AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd is the first member of the band to have a solo hit after his ‘Head Job’ album entered the ARIA album chart at number 22.
Rudd says he has been working on the ‘Head Job’ album for the past 20 years including time taken for his to build his own studio.in Tauranga, New Zealand. “We had a jam, went to a studio and tried to put things down,” he tells Noise11.com. “I got stroppy so built my own studio because the only way to do it was do it yourself which could have been a mistake but it worked out well. It just grew. We knew what the kernel of the thing was. We are as happy with it today as when we recorded the first track. It might have been 20 years ago when we did the first sessions.
The first song we got to hear was ‘Repo Man’ but that was one of the last they recorded. “Repo Man was one of the last ones we wrote,” he says. “We wrote it in about 6 minutes on the boat. Seven are from my studio and four are from York Street in Auckland. I knew what I wanted, not what someone else says you should have. Fuck that. I knew what I wanted. I am in charge. The guys will tell you I was in charge. I like being the boss,” he said with a grin.
The studio was something he did because he could. “When I had my little break from AC/DC for eight years, I twiddled my thumbs and thought I was going to do something. As an electrician I liked the idea of building a studio and I think it worked out pretty good. I hope everyone enjoys it. I hope it doesn’t sound old or dated,” he said.
None of the songs have ever been performed live.
Phil Rudd ‘Head Job’ is out now through Universal Music.
Phil Rudd’s Noise11 interview
Brian Johnson had a pre-AC/DC hit in Australia with his band Geordie reaching no. 69 on the Australian chart with ‘Can You Do It’ in 1973.
Original singer Dave Evans had a post AC/DC hit when he reached no. 90 with Hot Nights in 1986.
