for a fee, i’m happy to be your backdoor man (13. 817)

As our faithful chronicler reminds, AC/DC released their third studio album on this day in 1976, the title track being an advertisement for a hitman who will help clients solve their problems, ranging from lecherous bosses and teachers to unfaithful partners, at low costs with services including concrete shoes, cyanide poisoning, electrocution and explosives—TNT and High Voltage referencing tracks from their previous albums. The name of the song is an homage to the cartoon Beany and Cecil—Angus Young was a young fan of the 1960s show—with the villain character Dishonest John (mostly referred to by his initials) handing out a business card reading, “Dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Special rates for Sundays and holidays.” Other minor baddies but recurring characters from the series include Go Man Van Gogh (voiced by Scatman Crothers) as a stereotypical beatnik, Jacques the Knife, a jazz singing sawfish with a heavy French accent, and Rin Tin Can, a robot dog, whom all deserve to be the backstory of a hardrock anthem in our opinion. The record was certified Platinum six times over but still ranks third among the Australian band’s work with Highway to Hell and Back in Black selling more copies. In 1981, a household in Libertyville Illinois filed lawsuit against the record label for a quarter of a million dollars, claiming distress caused by crank calls for their phone number inclusion in the song lyrics, 36-24-36 followed by a “hey!” which could be interpreted as eight. What the heck, DJ! You dirty guy!