IAN DURY AND THE BLOCKHEADS – “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick”
What is the relationship between the charts and everything else? The charts are a show home for pop music, filled with its shiniest mod cons, but one stuffed with hidden doors and tunnels, records that can tumble you out of pop and into other worlds which have their own codes and rules and no cosy countdown to set things in order. And in those other worlds – some of them, anyway – the charts are a sunlit palace of temptation, but to step (or be plucked) into it is to risk having your life and art and the world it came from turned higgledy-piggledy.
Every so often a door between the palace of pop and one of these other worlds opens so wide that every visitor can’t help but notice it and the walls between what’s mainstream and what’s not suddenly seem very thin. “Double Barrel” is one of them, so you could argue is “A Whiter Shade Of Pale”. So is this: it promises a sharper, smarter, more dangerous place than Number One hits generally admit you to.
This wasn’t a fluke, either, a canny act taking advantage of the January lull: it sold close to a million copies, a megahit in an era of them. “Rhythm Stick” is the sound of a band well aware that they’ve written a smash, and pushing themselves to make the delivery count. There isn’t a wasted note or fluffed decision on the track, but the whole thing comes off as wonderfully simple - a darting, jabbing groove designed to seduce even the most stand-offish of blokes onto the dancefloor, and a superb backdrop for Dury’s amazing performance.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Ian Dury – like a lot of highly quotable songwriters, he works best for me quoted. But on “Rhythm Stick” he makes every word count, caressing the line-end “-o” and “-an” sounds, wheezing and gasping through the chorus, then kicking off on the coda as the guitar shrieks him on. This is one of the first number ones where the hip-hop concept of “flow” really seems relevant: riding a rhythm, racking up bonuses with multi-syllable combos.
Like “Y.M.C.A.”, this is an ostensibly inclusive lyric, celebrating the universality of dancing (or screwing), but there’s also something mocking, even sinister about it: check the promo clip of Dury onstage, surrounded by darkness, blinking, contorting, urging the dance on but always apart from it. That goblinoid malice doesn’t come across so fully on record – “Rhythm Stick” got to No.1 because it was infectious and jolly as well as demented and sardonic – but it’s there.
The distance, as much as the playful aggression, might make this one of the most laddish dance records. It’s never beery or off-putting, though: there’s just a thread of cheek to it, which if followed might lead you quite out of pop and into some very rum places. Though just then the top of the charts was as rum a place as any. The people who didn’t fit in anywhere were getting their chance not just to make, but to define pop music: interesting times ahead.
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Tom in FT / Popular • Pop • 3,596 views • Share/Save
Re: 69
You’re right about North End Road, as someone who comes from the Aintree Estate and spent a lot of time as a kid hanging around the Clem Atlee those are what I point to when people say Fulham is a poncey place full of chinless wonders. It’s not all estate agents and wine bars (which sounds a bit 80s, what’s the current equivalent of the wine bar? The Gastropub?)
I used to buy all my Northern Soul records from Broadway Records when they were based just off the actual Broadway, opposite where the Golden Lion was. There used to be a Beggar’s Banquet record shop on North End Road too.
Erithian (71), you’re right, to some extent. I think there was an element of the ‘this is free so it must be crap’ to my not enjoying the Blockheads, but I liked Ranking Roger’s Beat (who followed them) more, despite their playing only hits (and one or two dodgy covers) that fitted Roger’s voice, thus avoiding the songs that made The Beat great (eg most of ‘Wh’appen’ + ‘I Confess’). I think what was particularly depressing was the audience in Nottingham’s Old Market Square that day. They were, with only a couple of exceptions, people I never see at gigs, who were there because of the act and because it was free. My generation, I fear – late forties to mid fifties – and looking decidedly knackered, as did the band on stage. Another afternoon, at a decent festival, and I might have liked the set more. But it all felt rather old.
I tried playing the bassline to “Rhythm Stick” the other night. Those rapid fire 16th notes wreaked havoc on my plucking fingers. I cannot believe how tight–yet full of soul–that rhythm section is.
The first Ian Dury song I heard was from my father’s vinyl copy of New Boots and Panties!! He loved to sing along with the line “What happens next is private/And also very rude” from the opening track.
my three year old is generally fairly uninterested in music that isn’t about trains or farmyard animals but since i bought a brilliant two cd ian dury best of a few of weeks ago (yours for a fiver in fopp) he’s developed something of an obsession with “that funny man” and happily spends hours looking at the picture of him on the front cover while listening. as you’d expect, hmwyrs is his favourite (i generally spare him “fucking ada”) and he finds it mind bogglingly comical that a grown up sings “hit me!” even though hitting is naughty. the first time he heard it, his reaction to the saxophone solo was an excited “…and this must be a mouse!”.
my main memory of this from childhood is unwisely singing it while walking home from infants school and having my then best friend hit me over the head with a stick of rock – which i guess it a pretty british experience when you think about it.
one thing i love about the song that i don’t think anyone has mentioned yet is the way it starts – it always sounds to me like the groove has already been going for ages and the listener suddenly walks in on it.
Is it just my imperfect recollection of their grooves, or could you crossfade this with the end of Blondie’s “Rapture” seamlessly?
YES! I tried this in my student disco days and ideally both are in the same key with the same bpm!
#74 Waldo!
No, no, no, no, no! In the ten or so times I have seen Janis Ian live, “At Seventeen” (while always present) has never been the highlight – or the focus of anticipation. I think that’s been true for the audience as a whole, not just for me.
I think the back catalogue (400+ songs) is so strong, and the core audience so loyal she could skip it, and three-quarters of the audience wouldn’t mind.
At one point Ian says something in German and I don’t know what it means. Does anyone here know?
Well, twice:
Das ist Schon, = “That’s lovely/beautiful”
Ist es nicht = ‘Isn’t it?”
he says ‘ich liebe dich’ and ‘das ist gut’ too no?
#82 Anne!
And there was me thinking that she only had one song! Oh, well, that’s me telt!
Two at least Waldo – “Fly Too High” shoulda been a monster.
I was getting my Schon mixed up with my gut.
And “Society’s Child” for that matter.
I picked up Janis Ian’s first two albums dirt cheap on vinyl the other week, thinking she was a bit of coffee shop folky I wouldn’t have bought them but noticed they were produced by Shadow Morton of The Shangri-Las fame and thought “well, this might be interesting…” and they were great, especially the very first one with “Society’s Child”.
Pssst! Anyone like to win a few quid?
On Sunday the Olympics finish and on Monday, the US Open starts at Flushing, the final Slam of the year. Waldo, Popular’s very own tennis action news reporter, with all the news that is news, suggests a Nadal/Serena Pasa Double. As a (roughly) 10/1 bet, the value is there and is clearly worth risking a fiver or one of Rosie’s cats.
I’ll be risking a wee bit more. Bon chance, pop pickers!
Yeah, I can’t argue with this one at all, except to be a pedant and point out that the label credit is just Ian & The Blockheads (anyone know why?). In fact, having just pulled the 45 out of the varchive to double check that, I couldn’t resist playing it.
One reason I’m glad to be the age I am is that I had the opportunity to love this song as a child, and yet adulthood hasn’t put me off it at all. It’s very much to Dury’s credit that he was able to reflect the childlike so (apparently) effortlessly.
@79 – very well said about the start. And I love the ending too. I don’t recall the remixes being much cop though.
‘What A Waste’ was excellent – fluid jazzy bass & sinewy synths sounding something like the theme from a TV detective series before Dury’s trademark menacing Lahndan whisper/growl enters the scene. ‘Rhythm Stick’ notches up the funk and adds atonal sax and more vocal histrionics and is immense fun. It felt like sticking two fingers up to the pop establishment – ok it wasn’t punk but Dury was suitably defiant, dishevelled, angry etc. to ruffle a few feathers. It’s still probably a better ‘punk’ no1 than the Rats sorry effort. And that bassline……
Did Waldo’s wager pay off?
Well Rafael and Serena are both through to the semis, so it’s still on.
Yep, Rafa plays Murray, who has been magnificent all tournament. There’s not a doubt in my mind that the US Open is the Slam he will win one day. Not this year, hopefully.
Serena’s looking unstoppable, having stuffed Venus, as I strongly supposed she would.
I’m still hopeful I’ll collect but still a way to go yet.
Well, what do you know about that? Waldo’s tennis bet shot down in flames by friendly fire and Waldo is on bread and cheese for the rest of September. And Rosie is down one cat. Serena duly delivered but Nadal is soundly thumped by the fabulous Murray who now meets Federer for the Championship.
Let us make things clear. This victory was no fluke against a ring-weary Rafa. This was a merit win against a top-form number one and nothing else, Murray bettering him on ground strokes from the baseline during lengthy rallies, something which seemed unthinkable to most of us. Nadal did nothing wrong at all. Murray was magnificent and he is clearly already the best player Britain has ever produced.
10pm tonight, then, for the final. If he does it (and for once I’m predicting nothing) he surely would be a shoe-in for Sports Personality of The Year, which would be harsh on Chris Hoy, who would have to be content with 2nd place and a Knighthood.
Murray stumbles on the Personality side of that equation. I thought we had already given it to Rebecca Adlington for liking shoes.
Interesting that the Brits does not have a Pop Personality of the Year award, which would allow pop stars who have consistently entertained without necesarily releasing barnstorming albums their moment in the sun. One would think Ian Dury may bave been up for it on a few occasions.
New Boots And Panties was on the album chart forever so there’s a fair chance Dury might have bagged that prize in ’78 had the Brits been going then.
Waldo @ 97: Tosca says to tell you to leave her out of it.
Didn’t the boy Murray done good!
Sorry, Rosie but my bookie, Jimmy the Swede, will be up to collect her at 3pm today.
Don’t forget that originally “Sports Personality of the Year” laid the emphasis on the sport rather than the personality – it’s not a question of “having personality” but “being a personality” (the Aussies would call it “an identity”). So it should go to the greatest UK sporting achiever of the year regardless of whether you think they’re a miserable git. If Murray and Hamilton both deliver it’ll be very difficult this year.
“Best player Britain has ever produced”? That’s contentious Waldo – making the usual necessary allowances for fitness levels, training regimes and racket technology, would you still place him above Perry’s 8 grand slam wins or whatever it was?
I remember Ian Dury getting some sort of award from Sue Lawley, back in the day.
“Oy, Basher! Alright?” he yelled. To Nick Lowe, not one of the bouncers…
Dury also met Sue Lawley when he did “Desert Island Discs”. I don’t recall the exact exchange but he was talking about his polio in the context of “Spasticus Autisticus” and Lawley commented, “It’s a good story and you tell it well…” – he retorted that it wasn’t a story, it was his life. Can’t quite recall whether there was real tension in the exchange or not – anybody else hear it?
That would have been the Nationwide Rock And Pop Awards, and I can’t remember at this late stage whether these morphed into the Brits or whether the Brits were something different altogether.
Lawley really was hopeless on Desert Island Discs; she never seemed to listen.
#105: No, the Brits are a re-branded continuation of the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) awards.
What were the ones that were presented by DLT and pre-TV-AM Anne Diamond and Kate Bush won everything?
According to Wikipedia the BPI awards started in ’82 and the first improbable host was David “Hello Thaar” Jacobs.
I remember two in a row where The Police won Best Group or Alltime group or something the first year, and got it awarded from some bloke who rattled off some speech about how it was great that all that punk rubbish was gone, to the obvious embarrassment of Stingie. Oh, and the bloke had a red setter dog on stage with him.
The following year was more professional, Rob Dicken gave the final speech, and I was “Thank god that bloke with the red setter is gone OH NO THERE HE IS!!”
The man with the dog was Maurice “Obie” Oberstein, a CBS big-wig who died in 2001. I think that award ceremony marked the last public appearance from The Police until their recent reunion tour, although they didn’t actually perform on that occasion. Indeed, there was an unspoken assumption that the award was already posthumous – which no doubt added to the band’s embarrassment.
Well that Federer/Murray final wasn’t exactly an all time classic.
Indeed it was not, Marcello. 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 and all over in less than two hours. This is infuriating for me personally, having watched him out-Nadal Nadal only to see him go all girlie in the final. Admittedly he was disadvantaged in having to endure a sleep-over with Rafa, whilst Federer had a day off but here the excuses end. Great tournament for Murray, nevertheless and almost as an afterthought, let’s applaud Roger for his 13th Grand Slam, only one behind Sampras now with a couple of good years left in him to equal it at least. One of the greatest sportsman of our lifetime and such a nice guy, with a girlfriend who looks like his wife and not his secretary.
Erithian # 102 – I stand by what I say, whilst accepting your point re fitness and equipment. I, in fact, would go further. If Fred Perry (c.1936) turned up today, he would be soundly trounced by any modern top woman. The sisters would just out-hit him and I’d love to see the look on Fred’s boat when Ivanovich or Sharapova wiggled onto court…
I imagine such fantasies helped keep him buoyant in his declining years.
They certainly do, buddy!
[...] Tom Ewing’s freaky trigger, which reviews every UK chart-topper since 1952 and ranks “Stick” as #432 — a more, um, sophisticated and musically informed take than my own. Comments galore. (hat tip [...]
This is one of the earliest pop songs I remember, along with “Cars” and “Walking on the Moon”. As a child I always assumed that he was singing “hit me with your ribbon stick”, and that a ribbon stick was a stick with a ribbon on the end, and that the song was somehow rude. Why would adults hit each other with sticks? Ian Dury vanished from my life until he died. YouTube has some old live performances on “Revolver”, which are splendidly funky. You can divide people into two kinds; those who say “ian jury” and those who say “ian dew-ree”.
No, that’s it – a few years later he contributed vocals to a computer game called “Deus Ex Machina”. It was an ambitious rock opera, and there is a bitty picture of Ian Dury in the opening credits. In retrospect I think, as a child, I always mixed him up with Madness, even though he had nothing to do with Ska. I reckon he might have been a good subject for a Look-In comic strip, nestled between Adam Ant and Dangermouse, but with the swearing taken out.
I wonder how many copies this sold in the US? Was he a complete unknown over there, or an underground novelty from the land of Monty Python and Benny Hill?
“Deus Ex Machina”
Jon Pertwee! Frankie Howerd! Ian Dury!
A stoner classic, true…..
And what links Dury to Martin Hannett, Ian Brady, Einstein and Gollum?
http://www.filmstalker.co.uk/archives/2009/04/ian_dury_biographical_film_gai.html
death and drugs and rings and time