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30 Years Ago: AC/DC Release Stephen King Soundtrack, ‘Who Made Who’


Sosso

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In the time leading up to the release of Who Made Who in 1986, the ’80s had been a bit of a mixed bag for AC/DC. At the start of the decade, not only did the band overcome the loss of original singer Bon Scott, they also released the monster-selling Back in Black, which took them to a whole new level.

The follow-up record, 1981’s For Those About to Rock We Salute You, became their first No. 1, but by 1983’s Flick of the Switch and 1985’s Fly on the Wall, the group’s commercial fortunes had turned the other way.

Who Made Who checked in as AC/DC’s first pseudo-retrospective and also doubled as the soundtrack to Stephen King’s directorial debut movie, Maximum Overdrive. Landing AC/DC for the soundtrack was a delight for King, who has never shied away from professing his love for the group. In an interview among King, Brian Johnson, Angus Young and Cliff Williams, the writer admitted he was a novice when it came to directing films, but he also noted that the band had never undertaken a project like Who Made Who.

“It was an interesting thing,” Johnson told King. “It was the first time I’ve been involved in anything like that. The lads said it was a bit of moving mirror because they had to be watching the clips spot on.” “It certainly was different for us to work with film,” Young added. “It was also good to make a video for ‘Who Made Who,’ because you have the chance to put your own input into it.”

Collecting six previously released AC/DC tracks — “Sink the Pink,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Ride On,” “Hells Bells,” “For Those About to Rock” and “Shake Your Foundations” — the album also included a pair of original instrumentals, “Chase the Ace” and “D.T.” They also recorded a the title track for the movie.

Who Made Who coincided with the band’s reunion with producers George Young and Harry Vanda, who had overseen its 1975-78 output. The album peaked at No. 33, and “Who Made Who” became a hit at rock radio. The album set the stage for AC/DC’s next studio album, 1988’s Blow Up Your Video, their highest-charting record since For Those About to Rock We Salute You and the record that played a key role in the band’s dominance over the next few decades.



Read More: 30 Years Ago: AC/DC Release Stephen King Soundtrack, 'Who Made Who' | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/acdc-who-made-who/?trackback=tsmclip

Edited by Sosso
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I saw the film "Maximum Overdrive" a couple of times and it was ok. Stephen King is clearly not the best director (he is my favourite author btw)… the soundtrack was one of the highlights from the film

 

Edited by Sosso
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If you listen to the Young brothers discussing their albums on the live at donington blu-ray extra feature, they discuss how Stephen King hated the title song "Who Made Who". He was clearly more of a fan of the Bon Scott material, quoting the lyrics of obscure Bon Scott songs to Angus & co. King later visited them on tour and said he had grown to like the song. 

By the way, fans of Stephen King might know that the author had a serious drinking period in the 80s, he doesn't remember writing Tommyknockers and that was published a year after Maximum Overdrive. It would kinda explain the odd movie it became lol.

I love Stephen King movies and while Maximum Overdrive is a stinker, it's sort of entertaining for an 80s Dino De Laurentiis flick. The instrumental bits by AC/DC range from cool to corny but I do like horror movies in the 80s getting scored with a rock/metal sound. 

Edited by Bumblefeet
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