Appearing in a new episode of Rhino’s ‘Totally ’80s’ podcast, Chad Smith revealed the name that was behind AC/DC’s sound since the beginning.
Who Contributed To The Band’s Music?
Smith credited Phil Rudd for a certain feeling to AC/DC’s music that was, to him, hard to achieve. Referring to the drummer’s return to the band in the mid-90s with the release of ‘Ballbreaker,’ he also mentioned Rick Rubin’s role in keeping that sound:
“When Rick Rubin went and did his record with AC/DC in the ’90s, he was instrumental in getting Phil Rudd back in the band because he knew that is the key component.”
Explaining Rudd’s role in the band, he went on:
“Feel of AC/DC, everyone contributes to it, but without Phil Rudd, it’s not gonna be the same. It’s just where he places the beat. As simple as it is, you can’t. It’s just – It’s him!”
AC/DC’s original manager, Michael Browning, backed Smith’s words in his 2014 book, ‘Dog Eat Dog,’ as he recalled the band’s early years in the music scene. Referring to Rudd’s joining the band in 1975, he wrote:
“Phil became integral to AC/DC’s musical style and was over time admired worldwide by his peers for his wonderful timing and feel.”
On And Off The Lineup
Meanwhile, Rudd’s presence in the band saw interruptions through the years. In 2015, during the ‘Rock Or Bust’ tour, AC/DC replaced the drummer with Slade due to his legal troubles with drug charges and threatening to kill a former assistant.
A few years later, following Malcolm Young’s passing, Rudd rejoined the band to work on a new record. After releasing the ‘Power Up’ album in 2020, he talked about his return in a chat with the ‘Let There Be Talk’ podcast by saying:
“Angus [Young] and I had a good chat at Mal’s funeral and caught up. There was crazy shit going on, but since then, I’d got my shit together and put a little band together; I went to Europe and was doing a bit of playing and stuff and did a solo album. The guys knew I was still playing, so when I caught up with Angus at the funeral, we were sort of chatting away, and somehow, he just sort of asked if I was up for [a new AC/DC] album, and he started writing the next day. He went in the studio and started writing straight away.”
Still, Rudd didn’t take part in AC/DC’s first live performance in seven years in early October 2023. Matt Laug replaced the drummer for the show at the Power Trip festival.
