Sharp Dressed Man
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| "Sharp Dressed Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by ZZ Top | ||||
| from the album Eliminator | ||||
| B-side | "I Got the Six" | |||
| Released | 1983 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 4:13 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Writer(s) | Billy Gibbons Dusty Hill Frank Beard |
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| Producer | Bill Ham | |||
| ZZ Top singles chronology | ||||
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"Sharp Dressed Man" is a song performed by ZZ Top from their album Eliminator released in 1983.
The song is featured in the 2005 video game Guitar Hero, as well as a brief appearance on an episode of Beavis and Butt-Head entitled "Radio Sweethearts," in which it can be heard on a radio, as well in an episode of Two and a Half Men, in which Charlie helps Alan with his clothes shopping. It is played whenever Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks scores a goal. It also appeared on an S&K men's suits commercial. Debbie Harry covered the song on her "Domination" tour of the UK in July 1991. The song is featured in the logo sequence for Sharp-Dressed Productions.
At 2007's VH1 Rock Honors. Nickelback covered the song as a tribute (Billy Gibbons had earlier made a guest appearance on Nickelback's own song "Rockstar"). The song was featured during a scene in the 2007 movie Evan Almighty. ZZ Top played this song at halftime of the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl. It was also used in promo commercials for the tv series "Burn Notice's" 2009 season on USA Network.
Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan performed a tango to "Sharp Dressed Man" as their first dance in the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing.
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[edit] Video
The video for Sharp Dressed Man continues the "male fantasy come to life" of the "Gimme All Your Lovin'" video released earlier in 1983. As in the previous video, an attractive man who is experiencing frustration in his menial job is assisted in gaining social stature and sexual experience by a triad of very attractive and somewhat mysterious women traveling in ZZ Top's signature red car. ZZ Top themselves play a role in the narrative, both by playing themselves as performing band members and as rather ethereal spirits who encourage and assist the young man by providing him with the car keys that enable him to go for a very long drive with the women. The young man returns to the site of his previous frustration (his workplace, a nightclub) and empowered both by his newfound status and by both the women's and ZZ Top's encouragement, embarks on a new romantic adventure with another attractive young woman who has previously abandoned her date.
This is the only video in the trilogy that does not have an intro.
[edit] Cover versions
- Lucyfire, the musical project of Johan Edlund, Tiamat front-man, covered this song on their first album, This Dollar Saved My Life At Whitehorse, released in 2001.
- Brad Paisley released a country version of the song as a single in 2002, which also appeared on the album Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ Top.
- The song was performed by 2008 American Idol winner David Cook along with the legendary band on the American Idol finale on May 21, 2008
- Norwegian heavy metal band Chrome Division recorded a cover of the song for their 2008 album, Booze, Broads and Beelzebub.
- Canadian Electropop band Dragonette created a cover of this song.
- "Weird Al" Yankovic used Sharp Dressed Man in his song Hooked on Polkas.
- One episode of Irregular Webcomic!'s podcast, Irregular Podcast, featured the authors singing a parody entitled "Time Traveling Man" in a time travel-themed episode.
- Dutch singer Ilse DeLange sometimes performs this song in live concerts.
- Austin band 8½ Souvenirs play a swing version on their album Twisted Desire.
- Nickelback at the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors Ceremony.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 61 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 56 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
[edit] Personnel
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