays, and Special Rates."
[edit] Live recordings
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" has only been included on one official AC/DC live album, 1992's Live, sung by Scott's replacement Brian Johnson. This live version was released as a single. A video clip for the single was released containing footage from the Live at Donington home video, as well as other old clips mixed in the video.
An earlier version with Bon Scott, recorded live in Sydney (Haymarket) at the Festival of Sydney on 30 January 1977, was released on an Australian only radio 2JJ compilation album titled "Long Live The Evolution".
In 2007 on the Plug Me In 3 track bonus CD from Best Buy, a live version from Detroit, MI (Joe Louis Arena) 17 or 18 November, 1983 was released.
[edit] Personnel
- Bon Scott - lead vocals
- Angus Young - lead guitar, backing vocals
- Malcolm Young - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Mark Evans - bass
- Phil Rudd - drums
[edit] Production
- Producers: Harry Vanda, George Young
[edit] Recorded cover versions
- A parody of this song was recorded by Bob Rivers called "Dirty Deeds Done With Sheep".
- Hayseed Dixie recorded a bluegrass-style cover for their albums A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC and Let There Be Rockgrass. This version replaces Bon Scott's scream with singer John Wheeler's loud belch at the end.
- Kerri-anne Kennerley covered the song on the album 'Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge released in 2001.
- Joan Jett achieved modest chart success with a single of this in 1990.
- A cover of this song was recorded by thrash metal band Exodus for the album Tempo of the Damned.
- The queercore band Pansy Division also recorded a parody, called "Dirty Queers Don't Come Cheap".
- Lesley Gore recorded a cover for the album "When Pigs Fly".
- Graveyard BBQ also did a cover of this song for their Greatest Hits 2 album.
- A parody of this song was featured on The Simpsons, in the episode Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes; when Homer Simpson suggests to Ned Flanders that they pass the time by singing "Dirty Deeds", Flanders instead offers a supposed Christian rock version, "Kindly Deeds Done For Free", which Flanders credits to a fictional AC/DC tribute band called "AD/BC".
- The Atomic Bitchwax covered this song on their EP Spit Blood.
- In the first season of TV series How I Met Your Mother, Barney Stinson appears singing this song in a karaoke.
- Andrew WK samples the scream at the end of the song for use in his song "Party Hard"
[edit] Live cover version
- Local H covered this song live mixed in with their song Bound for the Floor during their 2008 tour for their album Twelve Angry Months.
- The Nightwatchman covered this song with revised lyrics concerning the Bush Administration during his 2008 tour.
[edit] Resources
- AC/DC Two Sides to Every Glory by Paul Stenning
[edit] Notes
- ^ "VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs", 1-4 May 2006, VH1 Channel, reported by VH1.com; last accessed 10 September 2006.
- ^ "spreadit.org music". http://music.spreadit.org/vh1-top-100-hard-rock-songs/. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
[edit] External links
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