For the Working Class Man
Encyclopedia
For the Working Class Man is the second studio album by Australian rock
singer Jimmy Barnes
, released in 1985. The album was released in the United States on Geffen
as Jimmy Barnes. It was re-released in 2005 in a special 20th anniversary edition, CD/DVD box set. The album itself has sold more than 500,000 copies (7 x Platinum), meaning that one in forty Australians own a copy of this album. The front cover art of Barnes standing in a burning Sugarcane
field became one of the iconic images of Australian rock music in the 1980s. The original release of this album was as a double-vinyl issue with sides one and two featuring the first five songs and the third and fourth sides featuring the remaining tracks, which were remixed versions of songs from Barnes' debut Bodyswerve. This album was specifically geared toward securing Barnes a break into the American
music market, recorded in New York
and Los Angeles
with a variety of producers and international musicians. Journey
keyboards player Jonathan Cain
wrote "Working Class Man" and "American Heartbeat", Steven Van Zandt
penned "Ride the Night Away" and producer Chas Sandford wrote "I'd Die to Be with You Tonight". "Working Class Man" was used in the soundtrack to the Ron Howard
film Gung Ho
. In October 2010, For the Working Class Man, was listed in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums
.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
, released in 1985. The album was released in the United States on Geffen
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
as Jimmy Barnes. It was re-released in 2005 in a special 20th anniversary edition, CD/DVD box set. The album itself has sold more than 500,000 copies (7 x Platinum), meaning that one in forty Australians own a copy of this album. The front cover art of Barnes standing in a burning Sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
field became one of the iconic images of Australian rock music in the 1980s. The original release of this album was as a double-vinyl issue with sides one and two featuring the first five songs and the third and fourth sides featuring the remaining tracks, which were remixed versions of songs from Barnes' debut Bodyswerve. This album was specifically geared toward securing Barnes a break into the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music market, recorded in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with a variety of producers and international musicians. Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
keyboards player Jonathan Cain
Jonathan Cain
Jonathan Cain is an American musician, best known for his work with The Babys, Journey and Bad English.-Early life:...
wrote "Working Class Man" and "American Heartbeat", Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
penned "Ride the Night Away" and producer Chas Sandford wrote "I'd Die to Be with You Tonight". "Working Class Man" was used in the soundtrack to the Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
film Gung Ho
Gung Ho (film)
Gung Ho is a 1986 Ron Howard comedy film, released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Michael Keaton and Gedde Watanabe. The film's story portrayed the takeover of an American car plant by a Japanese corporation...
. In October 2010, For the Working Class Man, was listed in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums
100 Best Australian Albums
100 Best Australian Albums is a compendium of rock and pop albums of the past 50 years as compiled by music journalists Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell. The book was published on 25 October 2010 by Hardie Grant Books...
.
Track listing
- "I'd Die to Be with You Tonight"
- "Ride the Night Away"
- "American Heartbeat"
- "Working Class ManWorking Class Man"Working Class Man" is a song performed and made famous by Australian singer Jimmy Barnes. It was written by Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain. "Working Class Man" is generally considered Barnes' signature song as a solo artist....
" - "Without Your Love"
- "No Second Prize"
- "Vision"
- "Promise Me You'll Call"
- "Boys Cry Out for War"
- "Daylight"
- "Thickskinned"
- "Paradise"
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
1 |
| 1986 |
Recording personnel
- Lead vocals: Jimmy Barnes
- Guitars: Tommy ThayerTommy ThayerTommy Cunningham Thayer is an American musician and songwriter best known as the lead guitarist for the American hard rock band Kiss.- Early life :...
,Chas Sandford, Mal Eastick, Waddy WachtelWaddy WachtelRobert "Waddy" Wachtel is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work...
, Dave Amato, Charlie SextonCharlie SextonCharles Wayne Sexton is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for the 1985 hit Beat's So Lonely and as the guitarist for Bob Dylan's backing band from 1999 to 2002 and since 2009...
, Billy BurnetteBilly BurnetteWilliam Beau "Billy" Burnette III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter who was part of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1995. Burnette also had a brief career in acting.-Family background:...
, Chris Stockley, Johnny Lee - Bass: Randy JacksonRandy JacksonRandall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
, Kenny Gradney, Bruce Howe - Drums: Tony Braunagel, Mick FleetwoodMick FleetwoodMichael John Kells "Mick" Fleetwood is a British musician and actor best known for his role as the drummer and namesake of the blues/rock and roll band Fleetwood Mac. His surname, combined with that of John McVie, was the inspiration for the name of the originally Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac...
, Tony Brout, Ray ArnottRay ArnottRaymond "Ray" Walter Arnott is an Australian rock drummer, singer-songwriter, he was a member of Spectrum , which had a number one hit with "I'll Be Gone" in January 1971... - Keyboards: Jonathan Cain, William Smith, Bill Payne
- Percussion: Arno Lewis
- Backing vocals: Kim CarnesKim CarnesKim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner noted for her distinctive raspy vocal style. Some people have called her "The Female Rod Stewart" due to her raspy voice....
, Maxine Willard, Julia Tillman, Dave Amato, Jonathan Cain, Renée GeyerRenée GeyerRenée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
, Venetta FieldsVenetta FieldsVenetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
, Shauna Jenson - Mandolin: Chris Stockley
- Bagpipes: Viv Riley