Working Class Dog
title: "Working Class Dog" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1981-albums", "rick-springfield-albums", "albums-produced-by-keith-olsen", "rca-records-albums", "albums-recorded-at-sound-city-studios"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Class_Dog" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Working Class Dog |
| type | studio |
| artist | Rick Springfield |
| cover | working_class_dog.jpg |
| released | |
| recorded | 1980–1981 |
| studio | Sound City, Van Nuys, California |
| *Power pop<ref name | "Breihan 2020" |
| *pop rock<ref name | AM/ |
| length | |
| label | RCA Victor |
| producer | Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher, Keith Olsen |
| prev_title | Wait for Night |
| prev_year | 1976 |
| next_title | Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet |
| next_year | 1982 |
| misc | {{Singles |
| name | Working Class Dog |
| type | studio |
| single1 | Jessie's Girl |
| single1date | February 1981 |
| single2 | I've Done Everything for You |
| single2date | March 1981 |
| single3 | Love is Alright Tonite |
| single3date | November 1981 |
| :: |
| name = Working Class Dog | type = studio | artist = Rick Springfield | cover = working_class_dog.jpg | alt = | released = | recorded = 1980–1981 | studio = Sound City, Van Nuys, California | venue = | genre =
- Power pop
- pop rock | length = | label = RCA Victor | producer = Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher, Keith Olsen | prev_title = Wait for Night | prev_year = 1976 | next_title = Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet | next_year = 1982 | misc = {{Singles | name = Working Class Dog | type = studio
| single1 = Jessie's Girl | single1date = February 1981 | single2 = I've Done Everything for You | single2date = March 1981 | single3 = Love is Alright Tonite | single3date = November 1981 |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = Working Class Dog is the fifth studio album by Australian rock musician Rick Springfield, released by RCA Records in 1981. The album was certified Platinum in the United States and eventually sold over three million US copies. It produced Springfield's biggest career hit with the #1 million-selling song, "Jessie's Girl". Springfield was awarded the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male.
The album was re-released on CD in 2006 as a "25th anniversary edition" with three bonus tracks.
Track listing
All tracks written by Rick Springfield except as indicated. | headline = Side one | title1 = Love Is Alright Tonite | length1 = 3:28 | title2 = Jessie's Girl | length2 = 3:14 | title3 = Hole in My Heart | length3 = 3:12 | title4 = Carry Me Away | length4 = 3:01 | title5 = I've Done Everything for You | writer5 =Sammy Hagar | length5 = 3:17 | headline = Side two | title6 = The Light of Love | length6 = 2:43 | title7 = Everybody's Girl | length7 = 2:59 | title8 = Daddy's Pearl | length8 = 2:37 | title9 = Red Hot & Blue Love | length9 = 2:57 | title10 = Inside Sylvia | length10 = 4:43 | headline = 25th anniversary edition | title11 = Easy to Cry | note11 = previously unreleased | length11 = 3:33 | title12 = Taxi Dancing | note12 = original version, previously unreleased | length12 = 3:35 | title13 = Jessie's Girl | note13 = demo version | length13 = 3:11
Album cover
The album cover features a picture of a Bull Terrier dog dressed in a white shirt with a black tie. The dog was Springfield’s pet named Ronnie, and he briefly cameoed in the music video for "Jessie's Girl". Ronnie would later be featured in the cover art of his owner's next album Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet. ''Working Class Dog'''s cover (credited to Mike Doud) was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Album Package" in 1981. The 2011 Jonathan Coulton song "Je Suis Rick Springfield" makes reference to the album cover. Ronnie died in 1994.
Personnel
- Rick Springfield - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards
- Robben Ford - guitar
- Neil Giraldo - guitar, bass
- Gabriel Katona - keyboards
- Jeff Eyrich - bass
- Mike Baird - drums
- Jack White - drums
- Jeremiah Cox - French horn, background vocals
- Tom Kelly - background vocals
Credits
- Produced by Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher and Keith Olsen
- Engineered by Bill Drescher, Chris Minto and Doug Pakes at Sound City
- Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders
Charts
Weekly charts
::data[format=table] | Chart (1981) | Peak position | |---|---| | last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=289}} | 33 | ::
Year-end charts
::data[format=table]
| Chart (1981) | Position | Chart (1982) | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 38 | ||
| US Billboard 200 | 31 | ||
| :: |
Certifications
References
References
- Breihan, Tom. (May 13, 2020). "The Number Ones: Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl".
- "Working Class Dog - Rick Springfield - Songs, Reviews, Credits".
- "Rick Springfield - Taxi Dancing Original Version - Lyrics".
- "Rick Springfield Reaffirms His Dog Obsession And Wins Fans' Hearts With Adorable Photo Evidence – AngusPost".
- (25 August 1981). "Springfield brought dream from Down Under". Chicago Tribune.
- "The Envelope: Hollywood's Awards and Industry Insider - Los Angeles Times".
- "Archived copy".
- Kent, David. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970–1992". Australian Chart Book.
- "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981".
- "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982".
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