High Voltage

The debut album by AC/DC, originally released in Australia and New Zealand on 17 February 1975.

High Voltage is the debut studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released only in Australia and New Zealand, on 17 February 1975. Their first international release in 1976 would also be named High Voltage, though with a radically different track list.

Quick Facts

Artist

AC/DC

Released

17 February 1975

Recorded

November 1974

Studio

Albert (Sydney)

Genre

Hard rock
blues rock
rock and roll

Label

Albert

Producer

Vanda & Young

Lore & Background

The album was produced by Vanda & Young at Albert Studios in Sydney, Australia. George Young, older brother of Angus and Malcolm, played bass guitar on a number of the album's songs and also produced alongside Harry Vanda, his bandmate from the Easybeats. When George heard what his younger siblings were up to, he told VH1's Behind the Music in 2000: 'All of a sudden the kid brothers were still the kid brothers... but my God, they knew how to play. There was no sort of, 'Do they have it or don't they have it?' It was obvious that they had something.' The album was recorded in ten days in between gigs, working through the night after coming off stage and then through the day, as Angus recalled: 'I suppose it was fun at the time, but there was no thought put into it.'

Reader's Guide

High Voltage was originally released on Albert Productions only in Australia and New Zealand, and has never been reissued by another label in this format. The international version of High Voltage, issued on Atlantic Records in 1976, has a different cover art and track listing, with only 'She's Got Balls' and 'Little Lover' appearing overseas. 'Baby Please Don't Go', 'Soul Stripper', 'You Ain't Got a Hold on Me' and 'Show Business' were later released on '74 Jailbreak in 1984. 'Stick Around' and 'Love Song' were released on Backtracks in 2009. Most of the original LP and Cassette releases contain an error to the writing credits for 'Baby, Please Don't Go' with credit going to Broonzy (Big Bill Broonzy), though it was in fact 'Big' Joe Williams who wrote the song in 1935; the error was corrected on all CD releases. In 2025, High Voltage and TNT were released in those formats internationally for the first time, as merch on the band's Power Up Tour.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	Baby, Please Don't Go	Big Joe Williams	4:50
2	She's Got Balls		4:52
3	Little Lover		5:40
4	Stick Around		4:39

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5	Soul Stripper	A. Young, M. Young	6:25
6	You Ain't Got a Hold on Me		3:31
7	Love Song (Oh Jene)		5:14
8	Show Business		4:46
Total length			39:51

Did You Know?

Bon Scott replaced Dave Evans in September 1974 after the Young brothers felt Evans was more of a glam rocker like Gary Glitter.
The title and artwork—an electricity substation with a dog pissing against it—were suggested by Chris Gilbey of Albert Productions.