If You Want Blood You've Got It

Last updated

If You Want Blood You've Got It
Acdc If You Want Blood You've Got It.JPG
Live album by
AC/DC
Released13 October 1978 (1978-10-13)
Recorded30 April 1978
Venue The Apollo, Glasgow
Genre
Length52:42
Label
Producer
AC/DC chronology
Powerage
(1978)		If You Want Blood You've Got It
(1978)		 Highway to Hell
(1979)
Singles from If You Want Blood
  1. "Whole Lotta Rosie (Live)"
    Released: October 1978 [1]

If You Want Blood You've Got It (written as just If You Want Blood) is the first live album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, and their only live album released during Bon Scott's lifetime. It was originally released in the UK and Europe on 13 October 1978, in the US on 21 November 1978, and in Australia on 27 November 1978. [2] The album was re-released in 1994 on Atco Records and in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series. [3]

Contents

Background

The album was released six months after the band's previous studio album Powerage . A 'best-of' package called 12 of the Best had been in the works, but the project was scrapped in favour of a live album. It was recorded during the 1978 Powerage tour and contains songs from T.N.T. , Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap , Let There Be Rock , and Powerage . It is the last Bon Scott-era AC/DC album produced by Harry Vanda and George Young, who also produced the band's first five studio releases. [4]

In his 1994 Bon Scott memoir Highway to Hell, author Clinton Walker observes, "Live albums, which tended to be double or triple sets in which songs short in their studio versions were stretched out into extended tedium, were for some reason popular in the seventies. If You Want Blood reversed this tradition... it boasted a blunt ten tracks and, allowing nothing extraneous, got straight to the point, that being raging AC/DC rock and roll." [5]

A concert at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland on 30 April 1978 was used for the live tracks. The concert is also remembered for the encore, when AC/DC came back on stage dressed in the Scottish football strip, paying homage to Scott's and the Young brothers' homeland. [6]

"This gig summed up what made AC/DC so special live: the energy, the rapport with the crowd and the way those simple yet classic songs took on another life. You hear all of this on If You Want Blood. It's a great reminder of how remarkable the band and their fans were that night." – Tom Russell, DJ [7]

"Dog Eat Dog", performed on the night, was removed from the album release, while the encore – "Fling Thing/Rocker" – was edited, removing "Fling Thing" and cutting out Angus's extended solo, as he did a walk around the audience (with an early version of a wireless guitar lead). This part of the band's concert theatrics later accompanied "Let There Be Rock"; "Rocker" has been performed only a few times since Bon Scott's passing in 1980. The live "Dog Eat Dog" was released as the b-side of the single "Whole Lotta Rosie" in November 1978, but only in Australia. It was rereleased worldwide in 2009 on the two (standard) and three (collectors) CD boxed set compilation Backtracks , featuring Australian-only songs not released internationally at the time, and live b-Sides from 7" and 12" singles. The encores "Fling Thing" and "Rocker" (with a complete guitar solo) appeared only on footage of the concert by a Dutch TV station played at the time, but were eventually released on the Family Jewels DVD.[ citation needed ]

According to the 2006 book AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, the album title was an extension of Scott's response – at the Day on the Green festival in July 1978 – when a journalist asked what they could expect from the band. The singer replied, "Blood."[ citation needed ] The cover art is from a shoot with Atlantic Records' staff photographer Jim Houghton after the show at Boston's Paradise Theater on 21st August 1978, the idea for which came from Atlantic's art director Bob Defrin.[ citation needed ] The front cover depicts Angus Young being impaled on stage with a guitar during a performance, while the back depicts a bloodied Young lying facedown on the same stage, though deserted.

A song titled "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" appeared on the next album: the band's US chart breakthrough, Highway to Hell .

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 5/10 [11]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]

The album was listed at #2 on Classic Rock magazine's readers' poll of "50 Greatest Live Albums Ever". [13] In a 1992 interview with Metal Hammer at the time of the band's second live release, Malcolm Young admitted, "I personally still prefer the old album. We were young, fresh, vital and kicking ass." [14] Greg Prato of AllMusic notes, "While most other rock bands of the era were busy experimenting with disco or creating studio-perfected epics, AC/DC was one of the few specializing in raw and bluesy hard rock, as evidenced by 1978's live set, If You Want Blood You've Got It." [15] Eduardo Rivadavia of Ultimate Classic Rock enthuses, "Other concert records may boast more songs, more Top 40 hits or even more crowd-pleasing gimmicks. But very few can challenge the sheer excitement and reckless abandon captured on AC/DC’s terrific concert document." [16] Carlo Twist of Blender magazine praised the album, saying that "They were always a mighty live act, and this is the sound of AC/DC in Europe just prior to 1979's U.S. breakthrough. The audience's hysteria regularly cuts through the amps, as they howl along to singer Bon Scott's tale of sexually transmitted disease ("The Jack") and punctuate guitarist Angus Young's staccato riffing on "Whole Lotta Rosie." Imagine a punk-rock Chuck Berry played at nosebleed volume." [17]

Concert footage

The entire Glasgow concert was filmed but the complete footage has never been released. Eventually, "Riff Raff" and "Fling Thing/Rocker" segments were made available on the DVD AC/DC Family Jewels , released in 2005. Video footage was also used from the show on Family Jewels using the "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" studio version audio track promotional clip. Segments from the concert (the songs "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation", "Dog Eat Dog" and "Let There Be Rock") were made available on the DVD Plug Me In , released in 2007 (the latter 2 were also released on YouTube in 2013)). "Bad Boy Boogie" was included on the bonus disc on the three-disc edition of Plug Me In. [18]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott

Side one
No.TitleOrigin albumLength
1."Riff Raff" Powerage 5:59
2."Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" Let There Be Rock 4:10
3."Bad Boy Boogie"Let There Be Rock7:29
4."The Jack" T.N.T. 5:48
5."Problem Child" Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 4:40
Side two
No.TitleOrigin albumLength
6."Whole Lotta Rosie"Let There Be Rock4:05
7."Rock 'n' Roll Damnation"Powerage3:41
8."High Voltage"T.N.T.5:05
9."Let There Be Rock"Let There Be Rock8:33
10."Rocker"T.N.T.3:24
Total length:52:44

Original concert setlist

All songs written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott except "Fling Thing", which is a Scottish traditional song.

No.TitleLength
1."Riff Raff" 
2."Problem Child" 
3."Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be" 
4."Rock n Roll Damnation" 
5."Bad Boy Boogie" 
6."Dog Eat Dog" 
7."The Jack" 
8."High Voltage" 
9."Whole Lotta Rosie" 
10."Let There Be Rock" 
11."Fling Thing" 
12."Rocker" 

Notes

Personnel

Production

Charts

Chart performance for If You Want Blood You've Got It
Chart (1978–2008)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [22] 37
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [23] 7
UK Albums (OCC) [24] 13
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [25] 17
US Billboard 200 [26] 113

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [27] 3× Platinum210,000^
France (SNEP) [28] Gold100,000*
Germany (BVMI) [29] Platinum500,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [30] Gold50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [31] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [32] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [33] Platinum1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AC/DC</span> Australian rock band

AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in 1973. They were founded by brothers Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar and Angus Young on lead guitar. Their current lineup comprises Angus, bassist Cliff Williams, drummer Phil Rudd, lead vocalist Brian Johnson, and rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, nephew of Angus and Malcolm. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and heavy metal, but the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formative influence on the new wave of British heavy metal bands, such as Def Leppard and Saxon. AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

<i>Highway to Hell</i> 1979 studio album by AC/DC

Highway to Hell is the sixth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 27 July 1979. It is the first of three albums produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and is the last album featuring lead singer Bon Scott, who died on 19 February 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bon Scott</span> Australian singer (1946–1980)

Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the second lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angus Young</span> Australian musician; lead guitarist of AC/DC

Angus McKinnon Young is an Australian musician, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter, and the only remaining founding member of the hard rock band AC/DC. He is known for his energetic performances, schoolboy-uniform stage outfits and his own version of Chuck Berry's duckwalk. Young was ranked 38th in the 2023 edition of Rolling Stone's 250 greatest guitarists of all-time list. In 2003, Young and the other members of AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whole Lotta Rosie</span> 1977 single by AC/DC

"Whole Lotta Rosie" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the eighth and final track on the band's fourth Australian album, Let There Be Rock, released in Australia in March 1977, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott. It is also the eighth and final track on the international version of the album, released in June the same year.

<i>Powerage</i> 1978 studio album by AC/DC

Powerage is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in 1978. This was the band's first album to feature Cliff Williams on bass guitar, and it was also the first AC/DC album not to have a title track and the first worldwide not to be released with a different album cover. Powerage was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touch Too Much</span> 1980 single by AC/DC

"Touch Too Much" is a song by the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released on their 1979 album Highway to Hell, their last with lead vocalist Bon Scott, who died the following year.

<i>Family Jewels</i> (video compilation) 2005 video by AC/DC

Family Jewels is a compilation DVD by the hard rock band AC/DC, featuring the group's music videos, live clips and promotional videos from 1975 to 2008. It was released by Albert Productions and Epic Music Video on 28 March 2005. The first disc contains videos from the Bon Scott era (1975–1980), such as the band's first TV appearance and a performance on television ten days before Scott died. The second disc contains material from the Brian Johnson era up to 1991.

<i>Let There Be Rock: The Movie – Live in Paris</i> 1997 live album / Soundtrack album by AC/DC

Let There Be Rock: The Movie – Live in Paris is a live double album by the hard rock band AC/DC, released as "Disc Two" and "Disc Three" of the Bonfire box set in 1997. It is also the soundtrack to the film AC/DC: Let There Be Rock. It is the last album Bon Scott recorded with the band before he died, just two months before his death and was released posthumously.

<i>Volts</i> (album) 1997 compilation album by AC/DC

Volts is an album by AC/DC released as a part named "Disc Four" on the Bonfire box set. Released in November 1997, the album is a compilation of some alternative versions of songs recorded for the albums Let There Be Rock and Highway to Hell, and some songs previously released.

<i>AC/DC</i> (video) 1989 AC/DC video album

AC/DC for General Exhibition is a video album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released exclusively in Australia in 1989. All nine videos were later reissued on the DVD compilation Family Jewels (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jailbreak (AC/DC song)</span> 1976 single by AC/DC

"Jailbreak" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the ninth and final track of their third Australian album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, released in September 1976. The song was not released in North America until 1984. It was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott.

<i>AC/DC: Let There Be Rock</i> 1980 AC/DC concert film

AC/DC: Let There Be Rock is a 1980 concert film featuring the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released theatrically in September 1980 and on videotape the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock 'n' Roll Damnation</span> 1978 single by AC/DC

"Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" is a single by the Australian rock band AC/DC, and the first track on their Powerage album, released in 1978. The single version is an abbreviated version of the album track, with a time of 3:05, as opposed to the album track's length of 3:37. The album track "Sin City" was the B-side in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and Japan. In the US, Canada, and the Netherlands, it was "Kicked in the Teeth," also from the album. In Australia, however, the B-side was "Cold Hearted Man," which appeared on initial UK and European pressings of the album, and was eventually removed when "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" was added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Voltage (song)</span> 1975 single by AC/DC

"High Voltage" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was first released in Australia as a single in July 1975, though it is the eighth track of their second Australian album T.N.T., the release itself was issued as a stand alone single. The song was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott, and peaked at #48 on the UK Singles Chart in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let There Be Rock (song)</span> 1977 single by AC/DC

"Let There Be Rock" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the third and title track of their album Let There Be Rock, released in March 1977, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls Got Rhythm</span> 1979 single by AC/DC

"Girl's Got Rhythm" is a song by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is found on their 1979 album Highway to Hell. The song was released as a single the same year.

<i>Plug Me In</i> 2007 video by AC/DC

Plug Me In is a DVD box set released on 16 October 2007 by Australian hard rock group AC/DC. It includes rare performances of the band. The standard two-disc set contains one disc of performances from the Bon Scott era and one from the Brian Johnson era. The three-disc set includes Between the Cracks, featuring performances from both eras. The performance of "Shoot to Thrill" from the Summit, Houston, TX, October 1983 is on both disc two and three.

<i>High Voltage</i> (1976 album) 1976 international studio album by AC/DC

High Voltage is the first internationally released album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It contains tracks completed from their first two previous Australia-only issued albums, High Voltage and T.N.T..

<i>Backtracks</i> (AC/DC album) 2009 box set by AC/DC

Backtracks is a box set by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was announced on 29 September 2009 and was released on 10 November 2009. This is a collection of the band's studio and live rarities together in one boxset. There are two editions; a Deluxe Edition and a Standard Edition. All tracks have been remastered to match the sound of the 2003 album remasters and many songs appear on CD for the first time. It is the band's second box set of rarities, following the Bonfire release in 1997.

References

  1. ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 3. ISBN   9780862415419.
  2. ↑ "AC/DC - If You Want Blood You've Got It (Vinyl, Australia, 1978) For Sale | Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "20 Remastered US CD releases (AC/DC) part4 2003 REMASTERS". stason.org. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  4. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (23 October 2017). "George Young, Easybeats Guitarist and AC/DC Producer, Dead at 70". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "How AC/DC Elevated Their Career With the Live 'If You Want Blood, You've Got It'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "Insight: Scotland's greatest ever rock band '" we salute you". www.scotsman.com. 6 August 2017. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Live albums". Classic Rock supplement: The Live Albums That Changed The World . December 2011. p. 17.
  8. ↑ Prato, Greg. "If You Want Blood You've Got It - AC/DC". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 12 May 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Twist, Carlo. "If You Want Blood You've Got It". Blender . Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  10. ↑ "AC/DC: Album Guide". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  11. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN   1841955515.
  12. ↑ C. Strong, Martin (2002). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Canongate. ISBN   1852279230.
  13. ↑ "Rocklist.net...Steve Parker...Classic Rock Lists". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  14. ↑ Elliottpublished, Paul (10 December 2021). "AC/DC: the long road to Glasgow and the triumph of If You Want Blood You've Got It". loudersound. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  15. ↑ "If You Want Blood You've Got It - AC/DC | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 9 May 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "If You Want Blood You've Got It". ultimateclassicrock.com.
  17. ↑ Twist, Carlo. "If You Want Blood You've Got It". Blender. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009.
  18. ↑ "AC/DC - Plug Me In Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "AC/DC at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland". glasgowapollo.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  20. ↑ "Glasgow Apollo / Who Played". www.glasgowapollo.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  21. ↑ "Glasgow Apollo / The Apollo Years". Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 20 February 2007.
  22. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 11. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  23. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – AC/DC – If You Want Blood" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  24. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  25. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  26. ↑ "AC-DC Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  28. ↑ "French album certifications – AC/DC – If You Want Blood You've Got It" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  29. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (AC/DC; 'If You Want Blood')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  30. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 953. ISBN   84-8048-639-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  31. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('If you want blood')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  32. ↑ "British album certifications – AC/DC – If You Want Blood You've Got It". British Phonographic Industry.
  33. ↑ "American album certifications – AC/DC – If You Want Blood You've Got It". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.