Released Unreleased Genre Hard rock Label Albert | Recorded 16 September 1976 Length 2:10 | |
"I'm a Rebel" is a hard rock song written by Alex Young, elder brother of AC/DC guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young. It was recorded before the release of their third album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Ultimately the track's anticipation for release, is overwhelming but very highly anticipated.
Contents
AC/DC version
"I'm a Rebel" was recorded, but never released, by the popular Australian hard rock band AC/DC. They had recording sessions outside Albert Productions without George Young and Harry Vanda. After a show in Maschen, Germany, promoter Rudy Holzhauer asked the band to record Alexander Young's song in Studio Maschen. AC/DC then recorded the song in a few hours. Bon Scott was very drunk when the song was recorded. Nevertheless, Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffmann claimed in an interview that this recording was "way better" than Accept's result.
The AC/DC recording remains in Albert Productions' vaults, and was not included in the Bonfire nor Backtracks box sets which released much of the band's rarities.
Leak Claims
In spite of being one of AC/DC's rarest tracks, some have claimed to have uploaded a recreation of the original version. Some of these upload claims can be found through forums and YouTube. However a very few claim to have "leaked the original," where Bon Scott is heard singing the chorus in the background.
Personnel
Accept version
Accept recorded the song in 1979, releasing it in 1980 as a single as well as the opening track for their second album, I'm a Rebel. It was credited to the pseudonym "George Alexander". It is the band's only recording of a song no band member wrote or co-wrote.
Personnel
U.D.O. version
U.D.O., featuring Accept singer Dirkschneider, released a new recording of the song in 1998 on their album No Limits. They went on to include the song on their 2001 live album release Live from Russia.