Last gig for master
GEORGE YOUNG LEAVES BEHIND AN INFLUENCE ON AUSTRALIAN MUSIC THAT TRANSCENDS THE AGES
George Young, the producer behind AC/DC’s early albums, founder of the Easybeats and one of the architects of the Australian songbook, has died aged 70. From his rock beginnings with the Easybeats in the 1960s to forming a songwriting and production partnership with bandmate Harry Vanda, Young (centre) was a giant and a genius in the recording studio. He mentored his younger brothers Angus and Malcolm and produced AC/DC’s first six albums.
GEORGE Young, the producer behind AC/DC’s early albums, founder of the Easybeats and one of the architects of the Australian songbook, has died aged 70.
From his rock beginnings with the Easybeats in the 1960s to forming a songwriting and production partnership with bandmate Harry Vanda, Young was a giant and a genius in the recording studio.
He mentored his younger brothers Angus and Malcolm and produced AC/DC’s first six albums.
“Without his help and guidance there would not have been an AC/DC,” the band posted on their website.
“As a musician, songwriter, producer, adviser and much, much more, you could not ask for a more dedicated and professional man.
“You could not ask for a finer brother. For all he did and gave to us throughout his life, we will always remember him with gratitude and hold him close to our hearts.”
Young met Vanda at Sydney’s Villawood Migrant Hostel after his family arrived from Scotland and they formed the Easybeats in 1964.
Within a year the moptopped rockers fronted by Stevie Wright would be regarded as the Antipodean Beatles and were soaring up the charts with She’s So Fine and then Wedding Ring.
Part of the first wave of Australian bands to set their sights on an international career, they left for the UK in 1966 where they recorded Friday on My Mind, a song which has been indelibly stamped on the Australian soundtrack.
While it reached No. 1 in Australia, No. 6 in the UK and the top 20 in America, further success eluded them and the disillusioned band returned to Australia, where declining popularity led to them breaking up in 1969.
Vanda and Young stayed in London as songwriters for hire until coming back to Australia in 1973, working with Albert Productions, run by record industry legend Ted Albert.
They were forever associated with Albert’s stable of Australian stars, writing hit after hit for Stevie Wright and John Paul Young and producing records for The Angels, Rose Tattoo and Ted Mulry Gang.
Their credits are on so many of that era’s hits from Wright’s Evie Pts 1, 2 and 3, through to John Paul Young’s I Hate The Music and Yesterday’s Hero.
One of Young and Vanda’s greatest hits was Love Is In The Air for John Paul Young.
JPY, who is no relation to the late producer, credited him for the vocal performance which also made Love Is In The Air one of the most popular songs of all time.
“I was trying to make too much of it and George pulled me up and said I had to sing it like I was walking down the street and saw someone coming towards me and say casually ‘love is in the air’,” he said.
Outside of music, Young was a gentleman with a mischievous sense of humour who avoided fanfare, never attending awards ceremonies.