Working Class Dog is the fifth studio album by Australian rock musician Rick Springfield, released by RCA Records in 1981. The album was certified Platinum in the United States and eventually sold over three million US copies. It produced Springfield's biggest career hit with the #1 million-selling song, "Jessie's Girl". Springfield was awarded the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male.
| Working Class Dog | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1980–1981 | |||
| Studio | Sound City, Van Nuys, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:11 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher, Keith Olsen | |||
| Rick Springfield chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Working Class Dog | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
The album was re-released on CD in 2006 as a "25th anniversary edition" with three bonus tracks.
Track listing
editAll tracks written by Rick Springfield except as indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Is Alright Tonite" | 3:28 | |
| 2. | "Jessie's Girl" | 3:14 | |
| 3. | "Hole in My Heart" | 3:12 | |
| 4. | "Carry Me Away" | 3:01 | |
| 5. | "I've Done Everything for You" | Sammy Hagar | 3:17 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "The Light of Love" | 2:43 |
| 7. | "Everybody's Girl" | 2:59 |
| 8. | "Daddy's Pearl" | 2:37 |
| 9. | "Red Hot & Blue Love" | 2:57 |
| 10. | "Inside Sylvia" | 4:43 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Easy to Cry" (Previously unreleased) | 3:33 |
| 12. | "Taxi Dancing" (Original version, previously unreleased [3]) | 3:35 |
| 13. | "Jessie's Girl" (Demo Version) | 3:11 |
Album cover
editThe album cover features a picture of a Bull Terrier[4] dog dressed in a white shirt with a black tie.[5] The dog was Springfield’s pet named Ronnie, and he briefly cameoed in the song’s music video. Ronnie would later be featured in the cover art of his owner’s next album Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet. Working Class Dog‘s cover (credited to Mike Doud) was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Album Package" in 1981.[6] The 2011 Jonathan Coulton song "Je Suis Rick Springfield" makes reference to the album cover. Ronnie passed away in 1994.[7]
Personnel
edit- Rick Springfield - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards
- Robben Ford - guitar
- Neil Giraldo - guitar, bass
- Gabriel Katona - keyboards
- Jeff Eyrich - bass
- Mike Baird - drums
- Jack White - drums
- Jeremiah Cox - French horn, background vocals
- Tom Kelly - background vocals
Credits
edit- Produced by Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher and Keith Olsen
- Engineered by Bill Drescher, Chris Minto and Doug Pakes at Sound City
- Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[12] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[13] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Breihan, Tom (13 May 2020). "The Number Ones: Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl". Stereogum. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
...he came out with Working Class Dog, an album of solidly punchy power-pop...
- ^ a b "Working Class Dog - Rick Springfield - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ "Rick Springfield - Taxi Dancing Original Version - Lyrics".
- ^ "Rick Springfield Reaffirms His Dog Obsession And Wins Fans' Hearts With Adorable Photo Evidence – AngusPost". Anguspost.com. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ Simmons, Charlety (25 August 1981). "Springfield brought dream from Down Under". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "The Envelope: Hollywood's Awards and Industry Insider - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 December 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 289. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Rick Springfield Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Rick Springfield – Working Class Dog". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "American album certifications – Rick Springfield – Working Class Dog". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 13 September 2022.