Brian Johnson, known for his sandpaper screams in AC/DC. But did you know he can actually sing, like, the regular way? Fans were bowled over hearing Brian’s surprisingly tuneful and honeyed singing voice in his old band Geordie on a classic TV appearance. Geordie take a much more melodic approach than AC/DC, mixing in a good dose of pop sensibilities with their riffs. The band delivered a pretty rockin’ groove on their performance of “Goodbye Love” on the German TV show Pop 75 on September 27, 1975.
Even back in ‘75, Brian definitely had the natural magnetism as a frontman that would later make him a rock legend. The Englishman delivers a rich melodic baritone during the verses. He does give hints of his rougher AC/DC style when he moves to a bolder rock vocal in the pre-chorus. The Music Man has to say that this classic performance is a great insight into the development of one of the greatest voices in hard rock!
Fan channel Schwoissfuass uploaded Geordie’s “Goodbye Love” performance to YouTube, where it hit nearly two million views. Viewers added comments such as “Hard to imagine this guy would be screaming ‘Hells Bells’ a few years later” and “I was shocked to realize this is Brian Johnson of AC/DC fame. I never realized how good his vocals were when singing naturally like this. His intonation is right on, and there is a clear power and pleasing timbre as well to his natural voice.”
There are a number of performances that showcase Brian’s early ‘70s vocals with Geordie. The band gave another TV performance in 1974 of their song “She’s a Teaser”. This song again mixes pop and rock, but leans a little more towards hard rock compared to “Goodbye Love”. As an AC/DC fan, Brian’s vocals are much more recognizable here, as he drops some gritty high range hard rock vocals in the verse. He does throw in some more melody in the hook, where he sings in a gorgeous falsetto.
Starting in 1970, Brian Johnson sang for a cabaret/club group, the Jasper Hart Band. In 1972, he and other members of the group went on to form the four-piece rock act Geordie, which was based in Newcastle. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that Geordie charted four songs in the UK, and three of those also charted in other European markets. Their most successful song was “All Because of You,” which hit number six in both the UK and Belgium. Brian Johnson left the original Geordie group to begin a solo career. Later in the ‘70s, Brian reformed the group with a different lineup, sometimes performing under the name Geordie II. Brian’s involvement with Geordie ended when he joined AC/DC in 1980, following the death of the band’s previous vocalist, the legendary Bon Scott.