Americana Artist Jesse Dayton Premieres Cover Of AC/DC “A Whole Lotta Rosie”

Jesse Dayton recalls his first encounter with AC/DC, from a copy of Highway To Hell brought home by his brother, with the iconic Angus Young on the cover sleeve in his schoolboy uniform getup and devil horns. “The first thing you thought in your young, superstitious redneck mind was, ‘These guys are definitely going to hell, and they don’t give a fuck,’” Dayton recalls.

Fast forward to September 1979, Dayton went to the band’s concert at the Beaumont Convention Center, again with the help of his brother, “When I saw AC/DC, I didn’t know what they were.” Dayton continues, “I knew it was loud and it was bluesy with a great guitar player. But Bon Scott was out there in cutoff shorts, and he had tattoos when no one had tattoos. It was the single best performance I’ve ever seen by a rock ‘n’ roll singer.”

“The thing that is so brilliant about that band is that it’s all based on the blues. It’s all based on Chuck Berry, the whole thing. It’s cranked up and it’s super loud. I’ve seen them live several times since then and they’re as loud as any metal band, but I don’t see them as a metal band. I see them as a super-loud blues band,” Dayton speaking about his admiration for the band.

With this in mind, Dayton included AC/DC’s 1977 hit “Whole Lotta Rosie” on his new release, Mixtape Volume One, which features covers of his favorite songs. Click on the video below for a peek on his own take of the classic rocker!