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Bad to the Bone (George Thorogood and the Destroyers album)

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Bad to the Bone is the fifth studio album by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers. It was released in 1982 by the label EMI America Records.[1] The album contains the Destroyers' best known song, "Bad to the Bone". The album also features Rolling Stones side-man Ian Stewart on piano.[2] The band promoted the album with a worldwide tour; there was also a large marketing campaign by their label.[3]

Bad to the Bone
Studio album by
George Thorogood and the Destroyers
ReleasedAugust 9, 1982
Recorded1981–1982
StudioDimension Sound Studios, Boston, Massachusetts
Genre
Length41:38
75:33 (25th Anniversary Edition)
LabelEMI America
ProducerThe Delaware Destroyers
George Thorogood and the Destroyers chronology
More George Thorogood and the Destroyers
(1980) 		Bad to the Bone
(1982) 		Maverick
(1985)
Singles from Bad to the Bone
  1. "Nobody but Me"
    Released: July 1982
  2. "Bad to the Bone"
    Released: September 17, 1982

A 25th anniversary edition of the album was announced and released in 2007, featuring a bonus track and new re-recordings.[4][5][6]

Background

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The Destroyers enjoyed moderate success in the late 70's, with their three previous albums (excluding Better Than The Rest) achieving gold status in a few countries.[3] Their previous studio album, released in 1980, was "More George Thorogood and the Destroyers" (alternatively known as "I'm Wanted").[7] In 1981 they embarked on their "50/50" tour,[8] during which Thorogood wrote "Bad to the Bone".[9]

In 1982, with their contract with Rounder Records expiring, the Destroyers signed with EMI America, who would help record and promote the album.[3][10]

Recording

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Recording of the album began at the Dimension Sound Studios in Jamaica Plains, Boston[11] in late 1981, and finished in early 1982.[12] The album was produced by the Destroyers themselves, although Thorogood said that "whoever engineered the session took credit for being the ‘producer’."[11] The Rolling Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart played on the album, and helped record it.[2][11]

Songs

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The sound of Bad to the Bone remained the same as their previous albums, with more originals written by Thorogood.[13][14]

Side one

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"Back To Wentzville"

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"Back To Wentzville" is the opening track of the album. It was written by George Thorogood, who wrote the song as a tribute to rock pioneer Chuck Berry.[15] The song is described by Gary Graff as a "Chuck Berry-styled rocker".[13]

"Blue Highway"

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"Blue Highway" was written by Nick Gravenites and David Getz. It is featured on several compilation albums, including "The George Thorogood Collection".[16] "Blue Highway" is one of six songs re-recorded for the 25th Anniversary Edition of the album.[4][17]

"Nobody but Me"

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"Nobody but Me" is a cover of the The Human Beinz song of the same name, written by The Isley Brothers. It was released as a single in July 1982.[12] While the song did not enter the US Billboard Hot 100, it did peak at number six on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 extension chart.[18][19] The song is often played live.

"It's a Sin"

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"It's a Sin" is a song written by Jimmy Reed. The song is described as an "introspective blues ballad" by Goldmine Magazine.[20]

"New Boogie Chillun"

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"New Boogie Chillun" is a song written by John Lee Hooker. The song is one of six songs re-recorded for the 25th Anniversary Edition of the album, to a new length of 7 minutes and 10 seconds.[17]

Side two

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"Bad to the Bone"

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Main article: Bad to the Bone

"Bad to the Bone" was released September 17, 1982. It is often considered Thorogood's best song,[13] and a staple of classic rock radio.[9] The song was not popular upon release, however, its music video received recurrent appearances on MTV. The song's use in films, television, and commercials has since made it more popular.[21][22][23]

"Miss Luann"

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"Miss Luann" is an original written by Thorogood. The guitar hook was inspired by Keith Richards.[9] Vintage Rock describes it as a "good time rocker".[24]

"As the Years Go Passing By"

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"As the Years Go Passing By" was written by Harrison "Peppermint" Harris but credited to Deadric Malone. The song is described by Gary Graff as a "nice change of pace, slow and soulful with a rich sax solo by Carter."[13]

"No Particular Place to Go"

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"No Particular Place to Go" is a song written by Chuck Berry. The song is often played in live performances, and is included on some live albums.[25]

"Wanted Man"

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"Wanted Man" is a song by Johnny Cash, written by Bob Dylan.[26] It is the album's closing track. The song was also re-recorded for the 25th Anniversary Edition of the album.[4][17] Vintage Rock describes the re-recorded version as a "slightly slower, more ‘acoustic’ version"[24]

"That Philly Thing"

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"That Philly Thing" is an instrumental song, written by Thorogood.[6] It was first released as the B-side to "Nobody but Me",[22][24] before being included as a bonus track for the 25th anniversary edition of Bad To The Bone.[4][17] According to Thorogood, EMI America wanted an original for the B-side to "Nobody but Me", so they recorded "That Philly Thing".[6]

Release

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EMI America released Bad To The Bone on August 9, 1982.[1][10][12] Copies of the album were shipped on July 26.[3][27] Bad To The Bone debuted at No. 127,[28][29] and peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 chart.[30][31] The album sold around 275,000 copies in its first two months,[11] and eventually sold more than 500,000 copies.[2] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 7, 1985.[32]

Two tracks from the album were released as singles,[2][6] "Nobody but Me", released in July 1982,[12] peaked at number six on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 extension chart,[18][19] and at No. 32 on the Mainstream Rock chart.[33]

"Bad to the Bone" was released September 17, 1982. The song peaked at No. 27 on the Mainstream Rock chart,[30][33] but was not popular upon release, its music video received recurrent appearances on MTV. The song's use in films, television, and commercials has since made it more popular.[21][22][23]

2007 re-issue

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On August 14, 2007, a special edition of the album was released to mark the 25th anniversary of its original release.[5][24]

The re-issue featured the "Nobody but Me" Instrumental B-side, "That Philly Thing",[22] as well as six new re-recordings of some of the songs from the album.[6][17] The re-recordings were recorded at the Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.[17]

Touring and promotion

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To support the album, The Destroyers embarked on a worldwide concert tour.[34] First playing shows in Canada in August, and the United States from mid-September[35] to December 1982.[3] In 1983 they played tour dates around the world, first playing 15 sold-out shows in Australia,[36] before going to New Zealand. They also played shows in nightclubs in Japan from February 26 to March 3.[37] After the tour dates in Japan, the band went to Europe to play a series of shows.[36]

A show at the Bradford Hotel in Boston (now the Royale Nightclub) on November 23, 1982, was recorded and released as Live in Boston 1982: The Complete Concert on December 4, 2020, by Craft Recordings.[38]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [39]
Robert ChristgauB−[41]
The Music Box     [40]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings    [42]
Record Collector    [43]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues     [44]

Bad to the Bone received positive reviews from critics.

Lin Brehmer of WQBK wrote "George continues to infuse an old idiom with new life. The album's production sounds crisp and 'Bad To The Bone' and 'Boogie Chillun' are killers."[35] Robert Christgau says "Thorogood has added true boogie power to his blues, so his Diddley and Hooker no longer sound like three-quarter-size juke-joint facsimiles. And in a predictable trade-off, he's added true boogie macho to his persona, so he gets his rocks off complaining about the Mann Act."[45]

AllMusic's Tim Sendra says the album is "Thorogood's finest work and established him as one of the unsung heroes of the age of AOR".[14] The Music Box's John Metzger wrote "While Bad to the Bone still isn't an essential album, it nonetheless is as enjoyable as ever."[46] William Pinfold of Record Collector wrote that "Bad To The Bone may not be George Thorogood's best album (his earlier, grittier work is perhaps more vital), but it's certainly his most typical and perhaps most consistent."[47]

Track listing

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Original Release

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Back to Wentzville"George Thorogood3:33
2."Blue Highway"Nick Gravenites, David Getz4:44
3."Nobody but Me"The Isley Brothers3:28
4."It's a Sin"Jimmy Reed3:32
5."New Boogie Chillun"John Lee Hooker5:04
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bad to the Bone"George Thorogood^4:52
2."Miss Luann"George Thorogood4:13
3."As the Years Go Passing By"Deadric Malone5:03
4."No Particular Place to Go"Chuck Berry4:00
5."Wanted Man"Bob Dylan3:12
Total length:41:38

^ Musician James Pobiega (stage name "Little Howlin' Wolf"), has claimed that he wrote "Bad to the Bone" and that George Thorogood stole the song from him.[23][48]

25th anniversary edition

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."That Philly Thing"George Thorogood2:25
2."Blue Highway"Nick Gravenites, David Getz4:08
3."New Boogie Chillun"John Lee Hooker7:10
4."No Particular Place to Go"Chuck Berry4:26
5."As the Years Go Passing By"Deadric Malone4:44
6."Bad to the Bone"George Thorogood7:05
7."Wanted Man"Bob Dylan3:57
Total length:75:33

Personnel

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Musicians

  • George Thorogood – vocals, guitar
  • Billy Blough – bass guitar
  • Jeff Simon – drums and percussion
  • Hank Carter – saxophone
Additional musicians

Technical

  • The Delaware Destroyers – producers
  • John Nagy – assistant producer and engineer
  • Ken Irwin – assistant producer
  • Paul Mufson – engineer

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1982–1983) Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[49] 50
New Zealand (RMNZ)[50] 31
Canada (RPM)[51] 11
US Billboard 200[31] 43

Year-end charts

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Chart (1982) Position
Canada (RPM)[52] 78
US Billboard 200[53] 182

Certifications

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Certifications for Bad To The Bone
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[54] Gold 40,000^
United States (RIAA)[32] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Date Version Ref
August 9, 1982 Original vinyl [12]
August 14, 2007 25th Anniversary edition CD [6][17]
March 30, 2018 Vinyl re-issue [20]

References

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  1. ^ a b Giles, Jeff; Wardlaw, Matt. "35 Years Ago: George Thorogood Releases the Career-Defining 'Bad to the Bone'".
  2. ^ a b c d Friedlander, Matt. "George Thorogood and the Destroyers' 'Bad to the Bone' album celebrates 40th b-b-b-b-b-birthday". ABC Digital Syndication.
  3. ^ a b c d e "EMI Pact Gives Thorogood "Best of Both Worlds"" (PDF). Cash Box. June 19, 1982. pp. 8, 14 – via World Radio History.
  4. ^ a b c d "Bad To The Bone 25th Anniversary Edition".
  5. ^ a b "Thorogood celebrates 25 years of 'Bad'". UPI.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Goldmine Staff. "Backstage Pass: Is George Thorogood still 'Bad to the Bone?'". Goldmine Magazine.
  7. ^ "I'm Wanted - George Thorogood & the Destroyers | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  8. ^ Arar, Yardena (October 20, 1981). "Thorogood will play 50 states in 50 days". The Spokesman Review.
  9. ^ a b c Wardlaw, Matt. "The Story Behind George Thorogood's Slow-Developing 'Bad to the Bone'". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  10. ^ a b uDiscover Team (March 8, 2020). "George Thorogood - Prodigiously-Talented Boogie Blues Guitarist". uDiscover Music.
  11. ^ a b c d Yates, Henry. "The story behind George Thorogood & The Destroyers' Bad To The Bone". Classic Rock.
  12. ^ a b c d e Adam. "George Thorogood & The Destroyers 'Bad to the Bone' Turns (almost) 40". ROCK 92.9.
  13. ^ a b c d Graff, Gary (August 20, 2022). "'Bad to the Bone': Beyond George Thorogood's Hit Song". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  14. ^ a b "Tim Sendra - Bad to the Bone". AllMusic.
  15. ^ Durchholz, Daniel (March 6, 2016). "George Thorogood gives thanks to his musical heroes". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  16. ^ "The George Thorogood Collection - George Thorogood | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g Sendra, Tim. "Bad to the Bone [25th Anniversary Edition] Review". AllMusic.
  18. ^ a b "US Hot 100 Bubbling Under".
  19. ^ a b "Billboard Sept. 18, 1982" (PDF). Billboard. September 18, 1982. p. 59 – via World Radio History.
  20. ^ a b Goldmine (March 2, 2018). "George Thorogood & The Destroyers to release three essential albums in new vinyl LP editions". Goldmine Magazine.
  21. ^ a b "Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood". Guitar Alliance.
  22. ^ a b c d Rotter, Joshua. "George Thorogood revisits his career-making album 25 years later". Recordnet.
  23. ^ a b c Uitti, Jacob. "The Meaning Behind the Rousing Classic Rock Song "Bad to the Bone"". American Songwriter.
  24. ^ a b c d Greco, Jr, Ralph. "George Thorogood & The Destroyers | Bad To The Bone (25th Anniversary Edition)". Vintage Rock.
  25. ^ "No Particular Place to Go - George Thorogood & the Destroyers | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  26. ^ Shaffer, Claire (October 21, 2019). "Hear Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash's Original Demo for 'Wanted Man'". Rolling Stone.
  27. ^ "Thorogood Getting Boost Via EMI America Tie" (PDF). Billboard. June 19, 1982. p. 9 – via World Radio History.
  28. ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard.
  29. ^ "Billboard Aug. 28, 1982" (PDF). Billboard. August 28, 1982. p. 75 – via World Radio History.
  30. ^ a b "George Thorogood Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  31. ^ a b "Billboard 200". Billboard.
  32. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA.
  33. ^ a b "George Thorogood & the Destroyers Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  34. ^ "Rock'n'Rolling" (PDF). Billboard. September 4, 1982. p. 61 – via World Radio History.
  35. ^ a b Hard, Bill (August 13, 1982). "FMQB Album Report" (PDF). FMQB. p. 19 – via World Radio History.
  36. ^ a b "Thorogood Down Under" (PDF). Cashbox. March 5, 1983. p. 19 – via World Radio History.
  37. ^ "Male Artists Are Focus Of Toshiba-EMI Pushes" (PDF). Billboard. February 26, 1983. p. 45 – via World Radio History.
  38. ^ Ruggiero, Bob (December 28, 2020). "George Thorogood Gets "Bad to the Bone" with Full Beantown Party". Houston Press.
  39. ^ AllMusic review
  40. ^ Music Box review
  41. ^ Robert Christgau review
  42. ^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 652. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
  43. ^ Record Collector's review
  44. ^ The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues. Virgin. 1998. p. 346.
  45. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Bad to the Bone [EMI America, 1982]".
  46. ^ Metzger, John. "George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Bad to the Bone: 25th Anniversary Edition".
  47. ^ Pinfold, William. "Bad To The Bone: 25th Anniversary Edition | George Thorogood & The Destroyers". Record Collector.
  48. ^ Mehr, Bob (10 November 2005). "Out of the Wilderness".
  49. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 309. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  50. ^ "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz.
  51. ^ "Item: 4513 - Library and Archives Canada". Library and Archives Canada.
  52. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6170". RPM. December 25, 1982.
  53. ^ "Billboard Year-End Charts" (PDF). Billboard. December 25, 1982. p. 155 – via World Radio History.
  54. ^ "Canadian album certifications – George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone". Music Canada.
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