George Young

George Redburn Young (6 November 1946 – 22 October 2017) was an Australian musician, songwriter and record producer.

Born in Scotland, he moved to Australia with his family as a teenager, and became a naturalised citizen. He was a member of the 1960s Australian rock band the Easybeats, and with band mate, Harry Vanda, he was a co-writer of the international hits "Friday on My Mind" and "Love Is in the Air", the latter recorded by John Paul Young (no relation). Young and Vanda were also the producers of some work by the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, formed by his younger brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Vanda & Young were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Easybeats in 2005. Young died on 22 October 2017, aged 70.

Occupation - Musician, songwriter, record producer

Instruments - Guitar, bass guitar, piano

Years active 1964–92 (as musician)

Associated acts - The Easybeats, Marcus Hook Roll Band, AC/DC, Flash and the Pan

Career

George Young grew up in Cranhill, in Glasgow, Scotland. His father William Young (born February 1911) was a labourer, and his mother Margaret (born July 1913, her maiden name was also Young) was a housewife. Young with his parents and two younger brothers, Malcolm (born January 1953) and Angus (born March 1955), emigrated to Australia in May 1963.[4] His eldest brother Stephen (1933 – 1989) remained in Scotland. Another elder brother, Alex (1938 – 1997), also stayed in Scotland, and was later a member of London-based group, Grapefruit.

Starting his career in Sydney, and attending Sefton High School as his secondary school, George Young first achieved international success in the 1960s as the rhythm guitarist in the band the Easybeats. Young co-wrote nearly all of their songs, first with lead singer Stevie Wright, and later with lead guitarist Harry Vanda. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2005, the group were inducted into their Hall of Fame. In 2007 Australian Musician magazine selected the meeting of Vanda and Young at the Villawood migrant hostel in 1964 as the most significant event in Australian pop and rock music history.

After the band dissolved in 1970, Vanda & Young concentrated on writing and producing pop and rock songs for other recording artists, and for themselves under various stage names, including as Flash and the Pan. One recording studio-based group was Marcus Hook Roll Band, with his brothers, Malcolm and Angus Young.  Angus and Malcolm formed a hard rock group, AC/DC, in 1973. Malcolm was replaced by their nephew, Stevie Young, in 2014.

George Young died on 22 October 2017.

Albert Productions

With Vanda and businessman Ted Albert, he formed Albert Productions in Sydney in 1973. He also helped his younger brothers with their AC/DC band project, that went on to become a massive success internationally. George Young famously declared to his younger brothers "that he didn't believe a band can ever call itself a band until it's done at least 200 gigs".

 He became famous by co-producing AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, John Paul Young and many other acts. He co-produced AC/DC's early albums, such as Let There Be Rock, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, T.N.T., Powerageand High Voltage, and played as AC/DC's bass guitarist for a short stint, early in their career. He produced AC/DC's 2000 album Stiff Upper Lip.

Honours

In 1988 he was inducted, along with Harry Vanda, into the inaugural class of the ARIA Hall of Fame.[9] After retiring from the music industry in the late 1990s, George Young resided mainly in Portugal with his family.

Selected list of Vanda and Young productions

• Stevie Wright
• AC/DC
• John Paul Young
• The Angels
• Rose Tattoo
• Flash and the Pan
• Ted Mulry Gang

Selected list of Vanda and Young songs

• "Friday On My Mind" – The Easybeats (1966) Aust #1, US #16, UK #6, also recorded by David Bowie and Gary Moore
• "Good Times" – The Easybeats, INXS with Jimmy Barnes
• "Love Is in the Air" – John Paul Young (1978) Aust #2, US #7, UK #5
• "Walking in the Rain" – Flash and the Pan, Grace Jones
• "Evie – Parts 1, 2 & 3" – Stevie Wright, Pat Travers Band, The Wrights
• "Hey St. Peter" – Flash and the Pan
• "Waiting for a Train" – Flash and the Pan (1983) UK #7