Re-releases and Versions
The song has been used for numerous purposes since its release including various adverts and in numerous television programmes (including the Doctor Who episode Tooth and Claw). It has had its lyrics changed often, including in one instance to 'hit me with your oven chip'. This, combined with its continued popularity and original chart success has ensured that today the song is incredibly easily to find on CD, not only on all of Ian Dury's compilations but in numerous various artists compilations.
However, like many of Ian Dury's stand alone singles, this was not originally the case, and in keeping with his then-policy of not including singles on his albums the song was omitted from Do it Yourself, the next Ian Dury & The Blockheads album. It was not available again until the release of Jukebox Dury years later.
Paul Hardcastle remixed the track in 1985, stripping all the instrumental tracks and using only Dury's vocal, and re-recording the instrumental parts with keyboards. The re-mix reached number 55 in the UK Singles chart.
Nina Hagen remixed the track which was released on her album, Sternenmädchen, released in 2001. She also performed it with Freaky fukin weirdoz in their music video in 1994.
Read more about this topic: Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
Famous quotes containing the word versions:
“The assumption must be that those who can see value only in tradition, or versions of it, deny man’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.”
—Stephen Bayley (b. 1951)