"Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" | ||||
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UK 7" single sleeve
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Single by Men at Work | ||||
from the album Cargo | ||||
B-side | "No Restrictions" (International) "I Like To (Live)" (US) |
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Released | October 1982 | |||
Format | 7"/12" Vinyl | |||
Genre | Pop rock, new wave | |||
Length |
4:12 (7" single), 4:38 (12" single/album) |
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Label | Epic | |||
Writer(s) | Colin Hay | |||
Producer(s) | Peter McIan | |||
Men at Work singles chronology | ||||
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4:12 (7" single),
"Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" is a song by the Australian musical group Men at Work. The song was written by Men at Work singer/guitarist Colin Hay, and the recording was produced by Peter McIan. It was released on October 1982, in Australia, as the lead single from their second album Cargo, which had been recorded during 1982 but remained unreleased until late April 1983.
The song is about a mad scientist named Dr. Heckyll (played by Greg Ham in the song's video clip) who creates a potion that turns him into a smooth, handsome and talkative man. The title is a parody of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The story is also very similar to the premise of the film The Nutty Professor.
In Australia, it peaked at #6 and reached #16 in New Zealand. After "Overkill" and "It's a Mistake", the second and third singles released from Cargo, "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" was the band's last major top 40 hit in the US, entering the charts at #67 on 17 September 1983, almost a year after its initial Australian release and peaking at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November.
The song was also performed live on Saturday Night Live on October 22, 1983.