Working Class Dog

Working Class Dog
Studio album by
Rick Springfield
ReleasedFebruary 1981 (1981-02)
Recorded1980–1981
StudioSound City, Van Nuys, California
Genre
Length32:11
LabelRCA
ProducerRick Springfield, Bill Drescher, Keith Olsen
Rick Springfield chronology
Wait for Night
(1976) 		Working Class Dog
(1981) 		Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet
(1982)
Singles from Working Class Dog
  1. "Jessie's Girl"
    Released: February 1981
  2. "I've Done Everything for You"
    Released: March 1981
  3. "Love is Alright Tonite"
    Released: November 1981
This article is about the album. For type of dogs, see Working dog.
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

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.

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.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(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 Hagar3:17
Side two
No.TitleLength
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
25th anniversary edition
No.TitleLength
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 passed away 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

Certifications

Certifications for Working Class Dog
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

  1. ^ 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...
  2. ^ a b "Working Class Dog - Rick Springfield - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Rick Springfield - Taxi Dancing Original Version - Lyrics".
  4. ^ "Rick Springfield Reaffirms His Dog Obsession And Wins Fans' Hearts With Adorable Photo Evidence – AngusPost". Anguspost.com. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  5. ^ Simmons, Charlety (25 August 1981). "Springfield brought dream from Down Under". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  6. ^ "The Envelope: Hollywood's Awards and Industry Insider - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 December 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "Rick Springfield Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Rick Springfield – Working Class Dog". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  13. ^ "American album certifications – Rick Springfield – Working Class Dog". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
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