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- Roll sound!
- MUSIC STARTS, SCREAMING
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This programme contains some strong language.
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SOFT GUITAR MUSIC A long time ago...
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ROCK MUSIC ..and a long way from Europe,
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came a wild, colonial sound.
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IMITATING FAST BEATS
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CROWD SHOUTS, SWEARING IS BLEEPED
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That is nothing short of an obscenity!
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It was a sound of rebellion and good times.
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And soon, the whole world was listening.
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This is going to be our next big band!
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You just feel it.
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They were a machine!
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- # Love is in the air! #
- The music of a generation.
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And it all came from the one small Australian studio...
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- Albert's.
- Albert's.
- Albert's again.
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..which would create the uncompromising sound of AC/DC...
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Will you change your style much?
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We ain't going to change for nobody!
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SONG SNIPPETS, SCREAMING AND SHOUTING
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- # Thunderstruck! #
- It was a bond of blood.
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The sound of thunder.
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The Albert sound.
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Behind one of the most powerful sounds in rock and roll is
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an unlikely partnership between two very different European families,
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who forged a bond after emigrating to Australia.
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The well-to-do Alberts, and the working class Youngs,
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who would become the driving force behind AC/DC.
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Together, they would create The Easybeats, Rose Tattoo,
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The Angels and AC/DC, to name a few.
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And the prolific songwriting and producing team
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Harry Vanda and George Young.
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This is their story.
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And, God forbid, it starts in Switzerland.
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The Alberts hailed from the tidy little town of Fribourg.
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Jacques Albert emigrated with his family
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to Sydney, Australia, in 1884.
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With a passion for music and a flair for business,
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he and successive Albert generations built a lucrative musical empire.
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All the boys were passionate about music. They all loved it,
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they talked music, they had a language of their own.
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Great-grandson Ted Albert had a dream -
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to create a new sound in rock and roll.
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For Teddy, I think it was what made him get up in the morning, really.
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You know, he really loved it.
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Music was just a very big part of his life.
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From his first board meeting, at age 25,
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he took the company into a radical new direction.
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"Board minutes - Mr Ted Albert said
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"he would like the company to begin to sign original artists and
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"produce records aimed at capturing a new rock-and-roll audience."
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What he didn't know was that another musical family had just
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landed in Sydney and their stories were about to intertwine.
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They came from the streets of Cranhill,
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a hard outer suburb of Glasgow.
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Three of the greatest guitarists and songwriters in rock
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from the one family.
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George, Malcolm and Angus Young.
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It was a tough place to grow up,
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but the Youngs never forgot where they came from.
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You've got to remember, at this time, Glasgow has the coal industry,
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has the shipyards,
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the air is thick and black.
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And it's into this, er, that atmosphere that the young family
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kind of thrives, in many ways,
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because they're tough and there's a lot of them.
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You know, there really is that clan mentality. Blood is everything.
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William and Margaret Young put eight children onto those mean streets.
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Music ran in their blood.
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Each brother I had,
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kind of, would show you little bits of, you know, music,
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or what they liked.
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Even my oldest brother Stevie was trying to put me behind the piano,
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trying to show me, "No, you do it like this,
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"with these fingers, you play this way," you know.
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Britain was in the grip of a youth revolution.
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But Mr and Mrs Young had other things on their minds.
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The Big Freeze of 1963 was the worst winter on record.
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The snow was 8ft deep.
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At the same time, an ad appeared on the telly,
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offering a different life.
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- NARRATOR:
- Come over to the sunny side now.
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Australia - a great place for families.
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You could be on your way to a sunnier future in the New Year.
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The ad tipped the balance.
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The Youngs opted for Australia.
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The Cranhill school yearbook records the day they left.
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15 of the Youngs left Scotland, bound for Botany Bay.
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For kids that were tuned into rock and roll, it would
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feel like they had been dropped onto a different planet.
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Seven-year-old Angus promptly vomited on arrival.
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So, we get off the plane in Sydney, I looked around and said to my wife,
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"There's not a soul in this country knows me. It's a weird feeling.
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"No friends, no-one."
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Drummer "Snowy" Fleet arrived from Liverpool
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with his wife and daughter around the same time.
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I got on a bus and my missus is going,
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"Oh, look at the Palm trees! Aren't they nice?"
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You know, it was all beautiful, but as we drove out of the city...
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- ANIMALS CALL
- ..and started to get in the Bush,
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we didn't know where we were, and, er, all I could hear were
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all these things making noises - crickets and God knows what -
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I thought, "We're in the jungle!" It was that bad.
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In the sweltering heat of Villawood migrant hostel,
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the fifth son - 16-year-old George Young - took to jamming
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with the other musical refugees,
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his heart set on forming a rock-and-roll band.
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He met a brilliant lead guitarist from Holland, called Harry Vanda,
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and they started writing songs together.
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It was the beginning of a lifelong partnership.
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The Australia they had landed in was ripe for rebellion.
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A third of the country was under 20.
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Kids everywhere were ready to explode.
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# I can't get no satisfaction! #
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- All they needed was a soundtrack.
- Take one!
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Albert's was the last company you'd expect
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to deliver the music of this new generation.
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Fifa Riccobono was just 16 when she started as a secretary.
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One day, she would run the company.
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All of this was so alien to me.
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And they had all these beautiful old paintings of, like, er,
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Frank Albert and his father, Jacques, the founder.
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And they used to just be behind you in the accounts department
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and they'd be just staring at you
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and it was this really eerie feeling that you were being looked at.
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FAST SINGING, AUDIENCE SCREAMS
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The first Albert's-produced rock-and-roll single,
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by Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, went to number one.
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It was a cover version and now, Ted began looking for original music.
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Out at the migrant hostel,
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that new sound Ted was searching for was coming together.
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George and Harry found other 16-year-old urchins from Europe,
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including the cheeky singer Stevie Wright.
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Now all they needed was a drummer.
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He put a note under my door.
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It said, "You're from Liverpool, I believe you play the drums."
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They played me the music that they were used to.
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I said, "How about some of the stuff I was listening to in Liverpool?"
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And I brought all my records out, played them, and George went, "Yes!"
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He loved the beat, George.
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They called themselves The Easybeats and, within months,
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they were playing big gigs, like Surf City in Kings Cross.
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- Telephone for you.
- Thank you.
- Hello? That's our manager!
- Oh, yes...
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They hired a real estate agent for a manager in 1964.
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Mike Vaughan had one priceless connection...
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We've just made ourselves a good deal.
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..he knew Ted Albert.
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The Easybeats were invited down to Radio 2UW Theatre
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to audition for Mr Albert.
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We were told to be on our best behaviour,
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because this was a gentleman that was coming to see us.
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Not the sort of bloke that you swear in front of, you know what I mean?
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Well not, at least, the first meeting, you know!
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And, for us, it was like a proper performance in front of Ted.
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I mean, everything hung on it, as far as we were concerned, you know.
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It was a meeting of two clans - for the Youngs and the Alberts.
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Ted was down on his hands and knees tinkering with microphones
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and just doing all sorts of things,
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playing with the music, and George really clocked that.
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There was a special chemistry at work.
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A band who could ignite the fire,
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teamed with a producer who could fan the flames.
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Ted Albert was convinced popular music sounded too soft
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and he produced The Easybeats loud.
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He said, "I want to play you something.
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"Can you tell me honestly what you think about it?"
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And this song came out, through these huge speakers.
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MUSIC: Sorry by The Easybeats
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CROCKERY RATTLES
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The whole office shook!
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And he said, "What do you think?"
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I said, "Ted...
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"You and I both know that we've just listened to an absolute
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certain number one hit record.
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And this big smile came out of his face.
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And it was Sorry by The Easybeats.
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# ..with a girl named Fleur
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# Then I just remembered
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# Had a date with her
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# Sorry, sorry
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# Sorry... #
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Sorry was the first Australian single recorded with feedback,
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before the Beatles or the Stones.
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FEEDBACK WHINES
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George Young and Harry Vanda
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had hit on a raw R&B sound with The Easybeats,
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that would reach its zenith in AC/DC.
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SONG ENDS, CHEERING
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They had a very good sound, they had a kind of unique singing,
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between him and Harry, you know, and Harry was probably doing
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a bit like what I do, the same as Malcolm, you know.
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You know, George had that very hard rhythm and, you know,
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Harry provided, you know, the highlights, the kind of colour.
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One!
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Two!
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It set the standard of Albert's music.
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It was the soundtrack young Australia had been waiting for.
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Easyfever began.
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We done a show in Perth.
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We had 8,000 kids at the airport,
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and it was like that no matter where we want in Austria. Hotels!
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You'd go into your hotel after a show and you'd open a cupboard door
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and six chicks'd fall out, and it was all of that.
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Stephen had... Someone posted herself to Stephen in a box.
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# Yeah, she's so fine! #
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A magazine published where the Young family lived,
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causing a house invasion.
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- SCREAMING
- # Give you lovin' all the time! #
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For ten-year-old Angus,
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it was his first encounter with rock-and-roll stardom.
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I just saw all these people.
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I saw police, cos they kind of barricaded it off.
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And, er, I was trying to explain to a policeman, I'm saying, you know,
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"I live there. Can I get in my house?"
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And the policeman says, "Yeah, they're all saying that, fella!"
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MUSIC: Good Times by The Easybeats
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The Easybeats were ready to take on the world.
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Ted agreed to back them.
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# Everybody shake
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# Everybody groove... #
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He scored them a contract with United Artists
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to record at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London.
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The boys had a ticket to ride.
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They were poised on the edge of greatness.
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In the pop business, particularly in the '60s,
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the Holy Grail was to make it in the swinging London
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and, of course, George being as he is, the leader of the group,
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and his incredible desire to always go further,
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that's where we're going to go.
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# ..I'm gonna put a call to you... #
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The music revolution George Young
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had been plucked from two years earlier was still in full swing.
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I mean, it must have been hard for them to come into that
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and to sort of suddenly be on the scene,
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because we had grown up in the London scene,
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grown up very quickly.
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You know, I could literally fall out of my door
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and go and see Ike and Tina Turner.
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I think I was sweated on by Tina Turner.
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We were there in the capital of, you know, the swinging '60s,
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where all the big stars were, etc,
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and we were competing with these people.
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- GEORGE:
- 'We were expected to write a hit song.'
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So, Harry and I, we locked ourselves in this room
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for three, four months, to write a hit song.
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The sessions began with hotshot producer Shel Talmy,
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who had worked with The Kinks and The Who.
248
00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,200
George took his gear down and played all the tapes
249
00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,480
and the guy going only, "Nah, nah. Have you got anything else?"
250
00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,120
So George said, "I've got this little riff I'm working on."
251
00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:52,000
Three, four...
252
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,200
HE PLAYS THE OPENING RIFF TO Friday On My Mind by The Easybeats
253
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:57,920
Just a riff, nothing else.
254
00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,120
No lyrics, just the riff and he went, "I like that.
255
00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,880
"Go away and finish it and bring it back and let me hear it finished."
256
00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,760
George and Harry were struggling to nail it,
257
00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,720
so they went to the pictures. The pre-feature was a short
258
00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,560
about an a cappella group called The Swingle Singers.
259
00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,120
# Doo-doo, doo-ba-doo Doo-doo, ba-doo-ba-doo-doo!
260
00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:21,720
# Doo-doo, doo-ba-doo Doo-doo, ba-doo-ba-doo-doo! #
261
00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,520
# Doo-doo, doo-doo! Doo-doo, doo-doo! #
262
00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,240
All this stuff! And George went, "Wow!" We went back
263
00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,720
and that's where the "doo-doos" come from. George had nailed it.
264
00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:32,520
MUSIC: Friday On My Mind by The Easybeats
265
00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:34,800
# Monday morning feels so bad
266
00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,240
- # Everybody seems to nag me... #
- 'Went back to see this guy'
267
00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,280
And said, "What do you think of this?"
268
00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,200
He went, "Beautiful. Let's record it."
269
00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:50,120
# ..even my old man looks good
270
00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,320
# Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo!
271
00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,520
# Wednesday just don't go
272
00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,920
# Thursday goes too slow
273
00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,200
# I've got Friday on my mind! #
274
00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:07,080
The killer guitar riff, the working class lyrics
275
00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:10,320
and a singer discharging a casual air of rebellion
276
00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,280
would become staples of the Albert sound.
277
00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,480
- # She looks fine tonight
- Doo-doo, doo, doo!
278
00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,560
# She is out of sight to me... #
279
00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:20,600
Friday On My Mind became a favourite song
280
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,440
for young David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen.
281
00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,480
It gave The Easybeats a round-the-world ticket to fame.
282
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,680
# ..Gonna have fun in my city! #
283
00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:32,760
On the jukebox at Max's Kansas City in New York,
284
00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:36,320
Lou Reed played The Easybeats every night.
285
00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,200
# She looks fine tonight... #
286
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,440
It just fell together like... like a dream, you know.
287
00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:42,960
That doesn't happen every day.
288
00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,640
- # Tonight
- I'll spend my bread
289
00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,240
- # Tonight
- I'll lose my head... #
290
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,920
News of the band's success was music to Ted Albert's ears.
291
00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:54,800
He was already laying plans
292
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,280
for George's younger brothers Angus and Malcolm.
293
00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,760
When he visited the family home one day,
294
00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,480
he heard something that caught his attention.
295
00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,920
My father would say, "Ooh, the head of their record company's coming.
296
00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,840
"You'd better all behave," you know, so you'd be very kind of quiet
297
00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,520
and, you know, and Ted was quite a tall man and we're all very small,
298
00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:18,240
so we were all kind of looking at him like this, you know.
299
00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:24,760
And, er, he said, "I heard some guitar playing," and my father said,
300
00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:29,440
"Aye, that's the two boys who'll be playing away," you know, so...
301
00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:34,120
And Ted said to my dad, "If they ever want to do something,
302
00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:35,640
"send them to me."
303
00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:40,160
Back in London,
304
00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:44,160
The Easybeats set their minds to what comes after Friday.
305
00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,240
- JAMMING
- Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
306
00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:49,000
Listen.
307
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,760
Try and get... Try and get a more jangly effect.
308
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,160
Very Heaven-ish. It doesn't sound like Heaven.
309
00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,920
But as they struggled to find a new popular sound,
310
00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:00,920
the band lost its way.
311
00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:02,680
# Heaven
312
00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:05,880
# Is in your eyes
313
00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:07,920
- # The moment... #
- HE LAUGHS
314
00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:09,800
- HE DRONES:
- Not singing like that!
315
00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:14,360
Try and make it... You know, try and make it sound beautiful, you know.
316
00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:18,200
'Their heart was in writing simple'
317
00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,840
rock-and-roll R&B-based songs.
318
00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,360
And the... the kind of classic mistake
319
00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:30,160
that most bands make, er, is, as the rest of the world changes,
320
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,000
you change your music. I mean, The Beatles were obviously
321
00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:37,560
becoming more complex and so, everyone, I guess, thought,
322
00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,600
"Well, maybe we should show that we can do the same thing."
323
00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:44,080
MUSIC: Hello, How Are You by The Easybeats
324
00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:48,560
We gave them "Hello, How Are You" which was, like, you know, was...
325
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,440
a soggy bloody ballad!
326
00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:55,480
By this time, nobody knew who the damned Easybeats were, you know!
327
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,280
And then, there was Jimi Hendrix, doing his thing and all this,
328
00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,520
so, you know, we were toast.
329
00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:07,600
# Hello! How are you? #
330
00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:11,640
The Easybeats disbanded as a new decade began.
331
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:15,560
The '70s would be about the next generation.
332
00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:19,880
Harry made sure they would continue what he and George had started,
333
00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:22,320
handing down his beloved Gretsch Firebird
334
00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,840
to George's younger brother, Malcolm.
335
00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,480
He was such a hot little player, so I thought,
336
00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,360
"Well, he deserves a good guitar," so here it is.
337
00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:32,000
Best investment I ever made!
338
00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,520
What can I say?
339
00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,600
If I'd known it, I would've given him more than one.
340
00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:43,840
George and Harry kicked on in London,
341
00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:46,680
trying their hand at being songwriters for hire.
342
00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:53,520
It was the beginning of a legendary songwriting producing partnership.
343
00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,120
We were getting a lot of experience as writers by being
344
00:19:57,120 --> 00:20:00,040
the all-rounders that it did make us.
345
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,240
We got to a point where, you know,
346
00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,760
"Oh, you want a jazz song? Sure. Here's your jazz song."
347
00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,200
"Oh, you want a really gooey ballad? Sure, here's..." You know.
348
00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:10,840
"Oh, you want a rock song?" Bang! You know.
349
00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:12,360
We got really good at that.
350
00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,600
They were sending the songs back to Ted Albert,
351
00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,640
who was matching them with singers and bands.
352
00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,160
# Some men are groovy Some are a drag... #
353
00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:27,960
Perth band The Valentines
354
00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,560
had a hit with Vanda & Young's My Old Man's A Groovy Old Man.
355
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,120
# ..Hip, hip, hip, yeah!
356
00:20:34,120 --> 00:20:36,920
# My old man's a groovy old man... #
357
00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,560
Look closely and you may recognise
358
00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,520
future AC/DC frontman Bon Scott on backing vocals.
359
00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,280
# Aa-a-a-a-a-a-ah!
360
00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,680
# My old man's a groovy old man
361
00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:53,120
# Gets himself in a hell of a jam
362
00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:56,960
# My old man's a groovy old man Chooga, chooga, chooga... #
363
00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,000
The next talent that Ted found was
364
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,120
a young sheet metal worker called John Paul Young,
365
00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:06,560
who would become the voice of many Vanda & Young's pop hits.
366
00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:11,240
- His first song was a demo called Pasadena.
- He gave me the demo
367
00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,880
and he said, "I don't want to hear that other guy singing,"
368
00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,560
which happened to be George Young, so I had to put the vocal
369
00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:20,880
exactly on top and, right at the end actually, George is there singing,
370
00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,560
so, in actual fact, my first single was a duet.
371
00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,440
# And there ain't no time at all... #
372
00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,560
Vanda & Young became so good at churning out hits
373
00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,160
that Ted Albert realised he needed them back.
374
00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,480
He actually wanted to go in business with us.
375
00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:41,640
So, he was thinking, "So can I get these guys back to Australia?"
376
00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:43,880
Well, he made us an offer we couldn't refuse!
377
00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:45,800
HE LAUGHS
378
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,560
It was a handshake deal.
379
00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:52,800
No lawyers, no signatures, just a shared understanding.
380
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,680
George and Harry returned to Sydney in 1973
381
00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,720
with their studio tans and the production nous to match.
382
00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,760
# 12 o'clock You climb your stairs... #
383
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,480
They would run the new Albert Studio, find and produce talent
384
00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,800
and split the profits equally with Ted.
385
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,840
They would later say it was like falling into a gold mine.
386
00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:15,920
You work during the night, don't you?
387
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:17,840
LAUGHTER
388
00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,040
Well, um...
389
00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,280
- Not through choice.
- Not through choice.
390
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,160
What time do you usually start?
391
00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:27,480
Midnight.
392
00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,480
'Harry and George had seen it all.'
393
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:31,960
They knew the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows
394
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,240
and they set about doing it in a different way.
395
00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,680
They'd learned from some of their mistakes
396
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,760
and they developed this model, with Ted Albert and Albert's.
397
00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,800
As a continuation of what The Easybeats could've been,
398
00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,960
they were going to produce something that really was something
399
00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,720
and, ultimately, of course, that was Acca Dacca!
400
00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,720
Australia had changed a lot in their absence.
401
00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,760
The hippy wave had rolled in and then out.
402
00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,680
All that was left was an endless recession
403
00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,960
and a lot of young people who were over the bullshit.
404
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,080
A tough new generation was hungry for its sound.
405
00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,080
SHOUTING
406
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,920
Albert's would lead the charge.
407
00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:20,200
CHEERING
408
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:24,360
It all started in the grotty, sticky pubs of the suburbs.
409
00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,440
We played at the White Horse Inn,
410
00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:36,440
in Victoria, and there was guys bashing their head on the...
411
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,840
on the edge of the stage.
412
00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,840
I saw one guy bite the corner out of a jug.
413
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:43,800
GLASS CRUNCHES
414
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:51,000
The only language this crowd understood was volume.
415
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,480
LOUD GUITAR PLAYING
416
00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,000
George and Harry sensed an opportunity.
417
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,440
When we first heard the rock bands in Australia,
418
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,000
I heard some stuff on the radio and I thought,
419
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,600
"That's not very good, is it?" It all sounded
420
00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:13,320
squashed and horrible, you know what I mean? Like no life in it!
421
00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:18,960
Then we went around to clubs and the pub and, all of a sudden,
422
00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:21,560
"That's not the same bands that's on record," you know!
423
00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,800
I mean, these guys were great, rocking their arses off!
424
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:28,800
And I said, "Well, that's how you've got to record these guys!"
425
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,920
It became their mission to capture that raw guitar sound on record.
426
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,160
MUSIC: Black Eyed Bruiser by Stevie Wright
427
00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,920
CHEERING, RAW GUITAR RIFF
428
00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,880
They found their legendary guitar sound on a song produced
429
00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:47,440
for former Easybeats frontman, Little Stevie Wright,
430
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,280
called Black Eyed Bruiser.
431
00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:57,880
It was like George's guitar from The Easybeats, but harder, tougher.
432
00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:02,360
It now had a primal urgency, goading the listener to take it on!
433
00:25:02,360 --> 00:25:05,160
GUITAR RIFF CONTINUES
434
00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,560
It was George's younger brother Malcolm
435
00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:11,200
who stepped up to play rhythm on the recording.
436
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,160
He was the raw sound of things to come.
437
00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,120
Malcolm was very gifted.
438
00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:21,000
He was just a confident, solid, solid player of guitar.
439
00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,280
SCREAMING
440
00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:31,960
- # They call me
- The black-eyed! Black-eyed!
- Yeah!
441
00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:36,560
- # Black-eyed!
- They call me the black-eyed bruiser... #
442
00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:45,760
George Young knew his little brothers Malcolm and Angus
443
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,600
had something special that Albert's could nurture.
444
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,880
Still just teenagers, they'd already cut their teeth on the pub circuit,
445
00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:58,000
with their new band AC/DC.
446
00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,360
George always talked to me and Mal, we were his kid brothers...
447
00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:06,160
Still does, you know! He still talks to you like you're...
448
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,280
Well, he says it himself. He goes, "Jeez, I...
449
00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:11,920
"I always think of you as 15."
450
00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,320
- So...
- LAUGHTER
451
00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:16,840
"Aw, thanks!"
452
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:23,280
Ted Albert had been watching the boys, too, and signed AC/DC in 1974.
453
00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:26,120
In the next year, they went through two drummers,
454
00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:29,280
three bass players and three managers.
455
00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:32,520
But it was the new singer, wild man Bon Scott,
456
00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:34,280
that really got the motor running.
457
00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,120
Hello, this is Bon from AC/DC.
458
00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:40,520
At 28, Bon was working as a roadie in Adelaide
459
00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,240
when AC/DC rolled into town.
460
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,400
They just find him hugely entertaining,
461
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:49,360
cos he didn't give a shit, but REALLY didn't give!
462
00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:54,160
And they invite Bon to come on and kind of audition
463
00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:58,400
and, famously, Bon did a gram of coke, drank a bottle of whisky,
464
00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,280
put his wife's knickers on his head,
465
00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:03,280
and just ran around the stage like a lunatic
466
00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:05,840
and entertained the hell out of the audience!
467
00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:12,120
George Young described Bon as a toilet wall poet.
468
00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:15,280
His bawdy lyrics would become the perfect foil
469
00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,320
for the fierce guitar sound of the Youngs.
470
00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:20,960
He was filthy, but he was funny.
471
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,960
With Bon onboard, George and Harry took AC/DC
472
00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,960
straight from their pub performances to the studio
473
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,880
to capture that live pub energy.
474
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:38,040
But you just had to give them a chance to perform, you know,
475
00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:41,240
give them a chance to do it, instead of, you know, saying,
476
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,640
"The needle must not go into the red."
477
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,600
So, that's how this so-called "pub sound" came about.
478
00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,240
Because that's what it sounded like in the pub.
479
00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,800
It helped that George was their older brother.
480
00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:58,960
Malcolm and Angus would have to run their songs by him.
481
00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,240
The rule was, if he could play the riff on the piano,
482
00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:05,680
and it could be memorably simple, then they could record it.
483
00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,040
Working with George and Harry, you know,
484
00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,720
everything seems to be in his head for a lot of the times, you know.
485
00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:17,240
And, er, of course, he'll take something you've got, he'll go,
486
00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,360
"Well, let's hear what you've got," and you play him your song
487
00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:24,560
and he'll go, "Well, let's try this that way."
488
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,480
You know, and he's already crafting away in his head,
489
00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,560
then he'll go, "No, let's change it."
490
00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:33,240
and I'll go, "Wait a minute, sounds good, sounds great,"
491
00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,160
and he'll go, "No, we'll just try this."
492
00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,800
So, he seemed to just create things in his head.
493
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,640
Between them, they hit on a landmark sound
494
00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:45,840
that would one day take on the world.
495
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,160
MUSIC: High Voltage by AC/DC
496
00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,560
# Well, you ask me 'bout the clothes I wear... #
497
00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:02,280
Wow, Bon's cheeky
498
00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,200
and he's trouble and I want to be his mate.
499
00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:08,120
# ..Ask me why I grow my hair... #
500
00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:09,920
It's organic rock and roll.
501
00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,280
You don't think about it.
502
00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,480
You just feel it.
503
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:18,560
# ..I dig doin' one-night stands and you wanna see me... #
504
00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:21,840
That was the first thing I know, I know - put on the school suit
505
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,160
and, if I keep moving, you know,
506
00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:26,960
maybe no-one will notice me!
507
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,320
# High voltage
508
00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:34,560
# Rock and roll! #
509
00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:40,600
For an audience sick of hard times, here was the cure.
510
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:44,080
Suburban young Australia at full roar.
511
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,400
The Albert sound would speak for them.
512
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,680
One of the things that's notable about the whole Albert stable,
513
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:53,080
in those days, was we all had what they call
514
00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,560
the Australian pub rock sound -
515
00:29:55,560 --> 00:30:00,320
that big, fat robust guitar sound.
516
00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,680
And it was very, very difficult to get
517
00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,880
the intensity of that onto tape.
518
00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,520
George and Harry were magicians at that.
519
00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:12,080
# Bang bang
520
00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:13,760
# Shot full of love
521
00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,520
# Bang bang, bang bang
522
00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:17,960
# Bang bang... #
523
00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:20,720
When rock-and-roll sister act Cheetah signed with Albert's,
524
00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:22,280
it was straight to work.
525
00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:27,560
There was no ceremony when we actually signed the deal with Ted.
526
00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,440
And then we were scuttled
527
00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,880
straight downstairs to where George was waiting
528
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,600
with a little keyboard in a pretty small room.
529
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,440
And we just got straight into it.
530
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,160
He said, "Sing this," and we went straight into a few tunes.
531
00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:45,160
So, I think he was probably sort of testing our guns, vocally,
532
00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:46,800
to see what we had there.
533
00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:50,320
# I had the feeling he was trying to find
534
00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,360
# Something, someone some peace of mind
535
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,800
# But when the morning came
536
00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:00,080
# It didn't matter how he played the game
537
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:01,360
# Bang bang... #
538
00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,880
Looking after them was Fifa Riccobono,
539
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,560
by the mid-'70s, head of the Albert stable of artists,
540
00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:10,400
the toughest woman in rock.
541
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:15,120
She could be ruthless and a piranha when she needed to be.
542
00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:18,720
And yet, she'd be standing there behind one of these,
543
00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:21,520
holding a brush and a comb and lip-gloss, you know,
544
00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,080
sticking it down her boot.
545
00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:25,880
We were all really protective of each other,
546
00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,360
that was the whole family atmosphere.
547
00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:31,280
Outside was the rest of the world, but we were family.
548
00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,800
At the head of the family was Ted Albert,
549
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,320
whose leadership the troops believed in 100%.
550
00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:43,240
Ted was instrumental in a lot of areas.
551
00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:46,240
And being a very solid character...
552
00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,240
..he didn't seem to be a person
553
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,520
who crumbled under cannon fire, you know what I mean.
554
00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,240
There was a siege mentality about the band, certainly.
555
00:31:58,240 --> 00:31:59,720
I think that was...
556
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,720
coming down the line from Angus and Malcolm.
557
00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:04,240
And, indirectly, George.
558
00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:06,440
You had to be on the team 250%
559
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,720
or you wouldn't be in the team at all.
560
00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,280
AC/DC toured relentlessly,
561
00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:17,160
playing any place that would have them.
562
00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:20,440
From town halls to tin sheds,
563
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,880
they battled the hard-drinking Australian audiences
564
00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,240
with sheer sonic assault.
565
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,320
People would be throwing bottles or they'd be winking at the girls
566
00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,400
and the girls' boyfriends would get all pissed off.
567
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:37,000
There were car chases. It was the Wild West.
568
00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:43,680
They had a rock-solid conviction
569
00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,520
that every gig was leading them to greatness.
570
00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:52,000
It inspired an anthem which became their call to arms.
571
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,800
# Ridin' down the highway
572
00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,240
# Goin' to a show
573
00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:01,040
# Stop in all the byways
574
00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:04,240
# Playin' rock and roll
575
00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,880
# Gettin' robbed, gettin' stoned
576
00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,360
# Gettin' beat up, broken bones
577
00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:15,480
# Gettin' had, gettin' took
578
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,880
# I tell you, folks It's harder than it looks
579
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:25,080
# It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock-and-roll
580
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:31,880
# It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock-and-roll... #
581
00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:39,720
Soon they'd conquered every beer barn in the country.
582
00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,080
Just like the Easybeats a decade before,
583
00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:53,120
it was time to take on London.
584
00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,600
Here we are at the airport to say farewell to AC/DC.
585
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:03,280
Are you going over confident that you can take on an English market?
586
00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:04,720
Yeah, we are confident.
587
00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:08,120
We're not overconfident, but we are very confident.
588
00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:11,880
Ted Albert was confident, too.
589
00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:13,480
He had to be.
590
00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:17,120
He was digging deep to bankroll the campaign.
591
00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:23,920
# It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock-and-roll... #
592
00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,040
It can only happen on Countdown.
593
00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:27,560
Come home with me.
594
00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,880
With AC/DC taking Oz Rock to London,
595
00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,960
Ted Albert decided to change gears.
596
00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,920
It was time to dust off George and Harry as pop stars.
597
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:43,840
# The morning was cold and lonely
598
00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,760
# City lights, old and grey... #
599
00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,720
The song was called Hey, St Peter.
600
00:34:49,720 --> 00:34:52,240
And immediately Ted was already like,
601
00:34:52,240 --> 00:34:54,440
"Hey, baby, you know, get on to this.
602
00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:55,920
"What are you going to do with it?"
603
00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,760
And he said, "We don't know, we can't find anybody to do this.
604
00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:00,560
He said, "Why don't you do it yourself?"
605
00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,680
# I said, hey, hey, hey, St Peter
606
00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:07,160
# I got a tale to tell... #
607
00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:12,400
Hey, St Peter unexpectedly shot to the top of the charts around Europe.
608
00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,600
# ..It really feels like Hell
609
00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:18,720
# It really feels like Hell... #
610
00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:21,000
The Hey St Peter single was pretty big in Europe, too,
611
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,720
- in Germany or somewhere?
- Yeah, it did quite well over there.
612
00:35:23,720 --> 00:35:26,600
I think it's still knocking around the charts in some countries.
613
00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:28,680
Holland, Belgium, France all those places.
614
00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:34,080
The B-side, Walking In The Rain,
615
00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,120
became an even bigger worldwide hit for Grace Jones.
616
00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:42,960
So, there were two number ones straightaway,
617
00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,720
which probably would never have seen the light of day
618
00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:47,840
if it hadn't been for Ted again, you know.
619
00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:54,440
They were more than just a flash in the pan.
620
00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:58,320
Because next it was time to create the new music genre.
621
00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,080
George and Harry's love of drum loops
622
00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:03,000
was taking them in a new direction.
623
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:07,600
The studio at Albert's, you'd look on the wall and there'd be
624
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:11,880
three or four nails with all these lengths of tape hanging off.
625
00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:14,440
They'd be all the different drummers they had.
626
00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:16,600
# Oh, babe
627
00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:20,240
# You left me standing in the rain
628
00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,160
# While you were sitting down to dinner... #
629
00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:26,200
George would often play the drums
630
00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:28,600
and Harry recorded him, creating a tape loop.
631
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,400
Drummers were a big frustration for George and Harry.
632
00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,560
Because, in those days, it was very hard to get a drummer to play
633
00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:38,480
a straight beat, you know, no fills.
634
00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:40,640
It was like trying to get blood out of a stone,
635
00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,800
asking a drummer to sit there - just play that beat for four minutes.
636
00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:45,800
They'd go...
637
00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:48,280
"No, no, no. Not duh-duh-duh."
638
00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,840
"But I feel like going... duh-duh-duh." Yeah.
639
00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,440
# While he was getting close... #
640
00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:59,240
They were making tailor-made hits for the Albert's artists.
641
00:36:59,240 --> 00:37:02,200
It wasn't unusual to walk in and see George and Harry
642
00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:04,320
with tape hanging around their neck
643
00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,960
that they'd cut pieces, cos they used to splice everything, take something out,
644
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:11,800
but they'd never throw anything out till they were sure they didn't need it any more.
645
00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,600
So, you'd have little bits of China pencil on something
646
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,160
and they'd be looking at pieces to stick back on.
647
00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:19,680
And you'd end up with tape all over the place,
648
00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:22,360
but they knew exactly what they were doing.
649
00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:24,520
# Oh, babe... #
650
00:37:25,720 --> 00:37:29,000
The world hadn't been expecting disco from Australia.
651
00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:32,400
# Oh, babe
652
00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:36,040
# You left me standing in the rain... #
653
00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,000
It took Europe by surprise.
654
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,000
In 1978, John Paul Young
655
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:44,040
climbed the charts in Belgium, France, Holland and Germany
656
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,000
with Standing In The Rain.
657
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:47,600
# Standing in the rain... #
658
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,000
On the other side of the Channel,
659
00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,320
the war cry of the Albert's rock sound
660
00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,360
was now engaged in the battle for Britain.
661
00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:02,720
# Now they want anarchy... #
662
00:38:02,720 --> 00:38:05,600
By the time AC/DC arrived in London,
663
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:08,720
the whole landscape of the music business
664
00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:11,080
has already begun to change.
665
00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:15,320
Punk rockers come in, it's the new sensation in London.
666
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:19,800
- # This is the sound
- This is the sound of the suburbs
667
00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:23,280
# This is the sound... #
668
00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:26,760
As critics fawned over the Sex Pistols and The Clash,
669
00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:30,840
AC/DC were mocked as wallaby rockers.
670
00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:34,520
But the lesson of the Easybeats have been -
671
00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:37,360
hold your nerve and don't change for anyone.
672
00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:40,080
A lot of bands start to change
673
00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:42,680
because they think the world's changing around them
674
00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:47,240
and so they should try and keep up cos people are going to stop
675
00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:51,320
liking who they are, so they've got to try and follow the trends.
676
00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,480
Big, big, big mistake... as shown by AC/DC.
677
00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:59,200
Their brand compass is rock solid in one direction,
678
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,320
does not deviate by a centimetre.
679
00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:03,920
The people that come to see us,
680
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:07,440
we just give them the show we give the Australian people.
681
00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,240
And they took on to us without publicity.
682
00:39:10,240 --> 00:39:12,920
The publicity caught up to us, not us to them.
683
00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:15,440
Are you rich though, are you making the bread?
684
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:17,840
Yes. Sure are.
685
00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:20,920
I just bought Big Ben.
686
00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:25,720
They started out in a tiny dive in Hammersmith called the Red Cow.
687
00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:31,280
And the first set, the usual two men and a dog were there.
688
00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,480
But by the second set, the place was packed.
689
00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:39,640
In the height of the punk movement, it was such an unlikely thing,
690
00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:42,680
and Angus was incredible.
691
00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:47,600
And I think Malcolm will go down as one of the great rhythm players
692
00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,400
of any band of any era.
693
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,760
They were a machine, they were...
694
00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:54,360
Even back then, they were machine.
695
00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:57,200
And Bon Scott had a magic to him
696
00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:00,640
that you can't put your finger on it, he was just natural.
697
00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,720
I hate the use the phrase the X factor, but he had it.
698
00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:08,600
He had just charisma just oozing out of him.
699
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:10,400
Every band has got a rider.
700
00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:13,840
The rider is the promoter, supplies the backstage with
701
00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:16,440
whisky, wine, beer, sandwiches, whatever.
702
00:40:16,440 --> 00:40:20,200
So, when you have your guests, nobody has to pay for anything.
703
00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:24,000
So, there was a knock on the door and I'd turn around and there's Bon.
704
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,720
I say, "Hey, mate, can I come on in?"
705
00:40:26,720 --> 00:40:28,720
He says, "Yeah, sure, man, come on in."
706
00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:31,040
And the thing that was really cool about Bon is
707
00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:32,560
he brought his own bottle...
708
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:34,960
and he brought his own glass.
709
00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:49,520
The gigs got bigger and wilder, and as punk rock wilted,
710
00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:53,080
they returned to Glasgow, the city that had birthed them
711
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:55,880
and literally shook the foundations.
712
00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:57,760
# In the beginning
713
00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,960
# Back in 1955
714
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:03,960
# Man didn't know 'bout a rock-and-roll show... #
715
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:07,880
We did a couple of nights in Glasgow that were just insane.
716
00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:11,000
Because Glasgow Apollo had this reputation
717
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:12,800
for just being a crazy gig.
718
00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:15,680
And the balcony was designed in such a way that it moved,
719
00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:19,120
like aeroplane wings, they've got to be able to move.
720
00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:21,600
And this balcony would shift 18 inches.
721
00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:24,240
# Let there be rock... #
722
00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:28,680
And I remember the balcony was moving so much
723
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:30,560
that I ran back into the corridor
724
00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:32,800
and said, "This is going to collapse."
725
00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:49,560
When it was time for an album, the boys always came home to Albert's.
726
00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:58,160
George and Harry would produce their first six albums,
727
00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:02,720
using the formula of recording the intensity of the band raw and live.
728
00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:07,480
It amazed me that Angus did all the sound stuff in the studio.
729
00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:10,840
And it was deafening.
730
00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:12,200
Just deafening.
731
00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:21,680
At the end of that take, his headphones flew off his head
732
00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,160
and he was on the floor spinning around.
733
00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:26,360
And, you know, the amp had smoke coming out of it
734
00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:28,680
and that would be the end of the take.
735
00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:37,200
In this Sydney studio,
736
00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:40,920
a seismic shift in music was taking place.
737
00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:44,400
A distinct sound, produced by migrant kids made good.
738
00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:48,720
One day, the great guitar bands of the world,
739
00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:53,360
from Guns'N'Roses and Metallica to the Foo Fighters would wonder
740
00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:56,560
how the Albert's guitar sound was created.
741
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:59,000
It came down to being fearless.
742
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:02,400
Next, Ted Albert sang Rose Tattoo.
743
00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:06,480
I'm bleeding up here for you, you've got to give me something, yeah.
744
00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:08,280
Come on.
745
00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:13,280
We used to think that our volume was sonic exploration, actually,
746
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:16,960
that we were communicating with the gods, that we were trying to
747
00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:20,560
create a conduit that took people,
748
00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:23,240
dare I say, transcendentally...
749
00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:26,160
..into another place.
750
00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:35,120
And it's the intensity that we tried to capture on tape.
751
00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:39,680
They may have traded the grog for green tea these days,
752
00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:43,760
but back then, record labels wouldn't even meet with Rose Tattoo,
753
00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:45,160
let alone sign them.
754
00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:49,880
George and Harry went to Ted and said,
755
00:43:49,880 --> 00:43:55,960
"We've found this really eccentric, different bunch of people."
756
00:43:55,960 --> 00:44:00,680
And...I think Ted knew better than to judge us by what we look like,
757
00:44:00,680 --> 00:44:03,400
to say, "OK, I'm listening, I'm not looking."
758
00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:07,400
And what I'm hearing, that related to him.
759
00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:10,720
He said, "I love your sound. I love what you do."
760
00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:16,840
Albert's took the risk and signed the Tatts.
761
00:44:16,840 --> 00:44:19,440
George and Harry knew there was the makings
762
00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:22,040
of at least one great song, and got to work.
763
00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:25,160
# 30 days in the county jail... #
764
00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:29,440
We realised that there was a process going on in the studio.
765
00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:31,760
And it was quite magical.
766
00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:34,640
And I remember George sitting there with his guitar with Mick,
767
00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:36,240
and they were just jamming.
768
00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:39,120
And then, all of a sudden...
769
00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:43,640
# Da-da-da-da-dah Da-da-da-da-dah... #
770
00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:47,000
And that's almost a John Lee Hooker hook.
771
00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:50,200
All of a sudden, Bad Boy went from being like...
772
00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:53,520
kerchunk, kerchunk, kerchunk, kerchunk...
773
00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:56,800
into this...swinging like...
774
00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:58,520
zap-bap-bap...
775
00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:00,520
And it had the hook.
776
00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:02,280
# I'm a bad boy... #
777
00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:05,920
Bad Boy For Love would become a hard rock classic.
778
00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:12,000
Albert's, Vander & Young, AC/DC set a standard
779
00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:15,760
for the way that Australians approached their rock-and-roll.
780
00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:19,600
The way we...we do it...here.
781
00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:22,760
Rose Tattoo, Albert's again.
782
00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:26,680
And they were riding the wave and taking us with them,
783
00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:29,000
you know, singing about us.
784
00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:32,360
# Bad boy for love
785
00:45:33,880 --> 00:45:36,360
# Yeah, I'm a bad boy... #
786
00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:39,160
The Albert's rock sound was established.
787
00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:44,200
But a golden age of pop was also beckoning.
788
00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:48,160
George and Harry's Flash And The Pan
789
00:45:48,160 --> 00:45:50,920
was building a strong international following
790
00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:53,600
and predicting the sounds of '80s quirk pop.
791
00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:56,160
# Wonder why it's getting cold at night
792
00:45:57,400 --> 00:45:59,160
# Must be getting old
793
00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:04,280
# Looks like I'm going to have to wait a while
794
00:46:04,280 --> 00:46:06,880
# What the hell, I'm bored... #
795
00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:11,760
At the same time, John Paul Young was charting in Europe
796
00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:14,000
and needed a follow-up hit.
797
00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:17,160
I mean, thank God for Standing In The Rain because it gave us
798
00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:20,440
a direction, even though it was only a B-side.
799
00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:22,920
You know, but because the Germans liked it,
800
00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:25,200
it gave everybody a bit of a pointer.
801
00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:27,720
Oh, so this is the way we should go.
802
00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:34,800
Quite often an idea would lie around for God knows how long
803
00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:37,920
because we couldn't somehow finish it or fake it
804
00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:41,120
or whatever was needed, you know.
805
00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:43,600
Love Is In The Air was an example of that.
806
00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:48,120
When George came up with that melody, it climbed to the chorus.
807
00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:52,480
The idea that had lain around for years suddenly came to life.
808
00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:54,880
# Dun-dun-dun-dun, da-da-da... #
809
00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:58,320
You know. Ah, yes, of course, love is in the air.
810
00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:05,840
# Love is in the air
811
00:47:07,720 --> 00:47:09,560
# Love is in the air
812
00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:13,320
# Oh... #
813
00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:16,240
# Oh-oh-oh... #
814
00:47:16,240 --> 00:47:19,800
George said to me, "I've tried putting words in there,
815
00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:22,280
"I don't know, I don't think it suits.
816
00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:25,400
"Just do something, just dum-di-dum something."
817
00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:27,480
So, that's where that came from.
818
00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:34,960
George said, "Take all the mixes up to Ted. And play 'em to Ted.
819
00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:37,640
"And let him choose."
820
00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:40,920
Well, he got to hear all the stuff we did.
821
00:47:40,920 --> 00:47:46,440
You know? And...he'd be going through things like, you know...
822
00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:50,680
"I like that one." So, you knew straightaway.
823
00:47:50,680 --> 00:47:55,480
I remember when he heard Love Is In The Air, he was like...
824
00:47:55,480 --> 00:47:58,000
He was beside himself.
825
00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:00,880
And...I can see why, too.
826
00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:09,240
Love Is In The Air would be Vander & Young's greatest pop success,
827
00:48:09,240 --> 00:48:11,600
and for many, their most memorable.
828
00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:16,400
It's been covered more than 300 times.
829
00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:20,760
# But it's something that I must believe in
830
00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:24,840
# And it's there when I call out your name... #
831
00:48:24,840 --> 00:48:27,960
But not even Shirley Bassey in the Bahamas could nail it
832
00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:30,240
like John Paul Young.
833
00:48:30,240 --> 00:48:32,080
# Love is in the air
834
00:48:33,760 --> 00:48:36,240
# Love is in the air... #
835
00:48:38,960 --> 00:48:42,520
From tattooed bad boys to baby-faced balladeers,
836
00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:44,880
Albert's was riding a wave of success.
837
00:48:49,520 --> 00:48:52,560
AC/DC had landed on American shores,
838
00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:54,800
ready for the same hand-to-hand combat
839
00:48:54,800 --> 00:48:57,440
they'd been through in Australia and Europe.
840
00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:05,360
July of 1978, I go to see them at Oaklands, Day On The Green.
841
00:49:05,360 --> 00:49:08,240
60,000, 70,000 people, I can't remember exactly.
842
00:49:08,240 --> 00:49:11,400
They're the opening act for Aerosmith.
843
00:49:11,400 --> 00:49:13,160
Unbelievable.
844
00:49:13,160 --> 00:49:14,640
The most amazing show.
845
00:49:14,640 --> 00:49:18,760
We got out there at about 10 o'clock in the morning and they killed it.
846
00:49:18,760 --> 00:49:20,880
And the crowd just went nuts.
847
00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:27,040
At the time, Aerosmith was the biggest band in America,
848
00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:31,760
with rock-god front man Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry.
849
00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:33,960
Do I love Steven? Yeah.
850
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:37,600
But, you know, honestly, Joe Perry can't stand up to Angus.
851
00:49:37,600 --> 00:49:39,640
Sorry, Joe, but it's the truth.
852
00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:43,120
So, that's going to hurt, but you know, probably he'll hate me,
853
00:49:43,120 --> 00:49:45,720
but he hates me already, so it doesn't really matter.
854
00:49:45,720 --> 00:49:50,320
The truth is that Angus is fucking amazing. That's all I can tell you.
855
00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:55,720
He is of the people, for the people, by the people.
856
00:49:55,720 --> 00:50:01,560
Just like Abe Lincoln said it, he gives it 100% high energy.
857
00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:04,320
Perfect name, AC/DC, electric.
858
00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:10,720
By 1978, word of AC/DC's power as a live act was spreading.
859
00:50:10,720 --> 00:50:14,440
It got the attention of Atlantic Records' young new president
860
00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:16,200
Jerry Greenberg.
861
00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:20,560
When you see a crowd reaction and you see a band live like that,
862
00:50:20,560 --> 00:50:24,160
let's just say the light bulb went off in my head and I got it.
863
00:50:24,160 --> 00:50:26,680
I said, "This could be our next big band."
864
00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:30,120
Greenberg's plan was simple.
865
00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:32,520
Get AC/DC on radio.
866
00:50:32,520 --> 00:50:36,080
I just knew that if we had made the right record,
867
00:50:36,080 --> 00:50:39,360
if we could get the right record made, with these guys,
868
00:50:39,360 --> 00:50:41,520
they were going to be enormous.
869
00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:43,080
Bon was working on a song
870
00:50:43,080 --> 00:50:46,480
about the relentless hard graft of touring America.
871
00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:49,880
What Angus called the "highway to hell".
872
00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:06,320
Highway To Hell was the single that woke American radio up to AC/DC.
873
00:51:08,280 --> 00:51:12,200
# Livin' easy, lovin' free
874
00:51:12,200 --> 00:51:16,280
# Season ticket on a one way ride... #
875
00:51:16,280 --> 00:51:19,840
I'd just got a new stereo system in my office, right.
876
00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:22,960
I turned it up as loud as I could,
877
00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:25,680
I actually cracked the window in my office.
878
00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:29,400
Oh, my God, what a record that was...
879
00:51:30,920 --> 00:51:34,360
But cracking the airwaves didn't mean a break from touring.
880
00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:39,160
The AC/DC juggernaut was now rocking at top speed.
881
00:51:39,160 --> 00:51:42,600
And the rock-and-roll life was taking its toll on Bon Scott.
882
00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:46,880
On the surface, all his dreams are suddenly coming true.
883
00:51:46,880 --> 00:51:50,880
Highway To Hell has become a platinum album in America.
884
00:51:50,880 --> 00:51:55,840
It's just taken AC/DC to exactly where they wanted to go,
885
00:51:55,840 --> 00:52:01,480
and the very next album is going to be the big one, the really big one.
886
00:52:04,080 --> 00:52:07,480
In January 1980, the boys were working on what would become
887
00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:12,360
the Back In Black album when Bon called Fifa at Albert's.
888
00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:15,280
He told he was excited, he'd heard all the riffs
889
00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:18,520
that Malcolm and Angus were coming up with for the new album
890
00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:21,080
and he couldn't wait to get into the studio.
891
00:52:21,080 --> 00:52:24,120
He just said, "This is going to be a big one.
892
00:52:24,120 --> 00:52:26,760
"Some of their ideas are amazing."
893
00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:33,760
It was the last time she heard Bon's voice.
894
00:52:38,040 --> 00:52:41,120
- RADIO:
- 'Lead singer of the rock group AC/DC was found dead
895
00:52:41,120 --> 00:52:43,200
'last night in a parked car in South London.
896
00:52:43,200 --> 00:52:46,480
'Scotland Yard said the body of Bon Scott was discovered by a friend
897
00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:48,960
'who'd left him in the car hours earlier
898
00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:51,000
'to sober up after a day's drinking.'
899
00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:57,760
I was in the office when George and Harry came in and told me
900
00:52:57,760 --> 00:53:00,080
that they'd heard about Bon.
901
00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:05,480
He loved the whole Albert family. He used to call it his family.
902
00:53:05,480 --> 00:53:07,840
And I got really...
903
00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:10,800
He became a really close friend of mine over the years
904
00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:13,080
and I was only looking at some letters...
905
00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:15,960
I've got about 20 letters that I've kept over the years,
906
00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:19,240
and one of his last lines was, "I always smile when I think of you."
907
00:53:19,240 --> 00:53:21,840
And I thought, that's exactly how I feel about him.
908
00:53:24,080 --> 00:53:27,840
The Young brothers thought Bon's death could be the end of AC/DC.
909
00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:32,400
Atlantic pushed hard for the band to keep going.
910
00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:35,480
But Ted Albert told the boys he would support them,
911
00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:37,800
whatever they decided to do.
912
00:53:37,800 --> 00:53:41,640
At the funeral, Bon's dad Chick encouraged Malcolm and Angus
913
00:53:41,640 --> 00:53:44,720
to find another singer and keep going.
914
00:53:44,720 --> 00:53:46,600
And so another chapter began.
915
00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:50,080
It was just something they just all sat down
916
00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:52,360
and said, let's just do something.
917
00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:55,160
Cos otherwise they were just going to peter out, I suppose.
918
00:53:55,160 --> 00:53:56,520
And they just said,
919
00:53:56,520 --> 00:53:59,960
"Let's just go and rehearse some singers and see what happens."
920
00:53:59,960 --> 00:54:05,160
They had always had great musical intuition, but no-one expected
921
00:54:05,160 --> 00:54:10,320
them to go with a singer from 1970s Top Of The Pops band Geordie.
922
00:54:10,320 --> 00:54:13,880
It was just a strange day, you know. I was downstairs playing pool,
923
00:54:13,880 --> 00:54:16,320
and now, I'm upstairs with all these singers.
924
00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:19,800
One of our crew guys was downstairs playing with him
925
00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:22,640
and had said to him, "What are you doing here anyhow?"
926
00:54:22,640 --> 00:54:26,000
He said, "I was told to come here to audition,
927
00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:28,560
"you know, for the band AC/DC."
928
00:54:28,560 --> 00:54:31,600
He said, "It's upstairs," you know?
929
00:54:31,600 --> 00:54:34,320
Hello, this is Brian Johnson from AC/DC
930
00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:37,840
and you're watching Countdown '81 right across Australia.
931
00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:40,960
- See you, mate. See you, sport.
- HE LAUGHS
932
00:54:40,960 --> 00:54:44,400
I had said to Malcolm after we'd heard him sing, I said,
933
00:54:44,400 --> 00:54:48,160
"He'll be able to hit those high notes."
934
00:54:49,600 --> 00:54:54,120
And so... And he did, he hit those high notes.
935
00:54:57,360 --> 00:55:01,240
Brian Johnson became part of the family, making Back In Black.
936
00:55:03,360 --> 00:55:05,160
Then came the tour.
937
00:55:06,320 --> 00:55:08,560
It was time to face the home fans
938
00:55:08,560 --> 00:55:11,560
where the long way to the top had started.
939
00:55:11,560 --> 00:55:14,240
BELL RINGS
940
00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:18,240
When I saw them at Sydney Showgrounds,
941
00:55:18,240 --> 00:55:20,960
the first gig with Brian out front,
942
00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:24,440
the way they handled that... handled that gig
943
00:55:24,440 --> 00:55:28,080
and handled the transition between the two singers,
944
00:55:28,080 --> 00:55:31,920
man, I don't think any band sounded any better.
945
00:55:41,720 --> 00:55:46,160
Back In Black did what Malcolm Young had set out to achieve from day one.
946
00:55:46,160 --> 00:55:50,920
It made AC/DC the biggest rock-and-roll band on earth.
947
00:55:51,920 --> 00:55:54,600
# Back in black I hit the sack
948
00:55:54,600 --> 00:55:57,160
# I've been too long I'm glad to be back, yes, I am
949
00:55:57,160 --> 00:55:59,400
# Let loose from the noose
950
00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:01,960
# That's kept me hanging about... #
951
00:56:01,960 --> 00:56:05,280
Malcolm just knew what he wanted from that band
952
00:56:05,280 --> 00:56:08,280
or what he wanted to achieve with the band.
953
00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:10,640
And he never veered from that.
954
00:56:13,400 --> 00:56:18,160
He and Angus started it, and then with Bon, you know,
955
00:56:18,160 --> 00:56:21,600
it just took off, and then with Brian coming in,
956
00:56:21,600 --> 00:56:24,520
it's just been an amazing journey.
957
00:56:24,520 --> 00:56:27,800
# Hey, hey, hey I'm back in black
958
00:56:27,800 --> 00:56:30,120
# Yes, I'm back in black... #
959
00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:34,600
It was the ultimate triumph for Ted Albert,
960
00:56:34,600 --> 00:56:36,640
who had focused his life's work
961
00:56:36,640 --> 00:56:40,600
on building a musical family around the people he believed in.
962
00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:42,560
He put his money behind us,
963
00:56:42,560 --> 00:56:46,440
he took a big risk and he never put pressure on us at all.
964
00:56:46,440 --> 00:56:48,440
He was a real player.
965
00:56:49,600 --> 00:56:53,280
We've worked with other record companies since then
966
00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:56,160
in different countries and everything else,
967
00:56:56,160 --> 00:56:58,880
but I don't think we've ever met anyone
968
00:56:58,880 --> 00:57:01,520
who was so genuine and honest
969
00:57:01,520 --> 00:57:04,560
and you could trust as a person.
970
00:57:04,560 --> 00:57:06,840
And we certainly owe Ted a lot
971
00:57:06,840 --> 00:57:09,880
because we may not have been here today
972
00:57:09,880 --> 00:57:12,080
if it wasn't for a guy like Ted.
973
00:57:12,080 --> 00:57:15,080
CHEERING
974
00:57:15,080 --> 00:57:16,640
It cut both ways.
975
00:57:18,080 --> 00:57:21,080
Ted Albert's dream started with the Easybeats.
976
00:57:22,160 --> 00:57:26,200
15 years later, AC/DC ruled the world.
977
00:57:27,760 --> 00:57:31,240
# You've been thunderstruck... #
978
00:57:31,240 --> 00:57:35,680
In 1990, as AC/DC toured The Razors Edge album,
979
00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:40,360
Ted sat down to write one of his regular letters to Malcolm.
980
00:57:40,360 --> 00:57:44,560
"Dear Mal, I'm completely blown away by the new album. I love it.
981
00:57:44,560 --> 00:57:49,400
"In fact, I had subwoofers installed in my car in honour of it.
982
00:57:49,400 --> 00:57:53,120
"Congratulations on songs, sounds and performances.
983
00:57:53,120 --> 00:57:54,960
"Thanks for our long association
984
00:57:54,960 --> 00:57:58,640
"and the success that you have bought to my company.
985
00:57:58,640 --> 00:58:00,840
"My very best, Ted Albert."
986
00:58:02,080 --> 00:58:03,840
# Thunderstruck
987
00:58:03,840 --> 00:58:06,840
# Thunderstruck... #
988
00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:13,240
A week later, Ted Albert died suddenly of a heart attack, aged 53.
989
00:58:16,040 --> 00:58:19,240
Ted's legacy is many things to many people,
990
00:58:19,240 --> 00:58:23,320
but his most important legacy, I think, in the music field,
991
00:58:23,320 --> 00:58:25,640
is what he did for rock and roll
992
00:58:25,640 --> 00:58:29,600
and giving Australian rock and roll respectability worldwide.
993
00:58:36,320 --> 00:58:39,200
# Countrymen, friends Lend me your ears
994
00:58:39,200 --> 00:58:42,680
# I'll tell you a tale of 15 years
995
00:58:42,680 --> 00:58:45,320
# I'm an old man who's all forlorn
996
00:58:45,320 --> 00:58:48,960
# I want to see the city where I was born
997
00:58:48,960 --> 00:58:52,200
# Show me the way to St Louis
998
00:58:52,200 --> 00:58:54,640
# Show me the way... #
82718
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