Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School

Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The album was released on February 15, 1980, by Elektra Records. Three singles were released from the album, one of which charted: "A Certain Girl" (a cover of a song previously recorded by Ernie K-Doe and the Yardbirds) reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Zevon's second and final hit on that chart.

Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School
Studio album by Warren Zevon
Released	February 15, 1980 (1980-02-15)
Recorded	1979
Studio	The Sound Factory, Hollywood, California
Genre	Rock
Length	35:31
Label	Elektra
Producer	Greg Ladanyi, Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon chronology
Excitable Boy (1978) Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School (1980) Stand in the Fire (1980)
Singles from Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School
"A Certain Girl" Released: 1980 "Jeannie Needs a Shooter" Released: 1980 "Gorilla, You're a Desperado" Released: 1980

The album was dedicated to Ken Millar (1915–1983), popularly known as mystery writer Ross Macdonald, who had assisted Zevon in fighting through substance abuse addiction and successfully completing related treatment.^[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Robert Christgau	B−[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Record Mirror	[5]
Rolling Stone	(positive)[6]
Uncut	8/10[7]

Record World said of the single "Gorilla, You're a Desperado" that "Zevon paints a picturesque fantasy of LA upper middle class absurdity."^[8]

Track listing

All songs written by Warren Zevon, unless otherwise indicated.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School"		3:00
2.	"A Certain Girl"	Naomi Neville	3:08
3.	"Jungle Work"	Jorge Calderón, Zevon	3:58
4.	"Empty-Handed Heart"		3:16
5.	"Interlude No. 1"		0:26
6.	"Play It All Night Long"		2:53

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Jeannie Needs a Shooter"	Bruce Springsteen, Zevon	3:55
8.	"Interlude No. 2"		1:08
9.	"Bill Lee"		1:37
10.	"Gorilla, You're a Desperado"		2:47
11.	"Bed of Coals"	T-Bone Burnett, Zevon	5:04
12.	"Wild Age"		4:19

Personnel

• Warren Zevon – organ, synthesizer, bass guitar, guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboards, vocals, string arrangements
• Jorge Calderón – guitar on "A Certain Girl"; backing vocals on "Jungle Work"
• David Lindley – lap steel on "Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School" and "Play It All Night Long"; guitar on "Wild Age"
• Leland Sklar – bass guitar
• Rick Marotta – percussion, drums, vocals, bells, Syndrums

Additional personnel

• The Sid Sharp Strings – strings
• Jackson Browne – guitar, slide guitar on "Gorilla, You're a Desperado"; backing vocals on "A Certain Girl", "Play It All Night Long" and "Gorilla, You're a Desperado"
• Don Felder – guitar on "A Certain Girl"
• Glenn Frey – harmony vocals on "Bill Lee" and "Wild Age"
• Don Henley – harmony vocals on "Wild Age" and "Gorilla, You're a Desperado"
• Ben Keith – pedal steel guitar on "Bed of Coals"
• Linda Ronstadt – descant on "Empty-Handed Heart"; backing vocals on "Bed of Coals"
• JD Souther – backing vocals on "Gorilla, You're a Desperado" and "Bed of Coals"
• Waddy Wachtel – lead guitar on "A Certain Girl"; guitar on "Empty-Handed Heart"
• Joe Walsh – lead guitar on "Jungle Work" and "Jeannie Needs a Shooter"

Technical

• Ernie Sheesley, Niko Bolas, Serge Reyes – engineers
• Jimmy Wachtel – cover
• George Gruel, Jimmy Wachtel, Michael Curtis – photography

Charts

Sales chart performance for Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School

Chart (1980)	Position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9]	35
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10]	46
US Billboard 200[11]	20

See also

• Letter to You, a 2020 Bruce Springsteen album, features a different song with a similar title, "Janey Needs a Shooter"