| Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap | |
| Cover: | Dirty Deeds ACDC UK single.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | AC/DC |
| Album: | Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap |
| B-Side: | R.I.P. (Rock in Peace) |
| Released: | (Aus) 18 February 1977 (UK)[1] |
| Recorded: | 1976 |
| Studio: | Albert (Sydney) |
| Genre: | Hard rock |
| Label: | Albert |
| Producer: | |
| Prev Title: | Jailbreak |
| Prev Year: | 1976 |
| Next Title: | Love at First Feel |
| Next Year: | 1977 |
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is a hard rock song by the Australian band AC/DC. Written by group members Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott, it was recorded for the title track of their album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, released in September 1976.
It was also released as a single – first in Australia in October 1976 with "R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)" as its B-side, and then in the UK in February 1977 as a maxi-single with "Big Balls" and "The Jack" as its B-sides. Once the Dirty Deeds album was finally released in the US in 1981 the "Dirty Deeds..." single was released there (backed by "Highway To Hell"), where it reached number four on the then-new Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
The song ranked No. 24 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs[2] and in 2009 it was named the 31st best hard rock song of all time also by VH1.[3]
It features a backing vocal consisting of a heavy breathing sound, made on the downbeat during verses. It also features the title in a spoken-word style at the end of the chorus; plus a scream at the end of the song. The full-length recording (approximately 4:11) has the title of the song chanted four times starting at 3:09, but on the more common edited version (approximately 3:51) the chant is heard only twice.
The song's narrator, a hitman, invites people experiencing problems to either call his phone number or visit him at his home, at which point he will perform assorted unsavoury and violent acts to resolve said problems for bargain-basement prices. Situations in which he offers assistance include those involving lewd high school headmasters and significant others who are either adulterous or who persistently find fault with their partners. As detailed by the song, the "dirty deeds" performed at low cost include:
Two of the services offered share names with AC/DC's first two Australian albums, T.N.T. and High Voltage. They are also the names of songs that appeared on Australia's T.N.T. and the international version of High Voltage.
The song is written in E minor.[4]
The phrase "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is an homage to the cartoon Beany and Cecil, which Angus Young watched when he was a child. One of the cartoon's characters was named Dishonest John, who carried a business card that read: "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Holidays, Sundays, and Special Rates." “It was Angus that came up with the song title…" Malcolm Young told Mark Blake. "It was based on a cartoon character that had the phrase as his calling card."[5]
The song was the namesake for the Stand in the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, used by Funny Valentine.[6]
It was used in the background of Captain Boomerang's introduction in the 2016 film Suicide Squad.
The song was featured uncredited in the second episode of Koala Man.
In 1981, Norman and Marilyn White of Libertyville, Illinois filed a $250,000 lawsuit in Lake County, Illinois Circuit Court against Atlantic Records and its distributors because, they alleged, their telephone number was included in the song, resulting in hundreds of prank phone calls. Their attorney told the Chicago Tribune that the song's 36-24-36 digits were followed by a "hey!", which to his clients sounded like an "8", thus creating the couple's phone number.[7]
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 29 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart[9] | 34 |
| Chart (1980–81) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[10] | 47 |
| US Mainstream Rock | 4 |
| Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (live) | |
| Cover: | Acdcdirtydeedslive.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | AC/DC |
| Album: | AC/DC Live |
| B-Side: | "Shoot to Thrill" (live) |
| Recorded: | 23 April 1991 |
| Venue: | NEC (Birmingham) |
| Genre: | Hard rock |
| Label: | ATCO |
| Producer: | Bruce Fairbairn |
| Prev Title: | Highway to Hell (live) |
| Prev Year: | 1992 |
| Next Title: | Big Gun |
| Next Year: | 1993 |
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" has only been included on one official AC/DC live album, 1992's Live, sung by Scott's replacement Brian Johnson. This live version was released as a single. A video clip for the single was released containing footage from the Live at Donington home video, as well as other old clips mixed in the video. This video clip was later released on the DVD Family Jewels Disc 3, as part of the 2009 box set Backtracks.
An earlier version with Bon Scott, recorded live in Sydney (Haymarket) at the Festival of Sydney on 1977, was released on an Australian only radio 2JJ compilation album titled Long Live The Evolution. This live version was later released on Backtracks.
In 2007 on the Plug Me In three track bonus CD from Best Buy, a live version from Detroit, Michigan, (Joe Louis Arena) 17 or 1983 was released.
| Dirty Deeds | |
| Cover: | Dirty_Deeds_-_Joan_Jett.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Joan Jett |
| Album: | The Hit List |
| B-Side: | "Pretty Vacant"[12] |
| Released: | January 1990 |
| Genre: | Rock |
| Label: |
|
| Prev Title: | Little Liar |
| Prev Year: | 1988 |
| Next Title: | Love Hurts |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
American singer-songwriter Joan Jett recorded the song, shortening the title to "Dirty Deeds," and included it on her LP, The Hit List, in late 1990. It was released as a single and charted internationally.
| Chart (1990) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[13] | 59 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100[14] | 42 |