WHY MUST YOU LEAVE ME
LYING ON MY BACK
GOING ACROSS LEFT SIDE
OF THE TRACK
FOUND YOURSELF
A NEW MAN I KNOW
High Voltage
is the debut
studio album
by Australian
hard rock band
released only
in Australia
and
New Zealand,
February, 17th 1975.
Their first
international release
in 1976
would also be named
High Voltage,
though with a
radically
different track list.
Background
In November 1973,
guitarists
Malcolm Young
and
Angus Young
formed
AC/DC
and recruited
bassist
Larry Van Kriedt,
vocalist
Dave Evans,
and
Colin Burgess,
ex-Masters Apprentices
drummer.
Soon the Young brothers
decided that
Evans
was not a
suitable frontman
for the group; t
hey felt he was more
of a glam rocker
like
Gary Glitter.
The band had
recorded only
one single
with
Evans,
"Can I Sit Next To You Girl",
with
"Rockin' in the Parlour"
as the B-side.
In September 1974,
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott,
an experienced vocalist
and friend of
producer
George Young,
replaced
Dave Evans
after friend
Vince Lovegrove
recommended him.
The addition of
Scott
redefined the band;
like the Young brothers,
Scott had been born
in Scotland
before emigrating
to Australia
in his childhood,
and loved
rock and roll,
especially
Little Richard.
Scott had played
in the
Valentines,
the Spektors
and
Fraternity.
In a 2010 interview
with
Mojo's
Sylvie Simmons,
Angus Young
recalled that
Scott
"moulded the
character of
AC/DC...
Everything became
more down to earth
and straight ahead.
That's when we
became a band."
High Voltage
was originally released
on
Albert Productions
only in Australia
and
New Zealand,
and has never been
reissued
by another label
in this format.
The international version
of
High Voltage,
which was issued
on
Atlantic Records
in 1976,
has a
different cover art
and track listing,
with only
"She's Got Balls"
and
"Little Lover"
appearing overseas.
"Baby Please Don't Go",
"Soul Stripper"
"You Ain't Got a Hold on Me"
and
"Show Business"
were
later released
on
'74 Jailbreak
in 1984.
"Stick Around"
about Scott's inability
to hold onto a lover
for more than one night
and
"Love Song"
have been released
on
Backtracks in 2009.
The title and artwork
were the suggestion of
Chris Gilbey
of Albert Productions.
In the 1994
Scott biography
Highway to Hell,
Gilbey explains that he
came up with
the concept of
"an electricity substation
with a dog pissing against it.
It's so tame now,
but back then we thought
it was pretty revolutionary."
TRACK LIST
Baby Please Don't Go
She's Got Balls
Little Lover
Stick Around
Soul Stripper
You Ain't Got A Hold on Me
Love Song
Show Business
School Days [*]
Jailbreak [*]
Rock N Roll Singer [*]
Live Wire [*]
The Jack [*]
T.N.T. [*]
High Voltage [*]
Cold Hearted Man [*]
[*] BONUS TRACKS
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