About the Rolling Stones’ DIRTY WORK sessions

EMI Pathé-Marconi Studios, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Apr. 5-June 17 1985/ RPM Studios, New York City, USA, Aug. 16-17; Sept. 10-Oct. 15 1985/ Right Track Studios, New York City, USA, Nov. 15-Dec. 5 1985

Beginning in April 1985 in Paris and lasting for two months before taking a brief break, the Stones’ began the recording sessions for Dirty Work, their first album under their contract with CBS Records. Keith Richards was displeased that Mick Jagger was pursuing a career as a pop star because his top priority was still the Rolling Stones, and Jagger had just released his debut solo album, She’s the Boss. While Richards recorded with Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts for the album, Jagger was frequently absent, and his vocal parts were added later.

On July 13 1985, at the Live Aid concert, Jagger performed a solo set, while Richards and Wood performed separately supporting Bob Dylan’s set on acoustic guitars, exposing the tension between Jagger and Richards to the general public. Dirty Work was the first Stones’ album on which Jagger’s guitar playing was not acknowledged, which hadn’t happened since 1971’s Sticky Fingers.

In 1994, Charlie Watts admitted to Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes that he had struggled with heroin and alcohol addiction in the 1980s. As a result, replacement drummers were listed on both Undercover and Dirty Work. Watts’ involvement in the Dirty Work recording sessions was also minimal. Ronnie Wood plays drums on the song “Sleep Tonight”, while Steve Jordan and Anton Fig play drums on other tracks. Later Jagger would say that one of the reasons he decided against going on tour in 1986 to promote Dirty Work and instead chose to begin recording his second album, Primitive Cool, was Watts’ personal situation.

Four of the album’s eight original songs are credited exclusively to Jagger/Richards/Wood, and just one to Jagger/Richards/Chuck Leavell, while only three are credited to Jagger/Richards, the lowest number on any Rolling Stones record since Out of Our Heads (1965) Additionally, Dirty Work is the first Stones album to feature two tracks with Richards on lead vocals (“Too Rude” and “Sleep Tonight”)

Jimmy Page, Bobby Womack and Tom Waits made guest appearances during the final months of the recording of the album, in July and August 1985. Co-producer Steve Lillywhite then oversaw several weeks of mixing and the production of 12-inch remixes. The Stones’ long-time pianist and road manager Ian Stewart, one of the band’s founding members, passed away suddenly on December 12 at the age of 47 from a heart attack. An album-closing hidden track featuring Stewart performing Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway” was included as a tribute.

DIRTY WORK, the Stones’ 18th British and 20th American studio album, was finally released on March 24 1986.