Flick of the Switch (song)
Encyclopedia
"Flick of the Switch" is a single by the Australia
n rock band AC/DC
, from the album Flick of the Switch
, released in 1983. It was written by Angus Young
, Malcolm Young
, and Brian Johnson
.
It was released as a single only in certain territories, mainly Australia, Canada and the United States.
. The video shows the band playing the song inside of what was later revealed to be a closed up airplane hangar, surrounded by amplifiers with the AC/DC logo painted on them. Some versions of the video start with a short clip from a rehearsal tape of the band that shows Angus practicing dance moves for his onstage striptease while one of the band members, presumably Brian Johnson, sings in the background and the rest of the band laugh. However, the video on the Family Jewels DVD removes this.
Said Malcolm Young later of the simple approach to the video, "We basically told the film crew, 'We'll be playing – you film. Walk around the band – do whatever the fuck you want. We just want it done today'."
Drummer Phil Rudd
had left the band by the time the video was recorded, and his replacement Simon Wright is featured instead.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rock band AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, from the album Flick of the Switch
Flick of the Switch
Flick of the Switch is the ninth Australian and eighth international studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, recorded shortly after their European Tour at the beginning of 1983. The album was originally released in the US on 15 August 1983...
, released in 1983. It was written by Angus Young
Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
, Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
, and Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer for the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
.
It was released as a single only in certain territories, mainly Australia, Canada and the United States.
Music video
The music video for the song "Flick of the Switch" was done in a similar format to the music videos for the album Back in BlackBack in Black
Back in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band....
. The video shows the band playing the song inside of what was later revealed to be a closed up airplane hangar, surrounded by amplifiers with the AC/DC logo painted on them. Some versions of the video start with a short clip from a rehearsal tape of the band that shows Angus practicing dance moves for his onstage striptease while one of the band members, presumably Brian Johnson, sings in the background and the rest of the band laugh. However, the video on the Family Jewels DVD removes this.
Said Malcolm Young later of the simple approach to the video, "We basically told the film crew, 'We'll be playing – you film. Walk around the band – do whatever the fuck you want. We just want it done today'."
Drummer Phil Rudd
Phil Rudd
Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd is an Australian drummer. He is best known for his membership of rock band AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and again from 1994 to present. After the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans, he became the only Australian-born member of the band...
had left the band by the time the video was recorded, and his replacement Simon Wright is featured instead.
Personnel
- Brian JohnsonBrian JohnsonBrian Johnson is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer for the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Angus YoungAngus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Malcolm YoungMalcolm YoungMalcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
– rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Cliff WilliamsCliff WilliamsClifford Williams is an English bassist and backing vocalist, who has been a member of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC since mid-1977. He had started his professional music career in 1967 and was previously in the British groups Home and Bandit. His first studio album with AC/DC was Powerage...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Phil RuddPhil RuddPhillip Hugh Norman Rudd is an Australian drummer. He is best known for his membership of rock band AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and again from 1994 to present. After the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans, he became the only Australian-born member of the band...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....