Ep. 84: AC/DC – Original Band Members
Intro
Hello and Welcome to this episode of the podcast, "The Mnemonic Tree", where we add a single mnemonic leaf to our Tree of Knowledge.
Today's episode is going to be high voltage, powered up, as it’s on one of the biggest rock bands in history AC/DC, otherwise known as Acca Dacca.
The band has gone through a myriad of line-up changes over its history, with the main one being Brian Johnson replacing Bonn Scott who tragically died of alcohol poisoning in 1980. After Malcolm Young retired in 2014 due to health concerns with dementia, this left Angus Young as the only original member left in the band that has had approximately 27 members in total.
Today’s mnemonic is on the original band members, and some may be surprised that this original line-up does not include Bonn Scott who joined the band later in 1974 replacing Dave Evans. But it is generally accepted that once things settled, the original line-up included brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, Bon Scott, Phil Rudd, and Mark Evans.
So, with that being said, we will begin with a summary from Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Summary
AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm (rhythm guitar) and Angus Young (lead guitar). Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal,[1] but the band calls it simply "rock and roll".[2]
AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage (1975). Membership subsequently stabilised around the Young brothers with Bon Scott (lead vocals), Mark Evans (bass) and Phil Rudd (drums). Evans was fired from the band in 1977 and replaced by Cliff Williams, who has since appeared on every album since Powerage (1978). Seven months after the release of the band's breakthrough album Highway to Hell (1979), Scott died of alcohol poisoning and the other members considered disbanding.[3] However, at the request of Scott's parents, they continued together and recruited English singer Brian Johnson as their new frontman.[4] Their first album with Johnson, Back in Black (1980), was dedicated to Scott's memory. It was a widespread success, launching the band to new heights and becoming the second best-selling album of all time.
The band's eighth studio album, For Those About to Rock (1981), was their first album to reach number one in the United States. Prior to the release of their next album, Flick of the Switch (1983), Rudd left the band and was replaced by Simon Wright, who was himself replaced by Chris Slade six years later. The band experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of their 12th studio album The Razors Edge (1990); it was their only album to feature Slade, who was replaced by the returning Rudd in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with Ballbreaker (1995). Their 15th studio album Black Ice was the second-highest-selling album of 2008 and their biggest chart hit since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching No. 1 worldwide.[5]
The band's line-up remained the same for 20 years until 2014, when Malcolm Young retired due to early-onset dementia (from which he died three years later) and Rudd became involved in legal troubles. Malcolm was replaced by his nephew Stevie Young, who debuted on the album Rock or Bust (2014). On the accompanying tour, previous drummer Chris Slade filled in for Rudd. In 2016, Johnson was advised to stop touring due to worsening hearing loss, and Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose stepped in as the band's frontman for the remainder of that year's dates. Long-time bassist and backing vocalist Williams retired at the end of the Rock or Bust tour in 2016, and the group entered a four-year hiatus. A reunion of the Rock or Bust line-up was announced in September 2020, and the band's 17th studio album Power Up was released two months later.
AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 75 million albums in the United States, making them the ninth-highest-selling artist in the United States and the 16th-best-selling artist worldwide.[6][7][8] Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the second best-selling album of all time and the highest-selling album by a band. The album has sold 25 million units in the US, where it is the fourth best-selling album of all time.[9] AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.[10] They ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"[11][12] and were named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV.[13] In 2004, they ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". American record producer Rick Rubin, who wrote an essay on the band for Rolling Stone, called them the "greatest rock and roll band of all time".[14] In 2010, VH1 ranked them No. 23 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[15]
Extracted from: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC]
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ACDC_M%C3%BCnchen_2001.jpg
Mnemonic
AC/DC - Original Band Members – Dead CALM
(Picture being at huge AC/DC concert and the dead calm and anticipation before the band explodes onto stage playing Thunderstruck)
1. Dave Evans
2. Colin Burgess
3. Angus Young
4. Larry Van Kriedt
5. Malcolm Young
Five Fun Facts
1. AC/DC’s name ironically came from a Singer; that is a Singer sewing machine that had AC/DC written on the side which was observed by Malcolm and Angus’s younger sister Margaret. The AC stands for alternating current and the DC direct current and they thought this was fitting for their energy and how they like to perform.
And, no matter whatever happens with their music, they will always be …. current!
2. Malcolm and Angus Young formed the band in 1973 when Malcolm’s Band “The Velvet Underground” fell apart. Again, it was their marketing genius sister Margaret that suggested that they wear school uniforms which became their iconic look.
3. AC/DC have a link to a serial killer. The serial killer was Richard Ramirez who was known as the Night Stalker and was responsible for at least 15 murders in California. He claimed that the AC/DC song “Night Prowler”, from the Album Highway to Hell drove him to murder. The media had a frenzy with this information and subsequently the band was accused of satanism.
4. AC/DC were one of the biggest rock bands in the world and have the word “rock” in the title of 23 of their songs.
5. Australia Post has honoured AC/DC with two stamps; one in 1998, an Aussie rock n’ roll stamp set and the second in 2013 which features the Back in Black album cover.
Bonus Fact: The last fact relates to an unlucky couple who became extraordinarily lucky when they sued AC/DC for using their phone number in their song “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”. The ironic twist to this is, that it wasn’t even their number that AC/DC mentioned in the song. The actual number was an Australian number in the 60’s which was 36-24-36, however following saying the number the next lyric is “hey” which sounds like an eight which just happened to be the number of an Illinois couple in the US. Following the court case, they walked away with a not so cheap $250,000.
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Three Question Quiz
Q.1. What country was Bon Scott and brothers Angus and Malcolm Young Born?
Q.2. What was the first album released by AC/DC? Options are High Voltage or T.N.T.
Q.3. What was Bon Scott’ original role with the band AC/DC? Options are bass guitarist, original lead singer or the driver
Bonus Q. What was the name of the first place AC/DC ever played? Options are The Railway Hotel or Chequers Night Club
Bonus Q. Which city did AC/DC perform the song “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) on the back of a truck. For those in Australia, what was the name of the street?
Mnemonic Recap
AC/DC - Original Band Members – Dead CALM
(Picture being at huge AC/DC concert and the dead calm and anticipation before the band explodes onto stage playing Thunderstruck)
1. Dave Evans
2. Colin Burgess
3. Angus Young
4. Larry Van Kriedt
5. Malcolm Young
Three Question Quiz Answers
Q.1. What country was Bon Scott and brothers Angus and Malcolm Young Born?
A. Scotland. Bon Scott in Angus, Scotland and Angus and Malcolm Young in Glasgow. Scotland
Q.2. What was the first album released by AC/DC? Options are High Voltage or T.N.T.
A. High Voltage in 1974
Q.3. What was Bon Scott’ original role with the band AC/DC? Options are bass guitarist, original lead singer or the driver
A. Bon Scott was the driver
Bonus Q. What was the name of the first place AC/DC ever played? Options are The Railway Hotel or Chequers Night Club
A. Chequers Night Club
Bonus Q. Which city did AC/DC perform the song “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) on the back of a truck. For those in Australia, what was the name of the street?
A. Melbourne, Australia and the street was Swanston Street
Word of the Week
Equipollent
[ ee-kwuh-pol-uhnt ]
adjective
equal in power, effect, etc.; equivalent.
Example
Both Bon Scott and Brian Johnson have been equipollent in the influence and success of AC/DC.
Extracted from: [https://www.dictionary.com/]
https://www.themnemonictreepodcast.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-mnemonic-tree-podcast/id1591795132
https://open.spotify.com/show/3T0LdIJ9PBQMXM3cdKd42Q?si=fqmaN2TNS8qqc7jOEVa-Cw
References
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=acdc-trivia_348&q=13