BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1979
“Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick” is a song and single by Ian Dury & The Blockheads, first released 23 November 1978 and was first released on the 7″ single BUY 38 Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick / There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards by Stiff Records. It went to number one on the UK Singles Chart in January 1979, and is the band’s most successful single ever. It also was named best single of 1979 in the Pazz & Jop poll.
Its lyrics mix various locations across the world and a number of phrases in non-English languages (including French and German). According to its author Ian Dury, the song has an anti-violence message.
On radio Rhythm Stick was a popular song from its release, but the single was initially kept from the number one spot in the charts by The Village People’s smash hit YMCA, which was at number one for five consecutive weeks. However, on the 27th of January 1979, Watt-Roy, Turnbull and Charley Charles (drums) were waiting outside the Gaumont State Cinema, Kilburn, London, listening to a car radio when it was announced that Rhythm Stick was the new number one. Ian Dury was on holiday in Cannes, where he was at the beach when the hotel staff brought him a bottle of champagne and told him the news. For their appearance on Top of the Pops the whole band bought Moss Bros suits. Laurie Lewis, a friend of Ian Dury’s from college, shot the promotional video for the single; while it simply showed the band playing on stage, it was an important piece of footage for Ian Dury, who for the first time appeared in public without his pink jacket or another long sleeved shirt hiding his left arm, withered by Poliomyelitis as a child.
SIDE A:
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (Disco Version) 5:20
SIDE B:
Reasons To Be Cheerful (Pt. 3) 4:53
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
CHARTS:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | #79 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 48 50799
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genre: Funk / Soul, Rock
Style: Leftfield, Disco
Find The 12″ On DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
Hi Paul. Do you have the 4 track 12″ of Paul Hardcastle remixes? If you do, could you post it?
Great release which includes 2 of my favourite songs by Ian & the gang.
Thanks for these superior rips 🙂
a rarity indeed! thanks for sharing, once again!
I noticed it too. Hopefully a refund from FS :s
Thanks for this release! Could you be so kind to include FileSonic as well?
Sorry Daan Filesonic disabled all sharing functionality after the Megaupload shut down.
I loved this double A side release; it’s a 12″ I lost along the way and I’m delighted to have it restored. Thank you!
VanceMan glad I was able to bring it back to life 🙂
I wouldn’t say it was big in the U.S., but I remember hearing it on my local AOR station back when it was new. I’d say it would be considered obscure today. Awesome song – thanks, Paul!
You’re welcome Pauleky!!
One of my favourite memories is of a French colleague watching with utter bewilderment at a Karaoke performance of this song (which he had never heard before).
Sound like a fun time 🙂
Was this big in the US?
It’s one of the first ‘cool’ songs I remember hearing when I was little. Didn’t realise it actually made it to No.1 here.