On December 1, 1975, AC/DC released their second studio album, TNT . The album captured the band at the moment they left the Melbourne pub circuit and became a rock powerhouse. After the album's release, the group explored new horizons, exporting their sound to North America and especially Europe.
Produced by the legendary duo Harry Vanda and George Young – older brother of Angus and Malcolm Young – the album features a series of hits such as the title track, “The Jack” and the absolute anthem “It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)”.
Here are some interesting facts about the album, which turns 50 this Monday:
AC/DC's "first" international album
One of the biggest misconceptions in the history of AC/DC's discography lies in the true identity of their first worldwide release. Fans outside of Australia believe that High Voltage (1976) is the band's first album and that TNT is just a compilation, but the story is different. The original album was only released in Australia and New Zealand.
The High Voltage album contains almost all the songs from the original TNT album High Voltage , released in 1974. Therefore, it can be considered that musically, it was the TNT that introduced AC/DC's sonic identity to the rest of the world.
Origin of the chant “Oi! Oi! Oi!”
The iconic "Oi! Oi! Oi!" chant, which became the band's trademark, wasn't planned. Angus Young was in the studio testing the sound and started humming the words to himself as a way of keeping time. George Young heard it and thought it sounded aggressive and authentic, and suggested they record it as an official part of the song.
AC/DC's classic 70s lineup
The album served as ground zero for the consolidation of the classic 70s lineup. The core formed by vocalist Bon Scott and the Young brothers found rhythmic support with the new members: bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd . This quintet created the band's signature sound during the "Bon Scott era." Together they recorded the albums Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) and Let There Be Rock (1977).
Influence of Little Richard
The track “Rocker” is the fastest on the album and pays direct homage to the band's 1950s idols, especially Little Richard . In live shows, it was usually extended to 10 minutes. And it served as a base for Angus to do his solos, run through the audience and climb on the amplifiers.
Video for “It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)”
In the iconic video for “It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)” where the band plays on top of a moving truck through the streets of Melbourne, the bagpipers who appear are not actors. They were members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band , a real bagpipe band formed by Australian war veterans.
ACDC Lane by the city in 2004. Today it is a tourist attraction full of graffiti and tributes to the band.
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