AC/DC have taken to Instagram to share an image of the album artwork that their US record label vehemently rejected back in the ’70s.
On July 27th, AC/DC celebrated the 40th anniversary of their international breakthrough, Highway To Hell.
Produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange and engineered by Tony Platt, the record would feature a number of stunning tracks, including ‘If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)’, ‘Touch Too Much’, and of course, its classic title track.
Sadly, it would also close the book on a formative chapter of the band, serving as the last record to feature vocalist Bon Scott.
While the group recently awoke from their social media slumber to share some live clips from the archives, the band also took to Instagram today to share the original “rejected” cover of Highway To Hell.
As most fans of the band would be aware, the album’s iconic cover features the AC/DC name set over a photo of the band, depicting Angus Young with devil horns, and a smiling Bon Scott off to the side.
However, many non-Australians would be surprised to learn that this wasn’t the original cover, with local versions of the record featuring different artwork. Featuring the same base photo, Aussie editions depicted the band in flames while a bass guitar neck was emblazoned with the album’s title.
According to AC/DC’s latest post, the reason that only Australia was treated to this artwork was due to issues with their US record label, who saw the idea “shot down in flames”.
The original cover was used in Australia until 1995, while subsequent reissues have featured the international cover.
Despite this, the original cover image can still be found on the face of CD versions of the album, while first Aussie editions of the record are listed for up to $1,000 on Discogs.
In related news, rumours have been circulating for some time now that AC/DC may be gearing up to announce a worldwide tour in the near future. Whatever they choose to do, the 40th anniversary of Highway To Hell would be the perfect time to do so!
Check out ‘Highway To Hell’ by AC/DC:
