document_title: AC/DC

question_text: who is the new lead singer for ac dc

question_tokens: who is the new lead singer for ac dc

text: AC/DC

text: History[edit]

text: Background and name[edit]

text: Brothers Malcolm, Angus, and George Young were born in Glasgow, Scotland living at 6 Skerryvore Road in the Cranhill area.[16] The Big Freeze of 1963 was the worst winter on record in Scotland with snow eight feet deep. A TV advertisement at the same time offered assisted travel for families for a different life in Australia.[17] Fifteen members of the Young family left Scotland by plane in late June 1963. Before moving into a house at 4 Burleigh Street in the suburb of Burwood they initially stayed at Villawood Migrant Hostel (a site later developed as Villawood Immigration Detention Centre) in Nissen huts, where George Young met and became friends with another migrant, Harry Vanda.[17]

text: George was the first to learn to play the guitar. He became a member of the Easybeats, one of Australia's most successful bands of the 1960s.[18] Malcolm followed in George's footsteps by playing with a Newcastle, New South Wales, band called the Velvet Underground (not to be confused with the New York-based Velvet Underground).[19] Their older brother Alex Young chose to remain in Britain to pursue musical interests. In 1967, Alexander formed and played bass in the London-based band Grapefruit—initially called "The Grapefruit"—with three former members of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, John Perry, Geoff Swettenham, and Pete Swettenham.

text: Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band's name after their sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials "AC/DC" on a sewing machine. "AC/DC" is an abbreviation meaning "alternating current/direct current" electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band's raw energy, power-driven performances of their music.[20][21] "AC/DC" is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are colloquially known as "Acca Dacca" in Australia.[22][23] The AC/DC band name is stylised with a high voltage sign separating the "AC" and "DC" and has been used on all studio albums, with the exception of the international version of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.[24]

text: Early years[edit]

text: In November 1973, Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC and recruited bassist Larry Van Kriedt, vocalist Dave Evans, and Colin Burgess, ex-Masters Apprentices drummer.[25] Pushing hard for the band's success were Australia's roadie Ray Arnold and his partner Alan Kissack.[clarification needed] Gene Pierson booked the band to play at Chequers nightclub on New Year's Eve, 1973.[26]

text: By this time, Angus Young had adopted his characteristic school-uniform stage outfit. The idea was his sister Margaret's. Angus had tried other costumes: Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang.[19] In its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit.

text: On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced by the band's first manager, Dennis Laughlin, original lead singer with Sherbet. In Paul Stenning's book AC/DC: Two Sides To Every Glory it is stated that Evans did not get along with Laughlin, which also contributed to the band's ill feeling toward Evans.[27] By the middle of 1974, the band had built up a strong live reputation which led to a support slot for the visiting Lou Reed.

text: Some time in 1974, on the recommendation of Michael Chugg, veteran Melbourne promoter Michael Browning booked the band to play at his club, the Hard Rock. He did not like their glam rock image and felt that Evans was the wrong singer for the band, but was impressed by the Young brothers' guitar playing. Shortly afterwards, he received a call from the band; Laughlin had quit as manager, and they were stuck in Adelaide with no money. Browning agreed to bail them out and booked them for another gig at the Hard Rock. Following the gig, they agreed to take him on as their new manager, with the co-operation of their older brother George and Harry Vanda.[28]

text: The Young brothers decided to abandon the glam rock image which had already been adopted by Melbourne band The Skyhooks and pursue a harder blues-rock sound. To this end they agreed that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group.[27] Around this time, they also moved their base to Melbourne, where they frequently played at the Hard Rock.

text: Bon Scott era (1974–1980)[edit]

text: Beginnings (1974–1975)[edit]

text: In September 1974, Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott, an experienced vocalist and friend of George Young, replaced Dave Evans[29] after friend Vince Lovegrove recommended him to George Young.[5] Scott's appointment coincided with him working as a chauffeur for the band at the time until an audition promoted him to lead singer.[30] Like the Young brothers, Scott was born in Scotland and emigrated to Australia in his childhood. The band had recorded only one single with Evans, "Can I Sit Next To You, Girl" / "Rockin' in the Parlour"; the song was re-written and re-recorded with Bon Scott as "Can I Sit Next to You Girl".

text:
"It's a Long Way to the Top" (1975)

The second single of High Voltage demonstrates a combination of the bagpipes with more traditional rock instruments while the lyrics discuss the perils of being in a rock band.
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text: By October 1974, the Australia-only album High Voltage had been recorded. It took only ten days[31] and was based on instrumental songs written by the Young brothers, with lyrics added by Scott. Within a few months, the band's line-up had stabilised, featuring Scott, the Young brothers, bassist Mark Evans, and drummer Phil Rudd. Later that year they released the single "It's a Long Way to the Top", for which a well-known promotional video was made for the program Countdown, featuring the band miming the song on the back of a flatbed truck. It was included on their second album, T.N.T. (1975), which was also released only in Australia and New Zealand.

text: AC/DC were scheduled to play at the 1975 Sunbury music festival; however, they went home without performing following an altercation with the management of headlining act Deep Purple.[32]

text: Between 1974 and 1977, aided by regular appearances on Molly Meldrum's Countdown, the ABC's nationally broadcast pop-music television show, AC/DC became one of the most popular and successful acts in Australia. Their performance on 3 April 1977 was their last live TV appearance for more than 20 years.[31]

text: International success (1976–1980)[edit]

text: Browning sent promo material to contacts in London, which came to the attention of Phil Carson of Atlantic Records. In 1976, the band signed an international deal with Atlantic Records. On arrival in London, their scheduled tour with Back Street Crawler was cancelled following the death of Paul Kossoff. As a result, they went back to playing smaller venues to build a local following until their label organised the "Lock Up Your Daughters" tour sponsored by Sounds magazine, the only major music magazine which was still relatively receptive to traditional rock music. At the time, punk rock was breaking and came to dominate the pages of the major British music weeklies, NME and Melody Maker. AC/DC were sometimes identified with the punk rock movement by the British press, but the band hated punk rock, believing it to be a passing fad—according to manager Michael Browning "it wasn't possible to even hold a conversation with AC/DC about punk without them getting totally pissed off".[28] Their reputation managed to survive the punk upheavals of the late 1970s, and they maintained a cult following in the UK throughout this time.[3] Angus Young gained notoriety for mooning the audience during live performances.

text: The first AC/DC album to gain worldwide distribution was a 1976 compilation of tracks taken from the High Voltage and T.N.T. LPs. Also titled High Voltage, and released on the Atlantic Records label, the album has to date sold three million copies worldwide.[33][34] The track selection was heavily weighted toward the more recent T.N.T., including only two songs from their first LP. The band's next album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, was released in the same year in both Australian and international versions, like its predecessor. Track listings varied worldwide, and the international version of the album also featured the T.N.T. track "Rocker", which had previously not been released internationally. The original Australian version included "Jailbreak" (now more readily available on the 1984 compilation EP '74 Jailbreak or as a live version on the 1992 Live album). Dirty Deeds was not released in the US until 1981, by which time the band were at the peak of their popularity.

text: After a brief tour of Sweden, they returned to London where they set new attendance records during their residency at the Marquee. However, their appearance at the 1976 Reading Festival failed to get a response from the crowd. They toured extensively throughout Europe, then returned to tour Australia in late 1976 to rebuild their finances and record the Let There Be Rock album.

text: In early 1977 they returned to Britain and began a European tour with Black Sabbath. While Bon Scott and Ozzy Osbourne quickly became friends, relations were less than cordial between the other members of the respective bands. In one incident, Geezer Butler pulled a knife on Malcolm Young, though it was a "silly" flick-knife comb.[35][36] Later in the year they toured with Rainbow.

text: Towards the end of 1977, bassist Mark Evans was fired; purportedly to find someone who could sing backup vocals. Evans described disagreement with Angus and Malcolm as a contributing factor. He was replaced by Cliff Williams.[5] Neither of the Young brothers has elaborated on the departure of Evans, though Richard Griffiths, the CEO of Epic Records and a booking agent for AC/DC in the mid-1970s, later commented, "You knew Mark wasn't going to last, he was just too much of a nice guy."[19] Mark Evans' autobiography, Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC, released in 2011, predominantly dealt with his time in AC/DC, including being fired.[37]

text: AC/DC were a somewhat formative influence on the new wave of British heavy metal bands who emerged in the late 1970s, such as Saxon and Iron Maiden, in part as a reaction to the decline of traditional early 1970s hard rock bands. In 2007, critics noted that AC/DC, along with Thin Lizzy, UFO, Scorpions, and Judas Priest, were among "the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned."[38]

text: AC/DC's first American radio exposure was through Bill Bartlett at Jacksonville station WPDQ/WAIV in 1975,[39] two years before they played their first US concert as support band for Canadian group Moxy in Austin, Texas, on 27 July 1977.[40] Under the guidance of booking agent Doug Thaler of American Talent International and later the management of Leber-Krebs, they gained invaluable experience of the US stadium circuit, supporting leading rock acts such as Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Kiss, Styx, UFO, and Blue Öyster Cult, and co-headlined with bands such as Cheap Trick.

text: The 1978 release of Powerage marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams, and with its harder riffs, followed the blueprint set by Let There Be Rock.[41] Only one single was released from Powerage, "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation/Sin City". An appearance at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow during the Powerage tour was recorded and released as If You Want Blood You've Got It.

text: The major breakthrough in the band's career came in their collaboration with producer "Mutt" Lange on the album  Highway to Hell, released in 1979. Eddie Van Halen notes this to be his favourite AC/DC record, along with Powerage.[42] It became the first AC/DC LP to break into the US top 100, eventually reaching No. 17,[31] and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts.[3] Highway to Hell had lyrics that shifted away from flippant and comical toward more central rock themes, putting increased emphasis on backing vocals but still featured AC/DC's signature sound: loud, simple, pounding riffs and grooving backbeats.[43]

text: Scott's death (1980)[edit]

text: As 1980 began, the band began work on a new album that would eventually become Back in Black, but Bon Scott would not live to see it finished. On 19 February 1980, Scott passed out in the car on the way back to friend Alistair Kinnear's house after a night of heavy drinking at the Music Machine club in London. Upon arrival at his home, Kinnear was unable to move Scott from the car into his home for the night, so he left him in the car overnight to sleep off the effects of the alcohol. Unable to wake Scott late the next morning, Kinnear rushed him to King's College Hospital in Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott's death, and the official cause was listed as "acute alcohol poisoning".[4] Scott's family buried him in Fremantle, Western Australia, the area they emigrated to when he was a boy.[44]

text: Inconsistencies in the official accounts of Scott's death have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist.[4] Scott's asthma has also been cited as playing a role in his death,[45] but this has been challenged more recently.[citation needed]

text: Brian Johnson era (1980–2016)[edit]

text: Rebirth (1980–1983)[edit]

text: Following Scott's death the band briefly considered quitting, but encouraged by the insistence from Scott's parents that he would have wanted them to go on, they eventually decided to continue and went about finding a new frontman.[5] Among the applicants were Allan Fryer of Fat Lip and Gary Pickford-Hopkins[46] who, like Stevie Wright of the Easybeats, were touted by the press as most-certain replacements.[47] Various candidates were considered for his replacement, including: ex-Moxy member Buzz Shearman, who was not able to join because of voice problems,[48] Slade vocalist, Noddy Holder,[49] and ex-Back Street Crawler vocalist Terry Slesser.[50]

text: At the advice of Lange, the group brought in ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson, who impressed the group.[51] For the audition, Johnson sang "Whole Lotta Rosie" from Let There Be Rock and Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits".[21] After the band begrudgingly worked through the rest of the list of applicants in the following days, Johnson returned for a second rehearsal.[52]

text: Angus Young later recalled, "I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian's (Johnson) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said 'Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.' And that was Bon's big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was 'Well he's a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.' He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him."[53]

text: On 29 March, Malcolm Young called the singer to offer him the job, to Johnson's surprise. Out of respect for Bon Scott, the band wanted a frontman who would not be a mere imitator of him. In addition to his distinctive voice, demeanor and love of classic soul and blues music, the group liked Johnson's engaging personality.[54] Johnson was officially announced as the new lead singer of AC/DC on 1 April 1980.

text: With Johnson the band completed the songwriting that they had begun with Scott for the album Back in Black. Recording took place at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas a few months after Scott's death. Back in Black, produced by Mutt Lange and recorded by Tony Platt, became their biggest-selling album and a hard-rock landmark; hits include "Hells Bells", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" and the title track. The album reached No.1 in the UK and No.4 in the US, where it spent 131 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart.[31]

text: The follow-up album, 1981's For Those About to Rock We Salute You, also sold well and was positively received by critics. The album featured two of the band's most popular singles: "Let's Get It Up"[55] and the title track, "For Those About to Rock", which reached No.13 and No.15 in the UK, respectively.

text: Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983–1987)[edit]

text:
"Back in Black" (1980)

The riff of "Back in Black" is one of the most recognised in hard rock history.[56] The song ranked No. 187 on Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and reached No. 37 in the US.
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text: The band split with producer Mutt Lange for their self-produced 1983 album, Flick of the Switch, in an effort to recover the rawness and simplicity of their early albums, but it was considered underdeveloped and unmemorable;[57] one critic stated that the band "had made the same album nine times".[58] AC/DC were voted the eighth-biggest disappointment of the year in the 1984 Kerrang! readers' poll. However, Flick of the Switch eventually reached No. 4 on the UK charts,[21] and AC/DC had minor success with the singles "Nervous Shakedown" and "Flick of the Switch".

text: After having problems with drugs and alcohol,[59] drummer Phil Rudd's friendship with Malcolm Young deteriorated and eventually escalated to a physical confrontation after which Rudd was fired halfway through the Flick of the Switch sessions.[21] Former Procol Harum drummer B.J. Wilson was drafted in to help complete the recordings, but his drum parts were eventually not used, as Rudd had already completed his drum parts.[60] Rudd was replaced by Simon Wright in the summer of 1983 after the band held over 700 auditions in the US and UK.[61] Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company fame, and Paul Thompson of Roxy Music were two of the drummers auditioned.[62]

text: Fly on the Wall, produced by the Young brothers in 1985, was also regarded as uninspired and directionless.[63] A music concept video of the same name featured the band at a bar, playing five of the album's ten songs.

text: In 1986, the group returned to the charts with the made-for-radio "Who Made Who". The album Who Made Who was the soundtrack to Stephen King's film Maximum Overdrive;[64] it brought together older hits, such as "You Shook Me All Night Long", with newer songs such as title track and two new instrumentals, "D.T." and "Chase the Ace".

text: Back to commercial success (1987–1990)[edit]

text: In February 1988, AC/DC were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's Hall of Fame.[65] AC/DC's 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, was recorded at Studio Miraval in Le Val, France, and reunited the band with their original producers, Harry Vanda and George Young. The group recorded nineteen songs, choosing ten for the final release; though the album was later criticised for containing excessive "filler",[66] it was a commercial success. Blow Up Your Video sold more copies than the previous two studio releases combined, reaching No. 2 on the UK charts—AC/DC's highest position since "Back in Black" in 1980. The album featured the UK top-twenty single "Heatseeker"[55] and popular songs such as "That's the Way I Wanna Rock 'n' Roll". The Blow Up Your Video World Tour began in February 1988, in Perth, Australia. That April, following live appearances across Europe, Malcolm Young announced that he was taking time off from touring, principally to begin recovery from his alcoholism. Another member of the Young family, Stevie Young, temporarily took Malcolm's place.

text: Following the tour, Wright left the group to work on the upcoming Dio album Lock Up the Wolves, and was replaced by session veteran Chris Slade. Johnson was unavailable for several months while finalising his divorce,[21] so the Young brothers wrote all the songs for the next album, a practice they continued for all subsequent releases through Rock or Bust in 2014.

text: Popularity regained (1990–1994)[edit]

text: The next album, The Razors Edge, was recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser and produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously worked with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Released in 1990, it was a major success for the band, and included the hits "Thunderstruck" and "Are You Ready", which reached No. 5 and No. 16 respectively on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and "Moneytalks", which peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.[55] The album went multi-platinum and reached the US top ten.

text: Several shows on the Razors Edge tour were recorded for the 1992 live album, titled Live. Live was produced by Fairbairn, and has been called one of the best live albums of the 1990s.[67] AC/DC headlined the Monsters of Rock show during this tour, which was released on DVD as Live at Donington. During The Razors Edge tour, three fans were killed at a concert at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah in January 1991: when the concert began fans rushed the stage crushing the three and injuring others. It took 20 minutes before venue security and the group understood the severity of the situation and stopped the concert. AC/DC settled with the victims' families out of court. As a result of this incident, the Salt Palace eliminated festival seating from future events.[68][69]

text: In 1993, AC/DC recorded "Big Gun" for the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero. Released as a single, the song reached No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart—the band's first No. 1 single on that chart.[31]

text: Popularity confirmed (1994–2008)[edit]

text: In 1994, Angus and Malcolm invited Rudd to several jam sessions. He was eventually rehired to replace Slade, whose amicable departure arose in part because of the band's strong desire to again work with Rudd. Recorded at the Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles by the reunited 1980–83 line-up and produced by Rick Rubin, Ballbreaker was released in 1995. The first single from the album was "Hard as a Rock". Two more singles were released from the album: "Hail Caesar" and "Cover You in Oil".

text: In 1997, a box set named Bonfire was released. It contained four albums; a remastered version of Back in Black; Volts (a disc with alternative takes, outtakes, and stray live cuts) and two live albums, Live from the Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock: The Movie. Live from the Atlantic Studios was recorded on 7 December 1977 at the Atlantic Studios in New York. Let There Be Rock: The Movie was a double album recorded in 1979 at the Pavillon de Paris and was the soundtrack of a motion picture, AC/DC: Let There Be Rock. The US version of the box set included a colour booklet, a two-sided poster, a sticker, a temporary tattoo, a keychain bottle opener, and a guitar pick.[70]

text: In 2000, the band released Stiff Upper Lip, produced by brother George Young at the Warehouse Studio, again in Vancouver. The album was better received by critics than Ballbreaker but was considered lacking in new ideas.[71][72] The Australian release included a bonus disc with three promotional videos and several live performances recorded in Madrid, Spain in 1996. Stiff Upper Lip reached No.1 in five countries, including Argentina and Germany; No.2 in three countries, Spain, France and Switzerland; No.3 in Australia; No.5 in Canada and Portugal; and No.7 in Norway, the US and Hungary. The first single, "Stiff Upper Lip", remained at No.1 on the US Mainstream Rock charts for four weeks.[31] The other singles released also charted: "Satellite Blues" and "Safe in New York City" reached No.7 and No.31 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, respectively.

text: In 2002, AC/DC signed a long-term, multi-album deal with Sony Music,[73] who went on to release a series of remastered albums as part of their AC/DC remasters series. Each release contained an expanded booklet featuring rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes.[74] In 2003, the entire back-catalogue (except Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip) was remastered and re-released. Ballbreaker was eventually re-released in October 2005; Stiff Upper Lip was later re-released in April 2007. Also in 2003, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

text: On 30 July 2003, the band performed with the Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto. The concert, held before an audience of half a million, was intended to help the city overcome the negative publicity stemming from the effects of a 2003 SARS epidemic. The concert holds the record for the largest paid music event in North American history.[75] The band came second in a list of Australia's highest-earning entertainers for 2005,[76] and sixth for 2006,[77] despite having neither toured since 2003 nor released an album since 2000. Verizon Wireless has gained the rights to release AC/DC's full albums and the entire Live at Donington concert to download in 2008.[78]

text: On 16 October 2007, Columbia Records released a double and triple DVD titled Plug Me In. The set consists of five and seven hours of rare footage, and even a recording of AC/DC at a high school performing "School Days", "TNT", "She's Got Balls", and "It's a Long Way to the Top". As with Family Jewels, disc one contains rare shows of the band with Bon Scott, and disc two is about the Brian Johnson era. The collector's edition contains an extra DVD with 21 more rare performances of both Scott and Johnson and more interviews.[79]

text: AC/DC made their video game debut on Rock Band 2, with "Let There Be Rock" included as a playable track.[80] The setlist from their Live at Donington live album was released as playable songs for the Rock Band series by means of a Wal-Mart-exclusive retail disc titled AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.[81]

text: No Bull: The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensive Blu-ray and DVD of the band's July 1996 Plaza De Toros de las Ventas concert in Madrid, Spain, was released on 9 September 2008.[82]

text: Black Ice (2008–2011)[edit]

text:
"Rock 'n' Roll Train"

Sample of Black Ice's lead single "Rock 'n' Roll Train". The song is built on guitar riffs and elemental drum beats,[83] and features harmonic backing vocals during the chorus.[84]
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text: On 18 August 2008, Columbia Records announced 18 October Australian release, and 20 October worldwide release, of the studio album Black Ice. The 15-track album was the band's first studio release in eight years, was produced by Brendan O'Brien and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser. Like Stiff Upper Lip, it was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. Black Ice was sold in the US exclusively at Walmart and Sam's Club and the band's official website.[85]

text:
"Rock 'n' Roll Train", the album's first single, was released to radio on 28 August. On 15 August, AC/DC recorded a video for a song from the new album in London with a special selection of fans getting the chance to be in the video.[86]
Black Ice debuted at No.1 on album charts in 29 countries and also was Columbia Records' biggest debut album (since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Billboard in March 1991). Black Ice has been certified Multi Platinum in eight countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Additionally, Black Ice has achieved Platinum status in twelve countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, UK, Argentina, Singapore, and New Zealand) and Gold status in four countries (The Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Brazil). The 18-month Black Ice World Tour supporting the new album was announced on 11 September and began on 28 October in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[87]

text: On 15 September 2008, AC/DC Radio debuted on Sirius Channel 19 and XM channel 53. The channel plays AC/DC music along with interviews with the band members.[88]

text: With the North American release of Black Ice on 20 October 2008, Columbia Records and Walmart created "Rock Again AC/DC Stores" to promote the album. In October 2008, MTV, Walmart, and Columbia created "AC/DC Rock Band Stores" in New York City, at Times Square, and in Los Angeles. "Black Ice" trucks were also dispatched on the streets of these two cities after the release, playing AC/DC music aloud and making various stops each day to sell merchandise.[89]

text: In late September 2009, the band rescheduled six shows when Brian Johnson underwent an operation for ulcers.[90] On 29 September, the band announced a collection of studio and live rarities, Backtracks, which was released on 10 November 2009 as a 3-CD/2-DVD/1-LP box-set.[91]

text: On 4 November AC/DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly top Australian earner (entertainment) for 2009 with earnings of $105 million. This displaced The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years.[92]

text: On 19 April 2010, AC/DC released Iron Man 2, the soundtrack for the eponymous film which compiled earlier tracks from the band's studio albums.[93] One month later, the band headlined Download Festival at Donington Park,[94] and closed the Black Ice World Tour in Bilbao, Spain on 28 June 2010, after 20 months in which AC/DC went to 108 cities in over 28 countries, with an estimated audience of over five million people.[95] Three concerts in December 2009 at the River Plate Stadium in Argentina were released as the DVD Live at River Plate on 10 May 2011.[96] An exclusive single from the DVD, featuring the songs  "Shoot to Thrill" and "War Machine", was issued on Record Store Day.[97] In 2011, the band also issued on DVD and Blu-ray the concert movie AC/DC: Let There Be Rock, which had its theatrical release in 1980.[98]

text: Multiple lineup changes, Rock or Bust (2011–2017)[edit]

text: Angus stated in an interview in early May 2011 that the band was beginning to plan another world tour, saying, "Now we're thinking, 'How can we ever better the 'Black Ice' world tour?' But we will."[99] At the band's Live at River Plate DVD premiere on 6 May 2011 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England, Angus said that there were plans for the group to release a new studio album "within the next couple of years", which the tour would support.[100]

text: In May 2012, Malcolm Young confirmed that the band were working on a potential follow-up to 2008's Black Ice. But he warned that fans were in for a longer wait than expected, after lead singer Brian Johnson suggested there would be new material the next year. Malcolm stated, "You know what Brian's like. He just says things and then walks away. It'll be a little while – a year or two anyway. I've been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band. We are still working. But we had a long rest between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice, so I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more."[101]

text: On 19 November 2012, AC/DC released Live at River Plate,[102] their first live album in 20 years.

text: Malcolm Young's retirement and death[edit]

text: On 16 April 2014, in response to earlier reports that the band may be retiring due to Malcolm Young's illness,[103] Brian Johnson commented that AC/DC were not retiring, stating "We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver. We're going to pick up guitars, have a plonk and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens we'll record it."[104] AC/DC subsequently announced in an official statement on their Facebook page in April 2014 that Malcolm Young would be taking a break from the band due to his ill health. It ended: "The band will continue to make music."[105] In July 2014, AC/DC announced that they had finished recording their next album and that Malcolm's nephew, Stevie Young, replaced Malcolm in the studio.[106] On 23 September 2014, Alberts Management confirmed that Malcolm had officially departed from the band.[1] Malcolm's last show with the band was on 28 June 2010 in Bilbao, Spain;[107] he died on 18 November 2017 at the age of 64.[108]

text: "Rock or Bust"[edit]

text: Drummer Phil Rudd released his first solo album, Head Job, on 29 August 2014. He confirmed that there would be another AC/DC tour, and stated that the band had no intention of retiring, adding, "We'll all have to be dead before it stops."[109] On 23 September 2014, Alberts Management revealed that the band's new record entitled Rock or Bust, featuring eleven new tracks, would be released on 28 November 2014 as the first AC/DC album in the band's history without Malcolm Young on the recordings.[1] The band also announced plans for a world tour to promote the new album with Malcolm and Angus' nephew Stevie Young as Malcolm's replacement.[110]

text: Phil Rudd's replacement[edit]

text: On 6 November 2014 Rudd was charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of cannabis, following a police raid on his home.[111][112] The charge of attempting to procure a murder was withdrawn the following day, but the other charges remained.[113] AC/DC released a statement clarifying that the tour promoting Rock or Bust would continue, but did not say whether or not Rudd would participate, or if he was still a member of the band.[114]

text: In an interview on 13 November, Angus Young stated that the band had experienced problems with Rudd earlier in the year when recording Rock or Bust, and that his situation had taken the band by surprise. Rudd had also missed video and photo shoots, and with reference to Rudd's future in the band, Young added, "So, at this stage, it's a pretty tough call for us."[115] He also said the band would continue: "He's got to sort himself out I think ... At this point it's kind of a question mark. But if we're touring, there will be a drummer in place, put it that way."[116]

text: At the charity signing before the Grammy Awards, the band was photographed together with former drummer Chris Slade. It was later confirmed that he had rejoined the band for the Grammys and upcoming tour.[117] In April 2015, Rudd pleaded guilty to drug charges and threatening to kill a former assistant.[118] Shortly thereafter, the band's web site removed Rudd as the band's drummer and replaced him with Slade.[119] On 9 July 2015 Rudd was denied a discharge without conviction and sentenced to eight months' home detention.[120]

text: Brian Johnson's hearing loss and departure[edit]

text: On 7 March 2016, the band announced that the final ten dates of the Rock or Bust World Tour would be rescheduled as Johnson's doctors had ordered him to stop touring immediately, as his hearing loss had accelerated and he risked complete deafness if he persisted on the road. The ten cancelled dates would be performed "likely with a guest vocalist" later in the year, leaving Johnson's future in touring with the group uncertain.[121] Johnson later stated on The Howard Stern Show that his hearing loss did not come from performing for 36 years with AC/DC, but rather his love of auto racing and having forgotten to put in ear plugs during one race that ruptured his left ear drum.[122]

text: However, on 15 March 2016, American comedian Jim Breuer (a friend of Johnson) revealed on his podcast that Johnson had received a second opinion on his hearing and it was not as bad as initially thought. Nonetheless, Breuer mentioned that Johnson told him that he was essentially fired from AC/DC and that he had not heard from the band since the announcement of the tour being postponed, adding that Angus Young wants to continue the band for at least another ten years and do at least one more studio album and world tour.[123] Breuer later clarified his comments on Facebook that did not end speculation on Johnson's future with the band.[124]

text: On 19 April 2016, Johnson made an official statement regarding his health problems and inability to tour. In the statement, he acknowledged his ongoing hearing difficulties but stated his intentions to continue recording and potentially resume touring if his health improves sufficiently. He also specifically thanked Angus Young and Cliff Williams for their support during his AC/DC tenure.[125] His last show with AC/DC was on 28 February 2016; at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.[126]

text: Axl Rose joins[edit]

text: On 16 April 2016, AC/DC released a statement announcing the addition of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose as the band's lead vocalist for the remainder of their 2016 tour dates. The statement reads: "AC/DC band members would like to thank Brian Johnson for his contributions and dedication to the band throughout the years. We wish him all the best with his hearing issues and future ventures. As much as we want this tour to end as it started, we understand, respect and support Brian's decision to stop touring and save his hearing. We are dedicated to fulfilling the remainder of our touring commitments to everyone that has supported us over the years, and are fortunate that Axl Rose has kindly offered his support to help us fulfill this commitment. AC/DC will resume their Rock or Bust World Tour with Axl Rose joining on vocals."[127][128]

text: Departure of Cliff Williams[edit]

text: On 8 July 2016, Cliff Williams indicated he was retiring from the band in an interview with Gulfshore Life, saying "It's been what I’ve known for the past 40 years, but after this tour I’m backing off of touring and recording. Losing Malcolm, the thing with Phil and now with Brian, it's a changed animal. I feel in my gut it's the right thing."[129] At the end of the Rock or Bust Tour he released a video statement confirming his retirement.[130] His last show with AC/DC was in Philadelphia, on 20 September 2016.[131]

text: Future of band[edit]

text: On 21 September 2016, the day after the band's final show with Williams, it was reported that Axl Rose would be joining the band full-time and that he and Angus would continue AC/DC with different musicians.[132][133] Young's friend Angry Anderson said in a March 2018 interview that Young intended to make a new album with Rose.[134] In August 2018, however, several sources speculated that both Johnson and Rudd are working with the band again, as the pair were photographed at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, B.C., where the band had previously recorded their last three studio albums.[135][136]

text: Musical style[edit]

text: AC/DC have referred to themselves as "a rock and roll band, nothing more, nothing less".[3] In the opinion of Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, they are "one of the defining acts of '70s hard rock" and reactionary to the period's art rock and arena rock excesses: "AC/DC's rock was minimalist – no matter how huge and bludgeoning their guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint."[137] According to Alexis Petridis, their music is "hard-edged, wilfully basic blues-rock" featuring humourous sexual innuendo and lyrics about rock and roll.[138] Music academic Robert McParland described the band's sound as being defined by the heavy rock guitar of the Young brothers, layered power chords, and forceful vocals.[2] "For some, AC/DC are the ultimate heavy metal act", Tim Jonze wrote in The Guardian, "but for others, AC/DC aren't a heavy metal act at all, they're a classic rock band – and calling them heavy metal is an act of treachery."[139] On the controversy of categorizing their music, McParland wrote:

text: "AC/DC will assert that they are not specifically a metal band. Their music—loud, hard, and guitar driven—may best be described as hard rock. However, there are people who will say that they are indisuputably metal. Therein lies the ongoing problem of categorization. While AC/DC has referenced the underworld and they have given their listeners 'Highway to Hell' and 'Hell's Bells,' their songs are constructed on straightforward major and minor power chords. They are not modally developed as are a good deal of heavy metal compositions. Their sound is loud and crisp, not muddy or down-tuned."[2]

text: According to Vulture music journalist David Marchese, the instrumental foundation of the band's simple sound was the drummer—Rudd, Wright, or Slade—striking the kick drum on the first and third beat of every measure, and the snare drum on the second and fourth beat; bassist Williams consistently downpicking an eighth note; Angus Young performing lead parts that possessed "a clear architecture and even sort of swing, in a frenzied, half-demented way"; and Malcolm Young's "propulsive" yet nuanced rhythm guitar featuring "little chuks, stutters, and silences that give the monstrous riffs life".[140] For the majority of Malcolm Young's tenure in AC/DC, he used a Marshall Super Bass head to amplify his rhythm guitar while recording in the studio. According to Chris Gill of Guitar World, the amplifier helped define his signature guitar tone: "clean but as loud as possible to ride on the razor's edge of power amp distortion and deliver the ideal combination of grind, twang, clang and crunch, with no distorted preamp 'hair,' fizz or compression", as heard on songs such as "Let There Be Rock", "Dirty Deeds", "For Those About to Rock", and "Thunderstruck". During 1978 to 1980, however, Young used a Marshall 2203 100-watt master volume head, which Gill speculates may have contributed to a "slightly more distorted and dark" guitar tone on the albums from that period, including Powerage and Back in Black.[141]

text: With the recording of Back in Black in 1980, rock journalist Joe S. Harrington believed the band had departed further from the blues-oriented rock of their previous albums, and toward a more dynamic attack that adopted punk rock's "high-energy implications" and transmuted their hard rock/heavy metal songs into "more pop-oriented blasts". The band would remain faithful for the remainder of their career, to this "impeccably ham-handed" musical style: "the guitars were compacted into a singular statement of rhythmic efficiency, the rhythm section provided the thunderhorse overdrive, and vocalist Johnson belowed and brayed like the most unhinged practitioner of bluesy top-man dynamics since vintage Robert Plant."[142]

text: In a comparison of AC/DC's vocalists, Robert Christgau said Bon Scott exhibited a "blokelike croak" and "charm", often singing about sexual aggression in the guise of fun: "Like Ian Hunter or Roger Chapman though without their panache, he has fun being a dirty young man". Johnson, in his opinion, possessed "three times the range and wattage" as a vocalist while projecting the character of a "bloke as fantasy-fiction demigod". By the time Johnson had fully acclimated himself with 1981's For Those About to Rock We Salute You, Christgau said he defined "an anthemic grandiosity more suitable to [the band's] precious-metal status than Bon Scott's old-fashioned raunch", albeit in a less intelligent manner.[143]

text: Controversy[edit]

text: As with many bands of that time, AC/DC ran afoul of the Satanic panic of the 1980s. This general fear of modern hard rock and heavy metal was greatly increased in the band's case when serial killer Richard Ramirez was arrested. Ramirez, nicknamed the "Night Stalker" by the press, told police that "Night Prowler" from the 1979 Highway to Hell album had driven him to commit murder. Police also claimed that Ramirez was wearing an AC/DC shirt and left an AC/DC hat at one of the crime scenes. Accusations that AC/DC were devil worshippers were made, the lyrics of "Night Prowler" were analysed, and some newspapers attempted to link Ramirez's Satanism with AC/DC's name, arriving at the conclusion that AC/DC actually stood for Anti-Christ/Devil's Child (or Devil's Children).[144][145][146][147][148]

text: Throughout the band's career, their music has been criticised as simplistic, monotonous, deliberately lowbrow, and sexist. David Marchese from Vulture wrote that, "regardless of the lyricist, whether it was Scott (who was capable of real wit and color), Johnson, or the Young brothers, there's a deep strain of misogyny in the band's output that veers from feeling terribly dated to straight-up reprehensible."[140] According to Christgau in 1988, "the brutal truth is that sexism has never kept a great rock-and-roller down—from Muddy to Lemmy, lots of dynamite music has objectified women in objectionable ways. But rotely is not among those ways", in regards to AC/DC.[143] Fans of the band have defended their music by highlighting its "bawdy humour",[149] while members of the group have generally been dismissive of claims that their songs are sexist, arguing that they are meant to be in jest.[140] In an interview with Sylvie Simmons for Mojo, Angus called the band "pranksters more than anything else", while Malcolm said "we're not like some macho band. We take the music far more seriously than we take the lyrics, which are just throwaway lines."[149] Marchese regarded the musical aspect of the Youngs' songs "strong enough to render the words a functional afterthought", as well as "deceptively plain, devastatingly effective, and extremely lucrative".[140]

text: The Guardian's Fiona Sturges said that while she is a feminist, and AC/DC are a problematic group for her, she nonetheless loves their music, believing it would be "daft as opposed to damaging" for female listeners if they can understand the band to be "a bunch of archly sex-obsessed idiots with sharp tunes and some seriously killer riffs". In spite of "Carry Me Home"'s disdain for its female subject, the rape fantasy of "Let Me Put My Love in You", and the generally one-dimensional portrayals of women, Sturges believed songs such as "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" demonstrated that the female characters "are also having a good time and are, more often than not, in the driving seat in sexual terms ...  it's the men who come over as passive and hopeless, awestruck in the presence of sexual partners more experienced and adept than them."[149]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003.[150] During the ceremony the band performed "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long", with guest vocals provided by host Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. He described the band's power chords as "the thunder from down under that gives you the second most powerful surge that can flow through your body."[151] During the acceptance speech, Brian Johnson quoted their 1977 song "Let There Be Rock".[152]

text: On 22 March 2000, the municipality of Leganés (near Madrid) named a street in honour of the band as "Calle de AC/DC" ("AC/DC Street"). Malcolm and Angus attended the inauguration with many fans. Later that day, the plaque with the name of the group was stolen, perhaps by an enthusiast or collector. The plaque was replaced two hours later, and stolen once again a mere three days after the fact. The plaque had since been stolen numerous times, forcing the municipality of Leganés to begin selling replicas of the official street plaque.

text: In May 2003, the Young brothers accepted a Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music at the 2003 Music Winners Awards, during which Malcolm paid special tribute to Bon Scott, who was also a recipient of the award.[153]

text: On 1 October 2004, a central Melbourne thoroughfare, Corporation Lane, was renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the band. The City of Melbourne forbade the use of the slash character in street names, so the four letters were combined.[154] The lane is near Swanston Street where, on the back of a truck, the band recorded their video for the 1975 hit "It's a Long Way to the Top".[155]

text: They sold over 1.3 million CDs in the US during 2007 despite not having released a new album since 2000 at that point. Additionally, the group's commercial success continues to flourish despite their choice to refrain from selling albums in digital online formats for many years.[156] However, in November 2012, the entire catalogue (excluding the TNT album and the Australian versions of the High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Let There Be Rock albums) became available on the iTunes Store.[157]

text: In 2009, the Recording Industry Association of America upgraded the group's US sales figures from 69 million to 71 million, making AC/DC the fifth-best-selling band in US history and the tenth-best-selling artist, selling more albums than Madonna and Mariah Carey.[7] The RIAA also certified Back in Black as double Diamond (20 million) in US sales, and by 2007 the album had sold 22 million copies, which made it the fifth-best-selling album of all-time in the US.[10]

text: Band members[edit]

text: Current members[edit]

text:
Angus Young – lead guitar (1973–present)
Chris Slade – drums (1989–1994, 2015–present)
Stevie Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2014–present)
Axl Rose – lead vocals (2016–present)[133][158]

text: Former members[edit]

text:
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1973–2014; died 2017)
Dave Evans – lead vocals (1973–1974)
Bon Scott – lead vocals (1974–1980; died 1980)
Phil Rudd – drums (1975–1983, 1994–2015)
Mark Evans – bass guitar (1975–1977)
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals (1977–2016)
Brian Johnson – lead vocals (1980–2016)
Simon Wright – drums (1983–1989)

text: Note: Before their debut album, High Voltage (1975), AC/DC had several line up changes. For a more comprehensive list of members that were part of the band before 1975, see List of AC/DC band members.

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: Discography[edit]

text: Studio albums[edit]

text:
High Voltage (1975) (Australia only)
T.N.T. (1975) (Australia only)
High Voltage (1976) (international version)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
Let There Be Rock (1977)
Powerage (1978)
Highway to Hell (1979)
Back in Black (1980)
For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)
Flick of the Switch (1983)
Fly on the Wall (1985)
Blow Up Your Video (1988)
The Razors Edge (1990)
Ballbreaker (1995)
Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
Black Ice (2008)
Rock or Bust (2014)

text: Tours[edit]

text:
Date

Tour

1973–1975
Australian Clubs Tour

1975
High Voltage Australian Clubs Tour

1975–1976
TNT/Lock Up Your Daughters Summer Vacation Tour

1976
Lock Up Your Daughters

1976–1977
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap/A Giant Dose of Rock and Roll

1977
Let There Be Rock Tour

1978
Powerage Tour

1978–1979
If You Want Blood Tour

1979–1980
Highway to Hell Tour

1980–1981
Back in Black Tour

1981–1982
For Those About to Rock Tour

1983–1984
Flick of the Switch Tour/Monsters of Rock Tour

1985–1986
Fly on the Wall Tour

1986
Who Made Who Tour

1988
Blow Up Your Video World Tour

1990–1991
The Razors Edge World Tour

1996
Ballbreaker World Tour

2000–2001
Stiff Upper Lip World Tour

2003
Club Dates/Rolling Stones Tour

2008–2010
Black Ice World Tour

2015–2016
Rock or Bust World Tour


document_title: The Big Comfy Couch

question_text: who plays molly on the big comfy couch

question_tokens: who plays molly on the big comfy couch

root

text: The Big Comfy Couch

text: Synopsis[edit]

text: Each episode contains several common elements that take place throughout the episode. Early in each show, Loonette performs an exercise routine she calls the Clock Rug Stretch, and toward the end, she performs a high-speed clean-up routine called the Ten-Second Tidy.

tag: p

text: Other oft-repeated elements include reading a story to Molly, who sometimes either chooses a story to hear, gives Loonette a book and oversized glasses, or turning on the lights for Loonette; encounters with the dust bunnies who live under the couch; visits to various places in Clowntown, songs that emphasize the episode's lessons or themes, and a trip to Granny Garbanzo's garden and house. Here she encounters Snicklefritz, Granny's cat, Major Bedhead, the local mail-delivery clown, who travels on a unicycle; and of course, Granny herself. The conversation with Granny is often used as the episode's teachable moment, where Granny offers Loonette advice or lessons, often with the help of Major Bedhead, who delivers gifts and messages from Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester. All episodes end with Loonette and Molly having a nap and sometimes reminding the viewers to remember the rules on today's episode.

text: In season 7, Loonette and Molly play the Dream Game and Molly gives out the letter that the dream starts with and provide what they will be dreaming about. In season 6, Loonette and Molly go to Doll School where Molly learns the alphabet as well as numbers. A similar element used in seasons 1–3 (and in one episode of Season 5) is the Alphabet Game, where a certain letter is shown on a giant alphabet block and Loonette uses certain words beginning with that letter and also makes the letter's shape with her body to get the viewers to guess the letter.

text: Along with the lessons and problem solving sequences, the show also emphasized imaginative play. These episodes often take place in the context of a visit to Clowntown, such as Granny Garbanzo's Cabbage Club Cooking School and Major Bedhead's Clown Chi Dojo and Dancing School. Additionally, Loonette is gifted in the art of classical dance and runs Miss Loonette's Dance Academy. From Seasons 1 to 6, Loonette was too young to visit Clowntown alone, but in Season 7, she makes frequent trips to Clowntown, and volunteers at the Clowndergarten, where she teaches young clowns games, songs and stories. This imaginative play was also demonstrated through dress-up games and through Loonette's dollhouse, in which she imagined the adventures of The Foley Family. Shown first as a doll-sized family, in Loonette's imagination they would become a family of regular-sized clowns, whose actions were shown in high speed and with a musical background in the style of old silent movies. The Foleys do not speak. Early in the first season, Molly had discovered the Dust Bunnies. However, Loonette didn't believe that there were dust bunnies under the couch.

text: The two lounge around the couch all day, with the exception of the Clock Rug Stretch and daily adventure, sometimes involving Granny or Major Bedhead, a postal service employee who also plays bit parts. Each day includes a few songs and a story (which, when told by Loonette, involves her wearing huge yellow glasses and holding a blue storybook); and is concluded with the Ten-Second Tidy and a nice nap. After the end credits finished, Loonette says, "And the clown jumped over the moon" with her and Molly jumping over it.

text: Production[edit]

text: The show was originally produced by Radical Sheep Productions with Owl Television (later Owl Communications), then Canadian children's television network YTV and WITF-TV Harrisburg, with a run of 65 episodes. In 2002, 13 new episodes were produced with Benny Smart, an American children's television production company, Tadpole Kids and Treehouse TV, a companion channel of YTV, and Nashville Public Television.

text: From 1992 to 2002, the show was filmed at Wallace Avenue Studios in Toronto, and in 2006, it has been filmed at Toronto's Studio City.

text: Radical Sheep Productions and Amity Entertainment, in association with Treehouse TV and Nashville Public Television, produced 22 additional episodes, which debuted on American Public Television in 2006.

text: Characters[edit]

text: Loonette[edit]

text: Loonette is the lead character, portrayed by Alyson Court from 1992 to 2002 and Ramona Gilmour-Darling in 2006. She is a young clown living with her doll, Molly, on the eponymous Big Comfy Couch, an oversized green couch with flower patterns on it. She wears a pink dress with purple sleeves and a white shirt with yellow clown suns and moons. She also wears a purple hat on her head with her pigtails sticking out and wears black and white socks with black shoes on her feet.

text: She frequently reads stories to Molly, always performs a Clock Rug Stretch, and likes to visit Granny Garbanzo. Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester frequently send Loonette postcards which Major Bedhead delivers on his unicycle. Her Parents were never seen or mentioned. Loonette is gifted in the art of classical dance and runs Miss Loonette's Dance Academy. Another gift she possesses is the unusual ability to clean just about any mess up in ten seconds, which she calls the Ten Second Tidy. She frequently used the word "pickle juice" when she is frustrated about situations in a few episodes.

text: Originally, Loonette was too bossy even when Molly didn't like it, and she was too young to visit Clowntown, but starting from 2006, Loonette makes frequent trips to Clowntown to visit Granny's Cabbage Club Cooking School and Major Bedhead's Clown Chi Dojo and Dancing School. The trips to the first location help teach Loonette how to cook. The trips to this second location indicates that she practices martial arts. Loonette also takes Molly to Clowndergarten and helps out with the other young clowns. This third location is similar to kindergarten.

text: Molly[edit]

text: Molly is Loonette's doll. Loonette found her in a barrel with a sign marked "Free to a good home", and adopted her. She is puppetered by Bob Stutt.

text: Molly wears a blue dress. She believes that dust bunnies really exist, despite Loonette's disbelief. Her favorite food is doughnuts. She only speaks by cartoon bubbles, and usually answers Loonette's yes–no questions by either nodding or shaking her head.

text: Additional characters[edit]

text:
Fuzzy and Wuzzy (puppeteered by Bob Stutt and Robert Mills): they are the Twins of Dust bunnies who live under the Big Comfy Couch. Only Molly knows of their existence, and she always does her best to protect them so she can play with them.
The Foley Family (Fred Stinson (Andy), Jani Lauzon (Jim), Jackie Harris (Eileen) (seasons 1-2) and Suzanne Merriam (Eileen) (Season 3-5)): A very silly family who live inside of Loonette's dollhouse. They appeared from Seasons 1 to 5.
Granny Garbanzo (Grindl Kuchirka) Loonette's grandmother and next-door neighbor who loves her very much, even Molly too. She comes from the "old country" and has a Slavic accent. Granny also likes growing in her garden and she lives inside a wagon with Snicklefritz, her cat. Her name is derived from the garbanzo bean.
Snicklefritz (puppeteered by Bob Stutt): Granny's cat, who was introduced in Season 2. Likes to play pranks on the others and sometimes tries to get out of getting flea-baths. The name Snicklefritz comes from slang in German culture.
Major Bedhead (Fred Stinson): The local clown courier who makes deliveries to Loonette from Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester. He can be quite goofy at times and a bit clumsy. He also hates lying and being dishonest.
Auntie Macassar (Taborah Johnson): Loonette's travelling auntie who likes to make an entrance whenever she visits. She appears in Seasons 1–5. Her name is a pun on antimacassar.
Wobbly (Gary Farmer): A close friend who lives in Clowntown. Appears in 2 episodes in season 2.
Uncle Chester (Edward Knuckles): Loonette's travelling uncle who appears in Seasons 6–7.

tag: ul

text: Reruns and other original channels[edit]

text: In the United States, the series was syndicated by American Public Television to public television stations in that country, most of which were affiliated with PBS, starting on January 9, 1995 and ending in February 2007, with reruns airing until 2009. In Canada, it was shown on Treehouse TV until it stopped broadcasting on February 27, 2011. It also airs reruns on Makeful since 2015.

text: Merchandise[edit]

text: Throughout the years, various merchandise has been sold under the show's banner such as VHS tapes, DVDs, coloring books, stuffed plush dolls, furniture, puzzles, and life size dolls.

text: Episodes[edit]

text: Season 1 (1992)[edit]

text:
101 – Pie In The Sky (March 2, 1992) - In the series premiere, Molly and Loonette discover heavy and light.
102 – Pinch To Grow An Inch (March 13, 1992) - Molly's birthday is soon and Loonette has a party.
103 – All Aboard For Bed (March 16, 1992) - Loonette tells about the time when she and Molly couldn't get to sleep very well.
104 – Knit One Twirl Too (March 27, 1992) - Molly catches a cold. Loonette makes a pair of mittens for her.
105 – Upsey Downsey Day (March 30, 1992) - Molly gets a balloon from Loonette but flies away. Major Bedhead, Granny and Loonette play circus.
106 – Flippy Floppy Fun (April 10, 1992) - Molly flops on the floor which makes Loonette in a floppy mood.
107 – Something's Fishy Around Here (April 15, 1992) - Loonette and Molly pretend to fish. Molly learns about patience.
108 – Scrub-A-Dub (April 20, 1992) - There is a mess of toilet paper all over the couch. Major Bedhead, Granny and Loonette make a fun clean up routine.
109 – Red Light, Green Light (May 1, 1992) - Loonette and Molly learn about stop and go. Loonette pretends to drive a car.
110 – Gesundheit (May 4, 1992) - Loonette sneezes a lot. Major Bedhead and Loonette fly a kite.
111 – Ping Pong Polka (May 15, 1992) - Loonette is very energetic after doing a nice clock rug stretch, but unfortunately, she's too energetic to read Molly a story. Loonette accidentally drops ping pong balls in Granny's yard and has to pick them up.
112 – Funny Faces (May 18, 1992) - Loonette and Molly learn about feelings. The gang watches a movie about Granny's family in the old country.
113 – Snug As A Bug (May 29, 1992) - Loonette and Molly discover nature by learning how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Loonette reads a story about a bee.

text: Season 2 (1993)[edit]

text: A large painting of someone is now hanging on Loonette's wall to the upper right next to the couch and a fence and garden wall to Granny's garden is added. All Dance Academy shows are announced by Fred Stinson. Snicklefritz also debuts in this season.

text:
201 – Babs In Toyland (March 1, 1993) - In the 2nd season premiere, Molly is jealous because Auntie Macassar sent in another doll named Babs LeBlanc.
202 – 1-2-3 Dizzy Dizzy Me (March 12, 1993) - Loonette sings about counting and flying in her imaginary plane. However, Molly is dizzy from the plane. Loonette gets dizzy from watching a top spin.
203 – Wobbly (March 15, 1993) - Loonette is angry and in a bad mood when she finds a wobbly toy duck. Wobbly the clown, who's unable to fix it, comforts Loonette by telling her that you just have to accept things the way they are.
204 – Jump Start (March 26, 1993) - Loonette is in a jumpy mood. A thunderstorm hits Clowntown and Major Bedhead is afraid of lightning.
205 – This Little Piggy (March 29, 1993) - Loonette becomes greedy because she was amazed to find out how many coins were in her piggy bank.
206 – Juggling The Jitters (June 7, 1993) - Loonette has the jitters.
207 – Hoopla (June 18, 1993) - Loonette lost her ball. Loonette, Granny, and Major Bedhead play with a hula hoop from Auntie Macassar.
208 – Wrong Side Of The Couch (July 26, 1993) - Loonette woke up on the wrong side of the couch making her in a bad mood.
209 – I Feel Good (August 6, 1993) - Loonette and Molly learn about feeling good about themselves. The two play the "What if?" game. Loonette, Granny and Major Bedhead exercise. Loonette reads a story about an ugly duckling.
210 – Boomerang (August 9, 1993) - Loonette is in a foolish mood and plays tricks on the others.
211 – Rude-I-Culous (September 27, 1993) - Molly and Loonette make rude noises. But they learn that there is a time to be rude and a time to be nice.
212 – Make It Snappy (October 8, 1993) - Loonette is in a total rush. Major Bedhead is dressed as a cowboy clown.
213 – Feast Of Fools (October 11, 1993) - Molly learns about table manners. The gang has a huge dinner party.

text: Season 3 (1994)[edit]

text: The intro changes starting this season, and now features Snicklefritz and Auntie Macassar. Auntie Macassar now speaks in the postcards sent to Loonette. The Clock Rug gets a new redesign with darker colors, a new font for the numbers. Also, Granny's garden is redesigned with brighter green grass.

text:
301 – Give Yer Head A Shake (January 3, 1994) - In the 3rd season premiere, Loonette and Molly learn that no means no.
302 – It's About Time (January 14, 1994) - Everyone has a sleepover at Granny's garden. Unfortunately for both Molly and Snicklefritz, they each have to have a time-out and a little lesson in controlling themselves.
303 – Clownus Interruptus (January 17, 1994) – Loonette and Molly learn about patience and the importance of not interrupting when someone else is talking.
304 – Why? (January 28, 1994) - Molly asks "Why?" all the time.
305 – Monkey See Monkey Do (January 31, 1994) - Loonette copies everyone. Molly learns about echos and Loonette learns that being a copycat isn't exactly a good idea.
306 – Sticks And Stones (February 11, 1994) - Loonette thinks Molly is clumsy because she wasn't good at Pick up Sticks. Major Bedhead and Loonette make up nicknames for everything in Granny's garden, and they both learn the hard way that calling names isn't really a good idea.
307 – Horsing Around (February 14, 1994) - Today is National Horseplay Day and everyone is goofing around and laughing but Snicklefritz.
308 – All Over And Under (February 25, 1994) - Loonette and Molly discover over and under as they explore their Big Comfy Couch.
309 – Pants On Fire (February 28, 1994) - Loonette learns the importance of telling the truth and not to lie.
310 – All Fall Down (March 11, 1994) - Loonette and Major Bedhead have fun falling down safely. Loonette reads the story of Humpty Dumpty to Molly.
311 – Traveling Papers (March 14, 1994) - Loonette and Molly want to go to Clowntown; however, they are too young to go there. But Granny teaches them and Major Bedhead that you can explore and travel by using your imagination.
312 – Hiccups (March 25, 1994) - Loonette and Molly have the hiccups.
313 – Full Of Life (March 28, 1994) - Loonette and Molly learn about empty and full. Granny explains to Loonette the life of a caterpillar.

text: Season 4 (1995)[edit]

text:
401 – Backwards! (June 5, 1995) - In the 4th season premiere, It is National Backwards Day and everything is backwards!
402 – Picky Eaters (June 23, 1995) - Molly learns about how to try new foods.
403 – 40 Winks (July 3, 1995) - Molly refuses to take a nap.
404 – Swing-A-Ling (July 21, 1995) - Loonette is in a swingy mood, she pretends to play tennis, baseball, and golf. Major Bedhead reflects about the time he was at the playground as a kid and he learned the importance of safety.
405 – Spare Some Change (July 31, 1995) - Loonette is upset that her name doesn't mean anything. She then changes her name.
406 – Stuck In The Muck (August 18, 1995) - Loonette and Molly make up rhymes and pictures.
407 – Gimme Gimme Never Gets (August 30, 1995) - Loonette and Molly go on a treasure hunt in the couch and finds a gem. Molly is upset because she wants the gem; while Loonette learns about the importance of not grabbing things, but politely asking for them.
408 – One Step At A Time (September 11, 1995) - Loonette and Molly learn about the importance of trying new things, such as climbing the stairs.
409 – Enough Already! (September 29, 1995) - Molly knows that there are real dustbunnies under the couch, but Loonette doesn't believe her. They both learn that there is a time to take a break from something, such as arguing about dustbunnies.
410 – Where Do Clowns Come From? (October 9, 1995) - Today is Molly's mirthday and Loonette reflects about the time they first met.
411 – Are You Ready For School? (October 27, 1995) - Loonette and Molly play school.
412 – Hit Parade (November 6, 1995) - Molly and Snicklefritz learn that hitting others is not good. The gang watch a puppet show which is about no hitting.
413 – Comfy And Joy (November 24, 1995) - The gang celebrates "The Longest Night of The Year" where they do activities in the snow, give presents to each other, and stay up late.

text: Season 5 (1996)[edit]

text: This was the last season of The Foley Family, Miss Loonette's Dance Academy, The Alphabet Game and Auntie Macassar. This was also the last season that the stories Loonette read were illustrated.

text:
501 – Bad Hair Day (July 8, 1996) - In the 5th season premiere, Molly and Major Bedhead have a bad hair day.
502 – Clownvitations (July 26, 1996) - Loonette feels like she's left out. Granny visits Miss Loonette's Dance Academy.
503 – Nothing To Do (August 5, 1996) - Loonette is bored and can't find anything to do. But she learns that keeping busy is the way to fight boredom.
504 – The Big Brain Drain (August 23, 1996) - Loonette thinks of different things in her brain.
505 – One Potato, Two Potato (September 2, 1996) - Loonette, Major Bedhead and Snicklefritz play a game of keep away with a potato. Granny eventually teaches everyone about not blaming someone else for your own mistakes.
506 – Earth To Loonette (September 20, 1996) – Loonette reads about Molly being a fisher doll, and they both learn about the importance of not daydreaming all the time.
507 – Lettuce, Turnip And Pea (October 2, 1996) - Molly wets the Big Comfy Couch which makes her very embarrassed.
508 – Time For Molly (October 14, 1996) – Molly tries to get Loonette's attention, but Loonette is too busy having a "me parade".
509 – Gizmo Shmizmo (November 1, 1996) – Loonette discovers all different kinds of gizmos. There is a whole mess of ping pong balls on the couch and Loonette uses a special vacuum cleaner to clean the mess up.
510 – Clothes Make The Clown (November 11, 1996) – It is autumn and Molly and Major Bedhead try to keep warm.
511 – Don't Tell (November 29, 1996) - The gang tries not to reveal a surprise about Major Bedhead's birthday which proves to be a challenge.
512 – You're A Gem! (December 9, 1996) – Loonette thinks Molly is a real gem, but she also learns the importance that gems and jewelry are not as important as her doll.
513 – See Ya In My Dreams (December 27, 1996) - Loonette pretends to be a roving reporter and interviews the others about dreams.

text: Season 6 (2002)[edit]

text: The intro changes again with children's vocals re-recorded, The couch is redesigned and Uncle Chester now sends the postcards to Loonette. The dustbunny music and the ending music have been changed in this season as well. Each episode features Molly attending Doll School with Loonette accompanying her. The stories that Loonette reads are now in live action which introduces a city for clowns called Clowntown. Even though the Foley Family segments were discontinued in Season 5, the dollhouse was still seen on the set next to the couch.

text:
601 – Clowning In The Rain (March 4, 2002) – In the 6th season premiere, It's a rainy day in Clowntown. When the rain stops, a rainbow comes out.
602 – Lost And Clowned (March 22, 2002) - Molly wants to go Clowntown by herself, but she's too young to do so.
603 – Button Up! (April 1, 2002) - Today is Best Foot Forward Day and Loonette must find perfect shoes for Molly.
604 – Scaredy Cat! (April 19, 2002) - Loonette wears a mask which scares Molly. She learns from Loonette that there is nothing to be scared of.
605 – It's The Thought That Counts (April 29, 2002) - Loonette is searching for "Mcguffin" in the couch. Loonette and Major Bedhead attempt to help Granny to fix her roof.
606 – Growing Pains (May 17, 2002) - Loonette wants to have a tea party with Molly but she worries about maturity.
607 – Donut Let It Get You Down (May 29, 2002) - Loonette, Molly, Major Bedhead and Snicklefritz compete in a field day competition; eventually Molly has to accept not winning, which is hard for her to do.
608 – Fancy Dancer (June 10, 2002) - Loonette is jealous that everyone dances better than her. Granny gives Loonette ballet lessons.
609 – The Big Bang Boom (June 28, 2002) – Today is the Big Bang Boom and everyone has a dinner and watches fireworks. Molly is afraid of fireworks, so she wears ear muffs; and Loonette learns to think of others and not only herself.
610 – Ain't It Amazing, Gracie? (July 8, 2002) - Molly finds a miner's hat. Major Bedhead loses his mail bag but learns that he needs to retrace his steps to find things.
611 – Between the Covers (July 26, 2002) - Loonette digs all over the couch for books. Uncle Chester reflects about the time he was at the library and discovered that reading is important yet fun.
612 – Going Up (August 5, 2002) - Loonette believes she is not growing up properly.
613 – Cool It! (August 23, 2002) - The clowns find ways to cool off on a very hot summer day.

text: Season 7 (2006)[edit]

text: Ramona Gilmour-Darling replaces Alyson Court (who went on a maternity leave) in the role of Loonette. The Clock Rug is now smaller with darker colors. Also in this season, Loonette and Molly visit places in Clowntown. Additionally, while Molly and Loonette are sleeping at the end of each episode prior to the credits, they play the dream game, dreaming about letters of the alphabet and what starts with that letter. The dollhouse was removed. In addition, this season featured the least amount of episodes with Loonette reading Molly a story.

text: 701 – Apple Of My Eye (October 16, 2006) - In the 7th season premiere, Loonette and Major Bedhead learn that healthy foods are important. At the Cabbage Club Cooking School, Loonette, Molly and Granny make Apple Schmapple Fruit Blaster Muffins.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = P, Piano

text: 702 – Dat's Da Law! (October 20, 2006) - Loonette learns about the rules and laws. At the Dojo, Major Bedhead and Granny do the tango, but Loonette wants to do it too.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = E, Elephant

text: 703 – Fibberish Gibberish (October 23, 2006) - Loonette tells a tall tale to Molly which angers her. Snicklefritz thinks he's a dog. At the Cabbage Club Cooking School, Loonette and Granny really blend things up by reminding themselves, you are what you eat.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = T, Telephone

text: 704 – Slow Down, Clown! (October 27, 2006) - Loonette is in a super hyper mood and is doing things quickly. At the Dojo, Major Bedhead teaches Loonette how to juggle and that it's important to take things slowly at first.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = T, Turtle

text: 705 – Floppy! (October 30, 2006) - Loonette and Molly learn that too much junkies, such as donuts, is not good for you. At Granny's Cooking School, Granny shows Major Bedhead and Loonette how to make a healthy snack and that healthy food is good for you.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = S, Sun

text: 706 – Clown With A Frown (November 3, 2006) - Loonette is in a bad mood. It's a rainy day in Clowntown then it clears up which makes Loonette feel better. She also learns that eating too many sweets, can lead to a mood swing.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = B, Bubble

text: 707 – Rub-A-Dub (November 6, 2006) - Loonette has trouble doing two things at the same time. Granny cleans up her garden. At the Dojo, Major Bedhead and Loonette do exercises.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = B, Bathtub

text: 708 – Upside Down Clown (November 10, 2006) - Molly plays with an upside down doll. At the Cabbage Club Cooking School, Loonette and Granny make an Upside Down Cake.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = T, Teapot

text: 709 – The Clown Promise (November 13, 2006) - Loonette promises to wiggle and giggle and make mirth on Earth. At the Dojo, Loonette, Major Bedhead and Molly dance.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = S, Sun

text: 710 – Lost And Found Clowns (November 17, 2006) - Molly tries to find her doll Bloomette. At the Cabbage Club Cooking School, Loonette and Granny make an Upside Down Clown Surprise.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = T, Three

text: 711 – Phony Baloney (November 20, 2006) - Loonette learns that telling the truth is the noble thing to do. At the Dojo, Loonette and Major Bedhead do relaxing and calm exercises.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = F, Flower

text: 712 – Ready, Steady, Go! (November 24, 2006) - Uncle Chester brings Bon Bons over to the garden, and eventually teaches everyone that while candy is tasty, it's important to have a good diet and include other foods like vegetables in your diet. At the Dojo, Loonette balances on a balance beam.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = P, Pizza

text: 713 – Happy Mirthday, Granny! (November 27, 2006) - Molly and Loonette try to keep a secret for Granny's mirthday.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = S, Sun

text: 714 – Popcorn-Y (December 1, 2006) - Molly is in a popping mood and can't stop popping. Popcorn flies all over Granny's garden. At the Dojo, Loonette learns how to juggle.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = B, Ball

text: 715 – Peek-A-Boo! (December 4, 2006) - It's Molly's first time at Clowndergarten and is shy of meeting all the other little clowns.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = T, Turtle

text: 716 – Ouch! (December 8, 2006) - Major Bedhead broke his foot by slipping on a banana peel and summarizes what happened at the Clowntown Hospital. He gets a wheelchair to sit in. At Clowndergarten, the little clowns play pin the tail on the bunny, play ball, have a snack, have Loonette read a story and play hot and cold as they depart.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = B, Bicycle

text: 717 – Big Blow Hard (December 11, 2006) - Loonette and Molly are on their boat they made known as The Big Comfy Ship and they are pretending to look for treasure. At Clowndergarden, the clowns play with bubbles. A huge wind storm known as the Big Blow Hard hits Clowntown. Everyone goes into Granny's house for shelter from the storm.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = A, Aeroplane or airplane

text: 718 – Shh, Shh, Shh, Quiet! (December 15, 2006) - Loonette learns to use inside and outside voices. At Clowndergarden, the clowns play the opposite game, pretend to have a baby in their hands to use quiet and loud, play follow the leader, dance, color and have Loonette read a story.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = R, Radio

text: 719 – Freeze, Please! (December 18, 2006) - Molly is in a wiggly mood and learns to stay put. At Clowndergarden, the clowns play the freeze game, listen nicely to Loonette reading a story and have a puppet show.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = C, Camera

text: 720 – Clown In The Round (December 22, 2006) - At Clowndergarden, Loonette and the clowns play with the clock rug parachute, play the beehive game, play dress up, do the clock rug stretch and watch a puppet show.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = C, Circle

text: 721 – Molly's Bellybutton (December 25, 2006) - Molly's bellybutton is dangling down. At Clowndergarden, the clowns play Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, play with the clock rug parachute, play with hula hoops and have a parade with costumes.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = P, Paint

text: 722 – Just Purrfect (December 29, 2006) - In The Series Finale, Loonette pretends to be a cat. At Clowndergarden, the clowns play kitty cat.

text: Dream Game Letter Segment = L, Lion

text: Media[edit]

text: Time-Life Video was the main distributor for releasing the Big Comfy Couch series under Time-Life Video's children's label Time-Life Kids. VHS releases are also released on May 10, 2005 by Goldhil Video.

text: DVD releases[edit]

text: The Big Comfy Couch has 5 DVDs featuring Ramona Gilmour-Darling. The DVDs and VHS tapes that feature Alyson Court are now out of print, but can be found on certain websites such as Amazon.com.

text: On July 30, 2013, TGG Direct released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[1][2] Seasons 3-7 were released on August 6, 2013.[3][4][5][6][7]

text: Album releases[edit]

text: Several albums of the original songs written by JP Houston and performed by the cast were released on August 9, 2005 by Time-Life, as well as Naxos Music.

text: App releases[edit]

text: In 2015 and 2016, Radical Sheep, in association with Sticky Brain Studios, released some apps based on the series.

text:
Just Ask Molly- Released April 1, 2015, this app allows the player can ask Molly any question, and she can communicate to the player via her thought bubbles.[8]
Fuzzy Wuzzy Fun- Released April 1, 2015, this app features the dust bunnies Fuzzy and Wuzzy playing hide and seek. The objective for the player is to help them find each other by navigating through paths.[9]
Clock Rug Time- Released May 18, 2015, this app features Loonette and her clock rug stretch routine. Loonette can set the time for the player in both analog and digital. This app can also be used as an alarm clock. The app can also display the weather and temperature based on location.[10]
Molly's Big Day- Released May 17, 2016, this app focuses on Molly and her big first day in Clowndergarten with the use of activities for the player.

text: This Hour Has 22 Minutes[edit]

text: On the October 18, 2016 episode of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, in a segment discussing the 2016 clown sightings, Loonette made an appearance as the show's "clown correspondent". This was the character's first television appearances since the show's finale in 2006 and the first time Alyson Court had portrayed Loonette on TV since her departure in 2002.

text: Tours[edit]

text: The Big Comfy Couch has had a few live shows at Londonderry Mall in Edmonton, Alberta and sometimes in Calgary and rarely in Regina, Saskatchewan.

text: Loonette and Molly Live Theatrical Tour[edit]

text: In 2007, a live theatrical production entitled Molly's Fool Moon Festival toured in Canada. The show included Loonette, Molly, Granny Garbanzo, Major Bedhead and others.

text: The production was produced by Koba Entertainment, and presented by Paquin Entertainment Group.