" This is a Long Way to the Top (If You Want Rock 'n' Roll) " is a song by the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. This is the first song from the second album of the group T.N.T. , released only in Australia on December 8, 1975, and written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott. This song combines bagpipe with hard rock instrumentation; in the middle of the song there is a call and a response between the bagpipe and the guitar. Original recordings are on the B-flat major, but played live on A major.
A slightly shorter version of the song is also the first song on the internationally released High Voltage Release (May 1976). This version only appears on vinyl releases and CD 2003 re-releases.
The full version of this song is also available on the Volts CD from the Bonfire box set , released in 1997.
This is the signature song for Bon Scott. Brian Johnson, who replaced Scott as AC/DC vocalist after Scott's death in 1980 until his departure in 2016, did not do that, in honor of his predecessor.
Video It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
Lirik
The song tells of the difficulties experienced by rock bands on the tour, such as being robbed, assaulted, stoned, and tricked by greedy agents. However, the band accepted this difficulty as a natural thing on the road to the star, saying that "It's way up/If you want rock 'n' roll".
Maps It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
Bagpipe
The music video for "This is a Long Way to the Top (If You Want Rock 'n' Roll)", filmed on February 23 1976 for the Australian music television program Countdown . It featured band members behind a flatbed truck that traveled on Swanston Street in Melbourne, Australia, which was followed by band members Rats of Tobruk Pipe. The members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band known at the time of the film were: Alan Butterworth, Les Kenfield and Kevin Conlon. This video is dubbed with studio tracks from the album T.N.T. and available on DVD Family Jewels .
The video is directed by Paul Drane. David Olney is a cameraman.
Two other videos for the song exist. One version, filmed on the same day as the truck version, featured a group that mimics the song on stage at Melbourne City Square in front of an audience. The pipe players appear here as well. This version is available in the Backtracks box. The third version has a group feature that just mimics the song on soundstage, making it appear as if it was played directly (This version is considered rare and in 2014 has not been officially released on DVD compilation; it can be found on Youtube). Also, the group version that performed the song in Australia Bandstand with Scott singing directly on top of the studio track appeared on the DVD set of Plug Me In .
Popularity
In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Song of all time, as decided by an industry panel of 100 people. "This Long Road to the Top (If You Want Rock 'n' Roll)" was ranked as the ninth song in the list. The song is regularly played during the stoppage of an AFL game at the ANZ stadium in Sydney.
The song was also used in the School of Rock comedy film (2003) during the ending credit sequel when Jack Black's character Dewey Finn gave his children a "school after-school lesson" in rock.
In 2010, the song was ranked no. 3 on Triple M's Ultimate 500 Rock Countdown in Melbourne. The top five are all AC/DC songs.
In 2012, the song is inducted into the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia.
In the third episode of Empire of Cricket , a British BBC-TV 2009 documentary about the history of cricket, "This Long Road to the Top (If You Want Rock 'n' Roll)" was played during the opening credits. This episode details the history of Australian cricket and its rise to dominance.
ITV used this song to close the montage to their coverage of the 2010 Tour de France. This is the first to be won by Australia, when Cadel Evans BMC wins the race.
The intro clip of the song is often used by the Golf Channel before the commercial break.
This song is used to accompany a promotional video for the Australian Open Tennis Tournament 2013.
Keith Urban guitarist Brian Nutter often uses the song during his solo part during live performances.
The song was used by Chicago Cubs in 2017 as a companion for a video played shortly before the team took the field.
The original version of this song was played on the PA song list before Metallica's live show. As soon as the song was closed, the lights went out and "The Ecstasy of Gold" was played while Metallica appeared on stage.
Connection to ACDC Lane
On October 1, 2004, Melbourne, Australian Strip Corporation was officially renamed "ACDC Lane" to honor the band (street names in Melbourne City can not contain characters "/"). This change was made partly because the music video for "This is a Long Road to the Top (If You Want Rock 'n' Roll)" was filmed on Melbourne's Swanston Street, near ACDC Lane. The voice of Melbourne City Council to change the name of the street is round. Bagpipers plays "This is a Long Road to the Top (If You Want Rock 'n' Roll)" at an official name change ceremony.
Covered versions recorded
Did by:
- Jack Black and the players School of Rock - Original soundtrack (2003)
- Pat Boone - In Mood Metal: No More. Nice Guy (1997)
- Dead Moon - Goal X (1999)
- Die Krupps - Covered in Black: Industrial Respect for High Voltage Rulers (tribute compilations) (1997)
- Dropkick Murphys - The Singles Collection, Vol. 2 (2005)
- Electricity - Respect to AC/DC (2006)
- John Farnham - b-side to Two Strong Hearts (1988)
- John Farnham and Tom Jones - Joint in Concert (2005)
- Iced Earth - Respect for God (2002)
- Lemmy - Cover Me in '80s Metal (Note Price Fantastic, 2006)
- Local H - Keep Cats-Side-B . Brendan O'Brien's features play bagpipes on hurdy-gurdy.
- The Meanies - Fuse Box - An Honor Alternative (1995)
- The Melbourne Ukulele Kollective - ABC-TV Spicks and Specks (2006)
- MotÃÆ'¶rhead - Thunderbolt: A Tribute to AC/DC (1998)
- Nantucket - Long Road to Top (1980)
- Scarlett Pomers - Millennium Tribute to AC/DC (2010)
- Rawkus - AC/DC: Hometown Tribute (2002)
- Sandra Weckert - Jazz Bar (2003)
- Lucinda Williams - Little Honey (2008)
- Eric Fish - Gegen den Strom (2007, like Ein Langer Weg in German)
- W.A.S.P.
The song was covered during the credit sequence of the School of Rock comedy film, performed by Jack Black and the class of children he taught while posing as a teacher. However, the children put up their own lyrics at the end of the song.
Billy Corgan covered the song instantly as an encore at almost every show during the 2005 tour supporting his debut solo effort TheFutureEbrbra .
A dramatic reinterpretation was released by Norwegian duo Susanna and Magical Orchestra (aka Susanna WallumrÃÆ'¸d and Morten Qvenild) at the end of summer 2006 on their second Melody Mountain album, entirely composed of cover versions. Their style is slow and melancholy with only the cembalo accompanist to the pure vowel of WallumrÃÆ'¸d, and takes out the important sadness of the song.
Band Hanson performed this song during several performances on the "Walk around the World" tour, often inviting reopening action on stage to sing along.
Melbourne Ukulele Kollective often played songs live, the most notable performances during ABC-TV's Spicks and Specks in 2004; and during the Australian Day flag raising ceremonies and people's parade in 2009.
The Medieval Metal Band of Germany At Extremo played the song on their Tranquilo -Acoustic Tour in 2009 at German Bagpipes.
On the 34th anniversary of the filming of the music video, it was recreated as part of the SLAM rally (Save Live Australian Music), to protest the liquor licensing laws that threaten live music. About ten thousand protesters marched down Swanston Street and boarded Bourke Street to Victoria's Parliament House, accompanied by a RocKwiz band on a pickup truck playing the song.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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