Former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade sat down with Artists On Record to discuss his relationship with his former bandmates. In the conversation, the drummer shared his idea that most of the songs are just ‘pop songs played heavy.’ He explained:
“Not all the songs of course, but they are pop songs played heavy. A lot of them[like] ‘You Shook Me All Night Long.’ They’ve got hooks, they’ve got choruses, just tremendous records; but they’re like commercial pop songs played heavy. They got themselves great idea put into the heavy metal sections of the record stores on purpose because they knew that’s where their market was.”
The ‘Unspoken Things’ Between Slade And AC/DC
In an earlier interview, the drummer discussed the unusual ways the band worked together and revealed that there were some unspoken things left:
“What I found out was that there are a lot of things left unspoken in AC/DC. Most of what’s ‘said’ between Angus [Young] and Mal [late AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young] isn’t said. They didn’t need to talk.”
Slade was new to the band before they recorded ‘The Razors Edge’ in 1990, and he discovered that certain things were left unsaid not just in the band, but during his audition too:
“Malcolm and Angus set up chairs, watched me playing the whole time, and said nothing. Afterwards they asked me if I wanted anything. I asked for a cheese sandwich and a coffee — and that was it. I was in AC/DC.”
You can watch the interview below.