Dirty Work, released by The Rolling Stones on 24 March 1986, remains one of the most intriguing entries in the band’s storied catalogue, a record that captures a group at a crossroads, both creatively and personally. Forty years on, fans continue to debate its place among the Stones’ best albums, balancing commercial success against the turbulence behind the scenes.
by Paul Cashmere
Dirty Work was the eighteenth studio album from The Rolling Stones and marked a significant moment in their career. Released on the band’s own label through CBS Records, it was their first album under a new contract with Columbia Records.
Produced by Steve Lillywhite alongside The Glimmer Twins (Jagger and Richards), the album was recorded amid escalating tension between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, a rift that had been growing throughout the early 1980s.
The recording sessions, which began in April 1985 at Pathe Marconi Studios in Boulogne Billancourt and continued intermittently until August, were famously fractured. Almost all the band members had pursued solo projects in the preceding years, leaving the studio at different times. Jagger, focused on his first solo album She’s the Boss, was often absent, while Richards worked with Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts to lay down instrumental tracks. This divide meant Dirty Work became the first Stones album since 1969’s Let It Bleed to feature no guitar playing from Jagger, with vocals added later.
Charlie Watts’ contribution was also limited, due in part to his struggles with substance abuse at the time. Drumming duties were supplemented by Steve Jordan, Anton Fig, and in one case, Ronnie Wood. Guest musicians including Jimmy Page, Bobby Womack and Tom Waits added texture to the recordings, while keyboards were handled by Chuck Leavell and Ivan Neville, who would continue working with the band for decades.
The album also holds a poignant place in Stones history as the final studio recording to feature founding member and pianist Ian Stewart, who died suddenly just before the release. A hidden track of Stewart playing Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway” was added as a tribute.
Dirty Work’s commercial performance was strong, peaking at No. 4 in both the UK and US charts and achieving platinum or gold status in several countries. Its singles “Harlem Shuffle,” a cover of Bob & Earl’s classic, and “One Hit (To the Body)” reached the top 40, with the former hitting No. 5 in the United States. Despite its sales, critical reaction was mixed. Many reviews at the time cited uneven songwriting and Jagger’s abrasive vocals, though others, including Robert Christgau, praised it as “a bracing and even challenging record” that innovated without compromise.
The album’s sound mixes blues rock, rock and roll, and reggae influences across ten tracks, with notable highlights including “Too Rude” and “Sleep Tonight,” both featuring Richards on lead vocals-a rarity for the Stones. Contributions from Wood and Leavell helped round out the band’s sound, while the songs “Back to Zero” and “Dirty Work” showcased the collaborative efforts between Jagger, Richards, and Wood. Despite the quality of some material, no supporting tour followed due to the band’s internal discord, making Dirty Work one of the Stones’ more studio-bound statements.
Among fans, Dirty Work occupies a contentious position. While never universally ranked among the top echelons like Some Girls, Sticky Fingers or Exile on Main Street, it is respected for its raw honesty and the glimpses it offers into the interpersonal dynamics of a band under strain. Stylus Magazine later described it as “a tattered, embarrassed triumph,” noting the album’s venomous guitar tones and committed vocals as high points. Its mixture of tension and experimentation ensures it remains a unique snapshot of The Rolling Stones in the mid-1980s.
Over the years, Dirty Work has been remastered and reissued several times, in 1994 by Virgin Records, in 2009 by Universal Music, and in Japan on SHM-SACD in 2011. The album cover, featuring dark red cellophane and comic-strip artwork by Mark Marek, has been polarising, often cited as emblematic of 1980s design excess, yet it remains a visual symbol of the album’s distinctive place in Stones history.
While Dirty Work may not be the Stones’ most celebrated studio effort, its mix of commercial hits, guest performances, and a candid glimpse into a band navigating personal and professional strain continues to fascinate. Forty years on, it stands as a testament to the resilience and creativity of The Rolling Stones, even in their most conflicted periods.
Side One
“One Hit (To the Body)” (4:44)
“Fight” (3:09)
“Harlem Shuffle” (3:23)
“Hold Back” (3:53)
“Too Rude” (3:11)
Side Two
“Winning Ugly” (4:32)
“Back to Zero” (4:00)
“Dirty Work” (3:53)
“Had It with You” (3:19)
“Sleep Tonight” (5:10)
“Key to the Highway” (0:33)
