Tales of Old Grand-Daddy

Tales of Old Grand-Daddy is the only studio album by Australian rock band Marcus Hook Roll Band, released in Australia in March 1974. The album is noted for being the recording debut of future AC/DC founders Angus Young and Malcolm Young.^[1]

Tales of Old Grand-Daddy
Studio album by Marcus Hook Roll Band
Released	March 1974
Recorded	July – August 1973
Studio	EMI (Sydney)
Length	37:24
Label	Albert/EMI
Producer	Wally Waller

Overview

The group released Tales of Old Grand-Daddy in March 1974, which was originally issued only in Australia on Albert Productions/EMI.^[2][3][4] Many of the details surrounding Tales of Old Grand-Daddy remain forgotten due to excessive alcohol consumption during the recording sessions. According to George Young, "We all got rotten (drunk) – except Angus, who was too young – and we spent a month in the studio boozing it up every night."^[1][5] The album features rhythm and lead guitar from both Malcolm and Angus Young, although whose parts are whose is a detail forgotten.^[1] Tales of Old Grand-Daddy was released in 1979 as Marcus Hook Roll Band with an extra track and new cover art in the United States on Capitol's "green label" budget series (#SN-11991);^[4] in the wake of Vanda & Young's Flash and the Pan album. They also released the lead single "Can't Stand the Heat" / "Moonshine Blues" in 1974.^[3] Tales of Old Grand-Daddy was re-issued in 1981, titled Full File, with two non-album singles added.^[3][4] A CD version of the album was also re-issued in 1994 through Albert Productions/Sony Music,^[4] and again on 2 June 2014, with two unreleased songs added.^[1][6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Harry Vanda and George Young, except where noted.^[6]

Tales of Old Grand-Daddy – standard edition (side 1)

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Can't Stand the Heat"	Vanda	3:10[a]
2.	"Goodbye Jane"	Vanda	3:34
3.	"Quick Reaction"	Vanda	3:02
4.	"Silver Shoes and Strawberry Wine"	Vanda	5:48
5.	"Watch Her Do It Now"	Young	3:39

Tales of Old Grand-Daddy – standard edition (side 2)

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
6.	"The People and the Power"	Young	4:51
7.	"Red Revolution"	Vanda	3:10
8.	"Shot in the Head"	Young	3:25
9.	"Ape Man"	Young	2:50
10.	"Cry For Me"	Vanda	3:55
Total length:			37:24

Tales of Old Grand-Daddy – 1994 Australian reissue

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Natural Man"	Young	3:47
2.	"Louisiana Lady"	Vanda	3:03
3.	"Shot in the Head"	Young	3:25
4.	"Can't Stand the Heat"	Vanda	3:10
5.	"Goodbye Jane"	Vanda	3:34
6.	"Quick Reaction"	Vanda	3:02
7.	"The People and the Power"	Young	4:51
8.	"Red Revolution"	Vanda	3:10
9.	"Cry For Me"	Vanda	3:55
10.	"Silver Shoes and Strawberry Wine"	Vanda	5:48
11.	"Watch Her Do It Now"	Young	3:39
12.	"Ape Man"	Young	2:50
Total length:			44:14

Tales of Old Grand-Daddy – 2014 reissue

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
11.	"One of These Days"		Vanda	4:37
12.	"Natural Man"		Young	3:47
13.	"Moonshine Blues"	Wally Waller	Vanda	3:14
14.	"Louisiana Lady"		Vanda	3:03
15.	"Ride Baby Ride"		Young	3:07
Total length:				55:12

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes.^[6]

Locations

• EMI Studios, London – recording,^[b] mixing
• EMI Studios, Sydney – recording^[c]

Marcus Hook Roll Band

• Harry Vanda – lead guitar, lead vocals,^[d] backing vocals
• George Young – lead vocals,^[e] backing vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, bass guitar
• Malcolm Young – guitar^[f]
• Angus Young – guitar^[f]
• John Proud – drums^[f]
• Alex Young – saxophone^[g]
• Howard Casey – saxophone^[g]
• Ian Campbell – bass guitar^[g]
• Freddie Smith – drums^[g]
• Wally Waller – electric piano

Production

• Wally Waller – writing,^[h] producing
• Harry Vanda – writing
• George Young – writing

Charts

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8]	89

Notes

1. Song length measured according to Spotify.^[7]
2. Recorded on 12 June and 14 November 1972.
3. Recorded between July – August 1973.
4. Tracks 1–4, 7 and 10 (13 and 14 on 2014 reissue)
5. Tracks 5, 6, 8 and 9 (11, 12 and 15 on 2014 reissue)
6. Recorded in EMI Studios, Sydney.
7. Recorded in EMI Studios, London.
8. Track 13 on 2014 reissue