The Story Of Angus Young’s Only Band Before AC/DC
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Before they became rock legends, the Young family began their new life in Australia at the Villawood Migrant Hostel. Living in modest Nissen huts, they were just another immigrant family trying to find their place in a foreign land. It was in this humble setting that Angus and his older brother George met fellow migrant Harry Vanda.
The meeting of the Youngs and Vanda would prove pivotal in shaping the Australian rock scene. The boys bonded over their love of music, sharing influences and ambitions. What began as casual jam sessions laid the foundation for a deeper musical connection that would pay off years later.
While Angus was still finding his feet as a musician, George and Vanda had already begun carving their names in the industry. Their friendship evolved into a creative partnership, ultimately leading to the formation of a short-lived but intriguing project that included a young Angus Young himself.
The Birth of the Marcus Hook Roll Band
In 1972, George Young and Harry Vanda decided to experiment with a new musical venture, and thus, the Marcus Hook Roll Band was born. They recruited George’s younger brothers, Malcolm and Angus, who were still relatively unknown and inexperienced. This band would be Angus Young’s first official step into the world of recorded music.
The group recorded their one and only album, Tales of Old Grand Daddy, in 1973. The record was released in Australia with a U.S. version featuring slightly different content. Although it didn’t make waves internationally, it planted the seeds for what would become one of the most legendary bands in rock history.
Marcus Hook Roll Band was never meant to be a serious, long-term project. It was more of an experiment and creative outlet for the members, especially for the elder Young and Vanda. Yet unknowingly, it became a crucial stepping stone for Malcolm and Angus, offering their first taste of studio work and collaboration.
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Chaos in the Studio
Recording Tales of Old Grand Daddy was far from a polished or well-organized process. According to accounts from the band, the Young brothers were often drunk throughout the sessions. Their youthful recklessness turned the studio into a chaotic playground rather than a professional setting.
This level of disorder led to confusion in the final product. To this day, neither Angus nor Malcolm can definitively say who played which guitar parts on the album. With both brothers switching between rhythm and lead, the lines blurred in a haze of alcohol and spontaneity.
Despite the confusion, the album was completed and stands as a raw, quirky snapshot of the Young brothers before they became household names. While it may lack the polish of AC/DC’s later albums, it offers a glimpse into their early chemistry and unfiltered energy.
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Seeds of AC/DC
Interestingly, elements of Tales of Old Grand Daddy would resurface later in AC/DC’s catalog. Keen-eared fans have pointed out similarities between tracks from the Marcus Hook Roll Band album and early AC/DC songs. It’s a subtle thread linking Angus’s first band to the one that made him a legend.
For instance, the riff in “Quick Reaction” resembles the iconic sound of “T.N.T.,” while parts of “Natural Man” seem to have influenced “Live Wire.” These musical echoes suggest that even in their earliest jam sessions, Angus and Malcolm were developing the gritty sound that would define AC/DC.
Although Marcus Hook Roll Band wasn’t built to last, it gave the Young brothers something far more valuable—experience. They honed their skills, learned the basics of studio production, and, perhaps unknowingly, began forming the DNA of what would become a rock juggernaut.
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A Forgotten Legacy Revisited
Years after its initial release, Tales of Old Grand Daddy found new life. On June 2, 2014, the album was reissued in CD, vinyl, and digital formats, giving fans a chance to hear the raw beginnings of the Young brothers’ musical journey. This re-release sparked new interest in the obscure project.
The album has since gained cult status among hardcore AC/DC fans and rock historians. It serves as a unique time capsule—an artifact from the era before Angus donned his schoolboy uniform and started electrifying audiences around the world. There’s a certain charm to hearing the Youngs before they were legends.
Though Marcus Hook Roll Band was a brief and chaotic blip in music history, it remains significant. It’s a reminder that even icons like Angus Young started somewhere, and sometimes, the path to greatness begins in the most unexpected places—like a migrant hostel or a drunken studio session.
