F. R. DAVID - WORDS

Llançament: novembre de 1982

Posició a les llistes: Regne Unit: #2 | EUA: #62

“Words” és una balada europop gravada pel cantant i compositor francès F. R. David el 1982. La música va ser escrita per David, mentre que la lletra la van escriure Sandy Deanne i Marty Sanders, exmembres de Jay and the Americans. La cançó va ser un èxit massiu a Europa, assolint el número 1 a Bèlgica, Àustria, Finlàndia, Dinamarca, Itàlia, Irlanda, Espanya, Portugal, Noruega, Suècia, Suïssa i Alemanya. Al Regne Unit, va arribar al #2, just darrere de True de Spandau Ballet. Als Estats Units, malgrat vendre força bé, no va aconseguir gaire reproducció a la ràdio, fet que va fer que es quedés en el #62 del Billboard Hot 100.

Elli Robert Fitoussi, més conegut pel seu nom artístic F. R. David, és un artista de pop francès, nascut a Tunísia el 1947. Va començar la seva carrera als anys 60, tocant en diverses bandes franceses, abans d’endinsar-se en el prog rock com a guitarrista de Vangelis durant els anys 70. Va assolir l’èxit com a solista amb el seu single debut, “Words”. Tot i ser un èxit mundial, la cançó el va encasellar com a baladista, cosa que va perjudicar la seva carrera com a artista de synth pop. Va llançar tres àlbums als anys 80, però cap va aconseguir entrar a les llistes. Això el va portar a retirar-se del focus mediàtic i a treballar com a compositor per a altres artistes. El seu últim àlbum, “Midnight Drive”, es va publicar el 2013.

F. R. DAVID - WORDS

Released: November, 1982

Charts: UK: #2 US: #62

“Words” is a Europop ballad recorded by French singer-songwriter F. R. David in 1982. The songs music was written by David, with the lyrics by former Jay and the Americans members, Sandy Deanne and Marty Sanders. The song was a massive hit throughout Europe, topping the charts in Belgium, Austria, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany. When released in the UK, it hit #2 behind Spandau Ballet's “True”. In the United States, the song sold well, but couldn’t get a lot of airplay, causing it to stall at #62 on the Hot 100.

Elli Robert Fitoussi, better known by the stage name of F. R. David, is a French synth pop artist born in French Tunisia in 1947. He started off in the 1960s with a range of French bands, before drifting into prog rock as guitarist for Vangelis in the 1970s. He gained success as a solo artist with his debut single, “Words”. A massive worldwide seller, it pigeonholed David as a balladeer, effectively killing his career as a synth pop artist. Three albums, all released in the 1980s failed to chart, and David left the spotlight to move behind the scenes as a songwriter for other acts. His last album, “Midnight Drive” was released in 2013. (Mozz Osborne)

 SIMPLE MINDS - ALIVE & KICKING

Llançament: 30 de setembre de 1985

Llistes: Regne Unit: #7, Estats Units: #3

“Alive and Kicking” es va publicar com el primer single del setè àlbum de Simple Minds, “Once Upon a Time”. Va ser un gran èxit, arribant al número 3 del Billboard Hot 100 als EUA, al número 4 al Canadà i al Top 5 en diversos països europeus. La cançó va marcar un moment àlgid en la carrera de la banda, seguint l’èxit de l’àlbum “Sparkle in the Rain” (1984), que havia generat tres èxits al Top 10 del Regne Unit. Amb una energia vitalista i triomfal, Jim Kerr la descriu com una peça plena d’imatges cinematogràfiques, més que no pas una simple seqüència d’acords.

Després de l’èxit massiu de “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, la banda sentia pressió per crear un altre tema impactant que estigués a l’altura. El productor Jimmy Iovine els va animar a escriure una cançó èpica. Tot va començar amb els acords i la introducció de Mick MacNeil, que immediatament van posar la pell de gallina a Kerr. A mesura que desenvolupaven el tema, Robin Clark va aportar les veus de suport, donant forma a la versió final.

Amb el domini de MTV, no n’hi havia prou amb tenir una bona cançó: necessitaven un himne. Iovine els va empènyer a afegir més elements fins a aconseguir un so cinematogràfic i grandiós. La mescla final es va completar de matinada a Manhattan. Kerr, amb el seu Sony Walkman, va sortir a passejar mentre escoltava la cançó i, veient la sortida del sol, va comprendre que tenien un èxit entre mans.

Inicialment, Kerr no volia cantar la frase “You turn me on”, pensant que era massa ensucrada, però Iovine el va convèncer que faria la cançó més comercial. Kerr va acceptar a contracor—i finalment, Iovine tenia raó.

El videoclip es va rodar a Upstate New York, prop de Hunter, a North–South Lake, a les Muntanyes Catskill. Part de les imatges es van gravar a l’antic emplaçament del Catskill Mountain House, un lloc icònic amb vistes espectaculars. Dirigit per Zbigniew Rybczyński (que també va dirigir “All the Things She Said”), el vídeo mostra la banda actuant enmig d’un paisatge natural impressionant.

SIMPLE MINDS - ALIVE & KICKING

Released: September 30, 1985

Charts: UK: #7  US: #3

“Alive and Kicking” was released as the lead single from Simple Minds’ seventh album, “Once Upon a Time”. It was a major hit, reaching #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #4 in Canada, and top five in several European countries. The song marked a high point for the band, following the success of their 1984 album “Sparkle in the Rain”, which had three UK Top 10 hits. The song carries a joyful, life-affirming energy, and Kerr describes it as a track filled with strong, cinematic imagery rather than just a collection of chords.

After the massive success of “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, the band felt pressure to deliver another event song that could match its impact. Producer Jimmy Iovine pushed them to create something epic. The song began with Mick MacNeil’s chords and intro, which immediately gave Jim Kerr a “hair on the back of the neck” moment. Over time, they developed the track, with Robin Clark’s backing vocals sealing the final version.

With MTV’s influence, it wasn’t enough to have just a good song—they needed an anthem. Jimmy Iovine pushed them to keep refining the track, adding more elements until it had the right big, cinematic feel. The final mix was completed early morning in Manhattan. Kerr took a walk with his Sony Walkman, listening to the track as the sun rose, and realized it would be a hit. Originally, Kerr resisted singing “You turn me on”, thinking it was too cheesy, but Iovine insisted, saying it would make the song a million-seller. Kerr reluctantly kept it—and it turned out Jimmy was right.

The music video was filmed in Upstate New York, near Hunter, at North–South Lake in the Catskill Mountains. Part of the video was shot at the overlook where the old Catskill Mountain House once stood. Directed by Zbigniew Rybczyński, who also directed “All the Things She Said”, the video features the band performing in a stunning natural setting.

AC/DC - SHOOT TO THRILL

Llançament: 25 de juliol de 1980

Àlbum: Back in Black

“Shoot to Thrill” és la segona cançó de l’àlbum “Back in Black”, el primer d’AC/DC amb Brian Johnson com a vocalista després de la mort de Bon Scott. També apareix als discos “AC/DC Live” i a la banda sonora de “Iron Man 2”. El videoclip oficial, publicat el 26 de gener de 2010, inclou imatges d’un concert de desembre de 2009 a Buenos Aires, Argentina (Estadio Monumental), també recollides al DVD “Live at River Plate”.

El títol juga amb l’expressió “shoot to kill” (dispara per matar), i la lletra retracta un personatge temerari i salvatge, envoltat de massa dones i massa pastilles. Johnson adopta un estil narratiu similar al de Bon Scott a “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”, evocant una vida de descontrol i excessos.

Musicalment, “Shoot to Thrill” destaca pel seu riff sincopat i ple de groove, sostingut per la precisió del baix de Cliff Williams i la bateria de Phil Rudd. La veu de Johnson condueix la cançó cap a un solo explosiu d’Angus Young, que culmina en una secció vocal improvisada i accelerada, portant el tema al seu punt més àlgid.

La cançó es va fer encara més popular gràcies a la seva aparició a “Iron Man 2” (2010), on acompanya l’entrada triomfal de Tony Stark. Un videoclip especial va barrejar escenes de la pel·lícula amb imatges d’un concert d’AC/DC, utilitzat com un avançament del film. A més, el disc de la banda sonora d’”Iron Man 2” estava format exclusivament per cançons d’AC/DC, incloent-hi “Shoot to Thrill” i “Highway to Hell”. La cançó també va aparèixer a “The Avengers” (2012) quan Iron Man entra en acció.

AC/DC - SHOOT TO THRILL

Released: July 25, 1980

Album: Back in Black

“Shoot to Thrill” is a song featured as the second track on the 1980 album “Back in Black”, Brian Johnson’s first with the band after the death of Bon Scott. It also appears on “AC/DC Live” and the “Iron Man 2” soundtrack. A music video was released on January 26, 2010, featuring live footage from a December 2009 concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at Estadio Monumental. This footage was also used in the band’s “Live at River Plate” DVD. 

The song plays on the phrase “shoot to kill”, portraying a reckless bad boy with “too many women with too many pills.” Johnson’s lyrics echo Scott’s storytelling style, similar to “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”. Musically, “Shoot to Thrill” stands out for its groove-driven staccato riff, held together by Cliff Williams’ bass and Phil Rudd’s tight drumming. Johnson’s irresistible vocal melody leads into an explosive Angus Young guitar solo, followed by a scat-like vocal climax that takes the song to another level.

“Shoot to Thrill” was featured in the 2010 movie “Iron Man 2” during Tony Stark’s grand entrance. A special music video combined scenes from the film with AC/DC concert footage, serving as an early preview for the movie. The “Iron Man 2” soundtrack was made up entirely of AC/DC songs, with both “Shoot to Thrill” and “Highway to Hell” included in the film. The song also made another iconic appearance in The Avengers (2012) when Iron Man arrives on screen.

AC/DC - IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP (IF YOU WANNA ROCK N’ ROLL)

Released: December 8, 1975

Album: High Voltage

“It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” is an autobiographical AC/DC song about the struggles of making it in the music industry. Written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott, it was released on the album “T.N.T.” in Australia and later on the international version of “High Voltage”. At the time, AC/DC was still an up-and-coming band, playing in rough venues and dealing with shady promoters. The song captures the hardships of touring but also the determination that ultimately led to their success in selling out arenas.

“It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” became an anthem for AC/DC, perfectly capturing their journey as a hard-working, audience-driven band. Angus Young told Rolling Stone that their fans were the key to their success, allowing them to reach the studio. Unlike Boston’s “Rock and Roll Band”, which told a fictional story of struggle, AC/DC’s song was rooted in real-life experience. The track was unconventional for a metal song, featuring bagpipes played by Bon Scott instead of a lengthy guitar solo. Scott, originally from Scotland like the Young brothers, was skilled in various instruments, including the bagpipes. The song became AC/DC’s best single at the time, reaching #5 on the Australian charts, and at 5 minutes 15 seconds, it was unusually long for a single.

AC/DC filmed a promotional video for the song on February 23, 1976, riding through Melbourne on an open-topped truck alongside three Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band members. The video captured Bon Scott’s enthusiasm, though some, like biographer Clinton Walker, felt it hinted at his tragic fate, as he would pass away just four years later.In addition to the famous truck version, three other video versions exist:

1. A live-miming version filmed the same day in Melbourne’s City Square, featuring the pipers (included in the Backtracks box set).

2. A rarely seen studio performance miming the song as if it were live.

3. A Bandstand performance (Channel 9, Australia) recorded two days before the truck video, where Scott sang live over the studio track.

AC/DC - FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (WE SALUTE YOU)

Llançament: juny de 1982

Àlbum: For Those About to Rock

“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” és la cançó que dona títol a l’àlbum d’AC/DC de 1981, el qual va seguir l’èxit massiu de “Back in Black”. Llançada com a senzill el 1982, es va convertir en un dels himnes més emblemàtics de la banda. A diferència de “Back in Black”, que mai va arribar al #1 als Estats Units, “For Those About to Rock” sí que ho va fer, marcant una fita important en la carrera d’AC/DC. La cara B del senzill incloïa una versió en directe de “Let There Be Rock”, enregistrada a Maryland el 1981, on també es va filmar el videoclip.

El títol “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” està inspirat en la frase “Per als que estan a punt de morir, us saludem”, que segons es diu els gladiadors romans pronunciaven abans de la batalla. Angus Young va treure la idea d’un llibre que li va regalar Bon Scott sobre els jocs de gladiadors romans. Tot i que Young recordava el llibre com For Those About to Die We Salute You de Robert Graves, probablement es referia a Those About to Die de Daniel Mannix. El títol fa referència als saluts dels gladiadors, mentre que la lletra de Brian Johnson inclou un doble sentit enginyós: “Pick up your balls and load your cannon” (“Aixequeu les vostres pilotes i carregueu el canó”). Aquesta cançó segueix la tradició d’AC/DC d’incorporar la paraula “rock” a frases conegudes, com ja havien fet amb l’àlbum de 1977 “Let There Be Rock”, inspirat en la frase bíblica “Que es faci la llum” (Let there be light).

AC/DC va tenir la idea d’utilitzar canons a “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” mentre assajaven a París i van veure per televisió el casament del príncep Carles i Lady Diana, que anava acompanyat de foc de canons cerimonial. Inspirats per això, van incorporar dos canons als seus concerts, de manera similar a com havien introduït una campana gegant per a “Hells Bells”. Inicialment, van provar amb 21 canons més petits, però generaven massa espurnes. Amb el temps, la cançó es va convertir en el tancament tradicional dels concerts d’AC/DC, ja que l’espectacle dels canons disparant feia que fos impossible seguir amb una altra cançó.

AC/DC - FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (WE SALUTE YOU)

Released: June 1982

Album: For Those About to Rock

“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” is the title track from AC/DC’s 1981 album, which followed the massively successful Back in Black. Released as a single in 1982, it became one of the band’s signature anthems. Unlike Back in Black, which never reached #1 on the US charts, For Those About to Rock did, marking a major milestone for AC/DC. The single’s B-side featured a live version of “Let There Be Rock,” recorded in Maryland in 1981, where the music video was also filmed.

The title “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” is inspired by the phrase “For those about to die, we salute you,” which Roman gladiators reportedly said before battle. AC/DC guitarist Angus Young got the idea from a book that Bon Scott gave him about ancient Roman gladiator games. Though Young recalled the book as For Those About To Die We Salute You by Robert Graves, it was more likely Those About to Die by Daniel Mannix. Its title nods to Roman gladiator salutes, while Brian Johnson’s lyrics include a cheeky double entendre: “Pick up your balls and load your cannon.” This song follows AC/DC’s tradition of incorporating “rock” into well-known phrases, similar to their 1977 album “Let There Be Rock”, inspired by the biblical phrase “Let there be light.”

AC/DC got the idea to use cannons in “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” while rehearsing in Paris, where they saw Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding on TV, accompanied by celebratory cannon fire. Inspired, they incorporated two cannons into their live performances, similar to how they had previously used a giant bell for “Hells Bells.” The stage cannons evolved from an initial 21 smaller ones, which produced excessive sparks. The song became AC/DC’s traditional concert closer, as the spectacle of firing cannons made it nearly impossible to follow.