Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

Released towards the end of 1978 and got to number 1 in January 1979, this Ian Dury single showed that the the mixture of clever lyrics and great music was a hit with the record buying public. Released on Stiff records and was backed with There Ain't half Been Some Clever Bastards, the single sold just under a million copies and in 1985 was remixed but wasn't a patch on the original.

The song came from lyrics Dury had written a few years earlier, slightly changed and inspired from the piano riff from Wake Up And Make Love With Me (off Dury's New Boots & Panties album). After several takes of the song they used one of the earlier takes for the single although not many of the band were happy with the mix. Listening to the single you get to realise just what a great songsmith Ian was, but the band were equally as good, the band playing on the single were amazing, they were so good Stiff Records often used the band as the label's inhouse band for their solo artists to record with. Ian Dury died in March 2000 but the band still play on, with guest vocalists, however good the singers are, no one can match Ian Dury!