Peter Head, founder and keyboard player for HeadBand and founder of the Mount Lofty Rangers, has spoken to Classic Rock Magazine about life with Bon Scott before AC/DC for the March 2014 issue (you can download a copy of the article by clicking on the PDF below).

 As Peter says;

This life was not a boring one in the slightest. Although Scott’s career was short with the Mount Lofty Rangers, four months and 12 gigs to be exact, it was one full of success and adoration. Scott’s career ended after a biking accident put him in a coma for three days, which was sparked by heavy drinking and a raging temper. Head recalls the phone call he received and the nearly fatal state Scott was in “We didn’t go see him for a few days cos’ he was in intensive care and they didn’t know if he was going to live”.

Before the unfortunate turn of events, Peter recalls meeting Bon and becoming good friends on a tour bus that they shared with Fraternity, Bon’s previous hippy rocker band. Peter created the Mount Lofty Rangers to help them get by “We were all sitting around broke and we thought the easiest way to get by was to throw together a country rock band”.

Members came and went, through all the bizarre gigs and rehearsals, but the one whose voice “cut through the guitar and drum’s, was Bon’s” Peter claims. Apparently there is also another side to Bon Scott that the world does not know about, apart from AC/DC he enjoyed the more simple side of music “With the Ranger’s he was singing mainly country music; we did a lot of really fast bluegrass country, which Bon loved. He also liked jazz and blues, that’s what I like to show in the old recordings” says Head.

These ‘old recordings’ were one of a few that were either unfinished or left behind in time before the AC/DC period in Bon’s life took over. The two songs ‘Clarissa’ and ‘I’ve been up in the hills too long’ were thought up by Bon himself whilst working an odd jobs lugging around bags. Both men worked on the songs for six hours, and in return for Peter’s help, Bon agreed to sing on Peter’s demos; ‘Round and Round’ and ‘Carey Gully’ which he hoped would sell a few copies, but it was purely for the music. Peter reminisces on Bon’s enthusiasm to help saying “I hope something happens with this one day and I hope it works for you”.

Bon’s well wishes have paid off; Peter alongside Ted Yanni, an old mutual friend’s help resurrected the songs in 1996. Scott’s Vocal was rebuilt into a longer version, backing track was added to ‘Round and Round’ which was renamed ‘Round and Round and Round’ to identify the changes made.  Yanni added strings to ‘Carey Gully’ and both were released by Head Office Records the same year, since then there was no talk of the songs, till now. With the backing of Blue Pie Records, all three songs have been re-released on iTunes for loyal fans and the wider audience.

Over the next 12 months, Scott’s pre AC/DC music will resurface; all songs are to be both musically and vocally re-recorded. Although recorded 40 years ago, Peter says that Bon would be delighted with the new recordings we have underway. You can check out all the news at the ‘Looking For Bon’ website www.lookingforbon.com or you can purchase the hard copy/digital issue of Classic Rock Magazine to get the full story.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FOR ROUND and ROUND BELOW:

Bon Scott – Round and Round and Round on MUZU.TV.Â

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