In the 1950s, Angus Young and his seven siblings lived in the Cranhill district of Glasgow in Scotland. Young’s mother was a housewife, while his father worked in several fields. However, music was part of the Young family’s everyday life. All of the guitarist’s siblings were passionate about music. Young himself decided to learn how to play guitar at around six and ultimately became a self-taught guitarist.
The Young family then moved to Sydney, Australia, in late June 1963. While at high school, Angus Young practiced the guitar. In around 1970, he bought his first Gibson SG. Then, in 1973, Angus and his brother Malcolm decided to form AC/DC, naming the band after their sister Margaret’s suggestion. Throughout Young’s music career, AC/DC remained the only band he focused on, but there was another band the guitarist played with before.
Which Band Did Angus Young Play With Before His Tenure In AC/DC?
After migrating to Australia, the Young family stayed at Villawood Migrant Hostel in Nissen huts. During their time there, Angus and his brother George became friends with Harry Vanda, another migrant. This was the beginning of a relationship that later got entangled with their professional music careers.
In 1972, George Young and Harry Vanda decided to form a band named Marcus Hook Roll Band. George’s brothers Angus and Malcolm also joined them for this project. Together, they released one record titled ‘Tales Of Old Grand Daddy’ in 1973. Although the album was only issued in Australia, another variation was released in the U.S.
As they were consuming heavy amounts of alcohol during the recordings of ‘Tales Of Old Grand Daddy,’ the Young brothers didn’t know the details of the process. Besides, they don’t know who played which guitar parts because both Angus and Malcolm Young played the rhythm and lead guitar.
Another interesting detail is that AC/DC used some of the tracks from the album by editing them. For instance, ‘Quick Reaction’ and the AC/DC song ‘T.N.T.’ have a similar riff, while some elements of ‘Natural Man’ can be seen in the song ‘Live Wire.’
Although Malcolm and Angus didn’t take their stint in Marcus Hook Roll Band seriously, this was their first musical effort before AC/DC. Twenty years later, the Marcus Hook Roll Band album ‘Tales Of Old Grand Daddy’ was reissued on June 2, 2014, on digital platforms, CD, and vinyl.
Below, you can listen to the album ‘Tales Of Old Grand Daddy’ in its entirety.
