Working Class Dog
1981 studio album by Rick Springfield
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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 number one million-selling song, "Jessie's Girl". Springfield was awarded the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male.
| Working Class Dog | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1980–1981 | |||
| Studio | Sound City, Van Nuys, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:11 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producer | Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher, Keith Olsen | |||
| Rick Springfield chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Working Class Dog | ||||
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The album was re-released on CD in 2006 as a "25th anniversary edition" with three bonus tracks.
Track listing
All 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
The 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 music video for "Jessie's Girl". 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 died in 1994.[7]
Personnel
- 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
- 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
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[12] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[13] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||