Latest revision as of 08:00, 11 October 2023

"Dead End Job"
a safety master tape from the 1977-08-10 session the cover for the Can't Stand Losing You 7" single
Recorded by The Police
Released:	1978-08-14
Recorded:	1977-08-10 (unreleased) 1978-01-17 (7" version)
Length:	2:54 (1977 version) 3:30 (1978 version)
Album(s):	Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings
Label(s):	A&M
Writer(s):	Sting, Stewart Copeland
Producer(s):	The Police
Studio(s):	Pathway Studios (1977) Surrey Sound Studios (1978)
Released as single?	B-SIDE

"Dead End Job" is a song written by Sting and Stewart Copeland and recorded by The Police in 1977 (unreleased) and again in 1978.

About the song

Stewart Copeland recorded the original Sleaze Casino demo on 1976-01-26, with just guitar and bass. He used some drums he recorded with Tony Reeves on 1976-02-26 to do a second demo version.

This is one of the very first songs Sting so-wrote for The Police. Stewart Copeland already had the music, Sting did the lyrics. It was already performed live before Andy Summers joined the band.

The Police recorded this song on 1977-08-10 when Henry Padovani was still a member - with John Cale as producer. The 1977 version doesn't feature any newspaper reading. Stewart's drums are a bit irritating, he uses a lot of toms and his hi-hat (foot pedal probably) plays 1-2-3-4 continuously... Andy Summers solo is a "normal" rock'n'roll solo compared to the experimental stuff on the 1978 version.

The part with "The queue gets longer every day" has different lyrics.

The version that was eventually released as the b-side of Can't Stand Losing You was a re-recording from 1978-01-17. There's an alternate mix for the 1978 version which starts with more newspaper noises before the count-in. The channels seem to be flipped, Andy Summers reading the newspaper is on the right, the bass is on the left.

According to Nigel Gray Sting chose the version that was eventually released.

Personnel

1977:

Sting - bass and vocals
Stewart Copeland - drums
Andy Summers - guitar
Henry Padovani - guitar

1978:

Sting - bass and vocals
Stewart Copeland - drums
Andy Summers - guitar and vocals

Release History

Albums

Dead End Job appears on the following album releases:

Cover art	Album title	Release date	Release country
	Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings	1993-MM-DD	UK
	Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings / Flexible Strategies	2018-11-16	UK

Singles

CD Singles

Cover art	Catalog no.	Songs	Release date	Release country
	Catalog no.	"Song"(s)	YYYY-MM-DD	Country

7" Singles

Cover art	Catalog no.	A-side song/B-side song	Release date	Release country
	AMS 7381	"Can't Stand Losing You"/"Dead End Job"	1978-08-14	UK

Video

"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:

Cover art	Video title	Release date	Release country
	Video or dvd title	YYYY-MM-DD	Country

Awards, nominations, and certifications

Awards

This section needs more information.

Year	Winner	Award	Category
YYYY	WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.)	AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.)	CATEGORY

Nominations

This section needs more information.

Year	Nominee	Award	Category
YYYY	NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.)	AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.)	CATEGORY

Certifications

This section needs more information.

Country	Certifier	Classification	Certification
COUNTRY	CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...)	CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...)	CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...)

Lyrics

Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.

1978 version:

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

The queue gets longer every day
I just ain't got time to stay
I ain't gonna run away
All I want to do is play

Don't wanna be no teacher
Don't wanna be no slave
Don't wanna work no assembly line
Like my uncle Dave

The queue gets longer every day
I just ain't got time to stay
I ain't gonna run away
All I wanna do is play

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

The queue gets longer everyday
All I wanna do is play
I just ain't got time to stay
But I ain't gonna run away

Don't wanna be no millionaire
Don't wanna own no mint
I don't wanna be no tax exile
And I don't mind being skint

1977 version:

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

Don't wanna be no teacher
Don't wanna be no slave
Don't wanna be no assembly line
Like my uncle Dave

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't - no

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

Don't wanna be no millionaire
I don't wanna own no mint
I don't wanna be no tax exile
And I don't mind being skint

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't ----- oh

(guitar solo)

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't ...

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

Don't wanna be no millionaire
I don't wanna own no mint
I don't wanna be no tax exile
And I don't mind being skint

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
etc...

Quotations and trivia

This section needs more information.

Alternate and cover versions

1977 version with Henry Padovani - produced by John Cale
slightly different 1978 mix

External links

This section needs more information.

References

sources: Craig Betts, Stewart Copeland's Police Diaries

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 !  colspan="2" | <big>'''"Dead End Job"'''</big>
 |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
-|  colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:1978cantstandlosingyou.jpg|thumb|center|the cover for the Can't Stand Losing You 7" single]]
+|  colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:1977_08_Pathway_Studios_safety_master_tape.jpg|thumb|center|a safety master tape from the [[1977-08-10]] session]]
+[[Image:1978cantstandlosingyou.jpg|thumb|center|the cover for the [[Can't Stand Losing You]] 7" single]]
 |- style="background-color: #E6E6E6;"
 !  colspan="2" | Recorded by [[The Police]]
 |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 | <b>Released:</b>
-| [[1978]]
+| [[1978-08-14]]
 |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 | <b>Recorded:</b>
-| 1978
+| [[1977-08-10]] (unreleased)
+[[1978-01-17]] (7" version)
 |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 | <b>Length:</b>
-| 3:30
+| 2:54 ([[1977]] version)
+:30 ([[1978]] version)
 |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 | <b>Album(s):</b>
@@ Line 28: / Line 31: @@
 |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 | <b>Studio(s):</b>
-| [[Surrey Sound Studios]]
+| [[Pathway Studios]] ([[1977]])
+[[Surrey Sound Studios]] ([[1978]])
 |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 | <b>Released as single?</b>
-| YES, B-SIDE
+| B-SIDE
 |}
-'''"Dead End Job"''' is a song written by [[Sting]] and [[Stewart Copeland]] and recorded by [[The Police]] in [[1978]].
+'''"Dead End Job"''' is a song written by [[Sting]] and [[Stewart Copeland]] and recorded by [[The Police]] in [[1977]] (unreleased) and again in [[1978]].
 =About the song=
-This is one of the very first songs [[Sting]] (co-)wrote for [[The Police]]. It was already performed live before [[Andy Summers]] joined the band.
+[[Stewart Copeland]] recorded the original Sleaze Casino demo on [[1976-01-26]], with just guitar and bass. He used some drums he recorded with [[Tony Reeves]] on [[1976-02-26]] to do a second demo version.
-[[The Police]] recorded this song in August 1977 when [[Henry Padovani]] was still a member, but the version which was eventually released as the b-side of [[Can't Stand Losing You]] was a re-recording from early 1978.
+This is one of the very first songs [[Sting]] so-wrote for [[The Police]]. [[Stewart Copeland]] already had the music, [[Sting]] did the lyrics. It was already performed live before [[Andy Summers]] joined the band.
+[[The Police]] recorded this song on [[1977-08-10]] when [[Henry Padovani]] was still a member - with John Cale as producer. The [[1977]] version doesn't feature any newspaper reading. Stewart's drums are a bit irritating, he uses a lot of toms and his hi-hat (foot pedal probably) plays 1-2-3-4 continuously... [[Andy Summers]] solo is a "normal" rock'n'roll solo compared to the experimental stuff on the [[1978]] version.
+The part with "The queue gets longer every day" has different lyrics.
+The version that was eventually released as the b-side of [[Can't Stand Losing You]] was a re-recording from [[1978-01-17]].
+There's an alternate mix for the [[1978]] version which starts with more newspaper noises before the count-in. The channels seem to be flipped, [[Andy Summers]] reading the newspaper is on the right, the bass is on the left.
+According to [[Nigel Gray]] [[Sting]] chose the version that was eventually released.
 =Personnel=
-[[Sting (person) | Sting]] - bass and vocals
+[[1977]]:
-[[Stewart Copeland]] - drums
+* [[Sting (person) | Sting]] - bass and vocals
-[[Andy Summers]] - guitar and vocals
+* [[Stewart Copeland]] - drums
+* [[Andy Summers]] - guitar
+* [[Henry Padovani]] - guitar
+[[1978]]:
+* [[Sting (person) | Sting]] - bass and vocals
+* [[Stewart Copeland]] - drums
+* [[Andy Summers]] - guitar and vocals
 =Release History=
@@ Line 55: / Line 75: @@
 ! Release country
 |- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
-| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
+| [[Image:Police-album-messageinaboxthecompleterecordings.jpg|40px]]
 | [[Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings]]
 | [[1993-MM-DD]]
+| UK
+|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
+| [[Image:Every_Move_You_Make.jpg|40px]] [[Image:Flexible_Strategies.jpg|40px]]
+| [[Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings]] / [[Flexible Strategies (album) | Flexible Strategies]]
+| [[2018-11-16]]
 | UK
 |}
@@ Line 89: / Line 114: @@
 | AMS 7381
 | "[[Can't Stand Losing You]]"/"[[Dead End Job]]"
-| [[1978-MM-DD]]
+| [[1978-08-14]]
 | UK
 |}
@@ Line 155: / Line 180: @@
 =Lyrics=
 '''Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.'''
+* [[1978]] version:
 <pre>
@@ Line 196: / Line 223: @@
 I don't wanna be no tax exile
 And I don't mind being skint
+</pre>
+* [[1977]] version:
+<pre>
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't wanna be no number
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't wanna be no number
+World is turning every day
+Dole queue longer every way
+Don't wanna be no teacher
+Don't wanna be no slave
+Don't wanna be no assembly line
+Like my uncle Dave
+World is turning every day
+Dole queue longer every way
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't - no
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't wanna be no number
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't wanna be no number
+World is turning every day
+Dole queue longer every way
+Don't wanna be no millionaire
+I don't wanna own no mint
+I don't wanna be no tax exile
+And I don't mind being skint
+World is turning every day
+Dole queue longer every way
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't ----- oh
+(guitar solo)
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't ...
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't wanna be no number
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't wanna be no number
+World is turning every day
+Dole queue longer every way
+Don't wanna be no millionaire
+I don't wanna own no mint
+I don't wanna be no tax exile
+And I don't mind being skint
+World is turning every day
+Dole queue longer every way
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+I don't want no dead end job
+etc...
 </pre>
@@ Line 201: / Line 304: @@
 ''This section needs more information.''
-=Alternative and cover versions=
+=Alternate and cover versions=
-''This section needs more information.''
+* [[1977]] version with [[Henry Padovani]] - produced by John Cale
+* slightly different [[1978]] mix
 =See also=
-''This section needs more information.''
+* [[1976-01-26]] - [[Sleaze Casino]] demo
+* [[1976-02-26]] - [[Sleaze Casino]] drums for 2nd demo
 =External links=
@@ Line 211: / Line 316: @@
 =References=
-''This section needs more information.''
+sources: Craig Betts, [[Stewart Copeland's Police Diaries]]
 [[Category:Songs (The Police)]][[Category:Songs (Sting)]][[Category:Songs & Compositions (Andy Summers)]][[Category:Songs & Compositions (Stewart Copeland)]]

Difference between revisions of "Dead End Job"

Latest revision as of 08:00, 11 October 2023

Contents

About the song

Personnel

Release History

Albums

Singles

CD Singles

7" Singles

Video

Awards, nominations, and certifications

Awards

Nominations

Certifications

Lyrics

Quotations and trivia

Alternate and cover versions

See also

External links

References

Navigation menu

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