How Bon Scott’s devilish grin and gallons of fake blood secured the AC/DC legend. “Artists who don’t know who they are are the ones who give you trouble. AC/DC never had that problem”
Designer Bob Defrin has revealed how he helped shape AC/DC's iconic visual identity during the Bon Scott era, art-directing four classic album covers and overseeing the creation of the band's famous logo. His account highlights how the imagery, built around Angus Young and Bon Scott, became central to the band's rise, with covers designed to hit viewers "over the head" much like the band's music itself.
Defrin art-directed Let There Be Rock, Powerage, If You Want Blood You've Got It and Highway To Hell, with the logo ultimately designed by Gerard Huerta. He recalled the If You Want Blood shoot in Boston, where he arrived with a photographer, a severed guitar neck and gallons of fake blood to recreate the famous image of Angus Young "impaled" by his Gibson SG. While the imagery grew bolder and darker as the band's fame increased, Defrin said it was made in a spirit of fun, and singled out Bon Scott's mischievous character as central to the covers' success.
- Designer Bob Defrin recalls shaping AC/DC's classic album cover imagery
- He art-directed four albums during the Bon Scott era
- Fake blood and a severed guitar neck created famous "impaled" Angus image