Multi-camera video of original AC/DC singer Dave Evans performing the band’s classic song “Highway To Hell” on October 22 at Leonardo’s in Huntington Park, California can be seen below (video editing by Joe Dolan).
As previously reported, Evans recently recorded two new songs with legendary producer Flemming Rasmussen, best known for having been helmed three of METALLICA‘s early albums, plus winning a Grammy for his work on METALLICA‘s “One” in 1989. One of the songs, “Guitarman”, was written by Danish musician and composer Nicholas Hill, while the second track is a cover of an Elvis Presley classic that Evans had previously performed with AC/DC.
The new Evans recordings, which were made through a collaboration betwen Chrystal Records Argentina and Space Rock Productions Denmark, will be released in the next few months.
Dave recorded AC/DC‘s first two singles, “Can I Sit Next To You Girl” and “Baby, Please Don’t Go”. But in October 1974, less than a year after AC/DC‘s first gig, Evans was out of the band. He was replaced by Bon Scott, who sang on AC/DC‘s first six studio albums and became a legend himself after his death in 1980.
Earlier this year, Dave was asked in an interview with The Rocker Diaries if he thought “that would be it” for AC/DC after Bon‘s death in 1980. He responded: “No, not at all. I mean, we all keep going. And AC/DC has had that many players through [the history of] the band. I don’t know how many. 20? And three singers, plus a stand-in singer as well.
“We were always ambitious when we first started,” he continued. “We always wanted to be the best in the world — all of us. And after me, Bon Scott got his chance. He did great with the band. And when he died, I just thought, ‘Who are they gonna get?’ I never thought [I would be approached about it] myself, because that’s water under the bridge. And I was busy with bands as well at the time, and doing my own music and recording. I was just wondering who it would be. I had heard of [Brian Johnson‘s pre-AC/DC band] GEORDIE — just the name GEORDIE. I’d never heard of Brian. And then Brian popped up and, of course, the ‘Back In Black’ album came out, which was a massive album around the world, and they were off and running with Brian. But if Brian quit, they’d get another singer, and another singer. [They’ve gone through] different bass players [and] different drummers.
“The drive was always Malcolm Young,” Dave added. “I remember Malcolm when I first met him. He was such a driving force. Just a tiny little guy — just a little touch over five foot tall — but, boy, he had a big heart and a big personality. And he was tough, too — Malcolm was very tough. And no matter what, he was AC/DC through and through. And, of course, once he passed away, which is very sad, AC/DC, of course, will never, ever be the same without Malcolm. How can it be?”
This past May, Evans released a new compilation album called “BADASS Greatest Hits”. The effort contains “20 massive hits on one album,” including Dave‘s version of “Rockin’ In The Parlour”, the song that originally appeared as the B-side of the “Can I Sit Next to You Girl” single.
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