Dead
Rocker's Society
Bon Scott
THIS CACHE UP FOR ADOPTION ASK
ME HOW
Placed with permission at Weldon Spring CA.
Thanks to John Vogel for his support of Geocaching! Please park in
the designated area. This is less than 500 feet from car to cache.
Stroller friendly. Wheelchair might have some problems with the
last 20 feet.
This is a series dedicated to
past rockers who have left their mark on our society. To be a
member of the Dead Rocker's Society, a person must be dead.. Sorry,
the living still have a chance of becoming famous. The person must
have been in a rock band with an album. Too many rockers died
before they ever achieved fame. They will not be included. This is
also not a rock and roll hall of fame. This is for die hard rockers
that impacted the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's. Each person
will have a cache placed in their honor. If you knew the person
through their work, please indicate it in the log. Share with us
what you remembered about this person. If you have never heard of
them, this hopefully, will introduce you to their work.
Bon Scott - Born July 9, 1946 (Cancer the Crab) in Kirnmuir, Scotland. Ronald Belford Scott, the prolific writer of AC/DC's lyrics, had been
with various rock and R&B groups as singer/drummer before joining AC/DC. In addition to playing, Bon worked as a chauffeur for other groups. It
was in this later capacity that he first met the other members of AC/DC, who felt he sang better than he drove! Bon is responsible for touching
our hearts with such tributes as "The Jack" and "Whole Lotta Rosie" while developing into one of the best frontmen in rock.
Bon Scott moved to Australia at an early age and began his music career with a band called, "Valentines" in Perth in 1966. His music with this band
has been categorized as "Bubble Gum." Many agree that this was the sound they had. A far cry from the raspy voice that belted out
sounds from AC/DC.
It didn't take long for their popularity to come to the notice of Martin Clarke who operated Perth's only record label in the 1960's,
Clarion. The Valentines were duly signed to Clarion in March 1967 and released their first single a couple of months later, still
less than a year since they formed. That single comprised of Arthur Alexander's "Everyday I Have To Cry" backed with
"I Can't Dance With You", a song from one of England's fastest rising groups of the time, the Small Faces. The record,
naturally enough, sold very well in Perth, reaching the Top 5.
Single No.2 was released in August 1967. The top side was a Stevie Wright/George Young (Easybeats) composition entitled
"She Said" Although similar in some ways to areas that the Beatles were then exploring, the single failed to capture the record
buying public's imagination and only made the lower end of the Perth charts.
Nevertheless the 3rd single for Clarion was released in February 1968. "I Can Hear The Raindrops" and "Why Me?"
were both Lovegrove/Ward compositions. Promoted as a double A side release the record made number 30 on the Perth
charts but once again failed to chart elsewhere.
Despite a report in April 1968 that the Valentines were to join the Sunshine label, this move never eventuated. Their fourth
and final single for Clarion was released some three months later, and once again it was a composition from the Easybeats
camp. "Peculiar Hole In The Sky" was written by Harry Vanda and George Young and produced on Martin Clarke's behalf
by Paul Aulton. The flip side "Love Makes Sweet Music" was origially the only single ever released by avant-guarde British
The Soft Machine. It was brought to the Valentine's attention by Stan Rofe, the doyed of Melbourne disk jockeys in the latter half
of the 1960's.
Represented on this disc are those four singles as well as a previously unreleased track, "Sooky, Sooky". In 1970 they
broke up. After changes in line-up Bon went on to the band Fraternity. After his tour of England and Europe, Bon
returned to Australia without work. During this time he had banged himself up in a motorcycle accident.
By 1974, Bon was healed and healthy, and working in Sydney as an occasional roadie for AC/DC, an interesting new band formed by Angus
and Malcolm Young, junior siblings of Easybeat George Young, the man who had penned three tracks recorded by The Valentines in the 60's. When
the band's vocalist went off to form Rabbit, widely experienced Bon seemed the logical replacement.
Bon's career took off. A life of constant celebration finally caught up with him. He was found dead in a parked car, after a
bout of drinking, on February 20, 1980.
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