Format: 7-inch single
Label: Albert Productions
It is the first track of the group's album T.N.T., released in December 1975, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott. The song is notable for combining bagpipes with hard rock instrumentation; in the middle section of the song there is a call and response between the bagpipes and guitar. A slightly shortened version of the song is also the first track on the international version of High Voltage, released in May 1976. George Young (the older brother of Angus and Malcolm), having heard that Scott was in a pipe band, encouraged the use of bagpipes in the song. Scott obliged despite having never played them before; he had actually been a drummer in the band. Scott used a set of bagpipes to play the song live until 1976, following an incident where he set them down at the corner of a stage and they were destroyed by fans. The music video for "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)", was filmed on 23 February 1976 for the Australian music television program Countdown. It featured the band's members on the back of a flatbed truck travelling on Swanston Street in Melbourne Australia, being followed by members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe band. Known members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band at the time of the video's filming include: Alan Butterworth, Les Kenfield and Kevin Conlon. The video was directed by Paul Drane. David Olney was the cameraman.
Band members:
Mark Evans – bass guitar
Phil Rudd – drums
Bon Scott – lead vocals, bagpipes
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Harry Vanda - Producer
George Young - Producer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDCs7ijNUVM
