| "Hard to Get" | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
B-side |
"Monkey On My Back" (1962 Single Version / 2023 mix) |
|
Released |
2 November 2023 |
|
Recorded |
1978, 1 May 2022, 2023 |
|
Genre |
Singer-Songwriter, Contemporary Folk |
|
Label |
Rutle Corps |
|
Songwriter(s) |
Nasty (Original composition/demos), Nasty-McQuickly-O'Hara-Womble |
|
Producer(s) |
|
"Hard to Get" is the final song by The Rutles, released in 2023.[1][2] Aside from being the group's final tune, it is also notable for being the only Rutles tune released after Ron Nasty's death. It is based on a previously unfinished tape of a demo recorded in 1978 by Nasty.
Background[]
"Hard to Get" is based on a previously unfinished tape of a demo recorded in 1978 by Ron Nasty handed to the three remaining Rutles (or Refab Three) by Chastity Nasty.[3] The same AI technology that was used on The Rutles: Get Up and Go and Semi-Automatic (Super Deluxe) was utilized to clean up Ron's vocals, and allow the tap dancing present in the original 1978 demo to be removed. The removal of the tap-dancing was subject to controversy, as some "Rutle-Purists" believed the tap-dancing was an integral part of the song. Rutle bonfires resumed for a short period of time, which were credited to the single's success.
A herd of goats were provided to the Rutles by Capital Records for use on the song at the request of Dirk McQuickly, reminiscent of the screaming goat used by Nasty at various Rutle concerts in the 2010s, now as a complete choir. According to McQuickly, the project was so secretive, even the goats didn't know they were performing on the final Rutle tunes. According to Barry Wom, the project was "because Nasty said so”.
The original 1978 "Hard To Get" demo tape.
Alfred Macaw and Jeff Lynt produced the track, which came out on 2 November 2023 as a single on Rutle Records. The song was also included on the 2023 expanded remix of the 1978 Warner Bros. compilation album The Rutles released on the 10th. The official music videos for "Hard to Get" was released the following day, garnering upwards of 8 views in its first 12 hours, as the song arrived on AllOfMP3's top rankings. The video was exactly the same as "Don't Know Why", but with the footage slowed down. "Hard to Get" debuted simultaneously across music, alternative, news/talk, fashion, fascist, communist, and sports stations.