Foreigner – “Dirty White Boy” (1979) Review | Call Kenny Loggins, ‘Cos You’re in the Danger Zone

Kronomyth 3.01: I’m a loner but I’m never alone.

This is where Foreigner and I part company. I could forgive them for “Hot Blooded,” but I had to draw the line at Dirty White Boy. It fed a male-dominated culture of bad boys, fast cars and the hot women who loved them. As I’ve said before, the 80s weren’t exactly a cultural renaissance. Not that skinny guys with handfuls of hair gel prancing around in parachute pants were the answer either. Growing up in that era, you were kinda stuck between rock and an art place. Lou Gramm does a great job singing it; in fact, it’s fair to say he carries the entire song, which outside of the vocals doesn’t have much of a melody. If you’re wondering where the original twenty seconds went, the single version just fades out earlier. The B side, Rev on the Red Line, further fuels those car fantasies but is, ironically, a slower song.

The Product

A1. Dirty White Boy (Mick Jones/Lou Gramm) (3:13)
B1. Rev on the Red Line (Al Greenwood/Lou Gramm) (3:35)

The Plastic

Released on 7-inch single in August 1979 in the US (Atlantic, 3618), the UK (Atlantic, K-11373), Australia and New Zealand (Atlantic, 45-3618), Canada (Atlantic, AT-3618), Germany (Atlantic, ATL-11373) and Japan (Atlantic, P-490A) with regional picture sleeve. Reached #12 on the US charts (charted on September 8, 1979 for 14 weeks).