BON: THE LAST HIGHWAY, THE OFFICIAL SITE OF AUTHOR JESSE FINK
  • BON: THE BOOK
  • FOREIGN RIGHTS
  • LAID BARE
  • JESSE FINK
  • REMEMBERING BON: THE BLOG

Remembering Bon #10: Stefan Kaufmann of Accept

6/23/2017

0 Comments

 
It's a debate that flares up from time to time. Does the infamous ‘​I'm A Rebel' demo feature the vocals of Bon Scott? The song, written by Alex Young (aka George Alexander) was recorded as an eight-track demo by AC/DC during a tour furlough in Hamburg, Germany, in 1976 and has remained unreleased to this day.
So I asked STEFAN KAUFMANN, drummer of Accept from 1979 to 1994, to clear things up. His band recorded ‘​I'm A Rebel' for their second studio album of the same name at Delta-Studio in Wilster, Germany, in 1979 after being offered it by Musikverlage Oktave, a subsidiary of Alex's music publisher, Alfred Schacht.
Alex, the brother of George, Malcolm and Angus, died in Germany in 1997. His cousin, Stevie Young, told me in 2013 that he was ‘very talented; all the brothers thought so’.
Picture
​
The demo of ‘​I'm A Rebel' that periodically pops up on YouTube (and periodically gets taken down) sounds very much like Bon Scott was doing backing vocals on it (I'm certainly convinced it's him), with Alex Young, brother of George, Angus and Malcolm, doing lead vocals. Fans can't seem to agree whether it is Bon on the record or not. Do you know about this demo and the story behind it? Do you know how that track came into being? It was recorded during a break for AC/DC in Hamburg in 1976, but your band recorded the track in 1979. 


As much as I remember, Accept had a meeting with the brothers Schunke (the owners of the recording studio in Wilster, Germany, in which we recorded the first three albums) in 1979. During this meeting they played this demo version of ‘I'm A Rebel' to us. Bon Scott was definitely the [backing] singer on this demo. They wanted us to record the song for our second album, and they wanted it to become the single.

Accept's guitarist Wolf Hoffman told a metal website: ‘​This George Alexander guy came in and coached us a little bit how he wanted it and we played it. In fact, we didn¹t really like the guy. I don't think he really cared. I don't think he liked us very much. We didn't like him pretty much. In those days we didn't know what he meant when he was talking about terms, legal terms. We were too green.' Is that accurate? Did the band have legal issues with using that song?

It's true that George Alexander [Alex Young] was in the studio during the recording session for a day or two to get an impression of our version of the song. We didn't have any real close contact with him. But I also don't know of any legal issues with him. But as much as I remember, it never stood in question that we would record the song and also release it.


‘Bon Scott was definitely the [backing] singer on this demo.'
– Stefan Kaufmann


I can't remember that he really ‘​coached' us. We had Dirk Steffens as our producer and he more or less told us what to do. So I'm sure that he had close contact to George in order of how to record the song. What I definitely remember about AC/DC's version of the song is that it was much slower than we finally recorded it. But as I said, that decision was made by Dirk Steffens.

​BON: THE LAST HIGHWAY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BON SCOTT AND AC/DC'S BACK IN BLACK is available to preorder now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and hundreds of other retailers.
0 Comments

    Author

    Jesse Fink is the author of Bon: The Last Highway: The Untold Story of Bon Scott and AC/DC's Back In Black, which is available now. For more information about the book, click HERE or click the book covers below to be directed to editions in your preferred territory and language. 

    Picture
    NORTH AMERICAN EDITION (USA/CAN)
    Picture
    FRENCH EDITION (FRA/CAN)
    Picture
    SWEDISH EDITION
    Picture
    BRAZILIAN EDITION
    Picture
    GERMAN EDITION (GER/AUT/SUI)
    Picture
    AUSTRALIAN EDITION (AUS/NZ)
    Picture
    BRITISH EDITION (UK, IRE)
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Archives

    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

    Categories

    All
    1964 (song)
    38 Special
    38 Special (album)
    Accept
    AC/DC
    Adam Bomb
    Adelaide (SA)
    Aerosmith
    Age (newspaper)
    Ahmet Ertegun
    Alan Di Perna
    Alan Rockman
    Alberts
    Albert Studios
    Alcohol
    Alex-young
    Alfred-schacht-publisher
    Alice Cooper
    Alistair Kinnear
    Allentown (PA)
    Allman Brothers
    American Talent International
    A&M Records
    Andrew Paschalidis
    Andy Fraser
    Angus Young
    AOR
    Armageddon (band)
    Artimus Pyle
    Atlantic Records
    Audience (magazine)
    Austin (TX)
    Back In Black (album)
    Back In Black (tour)
    Bad Company
    Barry Bergman
    Bass Player (magazine)
    Bass Players
    Belgium
    Bethel Gospel Assembly
    Bill Bartlett
    Billboard (magazine)
    Bill Church
    Bill Graham
    Biography
    Bishop Carlton T. Brown
    Blackberry Smoke
    Black Oak Arkansas
    Blue Öyster Cult
    Bob Greene
    Bon But Not Forgotten
    Bonfire (album)
    Bon Scott
    Bootlegs
    Brendan O'Brien
    Brian Howe
    Brian Johnson
    Bruce Kapp
    Buffalo (band)
    Buffalo (NY)
    Burnie (TAS)
    Burwood (NSW)
    Buzzcocks
    California
    Carey Gully
    Cassie Gaines
    CBGB (New York)
    Champaign (IL)
    Charlie Daniels
    Charlie Starr
    Cheap Trick
    Chris Squire
    Chrysalis Records
    Chuck Ruff
    Circus (magazine)
    Clarion Records
    Clarissa
    Classic Rock (magazine)
    ClearChannel
    Cliff Williams
    Clinton Walker
    Cocaine
    Concert Footage
    Confederate Battle Flag
    Contraband
    Coral Browning
    Country Rock
    Criteria Recording Studios
    Critical Mass
    Critics
    Dave Evans
    Dave Meniketti
    Davenport (IA)
    David Lee Roth
    David Owen
    Day On The Green
    Daytona Beach (FL)
    Death
    Def Leppard
    Delta-Studio
    Dennis Dunaway
    Detroit (MI)
    Dirk Steffens
    Dirty Eyes
    Donald Trump
    Doreen Reilly
    Doug Thaler
    Down Payment Blues
    Drugs
    Dukes Of Hazzard
    East Dulwich (London)
    Eddie Kramer
    Eddie Van Halen
    Edward B. Marks Music Corporation
    ELO
    Epic Records
    Erie (PA)
    Evie
    Family Jewels (DVD)
    Fayetteville-nc
    Finch
    Flick-of-the-switch-album
    Florida
    Foreigner
    For-those-about-to-rock-tour
    France
    Fraternity
    Free
    Freeway-gardens-motel
    Friday-on-my-mind
    Gabby-darcy
    Gary-pihl
    Gary-richrath
    Gary-rossington
    Georganne-williams
    George-young
    George-young
    Gimme-a-bullet
    Glasgow
    Gone-shootin
    Graeme-smith
    Grahame-harrison
    Grateful-dead
    Green-day
    Hagerstown-md
    Hamish-henry
    Harlem (NY)
    Harry Vanda
    Heart
    Heather Johnson
    Heroin
    High Voltage (album)
    High Voltage (song)
    High Voltage (tour)
    Highway To Hell (album)
    Highway To Hell (song)
    Highway To Hell (tour)
    Hollywood Beach (FL)
    Holly X
    Howard Stern
    Humble Pie
    Ian Baragry
    Ian Jeffery
    If You Want Blood (tour)
    Iggy Pop
    I'm A Rebel (album)
    I'm A Rebel (demo)
    I Put The Finger On You
    Irene Thornton
    Isa Scott
    Jackie Smith
    Jack Orbin
    Jacksonville (FL)
    J. Albert & Son
    James Morley
    Jeff Carlisi
    Jeff Franklin
    Jerry Greenberg
    Jet Set Enterprises
    Jimi Hendrix
    Jimmy Buffett
    Joe Anthony
    Joe Fury
    Joey Alves
    John Ayers
    John D'Arcy
    John Freeman
    Johnny Depp
    Johnny Winter
    Jon Marlowe
    Jon O'Rourke
    Journey
    J.P. Quinton
    Jr.
    Judas Priest
    Julie Browning
    Keith Moon
    Keith Richards
    Ken Schaffer
    Key Biscayne (FL)
    Kid Rock
    Kiss
    Kix
    K.K. Downing
    KMAC/KISS
    Largo (MD)
    Larry Uzzell
    Lee Abrams
    Leon Wilkeson
    Les Gully
    Let It Roll (album)
    Let There Be Rock (album)
    Let There Be Rock (tour)
    Libbi Gorr
    Lights Out (album)
    Linda Blair
    Live From The Atlantic Studios (album)
    Live Wire (book)
    London (England)
    Long Way To The Top (album)
    Loren Molinare
    Los Angeles (CA)
    Lynyrd Skynyrd
    Lyrics
    Mahogany Rush
    Malcolm Dome
    Malcolm Young
    Maria Short
    Marijuana
    Mark Coleman
    Mark Evans
    Mark Opitz
    Mark Putterford
    Martin Huxley
    Mary Renshaw
    Masonic Auditorium (Detroit)
    MCA Records
    Melbourne (VIC)
    Miami
    Miami (FL)
    Miami Herald
    Miami News
    Michael A. Capozzoli
    Michael Anthony
    Michael Browning
    Michael Corcoran
    Michael Fazzolare
    Michael Klenfner
    Michael Schenker
    Michael Stanley Band
    Mick Wall
    Mike Barone
    Mike Floyd
    Mike Fraser
    Milesago.com (website)
    Milwaukee Sentinel
    Mississippi River Jam II
    Mixing
    Molly Hatchet
    Montrose
    Mother's Finest
    Murray Engleheart
    Musicians Studio Rentals
    Musikverlage Oktave
    Mutt Lange
    My Bon Scott (book)
    Nantucket
    Nantucket (album)
    Nazareth
    Neal Mirsky
    Neil Smith
    Newcastle (NSW)
    New Musical Express (magazine)
    New York
    New York City
    New York Public Library For The Performing Arts
    New York Times
    Noel Taylor
    North Dade (FL)
    Nothing To Hide (album)
    Oakland (CA)
    Observer-Reporter (PA)
    Opioid Crisis
    Orlando (FL)
    Outlaws
    Owen Orford
    Pandora
    Pat Pickett
    Pattee Bishop
    Paul Chapman
    Paul Matters
    Paul Raymond
    Performance
    Perry Cooper
    Peter Frampton
    Peter Gabriel
    Peter Head
    Pete Way
    Phil Rudd
    Phil Sutcliffe
    Phoenix (AZ)
    Photographs
    Ponte Vedra Beach (FL)
    Powerage (album)
    Powerage (tour)
    Publishing
    Punk
    Radio
    RAM (magazine)
    Recording
    Record Mirror (newspaper)
    Red Cow (Hammersmith)
    REO Speedwagon
    Richard Harrington
    Richie Teeter
    Rick Derringer
    Rick Keefer
    Rob Bailey
    Robert Palmer
    Robert Valentine
    Rochester (NY)
    Rock 'N' Roll Damnation
    Rolling Stone (magazine)
    Roll With The Changes
    Ronnie Van Zant
    Rose Tattoo
    Rosie
    Round And Round And Round
    Royalties
    Salem (VA)
    Sammy Hagar
    Schaffer-Vega Diversity System
    Schunke Brothers
    Scott Kempner
    Shane Marshall
    Shelby Foote
    Sid Bernstein
    Sidney Drashin
    Silver Smith
    Sink The Pink
    Sirius Satellite Radio
    SiriusXM
    Sounds (magazine)
    Southern Rock
    Sportatorium (Miami)
    Status Quo
    Stefan Kaufmann
    Steve Gaines
    Steven Tyler
    Stevie Wright
    Stevie Young
    St Louis Post-Dispatch
    Sunday Age (Melbourne)
    Sunny Isles (FL)
    Super 8
    Sydney Morning Herald
    Sydney (NSW)
    Sylvie Simmons
    Tasmania
    Teddy Rooney
    Ted Nugent
    Terry Higgins
    Texas
    The Beatles
    The Del-Lords
    The Dictators
    The Dogs
    The Easybeats
    The Haymarket (Sydney)
    The Jack
    The Ken Schaffer Group
    The Kids (band)
    The Music Machine (London)
    The Palladium (New York)
    The Rolling Stones
    The Valentines
    Thin Lizzy
    Tight Squeeze (club)
    TKO
    Tommy Redd
    Tom Petty
    Tony Fasulo
    Towson (MD)
    Tristin Norwell
    Tunc Erim
    TV Shows
    UFO
    Uniondale (NY)
    Van Halen
    Video
    Vince Lovegrove
    Volts (album)
    Vytas Serelis
    WABC (New York)
    Washington (DC)
    Washington Post
    WDIZ Orlando
    West Palm Beach Civic Auditorium
    Whisky A Go Go (Los Angeles)
    Whole Lotta Rosie
    Wilster (Germany)
    WNEW (New York)
    WPDQ/WAIV Jacksonville
    WSHE Miami
    XM Satellite Radio
    Yes
    Yesterday & Today (Y&T)
    YouTube

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • BON: THE BOOK
  • FOREIGN RIGHTS
  • LAID BARE
  • JESSE FINK
  • REMEMBERING BON: THE BLOG
✕