Table Of Contentacdc encyclopaedia.indb 1 26/08/2008 17:50:52
The AC*DC Encyclopaedia
by Malcolm Dome and Jerry Ewing
A CHROME DREAMS PUBLICATION
First Edition 2008
Published by Chrome Dreams
PO BOX 230, New Malden, Surrey,
KT3 6YY, UK
[email protected]
WWW.CHROMEDREAMS.CO.UK
ISBN 9781842404362
Copyright © 2008 by Chrome Dreams
Edited by Cathy Johnstone
Cover Design Sylwia Grzeszczuk
Layout Design Marek Niedziewicz
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without
the written permission of the publishers.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by William Clowes Ltd, Beccles, Suffolk
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AC*DC Encyclopaedia
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AC*DC Encyclopaedia
INTRO similar to those equally loved
heavy metal titans Iron Maiden,
AC/DC don’t take the eye off
There’s a famous Angus their own particular ball. They
Young quote which goes along don’t chase trends, they just get
the lines of, down to their own business. And
for the past 35 years it’s been
“A writer once accused us some seriously good business.
of making the same album 11 There is a school of thought
times. In fact, we’ve made that AC/DC’s unique sound is
12 albums that sound exactly a pretty simple one. True, it
the same.” might be based around the sim-
plest of rock ’n’ roll techniques
Not many AC/DC fans will
handed down from the likes of
agree with the accusation, but
Chuck Berry and Little Richard
they’ll enjoy the tongue-in-
to the Rolling Stones and then
cheek sentiment which shows
on to a bunch of snot-nosed
that, despite being one of the
Antipodeans like AC/DC, but
more insular heavy rock acts
most musicians you talk to will
the world has ever seen, a sense
be more than happy to tell you
of humour is not something
it is a sound which is actually
that ever passed AC/DC by. In
pretty difficult to replicate. It’s
fact, it is that sense of humour,
not simply a matter of attain-
allied to a roguish charm and the
ing Angus Young’s unique but
relentless pursuit of the riff that
instantly identifiable guitar tone,
makes AC/DC such an attractive
or replicating the rock hard
proposition to rock fans. And
but steady beat laid down by
just to prove the band’s unique
Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams.
appeal, they are almost always
But dig deeper and you’ll find
the token rock band enjoyed
behind Malcolm Young’s tena-
by those whose tastes don’t
cious riffing a series of sturdy,
normally stretch to the loud and
memorable rock songs built to
the heavy.
last; and the man’s now in his
There has long been something
that sets AC/DC apart from the fourth decade of delivering over
rest of the rock pack. In a story and over again. Marry that to
coloured by both triumph and having had two of the best-loved
tragedy, the band’s never ending frontmen in rock, namely the
drive onwards, often seeming late Bon Scott and now the
oblivious to what was going ever-affable Brian Johnson, and
on around them, is one that you start to see the formula that
many fans applaud. In a manner many bands have attempted to
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AC*DC Encyclopaedia
copy, but that none have ever Because that’s what being an
managed. AC/DC fan is all about. Like
belonging to one of the biggest
“All the songs we do are basi- clubs in the world. Never exclu-
cally about one of three things,” sive – AC/DC just don’t operate
Bon Scott once said. “Booze, that way – but comprised of
sex or rock ’n’ roll.” like-minded people who just get
it. We’ve been getting it for 35
Those songs still are, And years now, and as long as AC/
those three traits which make DC want to keep rolling out the
up the staple diet of most rock songs and the classic live shows,
fans, let’s not deny it. And we’ll all be there, rocking ’til the
that’s because AC/DC are fans very end.
themselves. Angus’ school boy
regalia aside, the rest of the “People can go out and hear
band look pretty much just like R.E.M. if they want to hear
you and us. And it’s this almost deep lyrics,” Malcolm Young
simplistic, no frills attitude to once said. “But at the end of
life and their craft that’s helped the night they just wanna go
AC/DC forge a relationship with home and get fucked. That’s
their fans that most bands could where AC/DC comes into it.”
never hope to equal. Watching
them on stage allows those in We couldn’t have put it better
the audience to dream about ourselves.
the fact that, “It could be me
up there”, just as much as they Malcolm Done
get off on the groove being laid and Jerry Ewing
down. And with tales of AC/DC
being denied access to their own London, July 2008
stage because they don’t look
like rock stars being the stuff of
legend, theirs is a state of being
that you can’t copy. It comes
from within. It’s what makes
them tick.
The chances are strong that if
you’re reading this, you’re an
AC/DC fan. In fact, it would be
a bit odd if you weren’t! And
maybe you don’t need any of
this told to you, because in your
heart you know it all anyway.
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AC*DC Encyclopaedia
THE AUTHORS WOULD SOURCES FROM WHICH
LIKE TO THANK… QUOTES HAVE BEEN TAKEN
…the following people for their Classic Rock magazine
support and assistance:
Metal Hammer magazine
All at Chrome Dreams
Sounds magazine
Roxy and Adair.
Shock To The System
All at Total Rock: by Mark Putterford
Tony Wilson, Talita, Holly,
The Bat, Thekkles, Tina, The World’s Heaviest Rock
PMQ, Zed, TP, Pixie, Chloe, by Martin Huxley
Emma ‘SF’ Bellamy, Werthers,
Cam, Ratchetto, Catbird. www.ac-dc.net
Everyone at www.bonscott.com.au
The Crobar/Evensong:
Rich, Steve, Johanna, Benjy, www.buoy.com/
Mitch, Joey, Nicole, Olivia, ~bonfire/interviews
The Rector, Sir Barrence,
Dave Everley, The Unique www.crabsodyinblue.com
One, The Crazy Bitch, Steve
Hammonds, The Scamp, Sir www.acdc.com
Hugebert, Kurt, Harjaholic, Jonty,
Jacques, Anna Maria, www.ac-dc.cc
Janet Abroooooooo, Matron,
Jo Dear, The Lonely Doctor, www.acdcpower.net
Orange Goblin, Dozzer
www.acdcnews.com
The Metal Hammer mob:
Chris Ingham, Alex Milas, www.gregjames.com
Caren Gibson, Gill, Jonathan
Selzer, Jamez Isaacs, Hards, www.kolumbus.fi/
Kimberley Tarry, nononsense/index.htm
Bezer the Geezer
en.wikipedia.org
The Classic Rock crew:
Scott Rowley, Sian Llewellyn,
Geoff Barton, Paul Henderson,
Ian Fortnam, Alex Burrows,
Dave Ling is still gay
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AC*DC Encyclopaedia
MALCOLM*DOME
Malcolm Dome first spotted He continues to write
AC/DC in a pub – which, if you regularly for Metal Hammer
knew Bon Scott at all, would and Classic Rock, and is heavily
come as no surprise. It was involved with the respected
actually the band’s first ever radio station TotalRock (www.
UK show, at the Red Cow in totalrock.com).
Hammersmith, West London.
Malcolm’s favourite AC/DC
Dome started writing for albums? Well, anything from
Record Mirror – the now the Bon Scott era, although
defunct weekly UK music paper he readily admits there have
– in 1979. His first feature was been some mighty records
on Samson (featuring vocalist subsequently - he even confesses
Bruce Dickinson!) His first live to a sneaking admiration for
review was Iron Maiden at The Fly On The Wall, which sends
Marquee in London, his first co-author Jerry Ewing into
album review was Samson’s uncontrollable guffaws.
debut, and his first interview
was with Hawkwind.
Since then, he’s worked
for a number of magazines
– Kerrang!, Metal Mania,
RAW, Metal Hammer, Classic
Rock, Metal Forces and Rocks
to name but a small selection.
He has waffled inanely on
numerous TV, film and DVD
documentaries about the
glories of metal music and he
is the author of Encyclopaedia
Metallica (with Jerry Ewing),
Bon Jovi – Faith and Glory; The
Official Biography and is the
editor of AC/DC - The Kerrang
Files
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AC*DC Encyclopaedia
JERRY*EWING
When Jerry Ewing grew up His favourite AC/DC albums
in North Sydney in the 1970s are Powerage and Back In
you either loved AC/DC or their Black and he confesses to never
arch rivals Skyhooks. Seeing as listening to Fly On The Wall.
he not only wanted his cake but
frequently ate it too, he loved He is still adamant that one
both, but probably liked AC day he will own a club called
/DC a bit more - which is just ‘The Shaking Hand’ (in honour
as well, because otherwise you of Bon Scott), hopefully in
might be holding a book about Sydney. And when he does, if
Australia’s forgotten glam rock you turn up with a copy of this
heroes instead. book, you’ll get a free drink. He
promises.
Moving to England wasn’t
anywhere near as much fun,
but at least AC/DC had
managed to find their way over
here too. He was lucky enough
to find himself working on the
groundbreaking and respected
UK metal mag Metal Forces
in 1989, where only his hair
was bigger than his ego. Since
then he’s been found within the
pages of Metal Hammer, Terror
Magazine, Vox, Cutting Edge,
Maxim, Stuff, Bizarre
and Rocks.
In 1998 Ewing devised and set
up Classic Rock Magazine for
Dennis Publishing, something
of which he is immensely proud,
and he continues to write for the
journal to this day. He also hosts
several shows on Total Rock
Radio and is regularly featured
on television and DVD with his
views on metal and rock acts.
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