Bad to the Bone (George Thorogood and the Destroyers album)
| Bad to the Bone | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 9, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1981–1982 | |||
| Studio | Dimension Sound Studios, Boston, Massachusetts | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:38 33:55 (25th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks) 75:33 (25th Anniversary Edition) | |||
| Label | EMI America | |||
| Producer | The Delaware Destroyers | |||
| George Thorogood and the Destroyers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bad to the Bone | ||||
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Bad to the Bone is the fifth studio album by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers. It was released in 1982 by the label EMI America Records. The album contains the Destroyers best known song, "Bad to the Bone". The album also features Rolling Stones side-man Ian Stewart on piano.
A 25th anniversary edition of the album was released in 2007, featuring new bonus tracks.[1]
Release
EMI America released Bad To The Bone on August 9, 1982. The album eventually sold more than 550,000 copies, mostly in the United States.
Two tracks from the album were released as singles, "Nobody but Me" is a cover of the The Human Beinz song of the same name. The single was released in July, 1982. While the song did not enter the US Billboard Hot 100, it did peak at number six on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 extension chart.[2]
"Bad to the Bone" was released September 17, 1982. While the single didn't chart, and wasn't popular upon release, it's music video received recurrent appearances on MTV. The song's use in films, television, and commercials has since made it more popular.
2007 re-issue
In August of 2007, a special edition of the album was released to mark the 25th anniversary of it's original release.[1]
The re-issue featured the "Nobody but Me" Instrumental B-Side, "That Philly Thing", as well as new re-recordings of some of the songs from the album.
Critical reception
Bad to the Bone received positive reviews from critics. AllMusic's Tim Sendra says the album is "Thorogood's finest work and established him as one of the unsung heroes of the age of AOR".[3] Robert Christgau says "He's added true boogie macho to his persona, so he gets his rocks off complaining about the Mann Act."[4] The Music Box`s John Metzger wrote "While Bad to the Bone still isn’t an essential album, it nonetheless is as enjoyable as ever."[5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[8] |
| The Music Box |  [7] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [9] |
Track listing
Original Release
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back To Wentzville" | George Thorogood | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Blue Highway" | Nick Gravenites, David Getz | 4:44 |
| 3. | "Nobody but Me" | The Isley Brothers | 3:28 |
| 4. | "It's a Sin" | Jimmy Reed | 3:32 |
| 5. | "New Boogie Chillen" | John Lee Hooker | 5:04 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bad to the Bone" | George Thorogood^ | 4:52 |
| 2. | "Miss Luann" | George Thorogood | 4:13 |
| 3. | "As the Years Go Passing By" | Deadric Malone | 5:03 |
| 4. | "No Particular Place to Go" | Chuck Berry | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Wanted Man" | Bob Dylan | 3:12 |
| Total length: | 41:38 | ||
^ Musician James Pobiega (stage name "Little Howlin' Wolf"), has claimed that he wrote "Bad to the Bone" and that George Thorogood stole the song from him.[10]
25th Anniversary Edition (2007)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "That Philly Thing" | George Thorogood | 2:25 |
| 2. | "Blue Highway" | Nick Gravenites, David Getz | 4:08 |
| 3. | "New Boogie Chillun" | John Lee Hooker | 7:10 |
| 4. | "No Particular Place To Go" | Chuck Berry | 4:26 |
| 5. | "As The Years Go Passing By" | Deadric Malone | 4:44 |
| 6. | "Bad To The Bone" | George Thorogood | 7:05 |
| 7. | "Wanted Man" | Bob Dylan | 3:57 |
| Total length: | 33:55 (75:33) | ||
Personnel
Musicians
- George Thorogood – vocals, guitar
- Billy Blough – bass guitar
- Jeff Simon – drums and percussion
- Hank Carter – saxophone
- Additional musicians
- Ian Stewart – piano
Technical
- The Delaware Destroyers – producers
- John Nagy – assistant producer and engineer
- Ken Irwin – assistant producer
- Paul Mufson – engineer
Charts
| Chart (1982/83) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] | 50 |
| Canada (RPM) | 78 |
| United States (Billboard 200) | 43 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[12] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
References
- ^ a b "Bad To The Bone 25th Anniversary Edition".
- ^ "US Hot 100 Bubbling Under".
- ^ "Tim Sendra - Bad to the Bone". AllMusic.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Bad to the Bone [EMI America, 1982]".
- ^ Metzger, John. "George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Bad to the Bone: 25th Anniversary Edition".
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Music Box review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 652. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
- ^ Mehr, Bob (10 November 2005). "Out of the Wilderness".
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 309. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone". Music Canada.
