- Whole Lotta Rosie
-
"Whole Lotta Rosie" 
Single by AC/DC from the album Let There Be Rock B-side "Dog Eat Dog" Released 1977 Format CD Recorded 1977 Genre Hard rock, heavy metal Length 5:20 Label ATCO Writer(s) Angus Young, Bon Scott, Malcolm Young Producer Harry Vanda, George Young AC/DC singles chronology "Let There Be Rock"
(1977)"Whole Lotta Rosie"
(1978)"Rock 'n' Roll Damnation"
(1978)Alternative cover 
Cover of AC/DC's 1978 single"Whole Lotta Rosie" Song by AC/DC from the album Let There Be Rock Released March 1977 (Australia)
June 23, 1977 (worldwide)Recorded January–February 1977 Genre Hard rock, heavy metal Length 5:33 Label ATCO Producer Harry Vanda, George Young Let There Be Rock track listing "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be"
(7)"Whole Lotta Rosie"
(8)N/A "Whole Lotta Rosie" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the eighth and final track on the band's fourth Australian album, Let There Be Rock, released in Australia in March 1977, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott. It is also the eighth and final track on the international version of the album, released in June the same year.
It was also released as a single in 1978, with a live version of the Let There Be Rock album track "Dog Eat Dog" as the B-side, which had been recorded in concert in Glasgow on 30 April 1978.
Contents
Composition
The song is about an obese Tasmanian woman, Rosie, with whom the singer (Bon Scott) had a one night stand at the Freeway Gardens Motel in North Melbourne[1]. In addition to pointing out the woman's size, the singer finds her to be one of the most talented lovers he's ever experienced.
The song's first verse reveals Rosie's substantial physical measurements (42"-39"-56"), and that she weighs nineteen stone (266 pounds/approximately 120 kilograms). On the Live from the Atlantic Studios disc, however, Scott describes the titular woman as "... a Tasmanian devil ... weighs 305 pounds ...," a measurement that differs from the "19 stone" lyric (21 st 11 lb).
Early version
The song's main riff was also featured on an earlier recording with different lyrics, titled "Dirty Eyes", which saw official release on Volts, part of the Bonfire box set. "Dirty Eyes" features a different chord progression in the chorus, as well as a slower tempo than "Rosie".
In late summer of 1976, "Dirty Eyes" was first recorded by AC/DC, along with "Carry Me Home" and "Love At First Feel" for a possible EP. This recording is possibly the version that was later issued on the Bonfire boxed set. The EP was scrapped, leaving "Love At First Feel" as a fill-in for the upcoming Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap album and "Carry Me Home" as a b-side. In the following months, Dirty Eyes was recrafted into "Whole Lotta Rosie," and recorded during the Let There Be Rock sessions of January–February 1977.[2]
Live recordings and performances
"Rosie" on the 2008 Black Ice Tour
One of AC/DC's most popular songs, "Whole Lotta Rosie" has been included on each of the band's official live albums: three with Scott (If You Want Blood You've Got It, Live from the Atlantic Studios, Let There Be Rock: The Movie – Live in Paris, the latter two released in 1997 as part of the Bonfire box set), and also three with Brian Johnson (released on Live, Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition, and also the tour edition of Stiff Upper Lip). The only other song that appears on all five of these releases is "The Jack". A live video of "Whole Lotta Rosie" is also featured on the DVD Family Jewels, from a 1978 performance on the BBC's TV concert series Rock Goes to College, on which Scott refers to Rosie as the "biggest, fattest woman who ever fornicated." When the song is performed live, the crowd will usually shout 'Angus!' in between each of the opening riffs.
Current live performances of "Whole Lotta Rosie" are accompanied by a giant, inflatable "Rosie" as seen on the Live at Donington video. In March 2005, Q magazine placed the live version from If You Want Blood ... at number 16 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[citation needed]
Rosie was seen (at the same table as Brian Johnson) during the cartoon intro video that was played on the Black Ice World Tour. The song was also used in Brian Johnson's audition as Scott's successor.[3]
In other media
A live version of this song is included on AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.
Track listing
- 1977 7-inch single (Netherlands: Atlantic ATL 109 92)
- "Whole Lotta Rosie" (Young, Young, Scott) – 5:20
- "Dog Eat Dog" (Young, Young, Scott) – 3:35
- 1978 7-inch single (Belgium: Atlantic 109 92)
- "Whole Lotta Rosie" (Young, Young, Scott) – 5:20
- "Dog Eat Dog" (Young, Young, Scott) – 3:35
- 1980 7-inch single (UK: Atlantic HM 4)
- "Whole Lotta Rosie" (Young, Young, Scott) – 5:20
- "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" (Young, Young, Scott) – 4:21
Personnel
- Bon Scott – lead vocals
- Angus Young – lead guitar
- Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar
- Mark Evans – bass
- Phil Rudd – drums
- Producers: Harry Vanda, George Young
Chart positions
Chart (1978) Position Dutch Singles Chart[4] 5 Chart (1980) Position UK Singles Chart[5] 36 External links
References
- ^ Bon Scott Interview, Bonfire Box Set, Disc 4
- ^ Englehart, Murray (AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, p. 162).
- ^ "AC/DC History". AC/DC – Bedlam in Belgium. http://www.ac-dc.cc. Retrieved 2006-09-23.
- ^ "AC/DC – Whole Lotta Rosie". australian-chart.com. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=AC%2FDC&titel=Whole+Lotta+Rosie&cat=s. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
- ^ "Whole Lotta Rosie". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=8888. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
Categories:- AC/DC songs
- Songs written by Angus Young
- Songs written by Bon Scott
- Songs written by Malcolm Young
- 1977 songs
- 1978 singles
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